Lost rod, disrespectful fish, bent out hooks. Oh yeah, and a musky.

[casts_by_fly]

I'll preface that this report contains no fish pictures unfortunately.  But it was one heck of a weird night.

 

You fish when you can, right?  I had an evening, my wife had lots of work to do late, so I'm going fishing and not worrying when I come home.  I figured with the recent rains that the hills would be soaked and all of the major and minor streams would be pouring in to all of the lakes around.  My favorite lake has two main creeks that feed it, plus a bunch of hillside seeps and springs.  All flow right into grass beds which so far this year have been starting to mat at the surface.  I figured the bait would be right up in the grass eating every little thing washing in and the bass would follow them up.  There was some wind and supposed cloud cover called for, so maybe a spinnerbait afternoon or a good frog/weedless spoon bite.

 

I got on the water around 4 and started down the bank.  The water was a solid foot higher than I've ever seen it which translated into yards of extra bank being flooded right into the shoreline bushes.  Since this is a natural lake with no dam (just a natural outflow) I figured the fish would take advantage of all this new cover to explore and find food.  It was not to be.  I rotated through a whole host of everything imaginable for 4+ hours.  Spinnerbait, chatterbait, jig, Texas rig, frog, spoon, walking bait, soft jerkbait, etc.  The water was about a foot over top of the old grass so you could work just about anything over the top of it and some stuff through it.  The lily pads had loosened up with the extra water so you could work through them a little easier than normal.  There was a touch of color to the water and a light ripple.  All pretty ideal conditions minus the bright hot sun.  I pitched docks and laydowns.  Poked holes in lily pads and grass beds.  Burned things over under around and through.  I fished the shallow side and the deep sides.  It was figuring to be another rough one.

 

Since I had all the time, I planned to stay past dark.  All of my biggest fish from this lake have been either in the dark or in the first 2 hours of daylight.  And since I hadn't has as much as a swirl on the left 2/3 of the lake, I might as well give the right 1/3 of the lake a try while waiting for dark.  I never do well there, but I wasn't doing well anywhere so better change something.  The right 1/3 has the outflow.  I should have twigged it earlier, but if the fish don't want the moving water at the incoming, then try it at the outgoing.  The incomings were smaller and scattered, but with the lake up 1' it all has to go somewhere.  I threw on a big choppo 105 while it was daylight enough to work it around the pads and it took all of 4 casts to get into the first one, a chunky keeper sized fish.  It only took 4 more casts for the second one.  That's when I started to figure out what they were doing a little better- sitting right on the edges of the pads in the flow waiting for bait to pass by.

 

The outflow has a little 20' wide x 150 yard channel through the pads before it spills out into the creek so I figured I'd work down through it.  Halfway down I had a great hit right in the middle of the channel and as soon as the fish went down I knew it was a better fish.  The sky had a little bit of light left, enough to be able to see a little color but not much.  The fish started digging for bottom and I knew I either had a 5+ lb. bass or a musky.  I got him up to the surface and at that point realized what I had.  I think he realized too because that's when it went a little nuts.  It was one of the bigger pure strain muskies I've seen in the lake but never managed to get a hook into.  It took a couple minutes but I got him boat side and realized my next problem.  My net is huge for a bass net.  Its a 20x21" hoop.  It can swallow a 5 lb. largemouth with room to spare.  I landed a 28" musky in it last year.  No way was this going to be an easy task.  This fish was the length of my paddle grip which has 36" marked and it was bigger than that.  It was as big around as my calf muscles, a solid 6" wide across the back.  It was feisty and had a pair of #2 trebles hooked in its face.  After a couple rounds of diving under the boat, swinging back around, gliding on top of the water, I finally got a chance to try the big fish in a little net trick where you bring it along the surface with the net deep under, drop the rod tip at the last second so the fish's head goes down and swims into the net.  I've done it with big carp and steelhead (and oversized trout when I only had a little net), but I could only get one shot on this one.  There was no doubt that the treble hooks were going to grab the net.  As predicted, the fish slid towards the boat and the net.  I dropped the rod tip and raised the net.  The fish's head slid in just as the trebles caught the net at the yoke.  I just needed the fish to bend its body a little to slide in.  It was not to be.  It lunged and straightened its body as soon as the net touched it.  The net hoop barely made the midway point of the fish so it easily slid back out.  Now I have a raging musky hooked to the net, in the dark, with a pair of trebles attached.  I wished I had amazon primed those clear glasses at this point.  The only option was to lift.  No way to untangle the hooks in the net, so that's the first point of contact.  I'll grab the body of the fish to cradle him in.  Soaked to the skin at this point I reached for the fish and started to lift just as the fish gave one last head shake to straighten the hooks.  It straightened out two HD #2 round bends on the back of a choppo and swam away.  I think this was the best case scenario- no one got hurt, I didn't have to lay a big musky on the deck of the boat to unhook it, and I'm calling it a catch like when a marlin angler touches the leader.  I would have loved a picture, but it would have been a crappy one of a big fish laying on the deck in the dark.

