In this pandemic where bad news is followed by worse news, how about a big fish thread along with the fish story?

I'll start. I was fishing an F13 Rapala when this fish hit. It came completely out of the water and beached itself on a flat rock before flopping back into the water. Amazingly, it remained hooked. It then charged my boat, which had me taking up line as fast as possible and kept going, which had the drag hissing.

We were on a canoe trip, but were using an abandoned boat because we wanted to boat a nice pike to finally get a pic of one as we'd released past big fish in the water for their sake and ours. This happened on the first evening, so we returned to the canoe the next day and with our newfound confidence, actually boated a couple more nice ones, but this first one is special because I got to touch it instead of simply unhooking it in the water like I'd done with big pike in the past.

BTW, the boat is listing in the photo because it was leaky as heck and between the leaking and the rain, it had evermore water in it. I've found all those abandoned boats to leak. I had even taken an adhesive to stop the leaking, but it didn't work.

Here's one from a small lake in Quetico that will remain unnamed...

I caught this Sturgeon Ice fishing Lake Superior out of Ashland. We were fishing for perch . I was using a shimano Solstace 1000,spooled with Trilene XL clear 4 pound test, with a 18 inch ultra light rod. The fight took 30 minutes, as the fish made many drag screaming runs .

Not much of a story to tell, 1st one to grab the bobbing rod, another from Lake Superior - Aug 2019

A 45” pike came out of the Basswood depths to suck up my Lucky 13 on a nice September day a some years ago. I made a cast as far out as possible into the lake while standing on an island point during a canoe seat break. As with most floating top water lures I let the lure settle for a brief time before it was to be moved. While staring at the lure bobbing in the slight rolls of the lake this Loch Ness monster type head slowly came straight up out of the water and fully engulfed the plastic bull frog with nearly a wrinkle on the surface. I truly couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed. I reeled up the slack and set the hook. It didn't fight hard at first, it swam in like a log. Once it got close to shore and saw me it started going crazy with multiple drag ripping runs. After a good battle I was able to tire it out and pull it onto shore. I was glad to be on shore and not in a canoe when landing that fish!

I caught this 44 incher while fishing North Bay in Quetico. I was trolling a 1 oz gold Red Eye spoon. My partner got snagged and I started to reel as fast as I could to get my lure out of the water and get the canoe turned around. Next thing I know I was hooked up, Not an easy task to get her boat side and unhooked.

I can’t remember what happened to my partners snag. I caught a 42 inch pike the next year at the same spot using that same lure.
~JOE~

Here’s the 42 incher.
~JOE~

Last August I was soloing (with the dog) in the Turtle River Provincial Park area. Had caught a few smaller pike and was taking a last few casts before paddling out & heading home.
Hooked into something small...then it hit much harder. After several minutes I could see my spoon in the mouth of a ~13 inch walleye...who in turn was completely in the jaws of a very large pike, way bigger than anything I'd ever personally seen before.
Had it dive down and resurface a few times, and the last time it resurfaced the walleye was gone, and the spoon was in the corner of the pike's mouth.
These photos were the best I could do as I was solo with a wigged-out dog.
41".

First ice.

Quetico 2019

here’s one my buddy caught on Lake Four.

Laker, Blackstone Lake, Quetico. The lure was as big as the catch!

sns: "


"

I love fish in the water pics!

PineKnot: "Here's one from a small lake in Quetico that will remain unnamed...


"

I only want one clue: Was it a lake with a vowel in its name?

Yes?

No?

This little guy hit a Mister Twister on 6 lb. test line while I was casting for bass in that little northern bay on Hudson Lake; the line must have ended up between all those teeth. After towing the canoe around for about ten minutes I managed to land him. Good times.....

I was filling up some water bottles and as I usually do, I let my rattlin rap down about 5ft. I finished filling my bottles, grabbed my rod, and that's when it hit.

Two of our favorites from the past couple years!

blea: "Two of our favorites from the past couple years! "

Double wow!

egknuti: " I was filling up some water bottles and as I usually do, I let my rattlin rap down about 5ft. I finished filling my bottles, grabbed my rod, and that's when it hit. "

That's awesome! My buddy left a jig in the water about a foot or less below the surface and while fighting a smallmouth on the rod in his hand, another smallmouth grabbed his jig on the vacant rod. He ended up catching both of them. I took a picture, they were both over 3 pounds. Wish I knew where that picture was now.

blea: "Two of our favorites from the past couple years! "

Wow, nice smallmouth. That's HUGE!!

I've fished all my life, and have never caught what most would consider a mountable fish. The biggest fish I've had on, I didn't get to land, but they sure left an indelible mark on my brain. I've fished the St. Croix and had a few fish I couldn't turn around. It was either get spooled or let it break the line. You never know what your going to catch on the river. Sometimes it's something a little too big for 10 lb test, and a medium action rod.

