It finally happened...July 20th of 2018...Devils Lake gave Brett his first 30-inch walleye! It came on a green Berkley Flicker Minnow trolling over a deep sunken road bed in about 28 feet of water. And yes, I'll have a full trip report for those three days, but I felt like I had to call this hog out with it's own report! Though we only managed two other keeper walleye along with some bass and pike that day, it might have been the most exciting of the three...at least four about twenty minutes!
Initially when I saw the rod doubled over in the pole holder, I wasn't sure what it was as it wasn't moving at all. Pulling it in most the way I would have guessed a pile of weeds, but that seemed unlikely in 28 feet of water. Then about two-thirds of the way in, she woke up and gave 'er hell! She ripped out drag in numerous runs, sometimes even 90 degrees straight away from the boat while we continued trolling forward! My heart almost stopped - or maybe it did - when I saw that white-tipped tail the first time...and then again as she rolled over and I waited for my buddy to slip the net underneath.
It's a fish like this that can really make a memory out of a trip! I've caught a lot of them in my day, but nothing compares to this experience.
