# My Dad Got His Husky (46") today



## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

:B..._I told my dad that a husky awaits him later this year...._

I'm thrilled to report....at Alum Creek Lake on Monday, October 11, my dad got his HUSKY (46") and first muskie BTW! 

We were trolling in about 15 feet of water north of 36/37 at 2:20 in the afternoon with a 10" JAKE and BAM...we thought it was a snag, dad grabbed the pole and began the fight. Thought he lost it as it was running towards the boat and then he saw it break water about 100' away. His quote was, "My God, it's a big muskie!".

Attached is a pic of the experience. Watching him reverse age from 75 to 25 while he was fighting it was a real thrill. I guess Husky Muskie fishing reverses all ages...

What a fun year. I got my first 40+" this year, my son (13 years old) got his first (36") and now dad (46"). 

Now I need to get my husky...nice job DAD! 

Thanks everyone for your encouragement here! ....a priceless memory!


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

Priceless! What great memory to share with your father. Congrats on a beautiful fish!


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## fishdady (May 3, 2009)

Nice. Real nice


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## CaptJoe (Jan 20, 2009)

Good job and congratulations on the catch!


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## marinescco (Aug 21, 2007)

Congrats!! That's what fishing is all about


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## 01mercLS (Oct 28, 2006)

NICE! That's a nice fish, things are heating back up on alum!


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

...that's what fishin' is all about... AMEN!

Thanks for eveyone's comments. Dad's having a lot of fun watching this thread develop. I appreciate it!

Here's another shot of the excited angler!


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## JamesT (Jul 22, 2005)

Very cool! Great pics and CONGRATS!!!


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Great fish. Congrats to your dad!


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## hang_loose (Apr 2, 2008)

SeaRayder, Please tell your dad that is an awesome fish.....Especially for a first Muskie!!!
Also, your dad (and you)are to be commended for wearing your PFD's.


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## Topwater Tony (Sep 30, 2009)

fantastic !!


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## toboso (Apr 14, 2004)

I was fishing the same area on Sunday and only managed a 34" musky. You can thank me later for taking care of the light work


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## HookSet Harvey (Aug 12, 2010)

Very nice fish. I would love to hook into one of them someday
Sorts reminds me of a text message that was going around sometime back...lol


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## getitgetit (Apr 21, 2009)

Nice one i always wanted to catch one of them monsters.. 

\m/ 0_0 \m/


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Too funny. Congrats on your 34"! What fun huh? The interesting thing was we were on our last pass through the area before going back under the bridge. 

We also lost a 10" Jake just a few moments before (line cut on too sharp of a turn) but something told me the other day when I was a Dicks Sporting Goods to pick up and extra one for inventory...sure glad we did.

BTW - If you reading this and you're the guy we talked to in the Lund? (with a big white antenna) that caught 2 Monday - THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT!. I put a 10" Storm (shallow running) Kickin minnow on the shore side and trolled very close to the cliffs...the muskie hit on the other side Jake...maybe the Storm flushed her out...

Still reviewing the day slowly in my mind...


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## Dougnoobie (Jul 28, 2010)

I did a double take. Is that a jet boat with an outboard??? I guess it works!


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

Very cool! Congrats to you and yours.... I wish my Dad fished.


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Sunday by the dam was crazy for sure...

Yep - a jetboat with a kicker outboard. 

The brief story is that I have way too much money in this boat to get rid of it. 3 engines in 3 years (think I got a good one now that I built) and the kicker motor is Dad's old 1959 Johnson that I totally rebuilt that "_purrrrssss like a new one_" and uses about 2.5 gallons per day of trolling. The jet would be 10+ gallons easily. When I do have to get somewhere, I tilt the kicker, fire up the jet and I'm gone...

It's a strange fishing machine...but it's very stable and it beats my 12' inflatable Fishing Machine...and even has a microwave under the middle seat for those long days on the water...


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## Dougnoobie (Jul 28, 2010)

OK, I'll bite ... A MICROWAVE?!?!


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

I know...goofy...but I already had all the stuff and 2K watt inverter, and it is really handy for eating something different than a sandwich. It's under the center seat (see pic)

Monday's meal was BBQ pork, Sunday's menu was Italian Sausage loaded with peppers & onions...maybe that smell kept the muskies away...maybe they like hickory smoked pork...


