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Mantrap muskies this weekend?

MNBIGBEAR
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MNBIGBEAR Proficient

MNBIGBEAR

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Just wondering if anyone on here is planning on heading to Mantrap for some opening day muskys? I am going to be there on saturday. Hope it doesnt storm too bad! shocked.gif

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JWB475 Collaborator

JWB475

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I won't be there this weekend, but later in June I will start heading over there.

Mantrap is one of my favorite lakes to fish, but I have never had much luck early in the year.

Good luck out there, it is a great fishery - I only wish I could convince the DNR to raise the size limit to 48"...

Let us know how you do.

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MNBIGBEAR Proficient

MNBIGBEAR

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Hey there. Just thought I would give you guys my report(if you can call it that) from this last weekend. Fished pretty much all day on Saturday. Saw a couple fish and my cousin had one hooked for a while (mid 30's fish) but it got off. Pretty slow though. More people than I thought out there. We saw most of our fish on smaller jerk baits and smaller size bulldawgs. My other cousin caught a nice 8 or 9lb pike though. Nice bonus! Good luck guys! cool.gif

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  • 3 weeks later...
boneyfishjake Newbie

boneyfishjake

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Can anyone tell me some spots to fish on Mantrap for Muskies? I am heading there this weekend around the 4th for a little bit of fishing! It seems there are lots of spots, any that are better than others?

jake

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Random guy Grand Master

Random guy

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Welcome to Fishing Minnesota boneyfishjake.

This time of year on Mantrap try the sunken humps in the "main" or big part of the lake. The fish tend to hold super tight to the weed edges next deeper water. These fish also seem to hang a little lower in the water column so don't hesitaite to get deep with your lures. Also look at Home Bay, West Arm and the weeds around Coke Island. Mantrap will drive you crazy with structure overload confused.gif Night fishing is also key out there, alot like fishing in a goldfish bowl, very clear water.

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JWB475 Collaborator

JWB475

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I was out on Mantrap this past weekend and didn't move a single fish on the main lake. The east arm provided the most action for my boat, several follows, but no takers.

I didn't fish much of the rest of the lake.

We did catch several nice pike, including one that was about 36 inches. Anyone else think the DNR regulation is starting to pay off? I have noticed an increase in size of the pike in Mantrap over the past few years.

Unfortunatly we did find one dead musky floating in the lily pads, we usually find a few out there over the course of the year...

This one did show evidence of being hooked, so more than likely it died of release mortality - It looked to be in the low to mid 40" class..

Be careful with those fish...

Photo_062505_001.jpg

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Random guy Grand Master

Random guy

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I definetley think it's paying off, used to be all hammer handles and snot rockets. Now there is some size to these fish. Bummer about the floater.

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  • 2 weeks later...
CWKyle Apprentice

CWKyle

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I fished Mantrap last Thursday for muskies. I had six fish follow to the boat, one of them five times. She came out of a patch of cabbage weeds about the size of a picnic table. Any advice on how to convert the follows to fish in the boat? All of the fish were along the weed edge in 8-12' of water with deep water near by. Most followed on silver/black bucktails although I was also throwing crankbaits and jerkbaits.

I did manage to land a couple of nice pike to salvage the day.

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Random guy Grand Master

Random guy

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Sounds like you are attacking Mantrap excatly the way I do. To convert some of those stubborn fish I would present them with a jig presentation once they follow. They would suck up that jig without even thinking about it. I would try to use a "pendulum" pesentation. Throw the jig up to the weed edge and let it swing down to deeper water giving it little bumps on the way down. Another conversion trick was a small spring bulldog worked super slow.

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