Close encounters of the Musky kind.

[Nainoa]

So yesterday, despite the blustery forecast, we decided to take my boat out to this 2500+ acre lake that's a 50 minute drive from my house.

It's has a high population of good sized Musky, and I've heard some really good reports about it...

So I wanted to scope it out for the first time... Even just to catch some pan fish, and have a simple day on the water...

We got blown around forever, trying to find spots "On the backside" of islands etc...

Finally we made our way to this back bay... The wind died down, and we REALLY GOT INTO THEM.

Catching Sunnies hand over fist... At one point my buddy and I were fishing the same exact spot... He'd cast, catch one... Reel in, take it off the hook... In that time I'd cast, catch one, reel in, and just as it was getting to the boat, he'd be casting back out...

At the same time we were also pulling in a bunch of accidental Large Mouth bass that were hitting our Pannie gear... Caught about 20 Bass or something in 2 hours...

My Buddy has an accidental over cast, and ends up on the back side of some lillys... He works his rig through it... And picks up a hit... Decent fight... Especially with the weeds as a factor...

He's reeling it closer to the boat... All of a sudden his line goes completely slack... but his bobber doesn't come up "WTF?" he exclaims...

Then starts reeling up... And WZZZZZZZZZ... His drag starts stripping like mad... He fights a little and then in the gin clear water we see it...

A Musky on the end of his line...

I slap the Woefully in adequate net to maximum extention... He fights it a little... I get the next into the water... Then there's this strange flash and splash... My buddy reels up, to find a small LM bass on the end of his line... Bleeding from two fresh massive bite wounds...

The Goddam Musky hit the bass as he was reeling it in...

***
Considering this will be my first year of "Serious" Musky fishing, I think this bodes as a good sign.

[Geno]

So yesterday, despite the blustery forecast, we decided to take my boat out to this 2500+ acre lake that's a 50 minute drive from my house.

It's has a high population of good sized Musky, and I've heard some really good reports about it...

So I wanted to scope it out for the first time... Even just to catch some pan fish, and have a simple day on the water...

We got blown around forever, trying to find spots "On the backside" of islands etc...

Finally we made our way to this back bay... The wind died down, and we REALLY GOT INTO THEM.

Catching Sunnies hand over fist... At one point my buddy and I were fishing the same exact spot... He'd cast, catch one... Reel in, take it off the hook... In that time I'd cast, catch one, reel in, and just as it was getting to the boat, he'd be casting back out...

At the same time we were also pulling in a bunch of accidental Large Mouth bass that were hitting our Pannie gear... Caught about 20 Bass or something in 2 hours...

My Buddy has an accidental over cast, and ends up on the back side of some lillys... He works his rig through it... And picks up a hit... Decent fight... Especially with the weeds as a factor...

He's reeling it closer to the boat... All of a sudden his line goes completely slack... but his bobber doesn't come up "WTF?" he exclaims...

Then starts reeling up... And WZZZZZZZZZ... His drag starts stripping like mad... He fights a little and then in the gin clear water we see it...

A Musky on the end of his line...

I slap the Woefully in adequate net to maximum extention... He fights it a little... I get the next into the water... Then there's this strange flash and splash... My buddy reels up, to find a small LM bass on the end of his line... Bleeding from two fresh massive bite wounds...

The Goddam Musky hit the bass as he was reeling it in...

***
Considering this will be my first year of "Serious" Musky fishing, I think this bodes as a good sign.


Now you know where one lives anyway. I hope you catch a ton of those big old toothie monsters. We don't have any of those down here in AL. :D

I wonder if you can use bass as bait up there?

[Budweiser]

Now you know where one lives anyway. I hope you catch a ton of those big old toothie monsters. We don't have any of those down here in AL. :D

I wonder if you can use bass as bait up there?
I don't think that you can use any game fish as bait for another game fish. I could be wrong though, but I'm about 99.9% sure that you can't.

[JAdaken]

I've never had a musky hit another fish on my line but have had a few sunnies get slammed by them. Always a thrill when it happens. One year camping my brother and a friend took the canoe to a lake with a 30 rod protage from the lake we camp on, they were out casting for pike and my brother had about a 2 pound hit and while reeling it in another 8 or so pound pike hit the smaller one from the side and latched on. He ended up catching and keeping them both, the smaller pike was shredded on both sides.

And in keeping with the title, my closest encounter with a musky (have yet to catch one) was on Vermilion a few years back, we were sitting back in a 4ft rocky bay to get out of the wind and I was standing in front working the trolling motor on the slowest speed and I looked down and there was a huge fish slowly swimming along side of us. I estimated it at around 45+ inches and that was taking into account the water making it look bigger. Of course we casted all around for it but I figured she wasn't feeding by the way she nonchalantly swam by us.

