Muskies...why you love 'em...or hate 'em...

[Further North]

Last Saturday, while my wife went to a family reunion, I met a friend over on a NE WI resivior because it's known to have a musky or five in it.

After a couple hours of fruitless casting, we decided to see how far up the river that feeds the reservoir we could get.

Turned out it was quite a ways...we elected to stop at a spot where there was good structure, and it was castable in both directions.

I hung a black and white "experimental" fly (experimental because it is just a conglomeration of different techniques I was am trying to get better at) on one of my 10 wt. rods, toss it in a couple times...

On about the third cast, up under some riverside alders, I'm telling my friend a story about how I stubbed the hookset on the St. Croix river a couple years back...as I'm describing what that was like...a mid-40s muskie comes out from under the alders and eats my fly. While I'm looking right at it.

I'm too busy telling the story to set the hook right...and she dumps the fly before I can get the line tight.

That's what muskies are like.

I'm still smiling, typing this...

[Scott F]

I like muskies, but I don't like fishing for them. Expensive heavy lures and heavy rods that wear you out when casting hour after hour with few to no bites. If, you actually catch one, they are fun for a few minutes, but the hours and hours of boredom in order to get one, just isn't worth it to me.

[Further North]

4 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Expensive heavy lures and heavy rods that wear you out when casting hour after hour with few to no bites.

 

Scott, I don't fish for them that way, and I catch plenty of them.

 

I have one of those big "musky rods", but seldom use it.  When I do it's to toss big spoons or spinner baits...I only own two of those big baits...and they gather dust...can't stand chucking them.  Mostly I toss large bass sized baits whem I'm fishing gear, and while I do throw big flies, I tie them light and sparse so throwing them isn't a chore.

 

6 minutes ago, Scott F said:

If, you actually catch one, they are fun for a few minutes, but the hours and hours of boredom in order to get one, just isn't worth it to me.

The way I chase them, I get plenty of action on pike and bass.  If I get zero'd on a day, it's because nothing is biting...

 

...also: river fish are a lot more active and aggressive.  We've had days with seven in the boat.

[A-Jay]

I rarely target them.

Sore-lipped several and even managed to land a few.

Always such an impressive event; from the strike ( so often seemingly out of nowhere), to the brute strength, the sheer beauty & just overall eye popping size.

What's not to like ?

I'm a fan.

A-Jay

 

[Further North]

I had one...not last fall, but the fall before...late October...I'd been after her for 4 seasons...several follows, had her on for about six seconds once...she liked finesse...so I pondered on exaclty what a finesse bait for a big musky might look like, and I went with simple.

 

I Texas rigged a 7" Senko over an 8/0 Trokar EWG tied to a foot of 50# tieable wire...

 

Tossed it in at the deep end of a submerged, mid-lake island...where I'd seen her a few times every fall for the last few years.

 

Never felt the take, just saw the line moving...

 

Things interesting in a hurry on the hookset...just a touch over 47".

[roadwarrior]

49 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I rarely target them.

Sore-lipped several and even managed to land a few.

Always such an impressive event; from the strike ( so often seemingly out of nowhere), to the brute strength, the sheer beauty & just overall eye popping size.

What's not to like ?

I'm a fan.

A-Jay

 

Fishing for trophy smallmouth and occasionally "snagging" a muskie is the way to go!

 

[Further North]

2 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Fishing for trophy smallmouth and occasionally "snagging" a muskie is the way to go!

I tend to go at things the other way around...but I can see how that might work...other than a lotta lost lures...

[jimmyjoe]

3 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Fishing for trophy smallmouth and occasionally "snagging" a muskie is the way to go!

    That's the only way I catch musky; I fish for bass and a musky hits. And if I target musky, all I catch are bass. Pike are more cooperative. Of course, where I fish the population of pike is much higher. Makes a huge difference.     jj

[soflabasser]

I grew up in South Florida and enjoy catching muskies when on vacation up north. They remind me of barracudas which are one of my favorite fish to catch. 

[Further North]

3 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

    That's the only way I catch musky; I fish for bass and a musky hits. And if I target musky, all I catch are bass. Pike are more cooperative. Of course, where I fish the population of pike is much higher. Makes a huge difference.     jj

All that most bass fishermen who hook an Esox feel is the underwater "ping" as the line gets cut and another lure goes buh-bye.

 

...unless they get really lucky and they get a lip hook where the line's not near the teeth, and they manage to keep it away from the gills...or they wedge one into the corner of the jaw...

 

It's pure luck and angler skill has little to do with it, other than being good enough to not break light line when they get a good hook location.

 

Been there, and I feel your pain.

 

 

2 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

I grew up in South Florida and enjoy catching muskies when on vacation up north. They remind me of barracudas which are one of my favorite fish to catch. 

I've caught both, and I agree...though I'd equate a barracuda more to a pike, but even more savage and relentless.  Few Esox will attack something bigger than them...barracuda don't seem to have that limit in place.

[Scuba Steve]

On 8/24/2019 at 3:32 PM, Scott F said:

I like muskies, but I don't like fishing for them. Expensive heavy lures and heavy rods that wear you out when casting hour after hour with few to no bites. If, you actually catch one, they are fun for a few minutes, but the hours and hours of boredom in order to get one, just isn't worth it to me.

