Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 19, 1995 TAG: 9511210008
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``My wife gave me a little Santa,'' said Powell, who lives in Hardy. ``He is riding a rainbow trout, and the trout is about twice as big as he is. He has a little pinecone backpack with bobbers in it. It is a thing that she found at Big Lots. It is really hilarious to look at.''
Powell's wife, Lona, wanted him to carry the Santa with him as a good luck charm when he went fishing. She told me, `I got it especially for you.' I said, like, `OK, I will put it in the boat.'''
He kept his word, when he launched into Smith Mountain Lake, where he netted a few gizzard shad for bait and headed to a spot just above Moorman's Marina. Powell set out four trolling lines baited with shad and began working water where he had caught two stripers a couple of days earlier.
A warm rain was falling from a sky the color of putty, and Powell was thinking, ``A bad day is a good day to catch a big fish.''
When an early-afternoon wind began adding chop to the water, Powell started giving some thought to heading back to the dock.
``I was trolling along some rocks where I was keeping out of the wind, and I was watching the flasher on the front of my boat,'' he said. ``I came across this rock outcropping and the flasher really lit up because of the structure. I think - I'm almost certain - that I marked this fish just before I went over it.''
Powell was concerned the line on the left side of his boat would hang the rocks, but it was the rod on the right that suddenly bowed.
``The thought came through my mind that it was a big catfish, because normally I will hang a catfish off those rock ledges, sometimes,'' Powell said. ``I finally got back there and set the hook. I worked him five or 10 minutes before I got him to the surface. Then he came up and I saw what he was.''
It was a fish with a crocodile mouth, bulging eyes, a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth and a tail the size of a canoe paddle. A muskie! A 21-pounder that measured 41 inches.
``When he saw me, he really started busting the water and tearing up and everything,'' Powell said. ``He came around to the front of the boat and I thought I was going to lose him. I didn't have any steel leader on. He got up near my trolling motor and I managed to get him off of it. Then he came around on the other side of the boat.''
The fish spent most of its time battling on the surface. When Powell thought he'd worn out the muskie, he reached out with his landing net.
``I had him in it,'' he said. ``He just gave a lunge and tore right through the net and pulled the net and everything out into the water.''
Lacking a net, Powell looked around for another implement. He spotted his telescopic grab pole, a device used to help dock a boat. Maybe he could use it as a gaff.
``But the fish lunged again and pulled the telescopic pole apart,'' he said. ``I said, `Well, this fish is meant to get away.'''
On a second try, Powell was able to bring the muskie into the boat with the pole.
``He just went wild, rolling and flopping. I jumped back, because I'd never caught one and I wasn't sure about him.''
Powell used a rope to tie down the muskie. Then, the storm hit.
``It just looked to me like the world was coming to an end, all the rain and wind,'' he said. ``My buddy later told me the wind was clocked at 60 mph. I though it was a hurricane. I got to thinking, `I guess the Lord didn't mean for me to get this fish. He wants me to give it back to him.' I was afraid I was going to capsize.''
That's when Powell thought about his wife and the good luck charm she'd given him.
``I grabbed up the Santa Claus and put him between my feet,'' he said. ``It had brought me luck once, and I hoped it would bring me luck again.''
Powell headed safely up the lake, the waves pounding his boat, the wind-driven rain stinging his cheeks, the muskie still looking menacing, but secure.
by CNB