Luckily, I had remembered to don my head lamp as I started my pass along the front of the Sisters. I reached up quickly and turned on the head lamp. With the light shining on the water, the reflection of the shoulders of a very angry Musky were finally visible. As its head turned toward me, I could see that it had both of the globe’s hooks in its mouth and I knew that all I had to do was stay calm and lead it into the net. The practice of night fishing alone dictates that you make sure that the boat is clear of obstacles and that the tools you will need, such as the net and your compound bolt cutters, are easily reachable. With one hand holding the rod high to maintain a tight line, I maneuvered the Musky toward the boat. My other hand had the net at the ready and once I could see that the fish was under control, I dipped the net in the water and led the musky into the net…Success!!! What an adventure. As usually happens, once the line went slack, the lure came out of the fish’s mouth and lodged in the webbing of the net. I don’t like to remove the fish from the water until I am ready to measure and photograph it. This ensures that it can still breathe but it makes it a bit more difficult with the razor-sharp hooks presenting themselves as a hazard if the Musky decides to thrash in the net while your hand is in there. I quickly cut off the hooks using the compound bolt cutter making it safe to reach into the bags for the fish. Being alone, I placed a ruler on the floor of the boat, made sure my camera was ready
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