Got the better part of two days on this lake over a long weekend seeing family in the area. Fished with local musky and striper nut Billy Davis, who really knows his stuff. Had some rough stormy weather and we only boated one small muskie and a 21 lb striper, but had other good contact with stripers, and on ski to 45" or so (his best there this year was 51"). Also lost a freight train of a striper that may have gone over 40 lb, they are freaking awesome, that bitch was ripping off 80 lb. Stealth on a super tight drag like it was nothing!
I'll be writing an article about this lake. Big mean predators fed by a system like no other on earth I bet, at least for muskie, in that there's 60ish degree water available all year long so no winter or mid-summer shut-down of the fish and fishing. Norris Dam let's through super cold water all summer and a steam plant warms things all winter for a good part of the lake. The growth rates seem just sick but I'll be finding out more from a local biologist on that. Doug Johnson spends two months there every winter/spring, which must mean something I'm guessing, and we said hello to him out there on Friday.
This will hopefully be the first of many fishing trips on this lake and my only regret is I didn't try it sooner while visiting my brother there every year. Now I'll have to fish it every year from now on!
I have mixed feelings about writing of it, but the guy leading support of our fish there wants to share the story so the state continues to back the fishery. Right now hardly anyone fishes it for muskies, most of the locals don't even know what they are, so they want to promote the fishery and educate the angling public in the hope of a long lasting, productive muskie factory.
The other problem is I found another fish that I love, those stripers are as addicting as Esox, I need to latch onto a couple a year from now on!
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