Bass vs. Musky

[Further North]

[Ski]

[Further North]

@Ski Great pictures, a few years apart, I take it.

I assume there's a story that goes with both of them?

[Ski]

1 hour ago, Further North said:

Great pictures, a few years apart, I take it.

Oh Yea. And hundreds of fish between from Blue Marlin to blue gill.

 

[bulldog1935]

pretty sure they use bass for bait to catch muskie

[Bird]

5 hours ago, Ski said:

2 absolute MONSTERS. 

[Ski]

49 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

pretty sure they use bass for bait to catch muskie

I used a very large spinnerbait.

[bulldog1935]

and I thought you were showing us the bait - silly me.  

[Bluebasser86]

I was expecting a picture of a smallmouth crossways in a 'skis maw. 

[soflabasser]

Lol! Guess I am very fortunate since I was able to catch several muskies while on vacation.

[Further North]

21 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Lol! Guess I am very fortunate since I was able to catch several muskies while on vacation.

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

[soflabasser]

31 minutes ago, Further North said:

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

I found muskie and most northern freshwater fish to be much easier to catch than many of the fish I often catch in Florida. If a person wants a real challenge they can try catching a tarpon, permit, or +8 pound largemouth bass from public waters from land without a guide. With that said muskies are fun to catch so I can see why many people enjoy fishing for them. 

[papajoe222]

On 6/24/2021 at 6:39 PM, soflabasser said:

I found muskie and most northern freshwater fish to be much easier to catch than many of the fish I often catch in Florida.

While that statement may be true for species like smallmouth and northern pike, muskie are likely the most difficult of freshwater fish to chase/catch using artificial baits IMO.  It isn't unusual to go an entire week-end without even raising a fish.

[A-Jay]

I like them both ~ Quite a bit actually . . .

Locally the plus sized models of both 

are not an everyday occurrence.

Wish they were though . . . .

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[roadwarrior]

[gim]

13 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

It isn't unusual to go an entire week-end without even raising a fish.

Ha! I went 16.5 seasons logging over 400 hours without one. In the past 4 seasons, I’ve got 17. Bit of a head scratcher. ?

On 6/24/2021 at 6:39 PM, soflabasser said:

If a person wants a real challenge they can try catching a tarpon

I went saltwater fishing in April 2018 with my Father in the keys and it was freaking awesome. We also caught jacks, bluefish, lady fish, barracuda, sea trout, and several species of snapper. I hooked a 28 pound jack crevalle and that thing took 25 minutes to land. The power those saltwater fish have are incredible. Hope to do that all again someday.

[soflabasser]

8 hours ago, gimruis said:

I went saltwater fishing in April 2018 with my Father in the keys and it was freaking awesome. We also caught jacks, bluefish, lady fish, barracuda, sea trout, and several species of snapper. I hooked a 28 pound jack crevalle and that thing took 25 minutes to land. The power those saltwater fish have are incredible. Hope to do that all again someday.

That fight with the jack crevalle must of been awesome, they are pound for pound one of the strongest fish in Florida. They do not jump like a tarpon but make up for it with amazing power and endurance. Barracuda are one of my favorite fish to catch on lures and the big ones easily take +100 feet of line from the reel in a couple seconds. You haven't truly experienced awesome topwater fishing until you hook into a big saltwater fish on topwater, the reel screams from how fast these fish peel line.

[gim]

11 hours ago, soflabasser said:

That fight with the jack crevalle must of been awesome, they are pound for pound one of the strongest fish in Florida.

Its the hardest fighting fish I have ever caught in my life.  After 15 minutes of fighting it, the captain said "we're gonna have to use the big motor and go over to it because you aren't making any progress."  10 minutes after I released it, I hooked into a 15 pounder that looked like it was made of pure glass.  I attached a couple photos.

[Further North]

On 7/3/2021 at 11:21 PM, papajoe222 said:

While that statement may be true for species like smallmouth and northern pike, muskie are likely the most difficult of freshwater fish to chase/catch using artificial baits IMO.  It isn't unusual to go an entire week-end without even raising a fish.

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.

 

 

21 hours ago, gimruis said:

Ha! I went 16.5 seasons logging over 400 hours without one. In the past 4 seasons, I’ve got 17. Bit of a head scratcher. ?

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.

 

[papajoe222]

22 hours ago, Further North said:

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

I have similar experiences on the Apple river during the week.  Week-ends, I try to avoid it or get on the water early.

[Further North]

14 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

I have similar experiences on the Apple river during the week.  Week-ends, I try to avoid it or get on the water early.

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.

 

[DaubsNU1]

Caught the Musky bug living in NE Missouri...near Hazel Creek Lake. It is stocked with Musky. 

 

At first I could not care less about those big toothy predators...my buddy from Texas was infatuated with them...started buying all kinds of gear to "hunt Musky." 

 

About a year later I hooked one on a spinner bait while bass fishing with him.

 

It. Was. AWESOME! 

 

A year later I hooked in to one while throwing a jig-n-craw in 20' deep timber...jig hit the bottom...started to move...I said "Hello Mr. Bass..." and set the hook. Swore I set in to a log...then it moved! What a fight. Did I mention I was fishing out of a belley-boat(!).  He pulled me around for a while before I managed to kick to shore, pull the jig out, and release.  

 

Love me some Muskellunge!