I've had some nice ones on in the boundary waters. Had one that hit so hard it straightened out the swivel, and just like that was gone.

I'll repost my wife's just for fun, love this fish:







I've never caught a walleye over 6 lbs, but was happy to watch my son real this 31" walleye in. Normally 31" would be over 10lbs, but this one was all spawned out and probably in the 9lb range. We never weighed it. Just slipped her back in the water. I was glad I could be there to see him catch his PB.

It's funny how those old fish, always seem to have battle scars, flaws in their tail, etc. Like Quetico Mike's pike. Both of the above fish had chunks out of their tails.

Note, the only reason she was on a stringer, was so I could paddle over and get a picture. He wanted to keep her into the water until I could get in a good spot.

I have a big fish story, there is no picture, but you will find out why. Many years ago I was fishing for walleye on Kawnipi with my brother. We were jigging with night crawlers as live bait was allowed in Quetico at that time. Catching 50 walleyes and a few 20" small mouth a day was common. We don't like fishing for northerns but would take a big one.

Jigging off a point I had a good bite and set the hook. Usually a walleye fights on the bottom and comes to the surface. This fish would not fight or move it just sat there. Then the fish started moving parallel to the bottom so now I'm thinking this is a big fish. This went on for a few minutes. I did not try to fight the fish or try to bring it to the surface. After a few more minutes the fish finally came to the surface. It was the biggest northern I've ever seen. My brother saw the fish and his first response was-How are we going to land it in a canoe? We answered our own question. The northern could not be landed in the canoe so the plan was to land it on shore.

Fortunately the canoe was close to the point so we had a chance to pull off a shore landing. As my brother paddled towards the shore I guided the northern and kept the line tight. The fish did not fight but moved on the surface with the canoe. The canoe is on shore so now what do we do? I thought that getting out of the canoe to land the fish that I might lose it so we decided to net it. My brother held the net as I guided the northern into it. The northern's head went to the bottom but the fish was so long that half of it hung outside the net. I needed to help my brother lift the northern out of the water so we both crabbed the net. As we lifted the net the weight of the fish push its head into the bottom of the net. Then the fish's teeth cut through the net and swam away. Nets at the time were made out of rope which does wear out. So the net was probably old and did not hold up.

How big was this northern? Remember half of the fish hung out side the net with its head at the bottom. My guess is 45" to 50".

Last June I went to Quetico with my son and two of his friends. We camped near where the Falls Chain starts. On the first day of fishing the other canoe had a big northern on so I paddled over to watch. The northern acted like the one I caught 30 years ago in Kawnipi. After the northern floated to the top and saw how big it was I remembered what happened to me. I yelled land the fish from shore but don't net it! That's what they did. Guys got out of the canoe stood in the water landed and released a 44" northern. On your way back we stopped at the Cache Bay ranger station. I told Janice about the 44" northern. She said the northern was 25 years old!

2015 Quetico 42" - fishing a shallow weed bed in a bay prior to portaging



2015 Quetico 46" - hit boatside, scared the cr** out of my son.

I had a pretty stellar ice season this year.
Walleye 28”
Lake trout 33”
Muskie 44”

Where was the muskie from?

The lake the Muskie came from will remain unnamed, but I’ll say it’s within a few hours of Duluth.

morky: "The lake the Muskie came from will remain unnamed, but I’ll say it’s within a few hours of Duluth. "

That's such a handsome musky. So many musky photos have red-finned fish, which means they're stressed. Yours looks so healthy, not missing bits of fins or tail.

For a few years, I fished nothing but muskies, but casting those big lures was so hard on my neck and shoulder. My favorite musky memory is putting my dad in bow of our canoe one day when the muskies were crazy active. He caught nine and even from the stern, casting here and there, I managed to catch two. They weren't big fish, but even muskies in the upper thirties are tons of fun when caught from a canoe.

41", weight formula puts it at 20-25lbs. Fish of a lifetime :) Still out there :)

thinfin: "41", weight formula puts it at 20-25lbs. Fish of a lifetime :) Still out there :) "

That's another super-healthy fish! So thick too.

I told the wife a slip bobber wouldn't work in Quetico.

