June 16th report unbelievable!

[Ty Sennett]

I had Tony Curtis and his daughter Riley out yesterday and we had a chance at one of the largest fish I've ever had hooked on the Chip. We started at about 9:00am and fished for about an hour before a fish came up and ate Riley's Pacemaker. She got scared and just watched it swim with the bait for a few secconds before it dropped it. Riley is only nine years old so that's to be expected. Tony and I got a good laugh out of it. A little further down the spot a fish hit my Corey Meyer bucktail. I had a good hookset and knew it was a good fish but didn't know how good at first. I kind of thought I had it hooked good so since Riley just missed one and was bummed out I said how about you help me bring this one in. She fought the fish for a while and when the fish came up to the boat she screamed and jumped back and dropped the rod. I was right there so we didn't have any slack line. I just grabbed the rod and kept fighting the fish. After a few minutes I ran the fish into the net that Tony had ready in the water but Tony went into shock because he put the net straight down in the water and didn't scoop the fish. The fish just backed out of the net and swam to the front of the boat. Tony tried again and froze up again. It was like he just went brain dead as soon as the fish got close to him. Finally on the third try the lure got stuck in the net. I couldn't let off pressure with the rod so I tried giving Tony instructions on what to do but nothing I said proccessed in his mind. I kept saying "Tony pick the net up the fish is in the net" and "Tony just lift up on the far end of the net" but he was in total shock. Finally when I knew he wasn't going to snap out of it I said Tony just grab the fish. Tony grabbed the fish by the gill and the fish shook off and swam away with the bait in the net and the fish off to the Chip. I am certain that this fish was 52 inches give or take a half inch either way. I'd lean toward the far side of 52 inches. I'd guess it was a 45 to 48 pound fish. The crazy thing is that Tony has caught a ton of fish before but he just freaked out when he saw how big that fish was. I've had Tony out a lot and trust me nobody feels worse than him about what happened. We laughed about it because what else can you do. We just screwed up. It happends. Why can't it happen on a 35 incher though.

We did catch a 36 incher later on the same bucktail. A little anticlimatic though.

[jkahler]

Wow, crazy stuff! I bet that 35 looked tiny after the big one. Sounds like the fish are really starting to move all over the region. New moon in 2 days. Hope you can get that fish to eat again!

How old do you think a fish that big is? 20 years?

[ChipVet]

Just leave a note at Deerfoot tonight so I can catch it tomorrow when I get there.

[Ty Sennett]

I'd guess that fish to be twenty years old. It's hard to say though, but that's about normal for a fish that big.

[StorminD]

Great story! I'm sure that one's gonna be replaying for awhile!

[RobertTB]

It's stuff like that which makes one love Muskie fishing. Nice story.

[deantre]

I can sure appreciate his shock, this sport is the only thing in my life that has left me with my knees shaking and I have done alot. Way to put them on em Ty, and make some lifetime memories for them. Dean

[MCR_at_BigMusky]

Wow cool story! I hope you get her next time

[Snizz]

yowzers...tough one, i understand the pain of losing a fish...there will be more opportunity's!

[mniscw@yahoo.com]

T
I had Tony Curtis and his daughter Riley out yesterday and we had a chance at one of the largest fish I've ever had hooked on the Chip. We started at about 9:00am and fished for about an hour before a fish came up and ate Riley's Pacemaker. She got scared and just watched it swim with the bait for a few secconds before it dropped it. Riley is only nine years old so that's to be expected. Tony and I got a good laugh out of it. A little further down the spot a fish hit my Corey Meyer bucktail. I had a good hookset and knew it was a good fish but didn't know how good at first. I kind of thought I had it hooked good so since Riley just missed one and was bummed out I said how about you help me bring this one in. She fought the fish for a while and when the fish came up to the boat she screamed and jumped back and dropped the rod. I was right there so we didn't have any slack line. I just grabbed the rod and kept fighting the fish. After a few minutes I ran the fish into the net that Tony had ready in the water but Tony went into shock because he put the net straight down in the water and didn't scoop the fish. The fish just backed out of the net and swam to the front of the boat. Tony tried again and froze up again. It was like he just went brain dead as soon as the fish got close to him. Finally on the third try the lure got stuck in the net. I couldn't let off pressure with the rod so I tried giving Tony instructions on what to do but nothing I said proccessed in his mind. I kept saying "Tony pick the net up the fish is in the net" and "Tony just lift up on the far end of the net" but he was in total shock. Finally when I knew he wasn't going to snap out of it I said Tony just grab the fish. Tony grabbed the fish by the gill and the fish shook off and swam away with the bait in the net and the fish off to the Chip. I am certain that this fish was 52 inches give or take a half inch either way. I'd lean toward the far side of 52 inches. I'd guess it was a 45 to 48 pound fish. The crazy thing is that Tony has caught a ton of fish before but he just freaked out when he saw how big that fish was. I've had Tony out a lot and trust me nobody feels worse than him about what happened. We laughed about it because what else can you do. We just screwed up. It happends. Why can't it happen on a 35 incher though.

We did catch a 36 incher later on the same bucktail. A little anticlimatic though.

Ty thats what you get when you use an inexperienced net man. Now when the Gomez comes up in August we will get that 52 incher for you with me netting it for you. Don't count on David. David will attest to my skills as he saw me in action on Pete's bar netting a 50 incher for my son in law Eric a master fisherman a few years ago. I have nerves of steel in these situations !!!

[JWalkBeloit]

Hey Gomez...I got a feeling your gonna rip into a 50" on the "CHIP" in a few weeks...Then we can celebrate with a nice cocktail lakeside...

[mniscw@yahoo.com]

You got that right Jay. The Gomez is feeling it. 50 inches or bigger and many cocktails to celebrate it. My net man David better have his shit straight !!! Getting closer and closer !!!

[Ryan M]

Did you ask Tony if he's available to fish any tournaments in the future?

[Ty Sennett]

Ouch!!! That's a stinger Ryan.

[Ryan M]

Too soon? I figured enough time had passed.... Time and other big fish heal all wounds.

Good to hear you're having another awesome season Ty! Wish there was some end in sight with the warm water here in the twin cities... Was marching along at record breaking speed.... then July happened