Here are the pics of the fish my nephew Caleb caught on Tuesday. It’s 36″ and weighed 13 lbs, 9 oz. on my handheld fish scale. This is Lake Metigoshe, ND which is an international lake in the Turtle Mountains of ND/Canada. The background is 50% canadian!
So the story, I took Caleb and Isaac, my two nephews, out fishing, Caleb is the younger of the two at age 4. Their parents had run into town and my kids and my parents, plus their two other siblings were at a camp for a few days. So we set out on the pontoon and set up to bobber fish for panfish. After an hour, I could not buy a fish, I think we had one tiny fish for our efforts.
Knowing I could troll cranks and pick up a northern or two, I opted to try that. Just to get them a fish. I’ve fished this lake since I was Caleb’s age and 99% of the northern are the 1 to 2 lb variety. Fun for kids, but nothing to get too excited about. In my 35+ years of fishing this lake, I had witnessed a 7 lb fish twice, and 1 10 lb fish, they just don’t grow that big here. So when I handed a 7′ rod to a four year old and six year old, I didn’t think it was that big a deal.
I propped Caleb on the back seat of the pontoon, put a firetiger jointed #7 on his line and told him to hold on with both hands, tight. Fired it out straight back and engaged the bail. I gave Isaac something similar and had a rod out myself.
We were moving along ok and got to a spot I knew was fishy and had just told them both to hold on tight cause the fish would feel like a freight train hitting their lures. Minutes earlier they were both complaining that this was boring and that they could not see their lures!!! 
Caleb let out a shout and I looked back to see him holding on for dear life, the rod pointing straight back and down at the water. I quickly reeled in and told Isaac to do the same. The wind was whipping, probably 15 steady plus gusts. We weren’t more than 40 yards from shore on our trolling pass likely in 10-12 fow (no depth finder on board). I took the rod from Caleb to see what we were dealing with and quickly said woa! This fish has some shoulders. I got Caleb up on the back deck of the pontoon and had him start reeling. He was having considerable trouble. I stood behind him and held the rod steady and helped him reel. The fish was big I could tell. I said to him, “he’s going to come up, see the boat and not like what he sees, and take off again.” I dialed down the drag on the reel and tested it by hand. We got the fish to the point where I thought we’d see it and it took off, still not getting a glimpse.
By this time we were getting close to shore. I could not leave Caleb so I asked Isaac to climb into the drivers chair (reminder, age 6!!) I said Isaac, I have no other choice, you’re going to have to drive! I think he started to panic. I put the boat in reverse and told him to hold it steady.
As the fish moved to the side, I moved Caleb and I up to the front of the pontoon, outside the gates. I brought the net with. Shortly after doing so we got our first glimpse and I could see how big it was. The fish made 4-5 runs away from the boat and eventually came to the net, I promptly swung and missed. Now mind you, I’ve got my left hand on the rod with a 4 year old doing the reeling, my right hand is on the net, my left eye is on the approaching shoreline and my right eye is watching my 6 year old nephew drive!!! 
At this point I start laughing cause I’m having such a good time, it was complete chaos. I get the fish up close again and this time it finds the net. I lift it onto the front deck and Caleb’s eyes go wide. Isaac has yet to see the fish as he’s in the back driving.
The hook pops free and I lift the fish in the net over the railing and Isaac’s eyes got huge. I set the fish down, regain control of the boat, and then let out a huge scream as my nephews look at me like I’m crazy. Then they see my smile and start screaming and fist pumping with me.
That was a blast. Enjoy the pics, one is of the boys showing their muscles.
This fish beat our family record for the lake by 3 lb, 9 ozs and 4″. It’s going on the wall at the cabin and will be known as Caleb’s fish. His brother AJ caught a 7 lb fish two years previous and Caleb calls his fish “the one that’s bigger than AJ’s”!!!!
Eric 
