Muskie Smiles...
Travis Frank
Muskie season officially kicked off this year on August 9th, 2012. Well, not technically, but it was for me. It was the first day that I threw a muskie lure on lake Minnetonka. Many factors attributed to the late start but I've got no complaints with it. Life is good and there is more to it than muskies (I give you permission to laugh at me here if you'd like). I made a goal to cut back before the season started and I've stuck to my guns. Since the first cast, I've totalled exactly 9 muskie days. A far cry from what I used to fish during a typical 30 day stretch in August. Fortunately, each trip has been fruitful and I've been able to split the time between clients and friends. In our 9 outings we've boated 10 muskies. Only two of the trips left us fishless and both of those were action packed. Overall, I'd consider the past month to be above average in the action category. Every day seems to give us many opportunities. As usual, we've had many heartbreaking muskie moments, and many high fives. Pictured above are 8 of the specimens that visited the boat. The other two were hooked by yours truly, and they never left the water for a picture. Some big, some small. The smallest being very small, and the biggest was a 50 plus personal best for a stud named Eric. I believe he is still smiling. Thanks to all that made the memories so sweet. Muskie fishing still rocks and the season is young. Until the next one strikes, keep on chasing your dream!