Muskie Porn...
Travis Frank
If you call yourself a muskie dude, then you're probably addicted to muskie porn like me. In my opinion, it's almost as fun as catching the fish. We don't keep the darn things, so we may as well take something from that fish to remember it forever. We could steal a scale or a tooth, but that just isn't very logical, nor is it friendly. Instead, we steal their pictures. We post them on the internet and we email them to our friends. With today's modern technology, most of my clients and friends even steal a picture with their phone and immediately text it to their buddies. If a muskie has been caught, odds are that 10 of your closest friends know about the fish before you even get off the lake. However you dice it up, it's our version of porn and it's one of the reasons we spend hours busting our butts over a fish.
I could stare at muskie porn all day. I'm not proud of it, but its the truth. In an effort to increase my viewing pleasure, I've been working on my photo quality and capturing the essence of the moment. I've only begun to dabble with photography, and a few of my friends have done the same. Last week my best muskie buddy, Mike Ernst, returned home from Nashville. He brought his camera and we went on the muskie quest. It didn't take long and we captured a few images for his lens. Instead of snapping the photo's, I was lucky enough to be in them. I believe muskie fishing is an emotional sport, and I think Mike nailed the action with his pics. High quality porn if you will.
To capture a good muskie shot is usually quite difficult. It requires the right fish, the right holder and the right lighting. Not to mention that 98% of my effort goes into making sure the muskie is handled correctly and released healthy. I suspect that I usually take about 10 to 15 seconds to get the shot, then the fish returns to the water. It's not easy, but I find it quite enjoyable when the quality turns out. The right hold and the right angle of the fish can make or break the picture. The fun part about being a guide is that I get to experience this chaotic moment with new people all of the time. I bark orders and they look at me funny. In in the end we laugh at the pics and share them with everyone we know. Just another reason why I love my job. Until the next muskie strikes, keep on livin' the dream!