[JAdaken]

I don't think that you can use any game fish as bait for another game fish. I could be wrong though, but I'm about 99.9% sure that you can't.

No you can't and I beleive if you are caught it can be a hefty fine.

[Nainoa]

I don't think that you can use any game fish as bait for another game fish. I could be wrong though, but I'm about 99.9% sure that you can't.

Only fish you can use for bait in MN is Bullheads and Suckers that are under 12 inches long.

Bullheads you cut and use as Cat Fish Bait, Suckers you use as Cut Bait for all kinds of situations... But from what I've heard Musky love sucker cut bait...

Not that I have ever tried or know how to target Suckers...

***

As for Bullheads...

A lot of Cat Fisherman will actually harvest some (You can have up to 100 in posession.) Then they'll convert an old chest freezer... Baffle, and aerate it... And use it as a Bullhead well...

Then they'll grab a Dozen or so when they go out Catfishing and use them for Cut Bait.

****

Why do I suddenly feel like an NBC infomercial...

There should be a sparkly happy star and some "Ding Tones" with the words "The More You Know!"

LOL

:D

[Geno]

Here we can use sunnies as bait - no size restriction.

[Nainoa]

I've never had a musky hit another fish on my line but have had a few sunnies get slammed by them. Always a thrill when it happens. One year camping my brother and a friend took the canoe to a lake with a 30 rod protage from the lake we camp on, they were out casting for pike and my brother had about a 2 pound hit and while reeling it in another 8 or so pound pike hit the smaller one from the side and latched on. He ended up catching and keeping them both, the smaller pike was shredded on both sides.

And in keeping with the title, my closest encounter with a musky (have yet to catch one) was on Vermilion a few years back, we were sitting back in a 4ft rocky bay to get out of the wind and I was standing in front working the trolling motor on the slowest speed and I looked down and there was a huge fish slowly swimming along side of us. I estimated it at around 45+ inches and that was taking into account the water making it look bigger. Of course we casted all around for it but I figured she wasn't feeding by the way she nonchalantly swam by us.


One of the unique things about Musky is that "In General" they aren't afraid of Boats. Which is about the only In-land waters fish that you can say that for.

I've been doing a TON of reading, watching Video's and Fishing shows on Musky Hunting over the winter... And they say when you run into a situation like you did there...

That you should get a lure into the water (Perferably a buck tail) Make sure your drag isn't set too tight... Get it into the water out of the Musky's sight...

Then get low in the boat... Bring the buck tail around into his sight, and make the largest looping figure 8 pattern you can...

When he hits, let him run with the light drag for a while...

After all you might just be catching something the size of an angry 6th grade girl, with fangs... You don't want to pull that B*tch in when she's full of piss and vinegar!

[fitnessman]

One of the unique things about Musky is that "In General" they aren't afraid of Boats. Which is about the only In-land waters fish that you can say that for.


This time of we troll for Musky with exactly 12' of line out. Right in the prop wash. They are looking for bait fish stunned by the props of boats.

Had many a Musky attack a Crappie while Crappie fishing.

[Budweiser]

Only fish you can use for bait in MN is Bullheads and Suckers that are under 12 inches long.

Bullheads you cut and use as Cat Fish Bait, Suckers you use as Cut Bait for all kinds of situations... But from what I've heard Musky love sucker cut bait...

Not that I have ever tried or know how to target Suckers...

Oh you can catch so many suckers when you are stream trout fishing especially if you are using a hook and a worm.

[Nainoa]

Now you know where one lives anyway. I hope you catch a ton of those big old toothie monsters. We don't have any of those down here in AL. :D

I wonder if you can use bass as bait up there?


Well I've been doing DNR cross checks, on lakes stocked with Musky, per volume, per acreage, over the years, since the introduction of the Leech Lake Genetic Strain. And this Lake hit all the bells and whistles at the top of the chart for every single category cross checked... There was only 1 lake bigger (Not counting the Mammoth lakes) And that lake was a 2.5 hour drive, where as this one is exactly 51 minutes from my driveway.

****

As for that Leech lake Strain of fish...

As long as we've got some Musky Fun Facts going...

Back in the 80's & Early 90's... MN's DNR when they stocked Musky it was from the Lakes and Rivers of the Rainy River flowage...

Until something started showing up... Which is best categorized by these two different DNR musky fisherman...

1 Caught a Musky in the RR flowage... The other on the same day, same conditions, caught a Musky out of Leech Lake...

The RR Flowage Musky was 51.25 inches, and was 31 years old...
The Leech Lake Musky was 53 inches and 16 years old...

When they compared notes, some bells started going off...

After a decent study they found that the LL Musky grew MUCH faster, were more resilient to stress, and hit more aggressively.

