A 10,000-Hour
Fish
by Allen Benas
 It
was a cold morning, with the winds whisking down from the north at
fifteen
to twenty miles an hour. For anyone who lives along the river, outside
it was only a good day for duck hunters or muskie fishermen. For the
sane,
it was a good day to stay inside, where it was warm.
With
only three days left in
the muskie season, Wisconsin muskie hunter, well known lure
manufacturer
and good friend Gale Radtke was in the dumps. He had spent 19 days
searching
the 1000 Islands for a real trophy muskie. One that not only would
dwarf
his wife Donna's 34 pounder, caught here several years ago, but one
that
would tip the scales to the other side of 40 pounds. The evening before
Radtke had expressed total disappointment and said he was heading home
in the morning. I suggested that he stay one last day and we both would
give it one last try. It wasn't that I had any rabbits in my hat, but
as
the lottery slogan goes, "hey...you never know."
We left
the dock and headed
through the choppy seas towards 40 Acre Shoals. Most River Rats know
"the
Acres" as an area that spreads itself north four miles from the head of
Grindstone Island to the Canadian Admiralty islands, near Gananoque and
then west five miles to the area stretching south from Howe Island to
Wolfe
Island. Of all the noted muskie fishing hot spots in the 1000 Islands
this
is the largest, covering an area of over twenty square miles. Among
experienced
muskie hunters though, it has the reputation of holding the largest
fish.
Fishing
Radtke's lures from
downriggers we rode the choppy waters, warmed in the enclosed cabin by
a kerosene heater. At eleven o'clock we were startled by the sound of
the
drag on the port reel. This was what we had come for. Maybe this would
be his lucky day, I thought.
Radtke
lifted the rod from the
holder. The fight lasted about thirty seconds when the rod went limp
and
the fish was gone. Among muskie hunters words are useless at a time
like
this. An expression tells it all. But then again...that's the way
muskie
fishing is.
With
rods set again, the hunt
continued. At one o'clock, just a half mile to the north from where we
had the first strike the same rod again snapped free from the
downrigger
release. Once more, Radtke was on the rod in a flash.
With the
boat headed into the
wind, I slowly circled to the northwest to gain a downwind advantage on
the fish in order for Gale to keep constant tension on the line. With
the
second line in and downrigger weights up and secured, the fight
ensued.
After a
five minute struggle
the fish came to the net and then onboard. It was a nice healthy fish
with
an exaggerated girth, typical in late fall. It measured 45" long. We
estimated
its' weight at between 25 an 28 pounds and its age around eight or nine
years.
After a
few pictures it was
released and disappeared from the surface, observed on the video
sounder
as it quickly returned to the bottom, more than 40' below.
Although
not what he was looking
for, Radtke's face beamed. This was only the second muskie he had
landed
since his arrival almost three weeks earlier. The first was 35 inches.
During those 19 days he had also lost two others, one with me on an
earlier
trip and another with fellow guide Merle Bauer. His score was now two
fish
for four hits.
Again
the rods were set as we reflected on the two fish. Both had struck one
of Radtke's personal
favorite lure colors, gold with black stripes. The other lure we
trolled
was his original perch color, generally considered by guides to be a
consistent producer. Why would both fish choose one over the other
twice in succession?
On the
other hand, the boat
was going the same way on both strikes. Could both fish have been
hanging
along the shelf off to the port instead of on the humps off to the
starboard?
As usual, speculation reigned supreme as it always does on muskie
hunts.
After all, muskies have to be outsmarted..."they don't get big from
being
dumb" I often remind my muskie clients.
With the
winds climbing it was
apparent that the weather was changing. I decided to change course and
head northeast across the Acres to get in more sheltered waters and
cover
an area we had ignored all day. Directly in the path were two deep
underwater
humps that had produced several fish for me in the past. We both also
knew that a big muskie had been taken here a week earlier by Merle.
"That
fish was big enough to have had to have a mate" I told Gale. "Maybe
it's
getting lonesome and the time is ripe." We both smiled with hopes I
might
be right.
