Deja Vu… Hawg Hunters G.S. Strikes Yet Again

“Are you serious?”, were first words out of my mouth on Saturday night when fishing partner, and fellow guide Bob Bowman called from Bemidji. For a second weekend in a row Bob’s boat scored big, real big, topping last weeks 50.5″ with a hurculian 51″ Musky. Bob once again had the pleasure of sharing his boat with Tim Ohmann from Oklahoma, a guy who really has an “inside track” on fish in the northwest part of the state. The day was filled with action, a total of 10 follows, 2 of which in the high 40’s to low 50’s range, and the before mentioned bruiser, a spectacular crescendo to round off a great day of chasing Esox in the Bemidji area.

Bob got off to an early start on Saturday, hitting the water first thing at 6:15 AM. The plan was to stick with the pattern and presentation that had paid off the weekend before, weed edges adjacent to deeper water, worked methodically with Jerk Baits, Tubes, and Gliders. With turnover almost upon us, Bob noted that some of the Cabbage beds that were healthy earlier in the year, have now begun to darken up in the absence of 14 hours worth of sun a day. Never the less, green weeds were still plentiful and teeming with baitfish. With the steadily improving water conditions (clarity 5′-8′), and almost no wind, Bob and Tim opted for patterns that would closely resemble the natural forage in the lake (Tullibees, Perch, and White Suckers). The approach was simple, cast up onto the flats and work the baits back over the edges, where all the fish recently seem to have been laying up. The key to getting fish to show themselves, wasn’t working the bait rapidly from splash down to boat side, but more of an erratic retrieve, allowing the bait to slowly fall or flutter, only to twitch it back up covering the the bulk of the water column. Specifically the baits used, included Phantoms (Crappie, Blk/Orange in both 6″ & 8″), Tiger Tubes (Salt/Pepper, Pumpkinseed), Reef Hawgs, and Cobbs.

It was about 8:30 pm that night in a spot they had been raising fish from all day when the whole scenario played out. Bob and Tim had seen two fish porposing down the weedline about 50 yards, and quickly kicked the Powerdrive to 10 to investigate. That’s when it happened, the fish slowly surfaced, first the head at an upward angle and then a sharp turn down to show off her massive tail. Bob immediately reeled in and tossed his 8″ inch Crappie colored Phantom to where he thought the fish was going… Splash down… two pumps of the rod… WHAM!! The fish T-boned the bait so hard and with such fury it was all Bob could do to hold onto the rod. Our normal routine when large fish are on, is open the bail and try and thumb the spool to maintain control, but Bob never got a chance. She wanted deep water, and wanted it bad. The drag on his 6500 Garcia bearly kept up, and up til this point hook placement was still uncertain. Two Shamu type leaps later the fish was boatside, and with the quality of the hook-up still in question Tim wasted no time in gathering the fish into the giant Beckman net. Which as it turned out, was a good thing, the front treble on the Phantom had only connected with a 1/3 of its possible barbs and upon removal showed a healthy bend that would have ultimately lead to a great fish story but no photos. The fish hit the tape at an even 51″ with a 22″ girth. Cetainly a fish of a lifetime, and Bob’s new personal best.

One other thing before we go, if you believe in luck, carma, or signs from the fishing gods, it just so happens
Bob was able to capture on film just such a thing. As it turns out, it wasn’t just Bob who was “excited” about the fishing that day… Perhaps a sign that even the Musky gods know when something good is about to happen.

Stats for 2004
Musky Outings For H.H.G.S- 27
Musky Follows To Date- 121
Muskies Boated- 21
With Bob Bowman now holding honors for this years “BEAST”

We’re still looking forward to September and October….

Bob Bowman
Hawg Hunters Guide Service
Dan Larson
In-Depth Angling Field Staff
Hawg Hunters Guide Service
612-247-9398