Thus starting in 1994, when the DNR went to stock musky, they stocked from LL Musky Strain, and discontinued the RR stocking strain.

***
Now at the same time Wisconsin, which is the birthplace of Musky Fishing, was having a problem... From the late 30's to the late 80's, Wisconsin was THE HOT SPOT for Musky fishing (The lauded World record, though contended is still from there.)

Unfortunately Musky are kept for trophy purposes only... And after 50+ years of pulling Musky (Before the Advent of Replica's.) It had left the Wisconin state of Musky fishing at a poor level... All the "Giant Genetics" had been harvested out, leaving only the smaller ones...

So Wisconsin's DNR, upon hearing about MN's discovery of the LL Super Strain, started whoring themselves out to get some LL Musky stockings...

They worked out a deal... They stocked Musky from the LL strain into Wisconsin lakes... Then stocked it into MN lakes, some new lakes which never held Musky before, and some lakes which they'd stocked the Rainy Strain...

After a few years though they discovered something...

Turns out that the LL strain, appears to not be a dominant Gene set...

When you put a LL Strain Musky, mated with a WI strain or a RR strain, you just got the Smaller Musky...

***

So in my Cross checking I only looked for Lakes that had been stocked with musky for the first time from 1994 and on... And that's when this lake showed up...

A recent creel survey of the lake revealed that the first year class that was stocked is currently at 47-53 inches.

With an average life span of 22-30 years... And they're at 47-53 now, just 12-13 years after first stocking... World Record is 69 inches... So "Maybe" if a long lived one makes it, 15 years from now... A possible New world record could be pulled out?

Damn... I guess I've just got to put in my 15 years of practice!

LOL

:D

[Nainoa]

Oh you can catch so many suckers when you are stream trout fishing especially if you are using a hook and a worm.


Yeah don't the sucker's spawn in streams around the same time as Trout opener?

[Points]

In Ontario, I was walleye fishing and a 50" or so muskie took the bait. Saw him in the water close to the boat, my nuts tensed with anticipation, I was doing a decent job of fighting him..until... he launches out of the water about 12 feet from the boat; my jaw and my rod tip dropping at the same time in a moment of holy **** and he threw the hook with my generous gift of slack in the line.

[burlyman]

that must be a thrill to have a small panny or even bass get attacked by a musky! has anyone seen the vid that was posted on this section of the guy reelin in the bass and a musky comes out of nowhere and attacks it. the musky seriously just appears out of nowhere chomps on the bass for a bit then disappears again...does anyone remember this vid??

[Epihall]

this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3AepYiNcDQ&search=musky

[Rolling]

A litte off-topic but..

A couple years ago I was shore fishing this small lake just catching a lot of sunfish. Well I was realing one in and about two feet from shore a huge snapping turtle grabs onto the fish. I keep pulling and the turtle just keeps walking towards me with the fish in its mouth right out of the water! It was pretty crazy I just ended up cutting my line and it went back into the water.

[Epihall]

I caught a tiger musky last Tuesday. It was only 14" though, but it was still cool nonetheless, very beautiful fish too besides the teeth. I got some stuff on order from Cabela's and hope to catch a bigger one, I know there are some muskies in the 30 pound range in the lake.

[boogaard_24]

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/4610/pikeonpike9sj.jpg

[Nainoa]

Well Musky season officially opens in MN in just 4 days...

As I mentioned I've been scouting this Musky Lake, all spring, learning it's structure, pan fishing, and getting shut out on Walleye (It's a Gin Clear, and the clarity of the water is kicking my ass with Walleye.)

But I digress...

So this last weekend I took an old friend of mine out fishing... She'd been in a Car accident a little over a year ago (Broke her neck but wasn't parlyzed etc...) She's nearly back to full strength again, but has been cooped up... She wanted me to take her and her husband fishing on this GC lake, as she used to go fishing there as a child...

***

We hit the lake... It was more about just making sure she had a good time than it was doing any die hard fishing...

So I brought us into the same Bay structures that I'd gone to for pan fishing before...

The weed growth has EXPLODED... Nearly unfishable, without weedless gear...

But we managed to find a spot...

Sat there for a half hour... Caught a couple of bass, and some small sunnys...

All of a sudden there's this commotion about 30-40 yards away, (Which was also just about 50 yards from the Musky-Bass incident of a few weeks previous.)

All of a sudden these ducks near the edge of the reeds spazz out... A bunch take off flying... But this mother duck keeps making a ton of noise, and starts kind of half rearing up, and buffeting her wings into the water...

Suddenly her 3 ducklings take off swimming as fast as they can... They make it about 15-20 feet... Then there's this strange ripple in the water, that moves like an aquatic lightning bolt from the reed edge to the ducklings... There's a splash, and then only 2 ducklings remain.

