Mille Lacs' 'supertankers'

In search of the 'supertankers' of Lake Mille Lacs

Excerpt:

Without any golden trumpets, no fanfare whatsoever, a giant toothy mouth simply opened next to the boat and gently slurped the 11-inch lure as if it were an oyster on a half shell.

I set the hook and loosened the drag and started speaking to my Neophyte Net Man in very measured tones, as if I were talking him through a bomb defusing.

The fish was immense. And when I was finally able to turn it, I headed it back toward the boat, and James slid the net under her as if he'd done this every day.

In a lifetime of muskie fishing, I have never held a muskie this big. We measured it twice. It was 56 inches long, same as the state record, and 26 inches around. We didn't have a scale, but I guessed it was maybe 50 pounds. That would put it four pounds short of the record.

Do we take her in and weigh her?

We took her picture and slid her back into Mille Lacs. Her big propellers came to life, and she churned powerfully away.


Mille Lacs

Muskellunge

Comment: Even if one is not a fisherman, this is an interesting story