We hit a local lake this past Sunday morning at daybreak. We set out 4 Tip Downs and the two of us started jigging for panfish. We landed a few Crappies and Perch in the first hour and then the bite went dead, not a fish on the Marcum.
I looked over and saw one of the Tip Downs slowly going down. I ran over lifted the rod and slowly raised it to feel for that Crappie, it felt heavy so I gave it a nice little jerk and lifted at the same time.
It did not move all that happened was the rod bent, I thought I was snagged in something and lifted harder and still nothing just solid. Thats until it decided to take off, the rod tip went toward the hole and I was scrambling to pull the depth pin from the reel before the line busted. I was hoping it was a Walleye since we had caught a few smaller ones earlier, but after the second reel burning run I knew I had a Northern on.
After 25 or 30 of those runs and almost getting spooled twice I finally got the beast near the hole, it was a nice Northern. It took 5 tries before I could get it’s head in the hole. 41″ and a fat pig, poorman’s lobster tonight was the first thought on my mind.
When filleting later it had a 10″ Perch in it’s belly and took my little Crappie minnow for dessert. Luckily I hooked right in the corner of the mouth or it would of easily bit through the 4# test leader.
