Quite by chance came the discovery, a few days ago, of a new tactic to catch muskies that did really not involve much work at all. No casting of oversized baits on heavy rods, no boredom of speed trolling lines all over the lake, covering every square inch of water. In fact, the only thing I had to do was sleep. yes, sleep!
This is how it went down. After eight hours of fishing alone under a early September sun without catching anything other that a few bass and northerns, I was completely fried and needed to crash. I pulled the boat up to a shaded area on the shoreline - but not before I had let a large bait drift off the weedline before I headed in for my mid-afternoon siesta. I opened up the drag on the calcutta, set the clicker on, and promptly nodded off in the bottom of the boat listening to birds and crickets and frogs. I was having a great snooze when an hour or so later was woken by the sound of the clicker. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Holy shit! fish On. Musky alarm clock! Still in a daze I grab the rod, motor out towards the weedline, and scan the water for the float which is nowhere to be seen. Before I can even tell which direction the line has headed I see the musky in five feet of water to my left, leader sticking out of his mouth. It is a big fish. Maybe forty five inches. It looks so pretty I just watch it for a moment before taking in the slack line and setting the hook not five feet from the rod tip. Immediately it heads skyward. Two quick runs later it is boatside and released. I put another bait on and head back for the shoreline. This time I do not sleep and instead just lay the rod down in the rear of the boat and try to ignore it. I close my eyes every once in awhile to feign sleep. Not fifteen minutes later the same story repeats itself, this time with a small male. I am starting to think I am onto something for some of us older fishing folk to enjoy. Literally, fishing in your sleep!
And, notwithstanding who you sleep with, can there be a better way to wake up than with a big musky at the end of your line!
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