The Mississippi Monster

A few months ago my friend Gene called and suggested we get together. We usually hunted once a year, but this time he wanted to spend the day fishing. I had heard the bass were biting on the Mississippi River, so we headed for one of my favorite stretches of water.

We started the morning catching one small walleye after another using jigs tipped with minnows and leeches. River fishing is always exciting because you never know what might be waiting beneath the current.

After a while we decided to target smallmouth bass instead. We anchored in about four feet of fast-moving water and started casting. Suddenly I felt a heavy strike and set the hook.

Immediately line began screaming off my reel. Whatever I had hooked wasn't slowing down. It pulled so hard that I was nearly out of line, so I opened the bail and hoped the fish would turn upstream.

It worked.

The monster splashed on the surface, turned toward the boat, and came charging straight at us.

"Get the net!" I yelled. "Get the net! He's coming!"

Gene grabbed the landing net and stood ready.

Then the giant finally surfaced.

Instead of a record bass, the "Mississippi Monster" turned out to be the biggest snapping turtle either of us had ever seen. It was far too large for the landing net. Before either of us could react, the hook—which had caught the shell just behind its head—popped free, and the giant turtle slowly disappeared back into the river.

That's one of the reasons I love river fishing. No matter how many times you go, you never really know what you're going to catch.