Since he was fishing for perch at Navy Pier on Lake Michigan, Les Wooten didn’t bother bringing a net, so he was unprepared when he unexpectedly hooked a big lake trout.
Thankfully, he had some help from other fishermen, along with a good bit of luck.
His first challenge was reeling in the large fish on a crappie rig, as reported by the Chicago Sun Times.
Wooten told the Sun Times he walked down to the nearest ladder attached to the pier and worked his way down to the last rung.
“One fisherman had my rod, working the fish toward me, another fisherman handed me the net,” Wooten explained to the Sun Times.
The net had a short handle and was made for smaller fish.
“It took several tries to dip the fish in the net as [the laker] was so big, it kept falling out,” he said. “With one lucky lunge, I managed to get enough of the fish’s head and upper body in the net to lift it out of the water. I gave the handle to another fisherman while I grabbed the frame of the net while I ascended up the ladder to a bunch of cheers.”
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The lake trout measured 32½ inches and weighed 14½ pounds. He caught it using a shiner for bait.
Turns out, Wooten’s son had a similar experience catching a flathead catfish from Navy Pier.
Navy Pier is on the shoreline of Lake Michigan in Chicago. It opened in July 1916 and is a popular tourist attraction that draws 9 million visitors each year. NavyPier.org states that one of the hidden gems of Navy Pier is that guests can fish free, and it offers tips and tricks to catch perch, salmon, bass and trout.
Photo courtesy of Les Wooten.