Musky Halloween

Hot on the....

Fat 44 fell to something tied Lucky. 

The night of the Musky Ball. Too much drinking. Got Schnockerd.

Shot up to Hayward to support our friend  Brad's first annual Musky Ball.  We had a ball, such a ball, I drank so much that I left my camera in the car. Didn't take one picture.

Hopefully, there will be a 2nd annual ball so I can temper the juice a bit and snap a few clicks to have something besides an empty bottle of Aspirin to show for my time up in Muskyville. 

I'm not so young anymore.... paid a heavy price all Saturday for this one. 

Turnout was good.  Guessing a couple hundred people showed up in support of their favorite fin and it's angling King, Brad. 

Forgot to grab a Tshirt, will have to see if I can round one up from the crew that put the event on later.

We had a great time with the usual suspects, listened to some wonderful music by a local Musky band.  Their featured tune was an ode to Brad and his world record even adding the verse, "Zero to Hero" into the song marking Bardly's coined saying about fishing the big fin.

Overall it was a wonderful outing, catching up with friends, making new fishing plans, and dancing a bit of our night away.  Will have to take it easy on the juice next year and snap a couple shots.  Would have been great to have captured Brad's PIMP costume on film.

Speaking of PIMPs we made a new friend at the local fly shop.  Never been into Hayward Fly Company before.  The gentleman behind the counter was kind enough to let us go out back and toss a proto-type SAGE mysteriously named PMP; for Pike, Musky, and Peacock.  A short stick, very similar to the Bass Rod I was throwing (by Sage), the Largemouth, but with a bit more "Umph" to it.  Pretty cool.


After soaking up the previous night's booze with hard road breakfast we headed home.  Little Addison was sick, and my folk 's had been kind enough to keep an eye on her for us.


Before we left town I prayed for forgiveness at my church and asked for kindness to the fly from my large finned friends.  I had a trip planned for a local lake the next day, and figured it couldn't hurt.

As shown from the first shot in this serious I think the Fish God Musky-Titus was listening.  Rewarding this disciple with a healthy fish, thick as hell.

You have to love the Hamms official Musky sign. 

The next day Harmon and I went out to see what praying to the fish gods would bring. 

Jeff's first fish of 2010, a little guy, but happy he was  none-the-less. 

Jeff is a gear guy and teaches me a lot about the game of 5000 casts.  I feel pretty lucky that Jeff let's me ride along and throw flies off the back of his boat while he chucks these huge lures off the front and trolls suckers out the rear.  Every time I go out with Jeff I learn something.  Truly a dedicated angler if there ever was one.  I know it's no the popular opinion in our quiet sport, but I love fishing with gear guys.  My bass buds down in AZ from the Hook up fish after buckets like a science.  Every time I get the chance to fish with guys throwing hardware I jump on it.  Always a learning opportunity. 

AMEN