|
 |
Hawk Lake Lodge:
is located on Hawk Lake and proud to be the home of the World Record catch & Release Walleye as well as the World Record Catch & Release Smallmouth Bass. Hawk Lake is located approximately 45 miles east of Kenora. From camp, you have Hawk Lake and 19 other private trophy lakes to fish, which are teaming with Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike and Lake Trout. They have beautiful lakeside cottages, great fishing boats and offer wonderful home cooked meals.
www.hawk-lake.com
|
Bridget MohLer's World Record Catch & Release Walleye
Bridget's Walleye Facts:
--> 37" Walleye
--> 18-pounds, 12-oz
--> Caught at Hawk Lake Lodge, June 30th, 2007 at 10:16PM
--> Caught on a Lindy rig/leech,12-pound test, Fenwick Techna AV 7' & Shimano Calcutta 200TE
--> The fish was officially certified by the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame on August 8th 2007 as the 12-pound line class and the All Tackle (no tie) World Catch and Release Record for Sander Vitreus (Walleye)
--> The fish was also recognized as the All Tackle and 12# line class Catch and Release World Record by In-Fisherman
--> A photo of the angler and fish was on the cover of "THE SPLASH" magazine, Volume 31, No3 (Summer 2007) which is the official publication of the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame
--> The fish was recognized on May 6, 2008 as 18# 12Oz by the International Game Fish Association
--> Copies of the World Record and Master Angler Certificates hang on the wall near the lodge office and gift shop
|
|
|
Bridget's Walleye Story:
It was a lovely, Moon-lit night with a calm breeze and plenty of stars making it a delightful time to fish (except for the ever present Ontario state bird - the mosquito). While it had been a good day of fishing, we had not had any luck since dinner. While we were trolling, I saw two very large fish on the sonar and told Bridget to set the hook hard if she felt a hit. This was un-necessary because the strike was so violent. We immediately knew that it was a large fish because it shook its head and was impossible to move. As Bridget applied more pressure, the fish started taking line accompanied by the lovely sound of a screaming drag. Nothing quite gets the adrenaline going like knowing that you have a big fish on and all you can do is wait for the drag to stop singing. The fight was so hard that we had to kill the motor and just drift while Bridget played the fish. Once Bridget got the fish closer to the boat, a tug of war marked by three big runs and lots of head shaking ensued. I kept trying to calm down a very excited angler while I got the light, net, pliers, ruler and the camera ready for what I knew would be a trophy fish.
Once the light was on it, we saw immediately that it was a huge Walleye. We kept it in the net while we made ready to measure, photograph and release the fish. We measured the fish, took several photos, and during the release Bridget got a well deserved "Walleye spray bath" as the fish swam strongly back down into the darkness. Our hearts were pounding, we were both shaking, and laughing about the catch once it started sinking in that it was the fish of a lifetime. We noticed once we calmed down a bit that we had drifted nearly a quarter of a mile during the fight. We continued fishing for hours afterward, but caught no other fish including the other large one that we had marked. That is the amazing thing about fishing at Hawk Lake Lodge, every time you set the hook, you better be ready because it can be a giant fish.
|
World Record Walleye - All Tackle
Ice Fishing World Record Walleye
|
