Not My First Walleye
In this installment I feature a story by fellow Minnesota blogger MNAngler. He writes some great stuff that really captures the essence of the Minnesota fishing culture. While I have focused my efforts on the pursuit of the walleye, MNAngler puts the simple joy of fishing, no matter the species, into words and pictures in his Journal of a Minnesota Angler blog.
He was kind enough to post an article I wrote about Lindy rig basics and I happily return the favor with this great story that not only features the walleye in a supporting role, but typifies a family fishing experience that has been repeated all over this state. Be sure to bookmark MNAngler’s blog and check in on a regular basis.
A few weeks ago, the WalleyeGuy approached me about exchanging guest posts on each other’s blogs. While the WalleyeGuy could really help my readers with his extensive Walleye knowledge, I wasn’t sure what I could offer his readers. After all, I’m just a beginner walleye angler having caught my first walleye only a few years ago. But he said he is interested in fishing stories, not just helpful tips. So I recalled a story where my non-angler wife showed me up.
If you drop by my blog and read my About Me page, you’ll discover that while I did some fishing as a kid, I didn’t really develop a true passion for fishing until about 9-10 years ago. It was around this time that I realized I had never caught a walleye before. We were up at my in-laws’ cabin on the Gunflint Trail during our annual summer trip when I discovered that fact. My father-in-law then decided that during that week, we would have to go after some in an area of the lake that he has caught a lot of them.
That very afternoon, my wife decided she wanted to go fishing with me. That was a very odd request because that was the first time she had ever expressed a desire to go fishing in a boat and hasn’t gone again since. We puttered across the bay where her family cabin sits and I put a rattling shad rap on my fishing pole for her to troll with on our journey. When we were almost to our destination, the rod started twitching and she got excited and started reeling in. Unfortunately, since this was the first time she wasn’t using a bobber and cane pole, she didn’t know to set the hook, so the fish got away when it got close to the boat.
Rather than have her cast a lure with multiple hooks when we got to the other side of the bay, I put on a Texas rigged white pearl super fluke for her. I told her to cast in a particular spot where I knew there was a hole deeper than its surroundings. She overthrew it, but I watched as the lure was being reeled in. As it passed over the whole, I lost track of it. It just disappeared. I then asked, “do you have a fish?” She pulled and sure enough, FISH ON. This time, the tug was enough to set the hook and when the fish got to the boat, we were both surprised to find a 15″ walleye at the end of the line! What really got my goat is that I had fished that exact same area just a few hours before and the only thing I came back with was wet lures.
I managed to bag my first walleye later that trip. But I found it amazing that my wife, who doesn’t really care for fishing, caught her first walleye before I did. On her first cast in years! I guess sometimes fate throws you a curve ball just to see if you’re paying attention.
I post fishing stories like these, fish porn when I catch them, as well as fishing tips and reviews on my blog, Journal of a Minnesota Angler. If you like this story, please come by and visit.
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