I was introduced to this particular lure back in the day, on Lake Nokomis. My buddy and I caught 4 muskies in about an hours’ time, while going around what I remember as the “Grassy Island.” Three of the fish were caught on his Mustard Belly Suick, my next trip North included a stop at Rollie and Helen’s to get this hot bait. Over the next few years, I caught a few fish on it, both in clear and stained water, It took its place in my box alongside the other assortment of Suicks I used and still consider the best baits for the type of fishing I like to do.
Later in my wanderings on the water, a buddy and I were on Lac Vieux Desert one morning. It was still pretty foggy, not necessarily meaning the weather. A hard day of fishing the previous day ended up in some down time with our favorite refreshments. I was throwing the Mustard Belly and caught a musky, low 30’s in length. Not wanting to bother with the net, and being young and foolish, or at least foolish, my buddy grabbed the fish as I put my rod down and looked for the pliers. Not quite thinking clearly yet, I didn’t hit the free spool. The fish slipped out of my buddy’s hand back into the drink, pulling it with my rod, reel and bait.
We immediately started casting buck tails and letting them sink down, hoping to hook my line. About all we accomplished was uprooting these big stalks of cabbage. Like most of us, I felt gut-punched over loosing an old friend like the Suick, but it happens now and again. Must have looked like we were a few baits short of a full box, but after awhile I saw something white bobbing in this floating mass of weeds. It was my Suick with the white paint I put on the back, fish still attached. It kept going down and then resurfacing, obviously tired from dragging the rig around through the weed bed. Finally we got close enough to the net the fish and I had my prized Mustard Belly Suick back. Over the years she got pretty beat up and I tried to revive it with clear coat, but I think I really did it in. Now it resides not in my box but on the wall of infamy. Oh yeah…after all that, I also got my rod and reel back too.
-Fred Oksiuta