Mikey along with his father Kevin are no rookies when it comes to getting out with Legends Outdoors. Mikey is extremely determined to always go for the "big bite" and not waiver from that notion. Mikey was revved up and looking forward to this outing and we would like to thank Kevin for bringing him out with us again for his annual trip. The day was decent with just a tad bit of wind and cloudy skies as the men set sail on scenic Lake Wallenpaupack. With unbridled patience and sheer will the men waited and waited with live bait strewn about knowing that one key bite is what they are hoping for. That moment would arrive as a ferocious strike occurred and Mikey set the hook! What was to follow was between 5-10 minutes of excitement and chaos mixed in a symphony as Mikey and a big fish were now deadlocked in a heated battle. Back and forth the battle went with the drag screaming with almost violent speed at times. The fish would go under the boat and tried to go in various directions to shake the hook or break the line, but with good knots, line and Mikey's skill in fighting big fish the beauty of the deep would eventually tire. Mikey played the exhausted fish towards the net and it was scooped up with amazement from all on board as the biggest brown trout ever landed on one of our trips was now sagging in the net weighing in at 12# 4 oz. and just over 29" in length. It was quite a celebratory moment for Mikey and the others. Mikey as usual lets all the fish go, but when trying to revive this fish it was bleeding too much and was not going to live, so Kevin is having this trophy brown trout mounted for Mikey to display in their home. Quite an accomplishment! The dust would settle and the smoke would clear and the lines were once again set out, but they would have no more strikes from the monsters of the deep so as they traditionally do, they would head for the shores and finesse fish for the remainder of the journey. They cast about with Keitech baits as some rain would start to fall on the anglers. They would get some good action from many panfish mostly consisting of perch and rockbass, but also some smallmouth bass were mixed into the lot. They enjoyed some snacks and reminisced over the prior trips and goings on of their lives since last year before the day would eventually wind down and they would head back to the dock. It would surely be a day to remember for these men and we wish Mikey all the best in his future at whatever path he decides to take in life and we also look forward to seeing he and Kevin back again in 2022 for their annual trip.
