Further North

As I mentioned last night, I've caught more musky on #5 Mepps, Strike King Smokin' Roosters and 1 1/8 ounce Doctor Spoons than any "musky" bait. Lots of them on 6" - 8" flies, too, as opposed the 12" flies most folks think of as "musky flies". Been there... Had a strong gust of wind shove a fly off line last month, drove a 4/0 hook to the bend of the hook into the meat of my hand just below the thumb. Since the barbs were pinched, I just pulled it out and went back to fishing. It hurt a bit, and a bruise showed up later, but that woulda been a trip to a hospital if there'd been a barb on it...it was straight down into my hand... Really well said, lots of good advice in there!

Because, as I noted last night, water temps where you're fishing are likely too high. Musky are not very temperature tolerant when stressed, and going after them with the goal of tiring them to the point where they can be handled rather than netting them increases the likelihood of exhausting them significantly.

I fish several small rivers that routinely produce fish well over 40"...size of water is not connected to size of fish. ...Please get a net...you're not going to be able to handle an even slightly "green" musky by grabbing it...so you'll have to exhaust it...which'll pretty much kill it in these temps. Jaw spreaders will be fine, the springs aren't strong enough to break jaws unless used improperly. Jaw spreaders are in play not based on the size of the fish, but because Esox have a tendency to clamp down, and you can't just reach in there with your other hand and spread the mouth... ...and yes on the cutters. Like I mentioned, you can get a cheaper set at Menards, Harbor Frieght, or even at your local hardware store. I"ve had that happen too. I look at those occurrences as gifts from the fishing gods, not something I want to employ as a targeted tactic. This was an early season 42", on a 7" fly on an 8 wt. fly rod...there was a leader, because I run leaders on all my subsurface fly rigs, but I wasn't gunning for a 40"+ musky... Because there are times when you won't be able to get the hook out without tearing the fish up. One more hint: Pinch the barbs on your hooks shut. They come out a lot easier, and do virtually nothing for keeping a fish on the line if you keep pressure on.

@Scott F is spot on, WRT to catching smaller muskies. I caught three yesterday, all under 30" and had a blast. The smaller fish are better fighters, and more likely to take to the air ...I forgot something: I hate fish grippers, particularly for big fish. They are, IMO, an injury waiting to happen. Here's a video from Luke Swanson on handling musky.

A few things, but I'll start with the most important: Looking at where you live, I'm guessing that you're talking about Illinois, southern, or possibly northern Wisconsin. Water temps right now are too warm, generally, to focus on musky right now. Anything over about 75° and you're risking the fish...the bigger the fish, the higher the risk. IMO, fishing for musky without a musky net is an exercise in frustration. Been there, done that, and it just doesn't end well, for you, or the fish. Please avoid dragging the fish to a bank. You absolutely need three things: Jaw spreaders (big ones, I recommend these: https://www.muskyfool.com/toolsaccessories/p/outtooljawspreader ) Something to cut hooks with. I use Knipex 8" bolt cutters. ( https://www.menards.com/main/tools/hand-tools/shears-snips-bolt-cutters/knipex-cobolt-reg-8-bolt-cutter-with-notch/7131200sba/p-1444437030809-c-1550852385007.htm?tid=2125411723933154996&ipos=16 ) Nothing else comes close, but there are cheaper options. Cheap ones from Harbor Freight will work, but you need them, period. Loooooong needle nose pliers. 8" won't do it, unless you want your new nickname to be "Lefty". I use these: https://www.menards.com/main/tools/hand-tools/pliers-plier-sets/masterforce-reg-15-triple-joint-needle-nose-pliers/68103/p-1503642864338-c-9156.htm?tid=6135679925076076382&ipos=15 . This is a 54" musky a friend caught. Imagine trying to dig a burried hook out of that mouth with 8" long pliers... I'll leave lures to others, other than to say I've caught more musky on 7" Smokin' Roosters, #5 Mepps, and 1 1/8" Doctor Spoons than on anything else. I also throw flies at them, but that's a whole 'nother subject. You're not going to get spooled. Musky don't run, or fight particularly hard (though the first few minutes, and the eat, are gonna be a lot of thrashing around, and big one is going to test you. There are videos for holding them, watch them until you are confident. anything more than 30 seconds out of the water, after a fight, is bad. If the water is warm, it'll kill the fish more often than not, even if it swims away. 80# braid is fine, but you absolutely need a leader. Use wire. I tie mine into my main line using tieable wire (AFW Surflon is good, but there are others) with an FG, or an Alberto knot. Much better than all the altenatives...smaller, lest complicated, and they hold great. I tie a swivel clip (I use Mustad Fastach) into the business end with a Perfection loop. I have more than one rod where this set up is well into its 2nd season, and fish for muskies and pike a lot...multiple days a week, usually. You didn't talk about your rod other than calling it a "heavy frog rod" but medium heavy and up is fine...again, the fight, if your geared up right, isn't long, and if your line and leader are solid, they won't break. Do not, under any circumstances, "high stick" your rod. Keep your hands on the cork...a 20# musky will snap your rod like a match stick if you reach up and try to lever it in above the cork. To refresh: Unless you're going north of me a long way (I live in NW WI) odds are good the water is too warm right now. Let it get below 75° or so. And get a net...it's worth it. I use a 40" x 44" Frabil folding net, and keep one in each boat. There's less expensive options, consider looking on Facebook Marketplace...I know of one that just sold for less than $100. I hope that all helps. Post here, or PM if you have more questions. BTW: River muskies are the best. Lake muskies can be bigger, but river fish are stronger, and way less pressured. You are, if you're wondering, starting out exactly the right way: asking a lot of questions, and the right questions.