I have the same mindset. If you buy into the hype it's exhausting and expensive. Plus, I get to true "muskie waters" twice a year maybe? I've tangled with a few on the Fox fishing for bass though. I've had 3 fights this year and landed 1. They've all come on various moving baits in my smallie arsenal. So, if in the end I get the occasional surprise muskie, I'm alright with that. 

 

I agree with the original post though. Still smiling typing this haha!

[newriverfisherman1953]

I’m in it for the fight anyway, be it bass, carp, muskie, bluegill. I like catching them all. 

[soflabasser]

20 hours ago, Further North said:

I've caught both, and I agree...though I'd equate a barracuda more to a pike, but even more savage and relentless.  Few Esox will attack something bigger than them...barracuda don't seem to have that limit in place.

Barracuda are far more powerful than any Esox species but all these fish are fun to catch. Yes barracuda are brave fish. They have very little fear and are known for following spearfishermen to steal the catch. 

[TnRiver46]

I’ve fished for them a couple times, not really my cup o tea. They seem to be treated like Hindu cows

[Further North]

On 8/25/2019 at 8:18 PM, soflabasser said:

Barracuda are far more powerful than any Esox species but all these fish are fun to catch. Yes barracuda are brave fish. They have very little fear and are known for following spearfishermen to steal the catch. 

Good point...no Esox ever will put you into your backing.

[Bluebasser86]

I love them, which is really unfortunate considering I live in a state where none reside. I've managed to catch 11 of them in my life in 5 or 6 attempts at catching them, all from Missouri.

[TnRiver46]

20 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I love them, which is really unfortunate considering I live in a state where none reside. I've managed to catch 11 of them in my life in 5 or 6 attempts at catching them, all from Missouri.

I can’t point you in the right direction if you ever vacation in east TN. Some really big ones 

[Further North]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

I can’t point you in the right direction if you ever vacation in east TN. Some really big ones 

Tennessee has some insane musky water...

 

Best way to hit it is in a drift boat, with a fly rod.

[Bluebasser86]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

I can’t point you in the right direction if you ever vacation in east TN. Some really big ones 

I've heard TN has some really big ones, but they're not easy to find.

 

Last time I fished for them in MO, I caught 9 in 3 days and saw several more but the biggest was 42" and it was by far the biggest.

[Further North]

1 minute ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've heard TN has some really big ones, but they're not easy to find.

 

Last time I fished for them in MO, I caught 9 in 3 days and saw several more but the biggest was 42" and it was by far the biggest.

That's a heck of a three day run!

[TnRiver46]

11 minutes ago, Further North said:

Tennessee has some insane musky water...

 

Best way to hit it is in a drift boat, with a fly rod.

To each his own but the biggest ones are in a lake where no drifter is required. There is only one river I know that a lot of folks drift for them, the rest of the rivers they inhabit would sink a drift boat, or you would have to carry it. Here’s two of my buddies with a couple fish that display the size contrast. I think the bottom one was one of those “record” fish that was released . Those big monsters in the lake will eat a fly from what I’m told 

[Bluebasser86]

6 minutes ago, Further North said:

That's a heck of a three day run!

Yes it was. We caught many bass over 5 pounds the same 3 days. Just caught the fish in a feeding mood and kept putting the right baits in the right places.

 

I had a mid 30 muskie my very first cast of the trip seemingly come 10' out of the water on a big chopper midway into the cast. Completely missed the bait, but it was on the entire time we were there and my BIL did end up catching 2 muskies on top the end of the first day, both on a buzzbait.

[Further North]

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

To each his own but the biggest ones are in a lake where no drifter is required. There is only one river I know that a lot of folks drift for them, the rest of the rivers they inhabit would sink a drift boat, or you would have to carry it. Here’s two of my buddies with a couple fish that display the size contrast. I think the bottom one was one of those “record” fish that was released 

I hear you...but I'm not interested in "the biggest ones".  Those are for folks who care what other people think.  I'll take every Esox I can get, 30" to 45" and never go bigger because the fight'll knock your socks off, if the take doesn't stop your heart.

 

...and I don't know how anyone would sink a drift boat, unless they were playing poker with a Pinochle deck...

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, Further North said:

I hear you...but I'm not interested in "the biggest ones".  Those are for folks who care what other people think.  I'll take every Esox I can get, 30" to 45" and never go bigger because the fight'll knock your socks off, if the take doesn't stop your heart.

 

...and I don't know how anyone would sink a drift boat, unless they were playing poker with a Pinochle deck...

Hahah. They will sink if they are broken in half. You would just have to see the rivers. Hardly anything resembling “access” either, everyone uses kayak or canoe. 

[Further North]

7 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I had a mid 30 muskie my very first cast of the trip seemingly come 10' out of the water on a big chopper midway into the cast. Completely missed the bait, but it was on the entire time we were there and my BIL did end up catching 2 muskies on top the end of the first day, both on a buzzbait.

Those are the muskies that'll get your heart poppin'  We have a mid 30s fish come clear out of the water a couple weeks back...completely bamfoozled the guy on the reel...

2 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Hahah. They will sink if they are broken in half. You would just have to see the rivers

Sure...Unless there's a drop you'd be stupid to take one over, they'll still float...