One cold day the three hardy winter anglers bought some large shiner minnows sold as “pike bait” from Strike Fear Bait and Tackle near Massena in upstate New York. That’s just a short distance from Hockens Point on the frozen St. Lawrence River.
That’s where the Monroes and Roy bore some holes through 7-inch thick river ice. Then they placed tip-ups with hooks and lines connected to their oversized “pike baits,” sending their minnows down into open river water under the ice. Tip-up reels held 30-pound test line and wire leaders to thwart sharp fish teeth.
Young Dalton, age 5, is a hard-core tip-up fisherman. He charges for the catch each time a tip-up flag pops up – signaling a fish has taken a bait and is running line off the reel below it.
When one of their St. Lawrence River tip-ups popped that day, the line was nearly stripped completely off the reel by the time the Monroes raced to the ice hole. Chris grabbed the last of the fishing line just before it disappeared forever into the half-foot-thick ice cover river.
Miraculously, he was able to grab the line and haul against the fish, keeping it hooked and the line in his hands.
The fish was so strong he thought it likely was a big sturgeon or a giant northern pike – though he’d never battled a pike through the ice that large. He struggled with the fish through the hole in the ice for 20 minutes before finally getting it to the surface. The massive fish was a big muskie, and it barely fit through the hole to get it up and onto the ice.
Monroe opened the muskie’s mouth to unhook it, and fortunately the treble hook fell out. The oversize shad bait was gone.
The anglers took a few photos of the fish, and recorded a video of them releasing.
The fish was not measured so they could release it quickly. But photos show the fish was at least three feet long, perhaps more. Muskies caught anywhere are a rarity, and through the ice they are even more rare.
New York’s top recognized muskie, a tiger, caught through the ice is a 45.5-inch long, 27-pound, 5-ounce tiger muskie caught Feb. 14, 2009 by angler Tom Boise on Otisco Lake.
“I’m happy I was able to make this memorable time with my boy, and my good friend.” Chris Monroe told local media. “Who knows, maybe he’ll be a state record someday,” he said.
