Fishing With Legends... Part 2

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to spend a week fishing with a legendary angler by the name of Joe Bucher.  This man has an extensive history with our sport of muskie angling.  What he has done in his lifetime is certainly nothing short of amazing.  As cool as that was, I returned home for a short stay and then went straight to northern Minnesota to spend some time with another stud in the muskie world.  We were once again filming a show for "Legends of Rod and Reel," a program that airs on the Outdoor Channel, but this time we were filming with the creators of the all impressive muskie catching Cowgirls. 

Brad Hoppe is the name behind the bait and the focus of our program.  While the history behind this man may not be that of Joe Bucher or other fishing icons that we grew up with, what he has been able to do in a short period of time is simply incredible.  Muskie fishing as we know it has changed dramatically over the last 5 years, and it is his passion for change that created it.  Here's a brief story to explain what I am talking about.

Several years ago Brad and his girlfriend at the time named Carrie, decided that they wanted to create something totally different in the world of muskie fishing.  They had tinkered with a few jerkbaits and crankbaits, but it wasn't until Carrie found some tinsel/flashabou and spun herself a bucktail with two gigantic blades that they struck a nerve.  The nerve was from the muskies and their eagerness to eat the lure.  Upon creation, Brad said that he thought it was goofy and didn't want to throw it.  Well, Carrie finally talked him into it, and minutes later he landed the largest muskie of his life measuring 53.5 inches.  From there, the explosion occured, and soon guides like Jason Hammernick were throwing it with unbelievable results.  If you muskie fish today, then you have heard of their line of baits.  The Double Cowgirl, Showgirl, Siligirl and Super Model are their trademarks, and boy have they stuck.  Their bladed baits have accounted for more muskies over 50 inches than possibly any other lure during its time.  It's almost to the point of unfairness to the fish, and if you are on any muskie lake, odds are that you will hear the clanking of their blades flying through the air. 

The neat part for me is learning where it all started, and to see how everything is hand made, one at a time for our fish catching pleasure.  Today, Brad and Carrie are married.  They both have quit their day jobs to focus entirely on muskie fishing.  Brad is a full-time guide, and Carrie is a full-time lure making artist.  From their place out in the country near Alexandria, MN, they put together hundreds of thousands of baits for you and I to toss.  It's almost overwhelming to see it all, but very neat.  They laughed when they said that some muskie fisherman have thought that their lures are made out fo the country.  I can assure you this is not the case, and I have witnessed their Musky Mayhem.

Of course we also had to fish.  Brad and Carrie bundled up for our outing, and almost immediately the fish responded.  The third cast of our trip brought a hefty musky boatside, but she didn't take.  Shortly after, the guide's trademark name came about as the Musky Mayhem we were looking for exploded at our feet.  Carrie had latched into a beast of a fish at boatside on one of her newly put together Cowgirls.  The results?  Well, I guess you'll just have to watch the program to see how it all went down.  Day two we were joined by muskie phenom Jason Hammernick.  He and Brad jumped in the boat together for our final day of on the water filming.  Again, we saw fish ranging into the mid 50's, and again, I will let you watch to see what happened. 

For me, spending time with some of the biggest names in muskie fishing, past and present, has been one of the best experiences in my young career.  These guys are all truly unique in their own way.  How they started, what they have done, and their passion for the fish is very inspiring.  I guess I am almost humbled to say that I have fished with some of the Legends of Rod and Reel.  Until next time, keep on livin' the dream!

Fishing With Legends...Part 1

What does it mean to be a legend?  I had to ask myself this very question last week when I left my office for a small town in northern Wisconsin.  I was venturing that way with one of our photojournalists, Cy Dodson, and we were off to spend a week with a man named Joe Bucher.  Our mission was simple - tell his story.  See, we produce this show on the Outdoor Channel called "Legends of Rod & Reel." We seek out fisherman across the country that have impacted the world of fishing in some way or another.  Anglers that are very well known and respected in their parts of the country, or fishing genre, and others that you and I might not have heard of before.  Regardless, they are all unique in their own way.  We spend time with them, fish with them, and really get to know who this person is and what makes them tick.  Then we share this with the rest of the country.  It's pretty cool.