... Considering the proximity to where we had our last Musky encounter, and the likeliness that what I saw was a Musky taking down a duckling...

I think I've found one by observation... I'm getting the feeling that there's an aggressive male (Or post-spawn female) who's using that Reed-edge as a home/hunting grounds.

Now I just have to come up with the right strategy to get her to bite...

***

Damn I'm getting the itch now...
Just went out that once this weekend, because I'm OVERLOADED with fishing trips for June... And it's totally re-invigorated my burning desire to land a big fish.

****

On a side note...
(Call this my Lindner-esque moment...)

Taking my friend and her husband out fishing this weekend, was a real joy... I didn't have a line in the water all that much, (Guiding the boat, baiting hooks, and removing fish etc...) And we didn't fish dire hard hours... But the sheer joy of seeing someone who's been shut in to hospitals, rehab centers, and home care... Who's overloaded with medical woes and other problems... To take them out, and see just how much they can appreciate just a little time on the water, or catching a simple little 1 pound bass...

It makes me realize just how fortunate we really are, to be whole, to be sound... To have lofty goals like boating 50 inch musky, or 30 inche Walleye, or a 10 pound bass... When there are people out there who will have the time of their life, squeeling with laughter, just from catching a Sunny no bigger than a #7 Shadrap.

[Nainoa]

this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3AepYiNcDQ&search=musky


Nice...

Actually that's a Pike eating a Pike...

The most common predator of Small Pike is Large Pike...

It's part of a vein of power that runs through the entire Esox family...

The large adults prey on the Small ones, weeding out the weak from the strong... It keeps the species in an ever progressive evolutionary upward spiral.

While it is a practice that more common among Esox Lucius (AKA Northern Pike.) It does happen with Esox Musquinongy (Muskellunge or Musky.)

I once saw a picture of a guy who happened upon a commotion on the water... He brought his boat over to investigate, and found 2 Small Musky... One 32 inches, had a 28 incher in it's mouth... Too large to swallow they battled until they reached the surface... The guy netted them, took the amazing pics, measured and released them.

[Epihall]

Nice...

Actually that's a Pike eating a Pike...

The most common predator of Small Pike is Large Pike...

It's part of a vein of power that runs through the entire Esox family...

The large adults prey on the Small ones, weeding out the weak from the strong... It keeps the species in an ever progressive evolutionary upward spiral.

While it is a practice that more common among Esox Lucius (AKA Northern Pike.) It does happen with Esox Musquinongy (Muskellunge or Musky.)

I once saw a picture of a guy who happened upon a commotion on the water... He brought his boat over to investigate, and found 2 Small Musky... One 32 inches, had a 28 incher in it's mouth... Too large to swallow they battled until they reached the surface... The guy netted them, took the amazing pics, measured and released them.

So adult muskies feed on younger muskies also? Maybe it would be worth investing in a musky or pike patterned crankbait.

[Nainoa]

So adult muskies feed on younger muskies also? Maybe it would be worth investing in a musky or pike patterned crankbait.


Musky don't predate Musky to the degree that Pike Predate Pike... Pike are a self-regulating species, where as Musky in any waters will become Apex Predators.

However your comment about getting a pike patterned lure is DEAD ON...

HOLY CRAP...

Every year we take a trip to this quite cabin built up in the sprawling trees hanging over the forest floor with a view of the lake below. (It's magnificent, but pictures don't do it justice!)

But the lake itself has a low population of Walleye (What's there is HUGE!) A decent pan fish population, and it's CRAWLING with Pike...

There was a huge batch of strong year classes of Pike in 1996-2001... And they're all getting large now... But back around 2001, the lake was nothing but goddam snakes and pickles... Everywhere you went... You could catch a pickle... Average size caught was 15-17 inches in 2001...
In 2002, it was 16-18 inches... In 2003 things started turning up, and the average size was 18-20 inches... In 2004 another up turn 20-22 inches... BUT 2005... HOLY CRAP... There was hardly a snake or a pickle caught, The total number brought in was small...

But check out the sizes: (Taken from one day of the fishing log that we keep.) 26.5, 22, 27, 21, 23.25, 26, 25.5, 22.75, 23, 28, 27.5, 24, 28.75, 20.25, 18, 22.25, 28.5, 31.75, 26, 17, 21.

I was kind of pissed that I didn't get the 31.75er in... That was the only fish that guy caught that day, and I had put my gear down while eating a frank and driving the boat when he caught it!

As such we have stints where we troll like goddam fiends doing C&R Pike all day long...

Last year I bought a Pike Pattern Glass Rattling Husky Jerk...

