Today's trophy tale: Andy Kubal, Minnetonka, 49 ½-inch muskie

We had been fishing for three hours and were ready to quit. But my friend Jim Gornowicz suggested we try one more spot. Two casts later, my lure just stopped about 10 feet from the boat. The fish jumped out of water once and shook its head. A minute later Jim netted my first muskie ever. While unhooking the fish, I took a hook in my finger. "You gotta push it through," Jim said. So while he was getting the hooks out of the fish, I pushed the hook through my finger. Thank God I had adrenaline going. We took a quick picture, released the fish and went in for Band-Aids.