Musky Fishing

[chaffmj]

Going musky fishing on Tuesday. Just looking to see if anyone has been out and whether you have been successful the last few days.

 

[guideman]

Tuesday will be post frontal with wind out of the northwest, not a great day for Muskies. Work the weeds and the deep edges of main lake points and rock structures.  Glttertails, and large hair can be effective along with medium sized gliders or minnow style shallow running crankbait. Don't forget to throw a topwater on occasion.

"Ace"

"It's just fishing man".  

[Wanderer]

@chaffmj

 

Good luck out there!

[chaffmj]

Well I got skunked on my first ever attempt to fish muskies. It was still a lot of fun and I will try it again!

[Wanderer]

Yup, that’s one that’s as tough or tougher than lakers.  Keep at it!  I’ve fished 6 days this year em and boated 2.  Been fortunate enough to see some every time out though, so I’ll take that.

 

Glad to hear you’re trying it out. 

[gimruis]

Chaffmj, realize that it takes sometimes years to boat one.  It will test your patience and mental fortitude unlike any other style of fishing.  I went 16 seasons without one from 2001-2017.  Since August 2017, I have caught 11.  They're either going or they aren't.  And there will be very long durations of when they aren't.

[guideman]

Muskies can be patterned just like any other fish, it's their low numbers that make them tough to catch much of the time. They are also very sensitive to changes in weather and water temps, however they can be caught anytime, if you put the odds in your favor. The correct locations, time of day and the right lure for the situations that you're faced with, will always up your odds for boating a Muskie. Yes there are always going to be those days that it just seems impossible to catch one but you just keep on keeping on and cast until your arms fall off.  

"Ace"

"It's just fishing man".  

[chaffmj]

Thanks for the replies and the helpful tips. I will keep after them but I hope it is not 16 seasons before I catch one. 

[guideman]

Anyone that takes 16 years to boat a Muskie most likely doesn't target them all the time.  I average one Muskie every time I go out on Vermilion. It really isn't that hard if you do your homework and do the little things that it takes to be successful. Get out there and cast, cast, cast until your arms fall off.  

 

"Ace"  

"It's just fishing man"   

[gimruis]

I stopped keeping track at over 300 hours specifically targeting them.  I'm sure the number was probably closer to double that.  Its a true story.

[Barbelboy]

Gimruis, i'm on your team. My last boated musky was 2005. One would believe it not possible. Now, to double down on Ace's statement, I don't target them frequently, and to be honest I really never was all that particular to fishing for them. But part of it is just bad luck. I probably averaged 8-10 1/2 days musky fishing every summer on lake vermilion for 20 years and I've netted 6-7 for boat mates and lost 4. But while my folk had a place on lake vermilion for 20 years. My blasted twin brother would try out a new buck tail off the dock and catch a 47" fish. 

It's kind of a running joke in my family now about how I can't catch one. You'd think i'd eventually put the pieces together and get one in the boat!

Edited August 20, 2018 by Barbelboy

[guideman]

Sometime just dumb luck can be your best friend when chasing Muskies. Just making a few cast once in a while isn't what I'd call targeting Muskies. The guys that catch big numbers of Muskies spend most of their time chasing them. Getting one on a few cast off your dock is just pure luck.  So don't let your brother dog you to much, he was just lucky.   

 

"Ace"  

"It's just fishing man"

[Barbelboy]

Oh I know he was lucky, but I gotta give him his muskies. I've got him on darn near everything else! My wife had a 50" take a surface lure on the second spot I took her to. Seeing her face as it had it's head out of the water doing the musky shake was awesome. 

[jkrash]

 

It's really not that difficult if you try and pay attention to the lake.

I went out tonight (first time in almost a month) second spot I caught this one on a home made lure. I never took it out of the water because I have  to many pictures of me holding muskies, plus the water is still pretty warm and the fish need a break. I've came across to many floaters this summer.

 

 

[Barbelboy]

Now you're just twisting the knife! 

I love it though!, Congrats, I like the home made lure too. But I am to busy concentrating on this guy to think about Muskies

 

[guideman]

Looks like a slammer topwater to me. Nice fish.

 

"Ace"  

"It just fishing man"  

[gimruis]

Labor Day was a good day for muskies.  Two came in my boat and my friend Jay landed his personal best.  I think it had a lot to do with that cloud deck/overcast conditions and a pending front coming in.  Here's mine

[Sorgy]

Nice Hybred / Tiger.

[jkrash]

I see pictures of these tigers every year but have never caught one myself.

[Sorgy]

I have never caught one either. First Tiger pic I saw came from Daisy Bay back in 1996 43.5 inch fatty at that time. Jkrash- awesome flaptail fish.

[guideman]

Where did you boat that Tiger? It doesn't appear to be Vermilion by the look of that water tower.  Vertical  hold isn't good for the fish either. JMHO.

 

"Ace"  

[Sorgy]

Guideman,

Good catch!

[gimruis]

Technically, any water system that has pure strain muskies and northern pike could produce a hybrid.  Some lakes are stocked with them by the DNR too.

 

This location is classified.  I was actually bass fishing and we "accidentially" caught two of them.  I'll refrain from a vertical hold in the future.  I can verify that this fish was released fully alive and healthy.

[Capt. Quicksteel]

Vermilion has them. My son has a great replica of a true 50 incher from Daisy Bay!

[jkrash]

20 hours ago, Capt. Quicksteel said:

Vermilion has them. My son has a great replica of a true 50 incher from Daisy Bay!

I would like to see a pic of that fish???

 

 

 

we had guests a decade ago that caught 4 small tigers in a week and a few other guests that were fortunate enough to encounter one over the years. A 45" hybrid is the longest I've seen pictures of (from V) 

Edited September 7, 2018 by jkrash
spelling

[TomWehler]

• They are pretty fishys.
• Few from past Just 4 fun.
•  
• Long time ago behind pine caught this musky fishy, kind of looks like tiger, but just youngster I think? Lot of the young fishys back then looked like tigers n we caught them four a trip. Fun times.
•  
• Young guys around area stop by my dock time to time when they see 1st musky when bass fishen an are hooked. Like to buy blind so I let then barrow stuff an try....few gals n guys pretty good fishers anyway so do good.
• June tiger young man caught by Goldmine island on topwater.
• Nice fishey, Tiger ??
• Dark brown fishy we saw couple days in a row in launch area west of Moc Point gap. Guy I used to take out nailed it noonish one day. Not a tiger but odd color of brown for our packs of Vermilion Muskie fish.
• Fun stuff to look back on.
• Not been fishen in SIX WEEKs. Fix that this weekend.
• 24 shows Rock'n Hard with old guys from past. life.  Home four, then on road three, then home then on road....great crowds, nice $$$ n everything is free food n crash wise....missed it a bit so invite was unreal, went for it an had a blast.
• Saw a few people from online n past guests in my rig n from idiot muskie fish boards... Fun as everyone wants to buy me BEER. Thirty years to late. 

Fun fishys…...have go bust me one. Show Fred Bear what its all about.

 

Keep on rocken!

 

Tommy

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2018 by TomWehler

[gimruis]

A 40 inch tiger is a big one.  A 45 incher is enormous.

[Capt. Quicksteel]

jkrash, I have an old fashion printed picture but I'll check with him and see if he has it so it can be posted.

[Barbelboy]

I believe this is the photo Capt. Quicksteel is referring to. it's hard to see the full depth of the fish because of it's dark back. but it's a monster tiger musky. 

Edited September 10, 2018 by Barbelboy

[jkrash]

That's a BIG Tiger! Here's a few that are 44"-45"

 

Edited September 10, 2018 by jkrash
pics