As the
first hump began to appear
on the sounder, anxiety rose. Common fish! As quickly as the hump
appeared,
it was gone, leaving only a "bell" curve on the sounder. We have one
last
chance, I thought. As we reached the top of the second hump, still
nothing.
"Damn," I uttered under my breath.
But as
the hump began to disappear
from the sounder, the air came alive from the screaming drag. "A third
one, I don't believe it" Gale hollered as he again jumped for the rod.
Now crossing the open water, there was no need to maneuver the boat.
The
second rod was cleared and the downriggers secured. "This is a good one
Al, a big fish" Radtke said. "I can't even gain on him."
The boat
drifted a half mile
in the three foot seas as the fight wore on. After fifteen minutes, the
fish had still not been seen. Progress reports were sent to both wives
every few minutes, mine in our office and his in their motor home, via
radio. Finally a white flash twenty feet off to the side indicated that
the fish was indeed big. "He'll probably run when he sees the boat" I
said
and just about on cue, it did. Out of sight again, it became visible on
the video sounder as it struggled for freedom in the 50' depths below
the
boat.
The last
run exhausted the fish
and it was finally worked along side. Quickly it was netted and just as
quickly, with our four arms heaving ho, it came into the boat.
We
looked at it in amazement
and shook hands, as sportsmen do in the midst of achievement. For those
landing their first muskie, this means becoming a "Muskie Man," the
most
exclusive fraternity of fresh water anglers in the world. In the case
of
seasoned veterans like Radtke, this was another major step up the
hierarchy
of muskie fishing accomplishments. This was his largest muskie,
ever.
"I'm
freezing" exclaimed Gale.
"Lets go in and get it weighed" I replied. Despite the increased winds
and steady rain that began to freeze on the decks, with all thoughts on
the fish, the choppy ride back to Clayton went almost unnoticed.
On the
way we both admired the
giant, as successful muskie hunters can't help doing. Although it
wasn't
a long fish, we guessed the weight to be about 40 pounds based on its
huge
girth. We guessed it to be a female between 17 and 20 years old. "My
knees
are still shaking from the excitement" Radtke exclaimed. "Mine are too,
but from standing out there in the cold watching you" I
countered.
Docking
the boat downtown, Gale
proudly carried the trophy in his arms across the street and we hung
from
the weigh board in front of our Thousand Islands Inn. As all local
folks
know, traffic jams in November are unusual in Clayton but nothing will
create one quicker than a hanging Muskie. This trophy tipped the scale
to 41 pounds and measured 53 inches. The girth was 25", nearly half its
length.
Finally,
Gale had what he had
dreamed of for the forty years he has hunted trophy muskies. While we
both
admitted that there are still larger fish "out there," only a handful
of
living muskie hunters can say they have caught a larger one. For many,
a muskie lives up to its reputation of being the fish of 1,000 hours.
For
Radtke and most others who share the distinction of breaking the 40
pound
barrier, these are fish of 10,000 hours.
The fish
was frozen and returned
to Wisconsin to be mounted by Radtke's regular taxidermist. Until a
larger
one is caught by Gale or Donna, it will join the Radtke's as they
crisscross
the eastern half of the nation from January to April on the annual
outdoor
show circuit.
It is
there that they sell their
famous lures, the Radtke Pike Minnow, from an impressive booth enhanced
by beautifully mounted trophies they have caught on their lure since
inventing
it in 1978. The Radtke lure is also used by more professional area
fishing
guides and is responsible for catching more St. Lawrence River muskies
than any other single lure on the market.
Although
his fishing career
has taken him to every noted muskie water in the U.S. and Canada,
Radtke
considers the St. Lawrence the absolute finest. He affectionately
refers
to the 1000 Islands as the "the land of the giant spotted
muskie."
With his
latest achievement
now the centerpiece of their display, he can share this affection with
hundreds of thousands of other anxious anglers with proof positive
hanging
on the wall, right behind the proud angler who finally, after forty
years,
happened to be in just the right place, at just the right time.
Now read the interesting story about the events leading
up to
"Sandy" Berdeen's 45 pound "fish of a
lifetime".
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