I outfished everyone for pike every time... Including OTBD (On the Boat Day) Where we spend an entire day just living on the boat, cooking on the deck of the pontoon with a little hibachi...

During the course of that day I caught more Pike (And of better size) than EVERYONE ELSE ON THE BOAT COMBINED!

They used all kinds of stuff... I just used my Pike Husky Jerk...

I leave for that trip once again in just 27 days, and 16 hours!

But more importantly I leave for Winni (Which has a blisteringly hot Walleye bite this year) in Just 9 days and 16 hours.

***

Oh man... I'm just getting to the sweet spot of summer... Prime Walleye fishing and Musky opener...
And I'm so far ahead on all my house work that my girlfriend can't even think about complaining until July!
LOL
:D
;)

[Epihall]

I'm just wondering, the only thing we have around here is Tiger Musky and Musky, northern pike are few and far between. Would a pike pattern still be good for muskies (I'm thinking maybe since most are tiger muskies and they are 1/2 pike)?

[Nainoa]

I'm just wondering, the only thing we have around here is Tiger Musky and Musky, northern pike are few and far between. Would a pike pattern still be good for muskies (I'm thinking maybe since most are tiger muskies and they are 1/2 pike)?


Yeah you should be fine...

Actually, there's a glass shad rap made by Husky Jerk that's supposed to look like a Trout Fry, which looks more like a Pike Fry... And it's friggin' Blue, and hits like mad.

****

However if you're thinking about getting serious into Musky, you're going to have to graduate up from Shadraps...

Musky calls for some bigger gear, both for sucess, as well as safety for you and the fish.

If you really want to get into Musky Hunting... The two pieces of advice that I was given now that I'm "Serious" about it...

1. Pick up mags, like Esox Angler and Musky Hunter
2. Talk to other Musky guys, such as in the office or on a local fishing forum

***

Also I bought the DVD "Secrets of the Musky Masters" by In-Fisherman, and I Found that to be a really valueable tool.

Oh man... Just 3 days and I'm on the Musky Lake!
(I'm almost done with my game plan... 2850 acres of lake, half of it structure in some form... And I've got a color coded game plan for that SOB!)

[Nainoa]

I've decided that I'm just going to use this thread as my Musky Hunting Journal...

So I hit Musky Opener Back on June 3rd... Got pretty beat up...

Serious Musky Fishing feels like walking a Hyper Great Dane... It's fine for a short period of time... Then it hurts... Then your arms blessedly go numb... 6 Hours later you're really hurting and it takes a day to recover!

On Opener I didn't catch a damn thing in six hours... However... Before going I wrote up a game plan that we were going to work, and what we were going to work it with...

In the course of the day of course other people would be on those areas... I saw 3 Musky Caught in area that I had labeled on my Lake Map Game Plan as being "Hot Spots."

And in two of those cases I saw that the guys reeling in the fish were using a comparable lure to what I had called for in the plan...

SO... That at least means that I at least have some grasp of the intellectual side of Musky hunting.

*****

Then Last night, my Boss took me, and our newly retired VP out Musky Hunting on the Upper Mississippi.

There's a stretch of about 8 miles of river that are completely unreachable to prop driven boats by rapids etc... But my Boss has a River Pro Jet Boat, that will run in up to 2 inches of water...

So he pushed us up there to Musky Fish in these untapped wild waters...

The Old VP caught a Snake of a pike...

My Boss pulled in a 35 inch Musky... I had two follows that I lost boat side because I suck donkey cock when it comes to making a figure 8 at boat side...

I also caught a smallie that I lost as I pulled him out of the water. (Must have been around 16-17 inches.

And then get this...

I was working a Giant Mepps Maribou, complete with a rubber body bait added...

I ticked across bottom, on this rocky ridge line... All of a sudden there's this odd flutter to my lure... So I figured it was a small fish, a branch, or some oddly uprooted weed...

I get it to the side of the boat, Pull it up... And clamped down onto my lure is the biggest damn CLAM I've ever seen...

The thing was easily twice the size of my fist!

It must have been filtering with it's mouth wide open... My Lure must have by chance landed in his mouth and he clamped down...

Afterwards we laughed, and I told the VP... "I bet there are more Musky Caught on Bucktails in a year than there are Clams caught on Bucktails in a year... So doesn't that make my catch more impressive."

Unfortunately my logic failed!
LOL
:D

***

I'm still trying to work out another Musky/Walleye combo fish for this weekend.

I was going to take my Dad Fishing this weekend for Father's day, but his health, and the heat wave aren't going to go together, so instead he just wants to do dinner and a movie... So I need to get out at some point on the water....

[Nainoa]

Oh... And I almost forgot... I'm keeping a cast count... As they say Musky are the fish of 10,000 casts...

Currently I'm at 481 casts...

Don't know how trolling is going to count against it...