For myself, it was more than an honor to be given the opportunity to help produce the show about Joe Bucher.  Joe has been muskie fishing, writing about muskies, and teaching about muskies well before I was born.  In the 70's he was writing articles in magazines when nobody else wanted to talk about muskies.  As Cy and I spent time with this man, it was really a pleasure to learn why he made the choices that he did in his life.  Like many of us, he has a passion for the outdoors.  A passion that spawned the creation of lures.  Muskie lures to be exact.  With the encouragement of Roland Martin and Al Lindner, he decided to start his own fishing show.  Soon after was magazine dedicated solely to the sport of muskie angling.  Muskie Hunter is still one of the only magazines focusing entirely on that Esox.  Joe has written thousands of articles as well, and as we reviewed some of them, I found it interesting to read words from the 70's and 80's that pertain directly to my life on the water today.  One of the unique phrases that stuck while Joe and I talked muskie fishing was, "if you think you have something new, just go back 20 or 30 years and you'll see someone else who has also done that." 

Joe was a true legend in all aspects.  He was very humbled by the fact that we were filming a show because of all of his accomplishments.  We talked about the past, present and future of fishing, and bounced our ideas off of each other.  Also, I'm not going to give out too many details here, but I think you might be seeing some pretty cool new muskie baits in the very near future.  We met his unbelievably encouraging and wonderful wife Beth, his dog Raider, and several other key people in his life.  We heard him rock out on the guitar, which he does in each of his shows, and finally, when the rain cleared, we went fishing.  After all, this still is a fishing show!  We filmed two seperate pieces to the show.  One of Joe fishing with his good friend coach Kip, and the other on a solo mission.  The first trip was with Coach Kip, and boy were these two fishing pals a hoot.  It was destiny from the start the Coach would catch the first muskie, and par for the course, he did.  That was the only fish they saw that morning, but it was perfect.  Later that day, we returned to the water on a solo trip with Joe.  Like all fishing trips that guys take, the lake is a place to unwind and relive past memories.  We did just that.  As the sun set on our last day with Joe, the water erupted and our prayers for Joe to land a muskie were answered.  After all, what else would you expect from a legnd like Joe?  From the legendary waters of northern Wisconsin, Keep on chasing the dream!

p.s. coming soon - another legendary outing for the record books and some great cold weather muskie action back home that has been happening the past few weeks.  Shhh...They are biting!

A Friendly Reminder...

It's a crazy world we live in.  Sometimes too hectic for our own good.  I am as guilty as the next guy when it comes to forgetting about what matters most to me and making time for everyone.  Sometimes there just isn't enough hours in the day, or days in the week.  There's nothing we can do about that, but I do know one thing for sure, we are positioned to make a difference.  One of my biggest passions in this world is to share my pleasures with the youth of our sports.  Taking kids out on the water or in the field can be one of the most rewarding pleasures we get to experience.  I only bring this up, because sometimes it is easy to forget, or get caught up in "my next big fish," or "when can I get out again."  It's very easy to forget about those unable to experience these joys on their own. 

A few days back I was reminded of this when I had a very good client named Pete, and his son Danny out on the water.  Danny is 8, but if you ask him, he'll say he's almost 9.  While our mission was to land a big muskie, I found it more of an initiative on my part to make sure Danny had a great experience.  The fish would be the bonus on this trip.  Danny was a great steward at such a young age, and listened to my every word.  He was new to muskie fishing, but you could tell that he was ready for the challenge.  He worked on his figure 8 at the boat, and understood what was right and wrong.  It was just neat to watch him learn and improve.  After a short while, he soon found a beast of a muskie boatside ready to eat his lure.  The action proved too much for the beginner, and the fish didn't come in the boat, but that wasn't the point.  Just the fact that he put all the pieces together to have the trophy encounter made everything what it was.  A 35 pound fish flaring its gills on a lure at the boat will get anybody excited, and for Danny, it was beyond excitement.  His level of confidence went through the roof.  He began talking at a much faster pace, and you could see how things clicked for him about what just happened.  A short while later we were faced with another similar situation, and before our evening was through, a large bass exploded on his topwater lure.  Not the muskie we were searching for, but I can assure you the excitement was beyond words for this lucky angler.  What I thought was an excited fisherman was now on a whole new level.  A level that his dad informed me a few days later had made him want to fish again the very next day. 

I was lucky to have this opportunity to teach and share in the muskie joys.  Danny was lucky to have a great father to bring him with.  For me, this was just a friendly reminder about how easy it is to grow our sport and pass it down to generations.  A few hours on the water has likely changed this young fisherman's outlook on fishing, and assured us that our passions are going to continue.  It also reminds me that I should make a little more free time for some other anglers that I have been forgetting to take out.  I won't let it happen again, I hope you don't either!  Until the next time the muskie strikes, keep on livin' the dream!

