Mark Vidas, a regular guest at Delaney Lake Lodge for the last ten years or so, recently had a once-in-a-lifetime day of fishing, landing a trophy trifecta of game fish: Walleye, Muskie, and Smallmouth Bass.
Mark’s day started with trolling for Walleyes in the English River System, a five minute walk from Delaney Lake to the waiting boats. His party had been taking some nice fish, and Mark and his fishing partner, Jim Watson, had a “double-header” going. After about 10 minutes, Jim’s fish broke off (caught later by their guide with Jim’s jig still in its mouth, 28½ inches!), but Mark was able to get his into the landing net. It was a personal record for Mark at 28 inches.
After their usual shore lunch, the group headed out to cast for Northerns in the weedy bays where they could see some big fish were working. Jim soon took a 37 inch Northern and noticed a gash in the bruiser’s side. He wondered what would hit a Northern that large, but Mark soon solved that mystery in the next bay when a monster hit his Mepps Giant Killer 15 feet from the boat. When Jim asked him what he had, all Mark could say was “BIG FISH!” The fish made some ferocious runs, peeling off line from Mark’s drag, but fortunately he had rigged with heavy tackle including a 7’6” medium/heavy St. Croix rod, 65 lb. test Sonic braid line, and a 100 lb. test wire leader.
After about ten minutes, Dennis, their Delaney Lake Lodge guide, netted the fish, though it took two men to lift the 53 incher out of the water and hold it up for a picture. Mark said, “We were all shaking, Jim had never seen a Muskie and was in awe. I was speechless, and Dennis said it was one of the heaviest Muskies he had seen caught. We got one photo and tried to get the fish back in the water quickly. It took several minutes to make sure he was okay, and finally he swam off.” Later that evening, Mark hit Delaney Lake for Smallies and took a fish pushing past 17 inches, capping off what he called “truly a fishing day-of-a-lifetime!”
Mark is having a replica mount made of the Muskie, but has decided to have it hung at the Delaney Lake Lodge, where he thinks it will be appreciated the most. He says his group has enjoyed the service and accommodations there so much that over the years their party has grown from eight members to where they now completely take over the lodge and actually have a waiting list for next year. Mark says he always looks forward to the clean, comfortable, and modern cabins at the lodge, and especially credits the hospitality, staff, and guides for making a stay at Delaney Lake Lodge what he calls a “world-class fishing experience.”
A life-long angler, Mark cut his teeth fishing Muskies with his dad on the Chippewa Flowage near Hayward, Wisconsin, home of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. Mark said, “My dad is probably looking down on us, smiling, and saying I finally caught the big one he had been after all of his days.”