But I've spent 10 hours this year Musky Fishing total.

[fitnessman]

Man, you MUST become an expert at doing the 8's and develop nerves off steal while that fish is chasing you right at the boat!!!

Sorry about your dad. Mine is up there in age as well. I am taking him shore fishing Sat for some Channel Cats. He can't sit in a boat anymore.

[Nainoa]

Man, you MUST become an expert at doing the 8's and develop nerves off steal while that fish is chasing you right at the boat!!!

Sorry about your dad. Mine is up there in age as well. I am taking him shore fishing Sat for some Channel Cats. He can't sit in a boat anymore.


Yeah I'm still learning and tuneing up...

Yesterday was my first time fishing with actual Musky Guys (Well my boss caught his first Musky ever.)

My real strength at this point appears to be my long range accuracy... All the Practice Casting I've done in my backyard. (3 hours a week since Early February, has really paid off...)

I can "Bomb" with damn tight accuracy at twice the distance that they did... My first cast ellicted a "HOLY ****!" from everyone in the boat...

I'd imagine all the weight lifting and 79.25" wing span is helping me get the distance or something... Either that or they're both getting feeble!
LOL!

Short range accuracy is getting there... Casting along a river shore in a cavorting and twisting boat really sharpened up my short accurate game...

And I'm getting good enough with my bucktails now that I can make the "Bulge."

So I'm still improving with a lot of room to go!

***

As for my Dad...

Yeah I really want to get him out on the boat...

I keep a boat journal... A record of each outting, what we caught, where, when, how, the weather, and other little funny Capers of the day... (Such as I haven't lost a lure since August 17th 2004)

And I really want to have my Dad's name in the journal before he passes...

I want to be able to have my son (Who is yet to be conceived) to be able to sit down one day, look at the journal, and see my Dad's signature from his last time fishing, and then my son can see in the same book his own mark from his first time fishing.

My family life has always been estranged... And only recently, I decided to toss all the old problems aside, and try to bring things together... The concept of a "Family Legacy" Is important to me...

And so now in the last few years of my father's life, I want to make as many opportunities for him to leave some essence of who he was for the generations to come, while at the same time he and I can connect, and he can go to his last days knowing that his son both loves him and forgives him for all that went wrong before...

[fitnessman]

As for my Dad...

Yeah I really want to get him out on the boat...

I keep a boat journal... A record of each outting, what we caught, where, when, how, the weather, and other little funny Capers of the day... (Such as I haven't lost a lure since August 17th 2004)

And I really want to have my Dad's name in the journal before he passes...

I want to be able to have my son (Who is yet to be conceived) to be able to sit down one day, look at the journal, and see my Dad's signature from his last time fishing, and then my son can see in the same book his own mark from his first time fishing.

My family life has always been estranged... And only recently, I decided to toss all the old problems aside, and try to bring things together... The concept of a "Family Legacy" Is important to me...

And so now in the last few years of my father's life, I want to make as many opportunities for him to leave some essence of who he was for the generations to come, while at the same time he and I can connect, and he can go to his last days knowing that his son both loves him and forgives him for all that went wrong before...


With this weekend being Fathers day...That is just an awesome post!

[Nainoa]

With this weekend being Fathers day...That is just an awesome post!


Thank Bro...

And thanks for all the advice the last couple of months!

I'd rep ya if I could!

[Nainoa]

Well I've been using this thread as my Musky Journal now... So here's another Musky Entry...

I was out on Saturday 1:30 to sunset...
Lots of recreational boats and Jet Ski's... A couple of Jet Skiers have no tact at all... I almost hit one guy with a cast as he came blasting through around The point of an island!

No luck on the Musky-Front... But it's my first year seriously Musky Fishing, so I expected a hard season there...

Towards sunset we managed to anchor up on this hump just east of the Hay Stack Island and South of Ogema point...
At first it was really hard to get the anchors to bite in the 15 MPH westerly wind... Then we gradually slowed our "Drag" and then finally stopped...

We really got into a bunch of nice Smallies out on that hump... At 22 feet of water. Had a really "Fun" 2 hours of just smallie fishing.
Sunset came so we picked up to head in...

I had just a horrendous time pulling "Matilda" the main anchor (28 pound Navy Anchor)... I could feel the anchor picking off the bottom, so it wasn't a rock snag... Once upon a time I had a similar situation with a sunken log...

So I figured I was in another "Log Jam"... I pulled with everything I had... Nose of the boat almost went under water... But sure enough I got the anchor to pick off the bottom...
So I started pulling it up I got about three-quarters of the way up and all of a sudden it felt like there was a bunch of weight on it...

Couldn't figure out what was going on... But every arm length I pulled up, it felt like the weight of the anchor was doubled.

