Today was the day. I knew it before I even got out of bed. I looked out my window and noticed the low overcast drizzle, perfect for top water Tiger Musky. I went to the Standals' Point, my secret location (for those of you who know the lake it is adjacent to the two orange buoys off of the north end of Bankers Island). I grabbed my pliers, my tackle box of top water and husky jerks and walked the 100 feet to the secret location. I started out using my newest lure a 6.5in jointed rapala. Nothing. Switched to a popper. On the second cast, right next to the older buoy, a Tiger Musky thrashed open the semi-calm water and grabbed my lure. The fight was on! This fish went straight out to deeper water and had no intention of making this fight easy. My elated shouts aroused the attention of my neighbor who came rushing out to see what had happened. I asked him to get a camera. While he was doing that I had finally maneuvered the fish to where I could see him. He had the popper perpendicular to his mouth and the line went back through his mouth (10lb mono). I had to act quickly. I stepped into the 1.5ft deep water, and moved the tip of my pole around the mouth of the monster in hopes that the line would come out of his mouth. Just then the Musky thrashed and my trick worked! By this time my neighbor had returned, so I carefully lifted the fish out of the water, while he snapped the photo. Then I proceeded to unhook the fish and measure him against my pole, to be measured with a measuring tape later. This majestic fish took several minutes to revive, I think I played him too hard, but in the end he swam off clearly happy that he was not going to be tonight's dinner. All this happened between 10:00am and 10:45am today august 26, 2003. The fish ended up measuring out at about 38inches. Tight Lines, anyone know where to catch the Largemouth in Tapps? Max w

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