I thought there might be a few here who would appreciate this. I've had a few FB Messenger conversations with this builder, and he's pretty talented...builds a very, very nice looking boat that has a lot of beauty of a wood boat with a lot of the tech advantages of glass and kevlar. It's not my kind of rig (maintenance will be higher than I like), but I thought that several here might find it worth a look, even possibly be interested in it. I also just took delivery of my own full custom drift boat, purpose built for how I fish our rivers. For those who don't know, in Wisconsin, these are not "trout boats", but rather we use them to get into the places on rivers where boats can't get to chase smallies and muskies. A drift boat will go just about anywhere a canoe or kayak will go (I've seen both drag bottom in places we've run through cleanly) but adds the ability to stand up, move around, and cast without worrying about tipping the boat. Lots more storage, too. I'm not including the contact info, so this is NOT a "for sale" advertisement. 2021 Sunburst Driftboat. Nearly brand new. This was my personal guide boat this summer, used about 20 days. The boat has 9mm Okume sides, 1/2" Okume bottom covered in Kevlar. Full 6oz glass wrap so no exposed wood to deteriorate! Raptor bedliner inside and out. Regal floor anchor system. Refurbished double roller Baker trailer with Sawyer Dyno X Shoal cut oars. The trim is oiled ASH from locally sourced trees. Comes with Tempress Pro Guide seats and DPI Hatches for lifetime durability. This is a smooth rowing skiff that feels like a full size drift boat from the inside. The wide flat platform drafts very high in the water column. Measures 1660 with only 17" sides. So it is wider, lower, longer, lighter and more stable than any skiff on the market! This is a tailwater boat but I have rowed it on the Yellowstone. It is still versatile enough to handle some waves. This boat comes ready to fish in Billings, MT. This boat (#7) is my "Covid build". It's less expensive than my others for a couple reasons. 1. It has a wood bottom (couldn't get Plascore during C19) so it's about #60 heavier. It still weighs less than a low profile glass boat. 2. I saved 3 weeks not making wood hatches and seats. Not as pretty but certainly more durable. 3. I need move on to the next years boats! There is over 7k in materials on this build. Each boat takes about 500 hours. So at 20 bucks an hour, that would make the price 17k minimum. This is a VERY good price for the time effort and materials involved. Hundreds of pictures available on request. Serious inquiries only. I do not sell plans. This is NOT a kit boat. This is a completely new hull unlike any other on the market. I designed this hull to fish and feel like a full sized drift boat, but row like a skiff. There are only 6 others on planet Earth like it.

...it was just a joke...

Do they taste like chicken?

Gar are cool...really hard to set a hook in. Yarn flies are the thing, from what I've been told.

Those are great, but no room on either of my boats. I'm good with "...it was about XX inches."

"Bass inhale. Trout Sip. The musky bites." I just ordered a 2nd one for the drift boat. I'm going to try one of these, too: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K91BNRR?psc=1&pf_rd_p=f26b9570-7132-4603-a0f8-76da046321c4&pf_rd_r=Z081BK2FKXTKRG9Z6S9G&pd_rd_wg=DTUEy&pd_rd_i=B07K91BNRR&pd_rd_w=ggOi2&pd_rd_r=6d93553a-7dc4-4ab8-aaa6-9b84a96e5bdd&ref_=pd_luc_rh_crh_rh_bxgy_reranked_01_02_t_img_lh I do the same, I seldome even bring them into the boat unless there's a need. Most of my musky pictures, if I even take them, look like this:

You're not far from me when you're "up north". I've never run the Apple...but what struck me as odd was that this on the 4th of July, and there's should have been some traffic on the river...but there was very little.

Yep. Days with zeros on the score card happen. We ran 11.4 miles of river yesterday...thousands of casts with flies and gear...and caught one musky, saw one more. Not quite a zero, but close. I average around 20 a year, but I fish a lot, and target them a lot. ...it helps that I tend to fish rivers which get a lot less pressure than lakes. On that 11.4 mile drift yesterday, we saw two kayakers, one canoe (neither fishing), and, right at the end, one small boat with three anglers fishing for smallies.

That's the answer. FWIW, I will not fish for Esox (pike or musky) once the surface temp gets above 75°

Looks good, years of memories right there!

It's not as hard as a lot people make it seem.

@Ski Great pictures, a few years apart, I take it. I assume there's a story that goes with both of them?

A Reason to Fish - Orvis Video

Floated a 10 mile hunk of a certain National Scenic Riverway yesterday with a couple of people who have been floating it for a few decades. It is very low, and very clear, but still enjoyable. Air and water temps were still good - started out at 68° surface temp, was 74° when we got off the water. Saw nine muskies, several over 40", and dozens of smallies in addition to lots of other fish (suckers, redhorse, a health population of minnows of various species, a few pike) and a whole bunch of turtles, some of them huge. None of the muskies of smallies were interested in fly consumption...possibly because of the low, clear water, but it was still a great way to spend a day; other than campsites and a couple groups of kayakers and canoe paddlers, there's almost no evidence of other people on the planet.

Pretty cool! I doubt I'll see that much variety. Probably just smallies, largemouth, pike and musky.

38"...not as skinny as she looks. I might have a better pic someplace.

That sums it up pretty well for me...though odds are good I won't get MEGA Live because it requires a switch from my Ulterra to an Ultrex. The idea of an extra unit up front to run Garmin's Livescope is a non-starter for me as well. One fish finder up there for fly line to wrapped around is enough.

At 6 days short of 59, and 16 days short of two years retired...I can honestly report that I made the right decision two years ago. I loved what I did for work, and still keep one toe in that water, for fun, but I do not miss the daily grind, the constant pressure, or the countless, endless challenges. Not having to decide what I'm gonna do on a given day until I get up in the morning is the cat's ass, and I've got zero regrets.