Last trip for 2018!

[Red Childress]

Pat and I launched the boat Saturday with the sole intention of hunting down a big fish. We had a strong but unfortunate first couple of hours while missing the first 3 fish we encountered. After a couple hours of nothing, we changed tactics and Pat immediately had a hook up. He got her to the surface and we both new this was a stud. After a rushed photo session in order to get her back in the water, we laid her on the board and saw 50.25!

I have been around long enough to know that if you start posting exact lenghts on the web, there will be plenty of doubters if the fish doesn’t “look” like the claimed length. Well, here I am already defending the size of the fish as I post this morning. This story is so cool, I just had to do it as this is Pat’s first PA 50, the only PA 50 we landed in 2018 and on the last trip of 2018. You can’t make this stuff up. (For reference, Pat is 6’3” and pushing 300.....not the size guy you want holding a big fish if you want the fish to “look” as big as possible.).

We had some rough luck with big fish this season. All 3 (or possible 4) fish that I thought may have a shot at making 50 were lost at boatside for various reasons. Needless to say, it was a very tense moment as we slid her into the net. Congrats Pat.....you finally did it!

Here are the best 2 pics we got. The fish proved to be quite squirmy for Pat to handle.

29802

29803

[ttabaleulb]

WOW!! Awesome fish guys. Congrats all around on a beast and the hard work that goes into finding, hooking and landing a fish like that. What a way to end the year.

In terms of having to defend the fish size, I just have to laugh at all the people that question every fish pic that shows up on the web nowadays. You know what they say about opinions. I guess I never realized that every Tom, DICK and Harry out there are experts in analyzing photographs. At least I didn't realize that until the internet showed up. LOL

Anyhow, nice work. Seeing fish like that will help me get thru the dog days of winter waiting to get back at em in 2019.


Jay

[gfishes]

Awesome fish! Crazy how it works out like that. Last trip of the year!

[Red Childress]

Thanks, fellas! It was a very memorable day.

[Ivan]

Congrats Red. Great fish

[ppalko]

Nice fish and great story. Too bad she didn’t hit on the last cast of the day!

[Red Childress]

Thanks again guys!

We haven’t had a last cast musky before, IIRC. We have had 4 or 5 muskies caught while fishing the “last spot” of the day. The last cast would be crazy!


Happy Holidays!

[Red Childress]

We did have a "first cast" musky back in '05 or '06, however. That was pretty cool except we did not see another musky during the remaining 7 hours and 59 minutes!