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## puterdude (Jan 27, 2006)

Great Story,Great catch,Great pics,kudos on the job.On a side note your Dad doesn't look a day over 25 holding that fish


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Dad and I are still flyin' high. I'm thinking about printing this post and all your comments and wrapping it around a 46" muskie replica for his Christmas present. 

Anyone know where I can get one for under $100? LOL


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## zaraspook (Jun 16, 2009)

Wonderful fish and a story well told!


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## fishgig (Mar 14, 2010)

Memories that will last forever.
Congrats to both of you!


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## musky2much (Mar 30, 2006)

Searayder, I am the guy in the Tracker with the big white antenna you spoke with. Glad to hear it panned out. Congrats to your dad on the muskie! 

Cliff


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Oh my gosh...thanks for jumpin in here Cliff. 
Wow...you were such an encouragement. My dad was running reconisance....watching your every move.

THANK YOU!


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## Roscoe (Jul 22, 2007)

Nice Musky!Did you keep it or release it?


Roscoe


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## Muskarp (Feb 5, 2007)

Awesome fish! 

That boat is a really sweet set-up as well. I could stay out for days on that rig. Unfortunately, I might need to use the head quite a bit trolling around eating sausage sandwiches.


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## MDBuckeye (Sep 29, 2009)

Awesome report and fish. That is something you and your father will never forget. 
I fished Thursday and Saturday at Alum but only targeted Musky on Thursday with no fish to show for it. I think we saw you on the water on Thursday in the south end of the lake.

I am just beginning this Musky fishing thing and look forward to putting my first husky in the boat hopefully this fall. I am slowly stocking up on some lures so I target them better with different tactics besides trolling which seems to be one of the only ways I see people targeting them this fall.


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

I've caught 6 so far this year, all have been trolling, the most recent 2 were in about 15 feet of water, guessing the lures were running at 8' or so. Caught one casting for bass (36") which was really fun since I felt it from the moment of impact and it was on a light/medium spinning rod on a 4" husky jerk. 

The fish was released right after the pic. I held it by the tail in the water for about 30 seconds to allow it to re-adjust and then she swam and then dove down. I've just learned that a fish this size is probably 6-7 years old. Don't know how many more years it'll take to make it a 50", but it would be fun to see her again in a few years. 

Thanks again everyone!


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## Jigging Jim (Apr 3, 2010)

Nice fish! Enjoy the memories!


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## michael.redmon (Aug 27, 2010)

I saw you guys in that awesome Jet Boat on Monday. I did a double take because you dont see that very often. Congrats! Plus, I also appreciate what you guys used for lures, for a new Muskie fisherman like me, that helps a lot.

Mike


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## JTKessOH (Sep 19, 2009)

Wow thats a monster. Tell your Dad congrats.


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

_...I appreciate the info on the lures, etc..._

You're welcome. I've learned so much from this site and caught my first muskie just this past December. There is such a wealth of knowledge here and I would be still fishing for sunfish with bread and a net without the advice of those here. 

Dad's still flying high and I've been reading the posts to him. He's from eastern Ohio and stopped by Salt Fork on his way home yesterday 'cause he needed some more water time...

Here's another pic of the mouth of this toothy critter. I highly recommend gloves and the lip grip (Boga), got mine at BassPro as a knockoff for $9.95 for now...

George


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## browns_jr88 (Aug 5, 2008)

wow.. tell your dad congrats on his first musky... its a beast for sure.. .the way that last picture is taken it looks like one of those fish u see on that tv show RiverMonsters... lol congrats again


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

BPS has boga grips for 9.95?? thats a deal

great looking fish and congrats to you and your pops.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

NewbreedFishing said:


> BPS has boga grips for 9.95?? thats a deal
> 
> great looking fish and congrats to you and your pops.


Its not a real Boga Grip its Bass pros version of one.

Fantastic fish!! Has a big gut on her. Great job and tell your dad Congrats!


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

_Its not a real Boga Grip its Bass pros version of one._ Correct of course. Here's a link the one that I got on sale earlier this year for 50% off

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops®-Grip-Master/product/93414/-1353611

_"RiverMonsters" .... _dad will like that . That's a great show & I could never imagine doing what that guy does. 