 

After the excitement of the musky, I wasn't going home anytime soon.  We made quite a racket so I motored 30 yards to start fishing again.  Working down the pad line, I managed 3 more bass (on a buzzbait now as it was too weedy to fish the plopper anymore) with a few more missing it.  At the end of the pads is a beach.  It's marked out with buoys for the swimming area, and then another non-boating area beyond that.  Around and inside the area its 2-8' and weeds.  The bluegills were sucking on the surface, the shad were flitting about and I had just caught one and missed two more right there.  I cast into the non-boating zone and ended up hooking the rope on the retrieve.  No biggie, slide the boat over to it, set the rod down, slip the hook out.  During part 3 I realized the problem with part 2.  I set my rod down across the gunwales and managed to stick the butt under the 4th rod in my rack (pic for reference).  As I reached down for the hook, the outside rod popped out of the rack and into the drink with a distinctive 'plunk'.  I had a good mark on where I was when it happened (there was a buoy on the rope) so I flipped on the nav lights but couldn't see anything.  I was about to start swirling a whopper plopper blindly on the tip of my heavy rod when I realized I had a better light.  Luckily, when the rod went down the reel took the grip down but left the tip up.  Air in the rod was enough to stand it straight up in the water and the tip was about 1' down and visible.  Phrew!  That would have been my Expert Amistad and Chronarch lost.

 

 

Seeing where I was getting hits (over top of the medium depth grass flats) I figured I'd make another pass to the opposite end of the lake which had more of it.  The bluegills and shad were doing their thing there, but I think the bite window was over for a bit.  I fished through with not so much as a ripple.  I was curious what was making all of the ruckus on the surface so I grabbed my light and waited for some of the swirls to be right at the boat.  When I switched the light on I about had a heart attack as it looked like the biggest watersnake swimming right at the boat.  My eyes adjusted to the light and I realized what it was- 3-4' eels.  There were eels mixed in with the bluegills and shad.  This lake is about 6 miles from the Delaware river via stream and there are no impediments between.  I imagine an influx came up the creek with this high water and they were just following the moving water up.  Super cool to see, if a little unnerving at first.

 

I made a brief pass over the previously bass filled grass bed by the ramp but to no avail.  They were done for the evening and so was I.  Home after midnight and bedtime after 1 makes for a dull Rick the next day.

[Miabucman]

Sounds like an awesome evening.  A picture would have been nice but you have the memory.

[T-Billy]

I lost a few nice muskie last fall the same way. A-Rig snagged in the net, big esox going ballistic outside the 32" hoop. I just dropped a few hundred on an RS Muskie Mag net in anticipation of this November's Muskiepalooza.

[gim]

9 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

I just dropped a few hundred on an RS Muskie Mag net in anticipation of this November's Muskiepalooza.

Well worth the upgrade.  Gotta have a muskie sized net for a muskie.  I've been by myself more than once with a muskie on the line and a muskie net is the single most valuable tool outside of a pliers that helps keep me and the fish safe while its unhooked.  They sit down in the water while you unhook them so the amount of time out of the water is minimal.  Mine is a Beckman that my Grandfather gave me in 2012 before he died of cancer.

 

I just realized the OP in a kayak.  A muskie net may not be practical.  In that case, I would probably go with a boga grip instead.

[TnRiver46]

Good read. From what I understand eels can get around dams, cross dry land, all kinds of crazy stuff. I found one dead on the rocks below a dam here once, we are quite a ways from the ocean 

[T-Billy]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

Well worth the upgrade.  Gotta have a muskie sized net for a muskie.  I've been by myself more than once with a muskie on the line and a muskie net is the single most valuable tool outside of a pliers that helps keep me and the fish safe while its unhooked.  They sit down in the water while you unhook them so the amount of time out of the water is minimal.  Mine is a Beckman that my Grandfather gave me in 2012 before he died of cancer.

Yeah, I'm sure I won't regret the purchase. It's what my guide buddy uses. Outstanding quality and handmade right here in OH. The net I've been using is 48" deep, but only a 32" hoop, and a pointed basket bottom. Usable, but less than ideal for sure.

