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Anyone seen or heard of muskies caught from Grand Forks on up to the border? How about really big pike? Just curious.

Thanks for any info!

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I've never caught a Muskie out of the river, but I know they are there...at least that's what I hear. As for Pike, I have caught a few over 35" inches and have seen bigger fish caught that were probably around 40" inches. Most Pike I have caught have been on cut bait while catfishing, but the few times I actually tried to catch them toothy critters, I did quite well fishing near river mouths and feeder creeks up near Drayton and Pembina.

I used big spinner baits and big sucker minnows on jigs bounced along the bottom. I think vibration and/or smell really matters a lot more in this river than color.

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We have gotten a few large Muskies out of the Red Lake River so there must be some in the Red.. It is the trick of how to find them in the murky water. Totaly diffrent presentation I would imagine. Most have been caught by accident.

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Definitely a few sklunges in the Red, but their numbers are pretty low. Personally, I don't think they're close to fishable numbers. A few nice ones caught now and then, but rarely. I saw one about a dozen times early one summer hanging out at the same spot. Tried like heck to get her to eat, but she smiled at me and swam away each time. Stinkin' muskies!

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They are more common, yet sparse, on the headwaters end of the Red. I have caught a few near Whap, 2 near Fargo, and none farther North to date.

Best time for me has been late fall on the Headwaters end with cranks while hunting walleye. They show in the tribs more often in the fall, the more rock around the better for some reason...not sure why?

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