Looking at the weather yesterday, I just had to get out on the water. With front after front pushing through the area, it just felt like a prime muskie hunting day. I got on the water at 4pm and had the lake to myself, which was a big shock, because that just does not happen very often in the metro anymore. At 5:45 we had our first fish up to the boat, a fat mid 40″s that came off a very deep break. Cabbage and coontail on the top of the hump, and deep water just to the north. This fish came up very hot and took a stab at the bait, but no hooks sunk. We worked this fish for another 20 minutes, and then decided to move on when she never showed herself again. The next spot we hit was a big flat, loaded with browning cabbage in 10ft of water. On my 3rd cast, I see something white, about the size of a silver dollar right under my top raider. About the time I got “what the heck is that” out of my mouth, I realize that it was a fish. This fish had a big white battle wound on the right side of his snout, and I could see it a mile away when the fish started to follow the top raider. This fish came right up to the boat, I went into a 1/2 “J”, to start the figure eight, and the fish was gone…so I thought. I work the “8” for about 7 time around, changing speeds, and depths. On the 9th time around this fish came up and clobbered the top raider. On hook set the fish went nuts, clearing the water by 2 feet. I was standing at the front of the boat, looking eye to eye with this scrappy 40″ lunge. Soon into the net, a quick photo, and she was back in the water to fight another day. I cracked a cold one and replayed what had just happened. I just boated a fish on a figure eight on a top water bait of all things, this is a 1st for me with a top water. This fish ate within minutes of the moon rise, I have been keeping a close eye on the rise and fall patterns of the moon this year, and most of the fish that have come to the boat have had one thing in common this year, and it is the rise and fall of the moon 
September 25, 2007 at 1:41 pm
#1239716
P.S. I’m still waiting 
I’ll have to remember that 