RS net is 36x40x48 with a flat bottom and heavy latex coated mesh. Bring on that Fitty!!! LOL.

 

 

[gim]

8 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

RS net is 36x40x48 with a flat bottom and heavy latex coated mesh.

I will have to check what mine is.  Ironically I'm going muskie fishing on Friday for the first time this season.

[casts_by_fly]

Yeha, I'm in a kayak and the net I have is the biggest I'm going to be able to fit.  I don't fish for them specifically, they just happen to be in a couple of the lakes I like to fish.  I see them around all the time cruising and end up having 2-3 encounters per year with muskies.  this was the first adult sized one on the line.  the last couple have taken and not set or turned at the last minute.  If I were to target them, I'd definitely have a bigger net.

 

Funny enough, I used to carry a berkley version Boga but took it out this winter.  I have a plastic lip grip on my scale which I didn't even consider using.  I think next time the solution is to tire it out a little more, the lip grip in the mouth, and cradle with my other arm.

[T-Billy]

Boga may not work well for you in a yak. They work like tongs and get their grip force from the weight hanging on them. I learned this the hard way, by losing what at the time was my wife's PB muskie.

Landed it, unhooked it, and was letting it recoup in the water while she was getting the phone ready to get a pic. One big headshake and it was gone. Left her fighting back tears and me looking for a rock to crawl under. 

I redeemed myself last fall when I netted this 44" for her. I'm now officially forgiven. LOL.

Those vice grip style fish grippers may be your best option in a kayak?

 

[Further North]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

Gotta have a muskie sized net for a muskie.

Very much yes.

"Use enough net" is a real thing. 

I have two of these, and keep one in each boat, so there's no chance to forget the net.

https://muskyfool.com/collections/nets/products/956gi3i9lwdtxqjqtht9rmm73zsjc0

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

I just realized the OP in a kayak.  A muskie net may not be practical.  In that case, I would probably go with a boga grip instead.

The net above works in canoes, kayaks, rafts and drift boats.

Practicing opening it with one hand is a good idea.

 

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

Funny enough, I used to carry a berkley version Boga but took it out this winter.  I have a plastic lip grip on my scale which I didn't even consider using.  I think next time the solution is to tire it out a little more, the lip grip in the mouth, and cradle with my other arm.

Bogas and lip grips are jaw breakers for a big musky if there's more fight left in them than you think.

[Further North]

Looking at the picture of your kayak, that Stowmaster I recommended above would take up less space in the kayak and it'll handle 50" fish.

[casts_by_fly]

Just now, Further North said:

Looking at the picture of your kayak, that Stowmaster I recommended above would take up less space in the kayak and it'll handle 50" fish.

it’s also $250 for something I don’t target and not a rubber coated mesh. All no nos for regular use for me. And I can’t keep it open and ready to use like what I have now. If I were targeting musky I would do it but not for a bass net. 

[Further North]

56 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

it’s also $250 for something I don’t target and not a rubber coated mesh. All no nos for regular use for me. And I can’t keep it open and ready to use like what I have now. If I were targeting musky I would do it but not for a bass net. 

It's a coated, knotless net.  The best you can get for big fish.

You can - with about five minutes practice - stow it closed, and pick it up so it opens, then extend the handle, all with one hand still on a fly rod.

Ask me how I know... ?

[gim]

On 7/11/2023 at 3:11 PM, T-Billy said:

RS net is 36x40x48 with a flat bottom and heavy latex coated mesh.

I just measured my Beckman.  Its 36 x 32 x 48 deep with latex coated mesh, flat bottom.  I've never had a 50 incher in it.  Biggest esox is 44 inches. 

 

Most of the muskies I specifically target are tigers/hybrids so they don't grow as big as the pure strains.  A 40 inch tiger is comparable a 50 inch pure strain.

 

Just stuck it in the boat for tomorrow's outing.

[T-Billy]

19 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I just measured my Beckman.  Its 36 x 32 x 48 deep with latex coated mesh, flat bottom.  I've never had a 50 incher in it.  Biggest esox is 44 inches. 

 

Most of the muskies I specifically target are tigers/hybrids so they don't grow as big as the pure strains.  A 40 inch tiger is comparable a 50 inch pure strain.

 

Just stuck it in the boat for tomorrow's outing.

Good luck tomorrow.

[MassBass]

Interesting report, the adult eels probably decided this was their chance to make it downstream and out to the sea to spawn. They have a complicated life.