_Has a big gut on her. _- I wished I could have had dad turn the fish to a side view and hold it, but I'm guessing it was 20+ pounds of twitching, wiggling, sliminess and I was afraid she'd pop right out of his arms and swim away wearing the lip grip. Would have been a much better pic though...

I appreciate everyone's kudos for dad. We're almost up to 1000 views! He'll be thrilled!


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Thanks again everyone for encouraging my dad and posting a comment. I SO APPRECIATE THE WELL WISHES FOR HIM. 

I asked dad what his biggest fish was prior to this one (he didn't fish for about 25 years or so) and he said "it was about maybe a 1 pound bass". 

To respond to Baddfish's comment "I wish my dad fished". My dad has always enjoyed the water, we sometimes tried to fish with bobbers. Prior to this, the most excited I saw him recently was we caught over 100 bluegills in about 2 hours at an apartment pond with Glup nightcrawlers. 

He's never been a serious angler which makes this all the more fun. He thanks me for putting him "on the fish", I thank God for helping him with the pole when she hit! Dad lost a 30s at Salt Fork in September and he said this one's "not gettin' away". 

This time last year I met BadLuckLouie at the Alum launch and he was friendly and very informative about muskie fishing. Later that day I saw him catch a 33", I took and sent him a pic, and I just couldn't believe those fish lived in Alum. He took me out on his boat this past spring and taught me so much!  My heartfelt thanks Louie! 

Now my _sister_ and her son want to be next! If they are willing to put in the hours, it will be fun to continue this story. 

We've passed 1000 views and the comments will be great to include with the Christmas package I have planned. _Now if I can just find the $100 replica to wrap them around..._

Thanks again everyone.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

SeaRayder said:


> Thanks again everyone for encouraging my dad and posting a comment. I SO APPRECIATE THE WELL WISHES FOR HIM.
> 
> I asked dad what his biggest fish was prior to this one (he didn't fish for about 25 years or so) and he said "it was about maybe a 1 pound bass".
> 
> ...


It truly is a great story and I don't want to discourage your enthusiasm, but I think a replica for a fish like that would be closer to $600.00 not including shipping. Though, for a lot less coin, you could probably get the picture blown up to 8x10 or bigger and buy a nice frame for it.


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## GarryS (Apr 5, 2004)

Awesome Muskie!!! Thats one fish to be proud of.... He will be looking for another one of those.... Congrats again....

GarryS


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Yup - I agree..I think a mount is out of the budget. I was bidding on one last night on ebay that went way too high and didn't look that good. I printed a pic of a muskie to full scale (also found a banner shop online that would do it profressionally for only $30). I'm mounting it in a black shadowbox frame. It should turn out pretty good. If it does, it might end of in his family room, if it's bad, it would still look good in the garage. Either way, the memory will live on. 

Got some new lures I want to try on Monday. Gotta get MY husky  If you see my goofy fishing machine on the lake, make sure you say "Hi".


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

All of you new musky buffs should grab some of the 'musky scale envelopes' at the launch ramps. Keep them in the boat with you and mail them in. You will eventually get age information from your catch from the DOW. There is also a musky journal you can keep on wildlife's website.


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## st.slippy (Oct 3, 2008)

You could always fake it and put the picture with this 40 inch fish, and say you saved a bunch of money
http://cgi.ebay.com/Giant-Fiberglas...887?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f03fa024f

That truly is a beautiful fish! Great work!


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

NewbreedFishing said:


> All of you new musky buffs should grab some of the 'musky scale envelopes' at the launch ramps. Keep them in the boat with you and mail them in. You will eventually get age information from your catch from the DOW. There is also a musky journal you can keep on wildlife's website.


The scale sample program is being phased out. For anyone that has access to a computer, you enter your catch data online in the Musky Angler Log. If you go to ODNR website and select Fishing, then Angler Programs, then Musky Anlger log you will be able to sign up and add in all of your fishing data. It's a great way to log your fishing hours, catches and compare it to others in the state. It is also free.


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

_You could always fake it and put the picture with this 40 inch fish, and say you saved a bunch of money
http://cgi.ebay.com/Giant-Fiberglass...item3f03fa024f_

I looked at this one...thought it looked a little cartoonish up close. Gosh, the really good "artsy" replicas are $1K+. For now, we just see how the shadow box frame idea comes out. I've got the full-scale print on my home-office wall and it really does look like she just wants to swim off the wall and get back in the water. 

