T-Billy

Congratulations!!!

They have at it all through June and July here. When they quit partying in August my night bite switches from shallow grass to rock.

Pretty much just those times when I struggle to keep 'em hooked up. Muskie are MUCH better at driving me bonkers. Full disclosure: It's a pretty short drive for me.

Over slept and didn't get started until 03:00. The action was fast and furious for the couple hours I got to fish in the dark. Caught about a dozen LM and a few SM on a chatterbait and lost at least as many more. Dunno why I couldn't keep so many of 'em hooked up, the ones I landed all had the bait choked, even the small ones. Best bass of the night was the 4.58# LM pictured below, and I lost a SM about the same size right at boatside. I know why it came off. Fargen thing was leaping like a crackhead on a pogo stick. Lol. Staying tight on it was all but impossible. Also caught a nice 4.75# eye, to soon be released to the grease. The muskie continue to torment me. Lol. The 33" pictured below is the only one to make it into the net out of SIX hookups. Also had another five hot follows that spooked coming into the 8. They were chasing, but continue to be skittish about eating in the clear water. Hopefully the coming heat wave will bring some thunderstorms with it to get the water stained up a bit.

Last night, I lost more than half the fish that hit my chatterbait. That's an unusually high ratio, very high, but that's how it went down. What seemed odd is that every fish I landed had it choked, and every single bite was aggressive. They were hammering that thing, so I don't have a clue why so many came unbuttoned. Some days you're the windshield, some days...

Night time is the right time. Off the water by noon. That said, you gotta stay hydrated. I always take plenty to drink no matter the season or time of day.

It takes a brave man to marry a wolverine. 😉

It's mixed bag Monday!!! I got started around 02:00. Night bite was steady. Mixed bag of LM, SM, and two eyes. The 4.8# eye pictured and a 2# will be dinner tomorrow night. Switched to muskie about 06:00 and had five follows and caught the 30" pictured. Of course I caught the smallest fish that I moved. Lol. Last follow was around 08:15. Fished till 11:30 and never saw another fish. Not a bad way to spend the morning. Sure would be nice if those skis would start eating though. I'm getting lots of aggressive follows, but it's been a struggle to close the deal.

I bought a pair of ski/snowboard pants last fall for fishing in cold weather. They've proven to be a great purchase. They fit pretty loosely and have elastic in the waist, so I can wear them over other pants when needed on trips with wide temp swings. They're also pretty water resistant so they keep me dry in light to moderate rain. Much lighter in weight than my insulated Carharts that used to fill this role also.

I agree 100%. Never use it, and most every time I service one of my 8 speed Super Duty's, that little switch makes me say bad words.

Welcome aboard fellow Buckeye.

I hear ya @gimruis. I pulled my bait away from a couple small muskie this morning. They're a PITA to deal with. The bigger fish were having fun taunting me. Eight hot follows into the 8, right on the bait, zero hookups. They would follow through a turn or two then bail. Clear water is making it tough to get bit. In order to even get 'em chasing, I'm having to burn that .22 Short just as fast as I can stand to crank it with an 8 speed Tranx 400. Fortunately no heart breakers, but I did have a nice low 40's take a swipe at it and miss this morning. I think I need to pick up some big bass cranks to show 'em.

The pike whisperer!!! 😁

Same here, plus several other big girls of both the green and brown varieties . I don't know what triggers it, but there's a window in Sept when the sows come shallow.

Bill, Rowland, Al, and my Grandpa Sweasey, who got me hooked on fishing at the age of four. It's been an ever evolving lifelong addiction since that first outing on his dock. A big part of who I am is because of that man. I owe him a lot, and still miss him terribly, even though he's been gone for 36 years.

Around 100 days a year. 8 hours minimum. Usually 10-12. I feel like I don't get to fish enough.

I have tried the Vicious. I prefer the 832 and Fins braids. Fade doesn't matter to the fish one bit.

Moving baits. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, chatterbaits, etc. The Fins is a smooth 8 carrier braid. It handles well, and is quiet through the guides. The 832 isn't super smooth for an 8 carrier braid, but it handles great, and is the most abrasion resistant braid I've found. I think that gore fiber lives up to Sufix hype.

First, CONGRATS ON AN AWESOME DAY!!! Way to put it on 'em!!! Second, when the time comes to buy more braid, Sufix 832 and Fins XS Big Game are both outstanding lines at a reasonable price. I've tried a bunch, and these are my "go to's". I like 832 for bottom contact, and the Fins for chuck'n and wind'n. Sounds like it's time to find a new brand.

Yeah, for sure. Bright sun, mid 80's, light winds. Perfect recipe for a terrible muskie trip, but they were chewing. No telling how many of those follows I could have converted with a little more wind. Could have been a crazy 3.5hrs. No heartbreaks there though. They were all low to mid 30's.

I had to hang around the house this morning while my new garage door was being installed, so I didn't get to the lake until 11:30. I fished until 3:00. It was on like Donkey Kong with the 30 somethings. 39", 36" and 31" pictured. I also lost another high 30's and caught a mid 20's dink. Six other aggressive follows, but they're really skittish with the clear water, and I couldn't quite close the deal with them. All ate in the 8. I was BURNING a Llungen 22 Short over grass in 10'-13'. Same deal as when I was hammering them last August. I don't know why I was sticking my tongue out in the pic of the 36". Musta been thinking of @gimruis!!! 😜

Always looking for quality, but the baits I throw also catch quantity. I don't mind wading through a bunch of smaller fish in search of a big bite, but they're not what I'm looking for.

Snelled flippin rig, 50# braid. As others have mentioned, start at the outside and work into the thick of it.

It ain't but 33", but anytime one of these over 30" goes into the net, it's a successful day in my book. Had three other follows, all around this size. They're finally chasing, but the water's pretty clear, so they're pretty skittish coming into the 8. This fish hit mid retrieve as I was burning a double 8 over some milfoil that's within a foot of the surface so, I got to see the bite. It came rocketing up out of the weeds and absolutely smoked the spinner. I also put about a dozen LM in the boat before daylight. Nothing over 2#. There's some fish to be had pre-dawn, but last week's cool front has the gills in a holding pattern. The night bite won't really heat up until they hit the beds. Should go down in the next week or two.