Great Lake Trout

Looked like it was going to be a bust as I scanned all the likely spots lookung for lakers. After several hours all I managed was a 20 incher and lost anorhe smaller fish. Finally one last stop on a spot before calling it a night and within minutes I was hooked up. You can tell immediately when you hook a good laker feeling all that wieght and then a solid thump thump thump. As I worked it to the boat I was thinking these big old fish must not know what is going on because the first time up they come without too much fuss. Then it saw the boat and it was on as I knew it would be. Its senses seemingly awakened to what was going on the laker swam for bottom, screaming the drag on the reel to the point it sounded like it mifht break. A different kind of fight now witg alot of give and take and building anxiety of all the things that can go wrong. Pole doubled over in one hand, the other hand managing the trolling motor trying to keep the fish from rubning under the boat. The fish was getting close now and again while holding the rod fumbled with the other hand gettong the net ready. A quick peek ar rhe fish finder showed the fish around 20 feet. I peered into the water looking for the first sign of color and then there it was. One hand on the rod the other ready with the net. The fish blew out its air bladder and a big burst of bubbles came out of its mouth and it made another run for bottom over a hundred feet down. The laker did itself in on that last run and came up rather quickly. My anxiety was at its lumit as the fish neared the boat. Ready and waiting as it showed itself I scooped it in the net. Wow. What a battle. It never gets old.