11-23-2012, 02:42 PM
The total fight was 25-30 minutes. The 10-ish minutes he was under the ice was sheer terror.
One part of the story I didn't mention was the retrieve from failed release.
After he'd sat on the bottom just off shore for about 5 minutes I knew I had to get him back. I considered wading into the 2' of water, but was worried the action would cause another reflex swish and then he'd be too deep to deal with.
So I used a bait hook and sinker and jigged it into his partially open mouth, snagged his jaw, and pulled him back to shore.
[signature]
One part of the story I didn't mention was the retrieve from failed release.
After he'd sat on the bottom just off shore for about 5 minutes I knew I had to get him back. I considered wading into the 2' of water, but was worried the action would cause another reflex swish and then he'd be too deep to deal with.
So I used a bait hook and sinker and jigged it into his partially open mouth, snagged his jaw, and pulled him back to shore.
[signature]