About 5 good pulls and I was getting close to the surface... So I chanced a look down at the "Log" only to find that I had hooked into some kind of underwater utility cable!

I must have dragged across it... Then pulled it out of the mire of the bottom for lord knows what kind of distance...

Then pulled the slack out progressively while I was bringing it up, as to why it got so much harder the shallower it got.

Luckily it slipped right off without incident.

I currently Rack Pull 365 for 3 sets of 10, and I can tell you that took every once of strength that I have...
It was kind of a fun challenge now that I look back on it...

My Buddy who's 5'6" 145, damn near had his eyes pop out of his head when he saw me pull it out of the water... Giant powerline cutting through the surface of the lake...

[fitnessman]

The Muskie will come...Just NEVER forget the eights!

I have pulled the anchor in my Crestliner maybe twice....Whoever I take with me is named "Anchor B****" :D

[Nainoa]

The Muskie will come...Just NEVER forget the eights!

I have pulled the anchor in my Crestliner maybe twice....Whoever I take with me is named "Anchor B****" :D


He would have never got it... Not in a millon years... Not even with a power winch helping him!

That and I had him working the other anchor up...

I work with a 28 pound Navy Anchor (Named Matilda) in the front and a 20 pound Mushroom-Claw in the back.

[Kovalchuk]

The Muskie will come...Just NEVER forget the eights!

I have pulled the anchor in my Crestliner maybe twice....Whoever I take with me is named "Anchor B****" :D

I agree in theory with the Eights... but even the most seasoned angler has got to sh*t himself when he sees that huge fish following the lure. (I have many times :( )

Has anyone had any musky success on spinners?? (Mepps in particular) I have caught loads of Northerns this way.. but never a Musky. And to be honest I dont really feel like investing in a bunch of Giant wooden plugs and 30lb. test line to not hook a single Musky for years...

I remember this one guy told me he was a Musky fisherman... he showed me all his gear and it was quite impressive. Thing is... he had never actually landed a Musky!

[fitnessman]

I agree in theory with the Eights... but even the most seasoned angler has got to sh*t himself when he sees that huge fish following the lure. (I have many times :( )

Has anyone had any musky success on spinners?? (Mepps in particular) I have caught loads of Northerns this way.. but never a Musky. And to be honest I dont really feel like investing in a bunch of Giant wooden plugs and 30lb. test line to not hook a single Musky for years...

I remember this one guy told me he was a Musky fisherman... he showed me all his gear and it was quite impressive. Thing is... he had never actually landed a Musky!

The last Muskie I took was on a Fly Rod doing the eights...Yes I just about sh*t myself. 50% of my strikes have come off an 8.

I troll Gaint killers from time to time, but Vibex makes a better muskie spinner IMO.

[Nainoa]

I agree in theory with the Eights... but even the most seasoned angler has got to sh*t himself when he sees that huge fish following the lure. (I have many times :( )

Has anyone had any musky success on spinners?? (Mepps in particular) I have caught loads of Northerns this way.. but never a Musky. And to be honest I dont really feel like investing in a bunch of Giant wooden plugs and 30lb. test line to not hook a single Musky for years...

I remember this one guy told me he was a Musky fisherman... he showed me all his gear and it was quite impressive. Thing is... he had never actually landed a Musky!


I still suck at making 8's... But I keep making my half hearted attempts...

I guess I just don't see it working yet (Even though I've seen it work on videos.)

As for Spinners...

Every Musky that I've seen caught in person (5 in total), has been on a "Bucktail" Spinner.

I caught that Huge Clam on a Mepps Giant Killer while working the Mississippi river for musky...

From what I've heard, and read, the Bucktailed spinner is the highest percentage lure... So I end up using that 75% of the time.

I suppose I should be disheartened... I'm at 786 casts now... And I've heard the fish called "The fish of 1,000 casts..." And I've also heard 10,000 casts...

Regardless of which one is right, I'm still not even at the minimum yet!
LOL!
:D

****
Ironically, everytime I go musky fishing, I end up catching something bizare...

Massive Bucktail eating clam... Handle to some guys tacklebox... Underwater power line...

I'm Starting to think that if I just keep Musky Fishing that I'm eventually going to find out what happened to Jimmy Hoffa!

LOL!

I'm tentatively scheduled to go Musky Fishing again this Saturday... But that might switch, and might go after some eyes on Mille Lacs (AKA "The Walleye Factory.")

[fitnessman]

Try:

1. Rapala Monster Shad (perch color for your area I bet).

2. Bagleys Super Shad (Not sure one color for your area).

3. Grandma's (White body, Red head...Classic

For casting I would choose the Bagleys..Not as heavy as the rap, so better on your arm. All these are 10-12 bucks a piece.