Thanks Bob Goon for you kind comments and fast ship on the lure order. I'll pass them on to dad!


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## musky107 (Apr 19, 2008)

Your very welcome! Good luck on Monday.


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Update - the shadowbox idea for the simulated 46" replica seems to be working out pretty well. I'll get some pics up soon.


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## bman (Apr 20, 2009)

First of all, great fat Alum muskie! Second, that is one trick boat! A microwave? How many starter batteries does your boat require to run that thing?

That's just awesome....many cold days I'd die to be able to heat up some chili and coffee.


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Thanks for the congrats. Dad's still talking to everyone about this one and the local paper in his town is doing a story on him. He's quite the celebrity with his friends and I couldn't be happier for him. 

BTW - The microwave runs off the starter battery. I also have a seperate deep-cycle for the trolling motor. A 2000 watt inverter is connected to the battery and all I do is turn the switch on (making sure I'm not standing on a wet carpet) and I'm good to go. I even found some shelf stable (no refrigeration required) entrees at Wamart for $2 that are great for a hot meal on the water. Chicken & Potatoes, Meatloaf, Spagetti, etc. One cool evening 

I was ready to give up fishing one cool evening and my wife's homemade lasagna & a hot cup of Joe told be to stay for a few more hours...Again, I had all the stuff to rig this already in my garage...so it didn't cost me a dime. It's nutty I know...but the kids like it too 

Here's a couple of pics for the "simulated replica". I still have some mouth and eye detail to finish but it's coming along. It's a 46" print of a muskie mounted about 2" off the back of the shadowbox that I built. Got about $50 in the project and I think it will help dad relive the memory. I'm giving it to him at Thanksgiving as an early Christmas gift with all you comments and congrats in the package. His family room (where I think he'll hang it) is dark even in the daytime and from about 10' it really does look like there is a real replica in the box. 

For now until I budget for a good-quality replica, this will have to do. 

Thanks again everyone.


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## JamesT (Jul 22, 2005)

Great work!


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

agreed thats a kool idea



JamesT said:


> Great work!


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## mack2182 (Jun 8, 2009)

Very nice fish


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Thanks for the continued kind comments. Sending my dad a subscription to "Musky Hunter" magazine to continue to "feed the passion" for future stories. I think we've talked more about fishing this past month than we have our entire lives. This is fun. Tight lines to all...


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Just found this pic that I thought was too dark. Lightened it and it sure does show the girth better...


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

Hope everyone had a great Thankgiving. 

This year was special and Dad sends his sincere THANKS to EVERYONE for posting on his catch. I gave him the simulated replica that I made as an early Christmas gift on Thanksgiving morning. He enjoyed reading everyone's comments immensely! We hung it above his fireplace and commented that even if he wanted to eat that muskie and and cook it in the fireplace...it wouldn't fit. That was fun. 

Also, on Thanksgiving morning his local newspaper had an article with pics about our angling family that was a great surprise for him...

http://www.hsconnect.com/page/content.detail/id/551147/A-Muskie-experience-for-the-Zavatsky-men.html

November's bite was slow for me. Just one 40" after lots of trolling and casting. But, this is a year I'll never forget...with many thanks...

Fish on....


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## HookSet Harvey (Aug 12, 2010)

Wow what a nice catch and even better story.
The replica looks awesome, good job.


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## CaptKC (Feb 25, 2008)

Agreed! Awesome catch and awesome replica....BUT, no way in HELL my wife lets me put it above the fireplace. :Banane36:


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## SeaRayder (Jan 6, 2009)

CaptKC said:


> Agreed! Awesome catch and awesome replica....BUT, no way in HELL my wife lets me put it above the fireplace. :Banane36:


That's too funny. Thanks for the compliments. Dad feels now he's finally going to start decorating his "lodge". He said a pool table & card table might be next..... 

He did hit a deer this year too, so it's been quite a year...


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## skycruiser (Aug 7, 2009)

awesome searayder! i'm sure he's loving it. it'll be cool for him to look at it every day and have a fond memory you created for him


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## Bass'n Jim (Jan 29, 2009)

That is quite a fish. Congratulations to your father on the catch of a lifetime.


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