A couple of weeks ago I went to the Minnesota Musky Expo. Sometimes I think the timing of the show is a little cruel. I leave with new lures and other necessary tools ready to go fishing and then reality hits: it’s still winter and that first outing of the year is still a couple of months away. I guess a better way to look at it is that it’s a distraction and ever since the show, I’ve been watching videos and looking at photos from last season.      

One of the best days on the water last year was fishing with Matt the financial guy. He’s been in my boat a couple of times and it took him a few tries to finally land a musky. It was an accomplishment that wasn’t taken lightly. To put it into perspective on how much of a thrill it was, Matt ranked his first musky catch more exciting than his first hole in one on the golf course. To put my golfing into perspective, I’m pretty thrilled when I hit the green in regulation, but I would still rather chase muskies.

Our musky outing started on a perfect morning to be on the water. The air was cool enough for a sweatshirt and it was calm enough not be a factor. Believe it or not, I can be more specific. It was my 24^th time on the water during the season. It was the morning of a new moon. It was partly cloudy that cleared as the morning wore on. The wind was from the south at 5 miles per hour. The water surface temperature was 77 degrees. Lastly, the barometer rose slightly during our time on the water. When it comes to musky fishing (and golf), details matter.

We weren’t on the water very long when Matt connected on a fish. It was a great fight with the big fish making a couple of strong runs. I’m sure at times Matt wondered if the fish was just playing with him but the end result was a 45-inch musky on the bottom of the dipnet. Not a bad way to start the day with a new personal best.

We moved around to several spots and dealt with fish almost every time. If nothing else happened the rest of the day it would have been considered a great time, but then lightning struck again. While hugging the shoreline on a drift an explosion happened with Matt’s lure and a musky being at the epicenter of it all. Another great fight took place and when it was all said and done, Matt had another musky notch on his belt. This one was a beautiful 39-incher with some great markings. 

Matt is no longer considered a greenhorn after catching the second and third musky of his fishing career. Equally important is that he’s spent enough time in my boat to respect the guide/client privilege. Oh you can ask him where we were fishing but he won’t tell you.

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