THE GREAT MUSKIE CHALLENGE
My family and I had arrived at our summer cabin in Mercer, Wisconsin the night before and I was determined to be one of the first fishermen out on the lake that morning. I rolled out of my sleeping bag and because it was still dark, grabbed my flashlight and proceeded to untie the boat and push it down the ramp into the water. I tied the boat up to the pier and went hunting for the oars. I found them in the cabin my parents were sleeping in under my mom and dads bed. My parents werent into roughing it by sleeping in a tent like me. Outdoor camping was not their thing. By the time I found the oars and got my ice chest filled with ice and a couple of sodas it was light out. If I was going to be the first fisherman on the lake I had better get going. The boat was a metal row boat and the motor was my back, legs, and arms. My mission that day was to catch a Muskie. Of course let it be known that there had only been a dozen or so Muskie caught in Long Lake in the last 2 years. Long Lake was not exactly a Muskie hot bed. But, at age 12 I was one determined young man. I didnt know Muskie didnt bite in the am or when the wind was blowing. Well,...