Muskie Plans this weekend

[Guest]

Ok, this will be my first time out Muskie Fishing. I just bough myself a new Rod, Reel, a good handful of lures, and I am ready to go. I have been exclusively a Walleye fisherman until now, and I though the 11 rods, countless crankbaits, jigs, hooks, etc, were all I was ever going to need. Then the itch started, just looking at the pictures of those big pigs you guys are catching was too much to keep me away.

I am heading up to Mille Lacs Saturday afternoon, probably start out on the North East side looking for some weeds. Start doing a little casting with a Bucktail, maybe a Jerk bait. After awhile of doing that, probably moving on to trolling some big cranks along the North side. All in anticipation for dusk. Then I'll probably start the process over again.

Any suggestions on what I should try different? Like I said, this will be my first time out, and I am kind of going in blind.

[Fish-n-Freak]

You mention having a rod/reel and some lures and being ready to go. It's not that easy!

Do you have a NET? A BIG NET! Do you have a Needle Nose, Jaw Spreader (tied to the boat), hook cutter, a friend that can help you? If you are not ready for the catch, you are not ready for the fishing either.

If you go out without knowing what you are getting into, you could be in danger! I have been coming to the rescue of way too many "Newbies" the last couple of years! Guys that think they will try Muskie Fishing, and they wind up with a fish they can't handle. They break their "walleye net", they try to remove hookes with forceps, rather than pliers, they get hooks into the hands, or the muskie gets teeth into their hands. I have cut many hooks to separate a fisherman from his first BIG fish.

If done right, your first Muskie, let alone your first BIG Muskie, will be a memory that will last forever. If done wrong you will have a scar that will last forever.

Good look -- your spots and lure choices should be fine.

Freak

[Guest]

Thanks for the tips. I have accounted for all of that as well.

[hwalleye18]

Fish-n-Freak,
Sounds like alls you want to do is B****!reading this post and others of yours people come on here for help not to read about your problems w/newbies.Just remember your first time.

[jyoung]

The one thing that you want to watch for is fishing pressure on the north end. It gets a little difficult to get fish to hit when twenty boats are pounding the same areas. Watch what others are doing. If they're all casting bucktails try jerkbaits or crankbaits. If they are all shallow go deeper and maybe troll the break or vice versa. In pressured areas show them something different.
Remember though, muskies are not like bass or walleyes. For the newcomer (hell, even for the experts) muskies can give you the fits.

Good Luck
Jeff

[only-eyes]

muskienewbie, you don't know what your getting into, turn back. it dosen't even take a fish in the boat or a strike, when you see that first fish behind your lure, your knees get weak and you forget about the sunburn and hours on the lake. mille lacs is a great muskie lake, and its full of huge fish. i have seen over 30 fish in a day, and gone home without a one of em, then the next time who knows you might catch two. either way sounds like you got what ya need for a good atart. i usually fish the west side bays and rocks, less people, GOOD LUCK

[Fish-n-Freak]

Hwalleye18 -- I don't spend my time B1tching, life is too short! I would rather educate. Read more than just a couple of my posts.

Newbie -- Sounds like you are ready and taking this serious, so I guess you are "toast"! You are in for sleepness nights and boxes full lures that you NEEDED, but seem to never use. ;-)

There is going to be a tourny out there this weekend, (good and bad news) you will have lots of competition for the spots, and many of them won't give you much room. BUT, on the good side, you have many boats to watch, that can shorten your learning curve pretty quick. Like mentioned above, keep an eye on what the other boats are doing. They will be doing things right, but with so many boats the fish will hold tight. Watch the "experts" and see what they are throwing and the structure they are fishing, then try to find a spot with less pressure and match what they were doing.

I have had great success on the north end with a yellow bucktail with a red/orange blade. The weeds up thre hold a bunch of fish. The tourny guys will be thick on the southern half of the lake, rocks, points and weedy bays will be hit hard. You will see plenty of them on the north weed beds also, but there still should be room for you. If you are fishing behind another boat, try something different from what they were doing, they just might raise a fish and get it active for YOU.

Good Luck! And the BEST Muskie fishing is still to come. September and October are my favorite months. The fish are active and feeding heavy as the water cools.

Freak

[hwalleye18]

FREAK,
Sorry did read some more,not trying to step on toes.Just trying to educate & get educated.

------------------
"FISH TO LIVE"
"LIVE TO FISH MILLE LACS"

[tuffyfromsconie]

Just for yor info, the turney this weekend is on the south 1/2 of the lake,The north sould have less of a crowd than normal.

[Roosterslayer05]

only-eyes- I have a cabin on the west end in wig-wam bay and I always see alot of boats muskie fishing in there. Lots of pressure. Plus I have never seen a muskie pulled out of wig-wam and I myself have never caught one so I dont know why so many people fish it, they catch northerns but not many muskie.