Some stories make Fish of the Week as much as the fish. Take Joey Finnegan's first muskie.
The 11-year-old from Arlington Heights caught it on a No. 5 Mepps on North Twin Lake in Phelps, Wis. on Aug. 10 and for the story from his father Joe as much as anything take FOTW honors.
FOTW tops the Midwest Fishing Report each Wednesday in the Sun-Times. An extended online version appears here, usually by midnight Tuesday. Send FOTW nominations to outdoordb@sbcglobal.net.
The original note from Joe caught my eye:
This is a picture of Joey Finnegan an eleven year old Arlington Heights resident and his first Musky. The 34" fish, caught 8/10/09, hit a #5 Mepps spinner bait on North Twin Lake in Phelps, WI. The smile on Joeys face tells how excited he was to get a legal musky and indicates that his dad will not have to look for a fishing buddy next year!
But the followup note really nailed it:
I can not believe it I have been fishing Twin Lakes for a week every August for the last ten years, and haven't boated a fish since 06. Joey only started casting lures last year and until this summer wouldn't get up early enough to fish with me in the morning, and his first Musky is a legal fish. I am sure that there will be some trophies nominated that are certainly more worthy than a fish that is at the minimum keeper length, however I thought that you would get a kick out of the smile on the face of a kid hooked on fishing!
I do get a kick out of it. That's the right stuff.
Congratulations to Joey on his first muskie. Unfortunately, it may be a while until his next North Twin legal. With an archaic 34" limit, studies have shown that most muskie will be harvested just above the legal size limit.