"A friend of my husband, Maury, asked if we both would like to go on Lake Minnetonka for northerns. Maury declined and proceeded to go horizontal on the couch. I wasn't going to turn it down. After catching a few northerns, I hooked into this muskie, my first ever. I played him while our other friends watched from their dock. When I got home I woke Maury and showed him the picture. He didn't believe me. He thought I Photoshopped it. But I had witnesses. His friends have not let him live it down. You snooze, you lose."
- Debbi Graham, Minnetonka
Show and tell
Nathan Benson, 7, of Minneapolis caught and released this 21-inch largemouth bass on his last weekend of summer break on a lake near Danbury, Wis. "He's been waiting a long time to catch a big fish, let alone this fish of a lifetime,'' said his mom, Linnea. "What a story to head back to school with!"
Awesome angler
Ben Murray, 12, of Minneapolis, caught and released this 39-inch northern while fishing in Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario with his father and three friends. Ben also caught 36- and 31-inch northerns. "Ben was the only one in our group to hit a grand slam (northern, walleye, smallmouth bass and lake trout),'' said his dad, Dan. "Ben is an awesome fisherman.''
Trophy tales
To be considered for our fishing page, e-mail your photo and story to fishphoto@startribune.com. Identify anglers and where they live, and include details about the fish and where and how it was caught.
