Sometimes the wind will take hold of a boat so that your cast is not in the perfect position for a hook set during a retrieve. This was the case for me as my globe passed over an isolated weed bed in 4 feet of water and was assaulted by a Muskie. It hit a good 20 feet from the boat, and it was fortunate for me that he didn't come out of the water. I set the hook as best I could, announced to Rob that I had a fish and began to wrestle with this Muskie hoping that the Muskie spirits would favor me and not the fish. This fish put up a good battle, but he had hooked himself pretty well and I managed to keep my wits about me as I played him boat side for another perfect net job from my fishing partner Rob Meusec. Once again, the fish became unhooked in the net, making it relatively easy for me to neuter the lure to prevent damage to fish and fisherman and extract the Muskie from the net for a measurement and a photo. This fish measured 39.5 inches and, given the bulk of the body, was easily 19 or 20 pounds. As I placed the fish in the water to release it, I supported its belly and held it upright grasping it near the tail. The fight was not that long but this Muskie seemed to be a bit more lethargic than the fish earlier in the day. I moved the fish in the water and after a time it seemed that he was almost in a trance. I gave him a light tap on the head with my fingertips and he exploded from my grasp. I was numb. It had been a very good day for fishing. The two boated fish and the other action during the day were as the result of that methodical 'fish the spot clean and fish the whole spot' approach. That approach may not have the excitement of
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