Further North

I just bought three Zara Spooks because I want to learn to use the technique, and though there was no weight listed on the package, they sure seemed heavier than a 1/2 oz. EDIT: Never mind, I looked it up. 3/4 oz.

Got it, thanks! That's not a presentation I use often, are there any that are a 1/2 oz. or lighter?

As already noted, "it depends". I like reels around 7:1 for most of my work, I think a 7.5:1 would be OK, though I feel like I'd have to slow my cadence for Mepps #5s and Doctor Spoons. I don't use them often, but I suspect that 7.5:1 is the upper end for double cowgirls and such...they're a pain to crank when the reel has too much speed. Rods have to be good for what you're casting on them...I don't see a Mepps #5 casting well oh a a heavy rod...it'll never load the rod for casting, so you'd have to dial back for those. The rod in that combo is a light for bigger lures as it's a Medium/Fast only rated for 1/8 oz. to 1/2 oz. lures...a #5 Mepps is heavier than that. I think there's better choices - that combo seems better suited to bass work with a Senko, or lighter lures. If this is what you mean by "WTD Lures", it weighs an ounce - twice what that rod is rated for. https://www.molix.com/en/product/hard-baits-en/wtd-110/

Pardon my ignorance, but what are WTD lures?

Taking a break from flies feels good sometimes. Less complicated, less stress...just fish... Those look like they are tied almost exactly the same way as those nutria zonker strip jigs above. I thnk they're going to work great! I furl behind the hook bend to create the tail, then palmer forward around the hook shank. Super easy tie - with the nutria zonkers, I have to pay attention to keeping the fur side out, with the material you're using, I think it's be easier. I like MegaStrike...I use it less as an attractant, and more to get the fish to hold for a moment longer.

I understand - that's why I said "In the future." Those things are jaw breakers on a big esox - they zig when you zag, and crack...I've watched it happen and it made me sick.

I usually don't. certainly nothing under 40", and 40" - 45" only if there's a reason. This 43" was only because we were with a guide who had donated a trip to my RGS banquet. ...this works just fine, if I even need a picture.

I think its because they get caught up in the idea and just don't think about it. I see lots of effort to recreate conventional fishing baits in the world of flies...and you just can't do it. ...but sometimes what you learn comes in handy for other things: You absolutely cannot believe how buggy these jigs look in the water. Neither, apparently, can smallies... Some are. Most are not. My last two outings have been 100% fly free.

Fish grips are a terrible way to handle any esox, just so you're aware in the future. That's why most of my muskies never come out of the net.

Cool story, and fun! ...it's worth noting - and not to take anything away from @scaleface's achievement - that bycatches of muskies and pike on rigs that are not set up for them are gifts from the fish gods. I think they do it to try to entice more people to pursue esox. ??

We have visibility past that in some places, and nowhere near that much water...The absolute deepest pool in the river at this water level is just over 6 ft.

We have seen 45 muskies on a local river since July 17th. Only a handful have eaten. Somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 have followed. I don't really keep track. Part of it is low, clear water - we're running over fish before we can reach them with fly gear. Using regular gear and being able to reach out further from the boat seemed to help on Saturday, I caught and landed the first one we saw. I believe another factor is water temps...muskies just don't seem to want to eat when water temps get above the low-to-mid 70s in these rivers. I'll be back at it soon... ******************************** I have a couple of the old round Abu Garcia reels...I can't recall the last time I used them. I should make an effort to get them to someone who will use them rather than let them collect dust.

I'm not sure what baits to use...we don't have pickerel here...but use wire leaders. The best choice is to tie them into you main line, swivel and snap (Iuse Mustad Fastach) of some kind at the business end.

I believe - strongly - that downsizing makes a difference. I've caught far more muskies (and pike), some of considerable size - on flies and lures of what I'd describe as "normal" size than on big stuff. I understand that direction of thought, but I'm not sure I buy into it enough to turn Anti-Live-Imaging. I can tell you, on several local lakes and rivers as far away as two hours, where the muskies are likely to be at any given time, and have about a 75% chance of being right. The most successful local musky angler I know has boated 200 in one season without any electronics at all because he knows where to fish. I've watched Joe Flater fish a section of river near me, and he just goes from spot to spot... Most often they're gonna be where they've always been, and they'll continue to be there until something changes, like a high water event changing a river.

I've seen a lot of arguments about muskies and Livescope, and I'm not sure that I buy that it makes that much difference. Seeing fish on the 'scope isn't going to make them bite. Our trips the last two weeks seem to confirm that, to me - we saw 24 fish, far better than any of the live view scanning options out there will ever show them, and only a handful ate. I do think that concentrated pressure has a negative impact. It's part of why I fish rivers so often - they don't see 5% of the pressure the lakes do.

0.43" overnight. 2.27" so far for July. Like anything else, it's all about habitat.

Floated the same River again yesterday. 13 musky contacts, 10 follows, 4 eats...we were little ??? at the end of the day... Water temp never exceeded 73°.

They'll eventually have to restock as the tigers die off, but it'll take a while.

There you go, bringing facts to an emotional argument. ?

I think it's kinda fun to dig up an old topic now and then and see if people are still thinking the same way.

You have an open invitation over here. We have at least one floatable river. They're muskies, it happens. The one I lost was standard musky tricks: Grab fly, spit fly back out in half a second. I wonder how often this happens and we don't even know about it... The one my fishing partner lost was more of a bummer, he had it on for at least three minutes, but she a head shake at just the right angle...and slack line.

They're rare, and a real "trophy" if you catch one. ...same on the Chippewa Flowage.

LOTW has some natural tigers. Almost unavoidable given the numbers of both pi,e and musky in the lake, He could always use wire leaders on those baits.

Had a heck of a day on a local-ish river yesterday. Saw 11 muskies (the most ever in one day for me) had 7 follows, two eats...lost 'em both. Got started late - 12:30 - because of septic problems at home, but managed to squeeze a full day on the water anyway. Beautiful weather - actually a bit chilly at times, which is nice in July. Water temps were surprisingly low at 68°, unheard of in July. The river is as low as I've floated it - around 500 CFS, and very clear, so we focused on mid-sized flies cast as far from the boat as we could get them. The pink and Brown Mega Murdich was the fly of the day, accounting for almost all the follows and both eats. The bottom fly in this picture. The second lost fish was a heart breaker - it would have been my fishing partner's first over 40". She was a beast of a fish, and we both got to see the eat about 15 feet off the starboard side of the boat. No fish in the net, so only scenery photos.

Great fish and good fun!