Catches of the Year

My most recent entry in this space related to fish stories that many have trouble adding up. My email inbox, with a few exceptions, agreed with my math. But as some pointed out, crazy things happen when you go fishing. Even with slim odds, some catches do happen. Over the years, I've been a part of odd catches that defy all odds too. So far, my winter ice catching season has two hard to repeat stories. You be the "Judge".
Two weeks ago today, I started the chainsaw and cut the 2ft. by 8ft. holes in my dark houses. Yes, I said dark houses. And no, I'm not spearing on Mille Lacs. But I do use a landing net in the fish house. (the look I get when I relay a days action is funny if the story includes "knocking one off with the net"--in the middle of winter.)
Like every other countless time after the hole is cut and the ice tongs do their job, I quickly looked down into the big hole to see what the rocks looked like and how clear the water was. As is the case in most years, the water was clear. And it was also clear that I had landed on an odds defying spot. Right square in the middle of the hole, 8 foot below my feet, was a relatively shiny spinning rod and reel combo. At first I panicked. I could see the walleyes shying away from my view, scared of the foreign stuff on the rocks. I figured on having to cut another hole and move the house. (A major chore one doesn't want to do again.) But then I chuckled, knowing my first catch of the year would be the rod and reel. Sure enough, my first cast hooked the bail on the reel and I had a 6 footer in hand. Now you tell me. How can someone drop a rod and reel on the exact place I put my fish house each year? I've cut that hole in the same exact place for a lot of years. My math can't calculate those odds either.
Two weeks into the season, like most years, fishing in my aquarium(s) has been pretty good. Quite often, I've had to get the lure out of the way of a fast charging walleye that would miss the mark on the Judge ruler. Unless it looks to be a legal keeper, I chose to let them pass, rather than make noise and a big under water commotion that could scare away an eater or two later. But sometimes it's hard to see the difference between 17 7/8 inches versus 18 1/4 inches 8 feet under the water.
One session last week, the Judge came into play twice. Once too many times! The first walleye looked close. I gambled that it would be under 18 inches and coaxed him into eating my bait. My eye was right on. It was short of 18" a solid 1/4 of an inch. I hate having to make those pressure filled decisions. Yet, the next one that came into view forced me to make another "Judge"ment. After getting him into the landing net, I laid out the Judge ruler on my lap and nosed the nice fat walleye tight to one end. This time, my eye was off by an 1/8th and two nice fillets had to swim away. But in the process of unhooking the fish and judging it to be too long, like a fish out of water, the walleye flopped out of my hands, landing in the big hole where he belonged anyway, but with the Judge ruler following him. For the second time in the short season, I panicked. Now this shiny steel ruler was laying in full view of every walleye thinking of eating my shiny steel baits. But again, I chuckled as I recalled the ruler had two small holes drilled through it so it could be screwed to a floor or wall of a boat or fish house. Like a brain surgeon in a life threatening scenario, I ever so slowly dangled my hook over one of those holes on the Judge. Several times I had it, only for the hooks to come loose, leaving the steel to sink back to the rocks. Finally, one of the trebles got a good hold and I landed my second rare catch of the young ice fishing season. Assuming that tourist move had all but chased any other biters for the session to the next county, I gladly racked things up and headed home before the prime time had even come. Now there's a string tied to the Judge and my chair!
Fish stories. They seem to never end. Some add up, some don't. You be the Judge. Contact Steve at 651-270-3383 or sf1954@embarqmail.com