"That one is kind of small," Stan says.
I couldn’t believe what he said. He proved it in the next few casts dialing up "The Hog" of Hog lake. A beautiful specimen that would catch the eye of any angler.
This was turning out to be a fishing excursion for the books. It was non-stop action for both of us with double headers ranging in the double digits. We fished throughout the day with rain, mist and a
bit of sunshine moving in here and there and our end total was somewhere around 52 pike and 25 largemouth, give or take a few. This lake was a producer.
Over the next few months we managed to get there a couple more times. One afternoon I landed a beauty 12-inch Crappie coming off a drop in the lake, another first for me and a first for the lake. What else is lurking below the surface? Well, later that day I had a hard strike on a tube bait. I figured it was a big chunky largey pushing the six-pound mark, but to our surprise it was something neither of us had seen before. When we landed it in the net, Stan wanted no part of the fish as he laughed. To be honest, I didn't want to touch it either. I had no idea how to hold this dark looking prehistoric fish with little black beady eyes staring me down. I put on fish gloves. It turns out after doing some research online I hooked into a bowfin. It was another first for me and another first for Hog Lake. What can't this lake produce I ask myself?
I have not been to Hog Lake for a long time as I have been exploring other places for largies, but it will always be a lake that produced many great first-time experiences for me. It is also a lake where Stan taught me many valuable techniques and presentations to use throughout the summer.
Hog lake will always be my original Hog Lake as nothing else can take that title, but I am still on the lookout for my Pig Lake.