Came home a couple years back to a Yellowstone style drift boat with Colorado plates on the truck parked 1/2 way down my driveway, they were looking for a river access to fly fish musky. I told them the only access that they could that boat in was about 2 1/2 miles downstream. I let them use one of my canoes and they got this one just off my property:

Caught on fly rod and released 52"

some of my PB , Smally #5-0 Pike 40"
laker #9 ? (need to get her back in the water fast) walleye #8-12 Brook Trout #3-12

15.5" Crappie
21" SMB
31" Eye (ice fishing on Rainy River)


26" laker- not the biggest but my first laker open water in BW.

nooneuno: "Came home a couple years back to a Yellowstone style drift boat with Colorado plates on the truck parked 1/2 way down my driveway, they were looking for a river access to fly fish musky. I told them the only access that they could that boat in was about 2 1/2 miles downstream. I let them use one of my canoes and they got this one just off my property:


Caught on fly rod and released 52""

Amazing fish, and awesome of you to help them out!

nooneuno: "Came home a couple years back to a Yellowstone style drift boat with Colorado plates on the truck parked 1/2 way down my driveway, they were looking for a river access to fly fish musky. I told them the only access that they could that boat in was about 2 1/2 miles downstream. I let them use one of my canoes and they got this one just off my property:


Caught on fly rod and released 52""

Holding a fish in that way makes for a gorgeous photo.

27 7/8" on South Kawishiwi

CityFisher74: "


27 7/8" on South Kawishiwi"

I love when big fish get that pronounced forehead.

Just for a little variety here is a steelhead I caught a couple of weeks ago. The story on this fish is I was really happy when I caught it. Conditions were tough and the deck was stacked with skunks so I was very pleased to draw the 12 pound hen card.

Johnh: "Just for a little variety here is a steelhead I caught a couple of weeks ago. The story on this fish is I was really happy when I caught it. Conditions were tough and the deck was stacked with skunks so I was very pleased to draw the 12 pound hen card.


"

Another gorgeous photo. I love pics of trout underwater.

I also love the underwater shot. You get great color, the fins are flared out naturally and the backdrop is a glimpse into the underwater world. You do need clear water and bright light. Full sunshine on a shallow sandy bottom is ideal. You also need a waterproof camera but there are lots of them on the market now. The shots are a little tricky to get since you can't see what the camera is pointing at. I have a wide angle lens attachment which results is far fewer misses and you can hold the camera close which allows you to get the picture yourself although it is much easier with two people.

I got this trout last week.

Johnh: "I also love the underwater shot. You get great color, the fins are flared out naturally and the backdrop is a glimpse into the underwater world. You do need clear water and bright light. Full sunshine on a shallow sandy bottom is ideal. You also need a waterproof camera but there are lots of them on the market now. The shots are a little tricky to get since you can't see what the camera is pointing at. I have a wide angle lens attachment which results is far fewer misses and you can hold the camera close which allows you to get the picture yourself although it is much easier with two people.


I got this trout last week.


"

The full beauty of a fish can only be seen in its world.

Caught this 50", 40lb Muskie south of the BWCA. I was kayaking and trolling a crankbait on 10lb test when I thought I snagged a log. After attempting to fight it alone, I asked a nearby fisherman if he could help me out. Being in the shallows, he couldn't get his boat to me so I had to paddle 150 yards to him. Paddle in one hand and the rod in the other, I miraculously made it to where he could tie me off to his boat so I could fight it for 10 more minutes or so. He was able to net it for me and get it in his boat for a quick picture. First Muskie for me was a fish of a lifetime.

bridge4life: " Caught this 50", 40lb Muskie south of the BWCA. I was kayaking and trolling a crankbait on 10lb test when I thought I snagged a log. After attempting to fight it alone, I asked a nearby fisherman if he could help me out. Being in the shallows, he couldn't get his boat to me so I had to paddle 150 yards to him. Paddle in one hand and the rod in the other, I miraculously made it to where he could tie me off to his boat so I could fight it for 10 more minutes or so. He was able to net it for me and get it in his boat for a quick picture. First Muskie for me was a fish of a lifetime.





"

A 50" musky was your first musky? Whoa!

The bluegill is my favorite story. I was laying on the couch in the cities, and I decided to get a cane pole and go to the cabin up north so I could sneak up on this one little patch of lily pads. I knew there were big ones around. I caught a dozen or so 10 and 10.5 inchers then they quit and I got a handful of real nice 12 -13" crappies. Never to be replicated.

is that bottom pic a splake?

Not real big but most recent. Went down to lock and dam 14 on the Mississippi. Caught two 22 and half inchers. Water is running high with another foot by end of next week. Only seen 5 slot fish caught. Water at 48°

Couple of big Smallies caught on Ensign Lake last summer. Never measured or weighted them. Picture from the back of the canoe and then back to the water.

Found this while going through old photos and thought I would post it for fun. Not a huge Northern, but I caught it with an old bamboo pole with just a hook, no landing net and in the boat by myself.

QuietWaters: "Found this while going through old photos and thought I would post it for fun. Not a huge Northern, but I caught it with an old bamboo pole with just a hook, no landing net and in the boat by myself.
"

That is a fun photo. Thanks for posting it!

Quetico Fun Back to back fish within 15 minutes.

31.25 inches

46" + caught and released Feb 2019 in BWCA