Fall is in the air...

Bob's first muskie of the morning just before the rain came in.Ahh yes, fall is in the air.  I can smell change, and it sure smells good.  For the last few weeks we have had one of the warmest Septembers that I can remember.  The weather gal named Belinda said it's one of the warmest on record.  Well, that's all behind us now.  As I sit at the computer I look out the window and the trees are blowing over sideways.  Gusting north winds are finally making fall a reality.  Jackpot!

As I look back at one of the weirdest muskie seasons in my young memory, I only have to wonder what lies ahead.  Fishing has been good, then great, then poor, and back to good again.  All in a matter of a few months.  Now that my favorite time of the year is here, I can only speculate how it will all unfold before the ice forms.  I'm thinking big things, but first I will fill you in on what has been happening lately, and what I anticipate to come.

Our lakes are packed with muskie nuts.  Packed to the point that the fish have actually stopped following a muskie lure to the boat out of sheer curiosity.  The fish that we have been seeing are the ones that end up in the net.  This means that we have really had to pay attention to every detail.  If we get a fish to follow to the boat, odds are it will eat.  The figure 8 has never been so important.  It seems that the days when a muskie would strike 30 yards from the boat are almost gone, and every year the details become more critical.  If you take a nap for even one cast, your chances of converting the fish almost drop to nil.  However, if you master the art of the 8 and are always ready, the rewards have been great.  While this may sound bad, it really isn't.  Bob's 2nd muskie came shortly after when the rain started. Bob capitalized on the window of activity for his nice double!Once you are able to accept the mindset that you aren't likely to see 30 fish each trip, you can get ready for the few sightings, because they almost always seem to convert into a strike.  And I've got to be honest, it's been fun watching my clients tangle with the toothy critters at boatside.

While it is very clear that the pressure on our lakes have had an impact, there are a couple of positives to look forward to.  The fish still have to eat, which means that if you are in "fishy" areas during their feeding windows, you will still be taking the trophy pictures.  Also, we really have some big fish on the prowl in our waters.  Our lakes are at a peak right now, which means that the chances of a 50 inch caliber fish are out there on every cast. 

While the weather turns to fall before our eyes, I anticipate much of the same from the fish.  I'm looking for short feeding windows to be the norm 'til ice up, few follows, more takers, and extremely large rewards.  I'm sure some days will be better than others, but hey, that's muskie fishing, especially in the fall.  And, I'm anticipating a new state record in my boat as I once again start my "quest for the one!"  I hope you stick with us as it all unfolds.  Until the big one strikes again, keep on livin' the dream!

Upcoming Tournament....Do You Want More Fish?

Muskie fishing is an addiction, its as simple as that.  Our sport is unique, exciting, passionate, addictive, and more importantly, it is growing.  Growing at a rate that is alarmingly cool.  If you've fished a muskie lake in Minnesota the last couple of years, then obviously you know what I'm talking about.  It is hard to look across any muskie pond without seeing a boat with guys standing up casting huge lures.  We are everywhere!  While this is awesome stuff, it's important to remember where it all came from, and what we can do to protect our resource.

Coming up on Saturday October 3, one of the most instrumental fisherman to our sport is being honored and celebrated by another instrumental muskie supporting organization.  I know that sounded like a lot of instrumental talk, but in reality, Muskies Inc. has really done a lot to give us the opportunities that we have to fish muskies in the metro area of our state.  Not only that, but they are having a fishing tournament to honor the legendary muskie angler named George Wahl who was an important part in bringing our favorite fish to our lakes.  This tournament is two-fold.  To remember and honor the legacy of George Wahl, and to continue the stocking efforts of our local lakes.  Yep, that's right.  The more people that fish this tournament, the more money is raised for local stocking efforts in our favorite muskie lakes.  It seems simple right?  Well Muskies Inc. needs our support to make it a success.  All we have to do is sign up to fish in the tournament.  All the money, that's right, 100% of our entry fee of $50 will go to stocking muskies in our metro lakes.  Once you are signed up, you will be able to choose between the top 12 muskie lakes in the metro, and there are $5,000 worth of prizes to win.  Catch a muskie, win a prize and put more muskies in our lakes!  Hmmm.... that sounds like a good day to me!

I know this might have sounded like a bit of an advertisement to you, but this is one of the few opportunities that we get as "muskie nuts" to help our own cause.  Plus I think it will be a fun day on the water.  Click here if you would like to learn more about the upcoming event.  Until then, fish on fellow muskie freaks!