The day was going well. My cousin and I had caught several large bass and many small walleye. We were using a basic hook and weight setup with shiners that we had caught with my 10-foot seining net. We were fishing on a boat dock down on the Missouri River. I had had extremely good luck on the dock in the past.

    The sun was just above us and the wind was as soft as silk. The water was rushing by us like a herd of buffalo. We could see the lightning-fast fish chasing after the frightened shiners in the crystal clear water.

    Suddenly, I felt a nudge at the tip of my pole. I yanked the pole, setting the hook painfully into the fish’s mouth. The fish pulled back in fury. My rod tip bent nearly to its breaking point. The tension on my line became dangerously tight. My line was about to snap.

    While I was reeling the fish in, I was expecting to see a bass the size of the previous bass I had caught but, as the fish emerged from the water, I realized, this long skinny fish might be the largest fish I have ever caught. I slowly brought the enormous fish near the dock, being careful not to put too much tension on the line to make it snap.

    I fought the fish for several minutes until I tired it out enough to keep it still so that my aunt could snatch it out of the roaring waters. When I got it next to the dock, my aunt grabbed the monster by the eyeballs and carried it to the safety of the shore.

    After we got the fish on a stringer and in the water, I got to get my first good look at the largest fish I had ever caught. The 10-pound northern had big brown eyes, large sharp teeth, and skin that was more slippery than butter. This predator fish is now in Lake Yankton chasing after smaller fish.