Lake St. Joe truly is the domain of lunker northern pike, but more often than not, the stories of encounters with brute northerns sound much like the following:

"...fish was huge. . . "
... I had a monster hooked. . . "
". . drag was screaming. . . "
". . had to be at least 20 lbs. . . "
... biggest northern ' I've ever seen. . . "
" . . right to the side of the boat. . . "
". . and then. . . "

If I were to make an estimate based on angler's tales, and from what I've seen while fishing with different folks on Lake St. Joe, I would venture to say that of all the trophy northerns hooked at least 90% are lost. There is a certain mystique to the "Big One That Got Away Story," but believe me, to carefully land, photograph, and release that trophy fish is a feeling like no other.

Not surprisingly, most fishermen lose trophy northerns by making a few simple mistakes and the key to eliminating those possibilities for error is to be prepared. I cannot stress this point enough. By being prepared I mean not only acquiring the proper tackle and clothing before you come up, but also having a mental game plan and a plan of action prepared for the occasion when that big one hits.

Make sure your tackle is in order and up to the task of battling a big gator. Spinning versus bait- casting is a matter of personal preference and both will get the job done, as long as they are matched to handle the strength of a big northern. I'm talking about 6'- 7 1/2' heavy action rods, matched with an appropriate sized reel, and spooled with new 17 lb. test or stronger line. Some will argue that I'm not being very "sporting" by suggesting such stout gear, after all, "Old Uncle Clem caught a 25 pounder on ultra- light tackle with 6 year old 6 lb. test line and he didn't even have a leader on!" Yes, it is possible to land big fish on lighter tackle, but in the long run you're not doing yourself or the fish any good by not matching tackle to the fish. First of all, you increase your odds of losing that big fish by tenfold and secondly, the prolonged fight and complete exhaustion required to subdue a big fish with light tackle will often cost the fish its life. I've seen it happen too many times.

The biggest advantage of using strong tackle is that it allows the angler to control the fight. A longer rod not only allows you to cast farther, but it gives you added leverage while battling a big fish in heavy cover and it also puts the angler in control at the most critical point of the battle when a big fish is boat-side. In most situations I choose 17 lb. test monofilament line as a compromise between casting distance and adequate strength to control big fish. The limited stretch of monofilament allows you to play a violent fish without tearing hooks out of the fish's mouth. Another reason I often choose monofilament is because it is easier to cast and causes less fatigue than a musky rig spooled with braided dacron. I do go with the added power of a musky bait-casting rig spooled with 30 lb. dacron when I'm casting into heavy vegetation. A big northern buried in 40 lbs. of cabbage weed requires power and finesse.

You can also increase the odds of landing that big fish by paying attention to details and by being organized. It doesn't make sense to try to save 50 cents buying cheap steel leaders for that one trip of the year. It's a lesson I learned the hard way. Buy quality musky steel leaders with cross lock snaps and good ball bearings. It will be one less thing to worry about while tackling the big one. I find it helpful to have pliers, jaw spreaders, a good scale, a tape measure, and rain gear stored in a waterproof fishing bag that can be easily stored and conveniently repacked.

Getting your tackle in order is half the battle. Being prepared also means knowing what to expect a big fish to do after its been hooked and having a game plan in mind of how you and your fishing partner should react. Many huge northerns when hooked will initially come to the boat with little fuss. It's not until after they see the boat and the angler sees them that all hell breaks loose. Never try to land a big fish on the first pass to the boat (another lesson learned the hard way). At this point the fish can either make a long screaming run, dive under the boat, or come out of the water. This is when things get exciting and a game plan is necessary.

Setting your drag correctly before you hook the fish is essential. I've seen dozens of fish lost by anglers trying to adjust a drag while fighting a fish and even more due to drags set too loose in the first place. A drag set too loose allows the fish to take control, get slack line, and throw the hook. How do you know if your drag is set correctly? The answer is not easily written, but in general you should be able to pull line off the reel with relative ease yet still be able to just get the drag to slip when you set the hook on a fish.

Once you realize you've got a good fish, have your partner get everything out of the water including stringers of fish, the trolling motor, the anchor, and if possible lift the outboard into the tilt position (leave the motor down and running if you are drifting onto a rock bar or into vegetation). Big pike are notorious for making runs under the boat and getting tangled or wrapped around anything and eventually breaking off. If the fish dives beneath the boat, plunge your rod deep into the water and try to keep the line from touching the bottom of the boat at all costs. It may be necessary to swing your rod tip around the bow or stern of the boat to play the fish on the opposite side. This is where it pays to have an open floor that isn't cluttered with rods or tackle boxes. If you have to, you can move with the fish and use the leverage of that long rod to keep the fish and line away from the rivets and sharp edges of the boat. As you play the fish your partner should get jaw spreaders, pliers, tape measure, scale, and camera ready to efficiently land, measure, photograph, and release the fish. The goal is to play the fish until it can easily be hand landed. If a big fish is fought to exhaustion it can die, but the fastest way to kill a big fish you intended to release is to net it with a conventional landing net.

A big fish netted and dropped into the bottom of the boat will almost always twist, flop, thrash, and tangle. The result is a slimy, bloody mess that takes 10 minutes to untangle. If the fish isn't already dead it will more than likely die in the next week or so from infection. That messy slime is the fish's first line of defense against bacterial and fungal infection. The stress of being caught combined with tissue and skin damage provide for a bleak prognosis. This can easily be prevented by hand landing these big fish.

After you believe the fish may be ready to land, bring the fish along side the boat and hand your rod to your partner. Stabilize the fish by placing your hand across the back of its head with your fingers near the back of its gill cover. If it is still too fresh, it will take off. Bring it around and try again. Once the fish is stationary, use your other hand and reach under and grab hold of the fish's gill cover. If you have a tight grip the fish will rarely thrash when lifted into the boat. If the fish does shake, hug it to your chest. In this manner, hooks can be removed, a measurement taken, a photo snapped, and the fish released in less than a minute. The result is less messy, less time consuming, and most importantly the fish has been released alive. A lot of guys tell a good story about the one that got away. If you would prefer to land the fish of a lifetime, then plan a trip to Lake St. Joe, come prepared with appropriate tackle and a game plan, and get ready for the time of your life!