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Ryan Remke: Hauling in my first 50 incher

kaybeckermann8
Nov 25, 2015
2 min read

In my previous blog post, I did not reveal my identity in relation to Rob. Can you guess? No, we don’t just coincidentally have the same last name. Rob is my dad. Now that that’s off my chest, we can focus on the topic of the day: my dad and I’s relationship. Oh, that and the huge fish I caught in the summer of 2013. I’m saving the best for last though, if you just can’t wait, go ahead and scroll down! No one’s judging you :)

As mentioned in my last post, my dad had a very special relationship with his dad, Marvin Remke. So special that Marvin was my dad’s best man. They were best friends. And that bond was fueled by fishing early in Rob’s life. As Rob got better at fishing, Marvin would prefer to just relax and watch his son fish. Rob could really sense his dad’s admiration. My dad is very grateful for his dad.

My dad wanted to have that same connection with his own kids. So, he spent lots of time with them, taking them fishing often. I am very glad that he did this. The memories are irreplaceable and I am so thankful for the close relationship that I have with my dad. Moral of the story: Midwesterners – take your kids fishing! You won’t regret it :)

Okay, on to more important things: all the fish I have caught. Growing up, I was always great at catching bass. I regularly beat my dad out in our bass fishing outings. When introduced to muskie fishing, however, it was a whole different story. Muskies are very hard to catch. As muskies are nicknamed “the fish of a thousand casts”, they require a lot of hard work and patience to catch.

It took me years to catch my first muskie. It took me even longer to catch a big one. But my dad was always there helping me along the way. During one of my droughts, I was getting pretty discouraged. My dad took note of that, and a man of faith, he prayed for me to catch a 50 inch muskie. This was before a weekend of muskie fishing that we had planned.

Well, that prayer was answered that weekend. God was gracious and allowed me to catch a 50 inch Mississippi strain muskie. This lifted my spirits and renewed my interest in regards to muskie fishing. In addition, dad’s gifts were on display for this catch. Being a fisherman of many years, he has a knack of knowing when to be at the right place. As we arrived to the spot, he also made the call for me to switch to a top-water bait.

Hooking a muskie is a breathtaking experience. Especially if it’s a big one. With adrenaline pumping, high stress and a coaching dad, I did all I could to lift this beast into the net. When measured, it ended up being 50 inches and 35 pounds. My dad takes such joy in seeing his kids catch fish. Notice this bonding moment, and go make one for yourself! Also feel free to gawk at the giant fish :) Here is the video: