Six Pound Landlocked Smashes Personal Best

A 24 inch, six pound Landlocked Atlantic Salmon SMASHED by personal best by more than 1.5 pounds today while fishing solo on Lake Champlain. 
Granted, I've only been fishing the lake since 2004 but this fish hit and stuck!! When the net slid under him, I'm sure my whoops and hollers where heard from one end of the lake to the other.

The fish hit a Tamiron Honeybee number 1575 at 40 feet down, over nearly 200 feet of water at 2.4 miles per hour GPS.

I didn't see the release, as I had just reset the rod after releasing a nice Lake Trout and was making corrections to my course.  The lure hadn't been in the water for more than 60 seconds when the big bruiser hit.
The fish made a magnificent jump, completely leaving the water and catapulting through the air.  He then dug, hard, for all he was worth.  At one time during the ten minute battle, I was worried he may pass the boat, out about 20 yard on the port side.  Digging, pulling, stripping line, bowing my rod and stressing my line.
I worked him, ever so gently, knowing this was a nice Champlain Landlocked.  Nice indeed, what I've been after since taking on these great, flashy, leaping fish in 2004.
After a bit, he began to tire and started to slide back behind the boat.  I began to work him up towards the stern of the boat and began to reach for my net.  I think he sensed what was inevitable and decided he wasn't ready to be conquered, not just yet.
I could see the fish... and then in the flash of an eye, he pointed his head towards the bottom, his tail waved, and the tip of my rod pulled hard toward the surface of the lake.  My reel began to scream once again and the line pulled ever so tight.  Sixty seconds or so went by and he began to relax, I could see my line rising out behind the boat and knew he was tired.  Soon he neared the surface, back 50 or 60 feet behind the boat, just under the surface, not wanting to touch the air.  I could see him, shiny, silver, beautiful!
I kept my rod tip high, worked him toward me gently, always keeping steady tension on him.  No jerks, no slack...steady as she goes.
I grabbed my net, laid it down just below the surface of the water and steadily pulled this beautiful Lake Champlain Landlocked Atlantic Salmon over it.
IN THE NET!
Safely in the boat!
My whoops and hollers then began...
Out loud, inside, and on the radio.

The fish gods owed me and my time was due. 
I've lost a bunch that "felt" the way this one did. 
But, up until today, I wasn't able to feel them...in the net!

Fish on

Fish H8 me™

Six Pound Landlocked Smashes Personal Best