IF everyone is using spinners....I think we might of stumbled onto something here for ya :D

10,000 casts is what I have always heard :eek:

Trust the 8's bro.

Lacs...I WANT TO ICE FISH THIS LAKE SO BAD!!!! Erie didn't ice up last year :mad:

[Nainoa]

Try:

1. Rapala Monster Shad (perch color for your area I bet).

2. Bagleys Super Shad (Not sure one color for your area).

3. Grandma's (White body, Red head...Classic

For casting I would choose the Bagleys..Not as heavy as the rap, so better on your arm. All these are 10-12 bucks a piece.

IF everyone is using spinners....I think we might of stumbled onto something here for ya :D

10,000 casts is what I have always heard :eek:

Trust the 8's bro.

Lacs...I WANT TO ICE FISH THIS LAKE SO BAD!!!! Erie didn't ice up last year :mad:


The Problem with Mille Lacs for Ice Fishing is it's size and the important areas of structure...

There's a lot of "Luck" involved in Ice Fishing Mille Lacs... For Walleye...

If the weather makes too abrupt of a change, you suddenly find hot structure getting cold... Or Cold structure getting hot...

It would take a life time on that lake to find consistent success... For Walleye at least...

Now the Jumbo perch population... DAMN nice...

Not as nice as Winnie... But still retardedly good. (All comparable to your photo in the other thread.)

****
But I don't hit Mille Lacs much... I'm getting into it now of course, because all the small water lakes after MN warm summer, the Walleye have become extremely ellusive on the small water lakes... So to get them now, with any consistence success, you have to go big water...

Nothing sucks more than spending a day pounding a small water lake for eyes, and picking up just one... Or worse yet, a ton of bullheads.


*****

One tangible advantage of Mille Lacs for winter, is that there are several resorts (5 that I know of) that rent Sleeper cabins on the ice for some pretty damn reasonable rates.

Winnie has none... Leech has 1... Red Lake is filled with them... But there is no way in hell I'm even taking a 20 minute cat nap on that Indian Reservation, let alone sleep a night...

You guys only hear the national news about the Red Lake Region and all it's shootings...

I've friggin' been there... It's essentially the Compton of the North Woods!

[Nainoa]

Managed to get out Musky Fishing this last Friday night...

We hit the water intending for a combo fish... Musky through primetime and then some night trolling for Walleye...

However my Musky Rod fouled bad... Not a backlash mind you...

I had a simple little loop around an eye, that my lure somehow cast through. (Strong winds were probably the key factor.) However while I was fixing it, I got a snarl... while I was fixing the snarl things got out of hand... (Anyone ever heard of the snowball effect?)

So that crapped out on me... Decided just to stow the rod and unsnarl later.
(Took me an hour to clear it on Sunday!)

****

No big deal... I switched over to my Heavy Duty Walleye Rod, and main motor trolled through the wind... The a sudden side gust came up, and turned the boat on us... Somehow by buddy didn't notice what was going on, and didn't raise his rod tip... So wa-friggin'laa... He wrapped his line around the prop... However he somehow thought it was a fish, and set the hook, and started realing...

So a halfhour of me hanging onto his belt while he untangled the prop... Another 20 minutes of me airing the motor because I flooded BAD in the restart... And Sunset was upon us.

****

Figuring that the area was cursed I picked up and headed to my old stomping grounds for night trolling called "Anderson Point."

Anderson Point is where two bays meet... One bay is weedy, the other is rocky... AP has a drop off and a hump just out in the lake from it... So it hold A LOT OF FISH...

Within 2 minutes of trolling, I had a MAJOR HIT... Musky jumps way behind the boat... Only I have my Heavy Walleye Rod, and not my Musky Rod...

I managed to fight him for about 30 seconds... Then he decided that he'd had enough of me, and decided to leave... I was stripping line (with my Drag set tight) as if I was tied onto the bumper of a car driving away...

I tried horsing him back... Nothing... Eventually after he pulled out about 100 feet of line, the 12 pound fire line snapped like 2 pound test, and it was over.

Holy Crap was that thing powerful!

Recently they've been spraying the lake for milfoil, and it's pushed the big hogs out of their normal territory... The lake record has been broken twice in the last 10 days with a 53" and a 56"... So I wonder if I might have hooked into an old bull...

***

We trolled on until 3:00 in the morning...

I caught 7 eyes, though only one was a keeper (my buddy added 5 more)

Then we put in... 4 Smallies, 5 Crappies, and a Sunny...

All in all, a nice night... Full Moon rising really turned the bite on.

****

Though I'm still trying to figure out why I was hitting so many small eyes... I get the feeling there is something I'm missing, as to why I only picked up 13 inch and smaller, with only that one 18 incher.
???