Any other musky fisherman?

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I need to join another pickleball league. 

You need to DO MORE MUSKIE FISHING!!! 😉

[gim]

Deleted

[bowhunter63]

I chase here in Missouri in a few lakes. Bucktail guy Short and fat. Can fish em all day and still be able to use my arms . 

[gim]

I went yesterday for 4 hours and had 1 follow. Caught 2 northern pike.

 

I’ve got 8 outings in since July totaling about 35 hours, with 1 fish to show for my efforts. I did have 3 others on that jumped and spit the hook though.

 

I talked to a friend yesterday who has 30 trips in since late June totaling over 100 hours and he has ZERO fish. He did say he has over 50 follows though.

 

All of the sudden my one fish this season feels pretty good. I might try one more time and then hang it up since hunting season is not far off. It is difficult for me justify muskie fishing when the bass fishing is on fire.

[T-Billy]

On 10/13/2024 at 12:35 PM, gimruis said:

talked to a friend yesterday who has 30 trips in since late June totaling over 100 hours and he has ZERO fish. He did say he has over 50 follows though

50 follows and ZERO fish? Dang. Sounds like somebody needs to work on both their retrieve and figure 8. 

[gim]

8 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

50 follows and ZERO fish? Dang. Sounds like somebody needs to work on both their retrieve and figure 8. 

 

Ya I thought that was a lot too. He could be slightly exaggerating but the amount of fishing he's done this season without a fish landed is definitely true.

[Further North]

A friend has been up here since Sunday fishing with various people. 

 

We did a float of about 10 miles yesterday, saw one, hooked one, netted one.  A good day.

 

 

...all flies yesterday. 

 

I always wonder what would have happened with gear.

[TnRiver46]

7 hours ago, Further North said:

A friend has been up here since Sunday fishing with various people. 

 

We did a float of about 10 miles yesterday, saw one, hooked one, netted one.  A good day.

 

 

...all flies yesterday. 

 

I always wonder what would have happened with gear.

One way to find out

[Further North]

13 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

One way to find out

Kinda can't. 

 

Fly anglers and gear anglers in the same boat don't mix well.  Gotta be closer to the structure/cover for flies, and move slower.  The gear guy winds up frustrated. 

 

And going back on a different day doesn't mean a thing.

[TnRiver46]

I suppose We shall never know 

[Further North]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

I suppose We shall never know 

Yep.

[gim]

I am going muskie fishing tomorrow, it will be my last fishing excursion for 2024.

 

The water temps have dropped into the low 50's.  I intend to throw slower moving slash baits and jerk baits with water temps like that.  I'm not hopeful for success but you never know.

[Susky River Rat]

@gimruis rip a mag dawg like your life depends on it! 
 

I am officially two years musky fishing free. 

[Further North]

On 10/25/2024 at 9:20 AM, gimruis said:

I am going muskie fishing tomorrow, it will be my last fishing excursion for 2024.

 

The water temps have dropped into the low 50's.  I intend to throw slower moving slash baits and jerk baits with water temps like that.  I'm not hopeful for success but you never know.

How'd it go?

We're out for another 10 mile float Monday.

Hopefully not our last fishing excursion for 2024.

[gim]

23 minutes ago, Further North said:

How'd it go?

 

Awful.  A friend and I ripped oversized plastics for 5 hours straight until our arms were like jello.  Never moved a fish.

 

I put in about 40 hours this season for one muskie.  Better than none I guess.

[Further North]

19 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

Awful.  A friend and I ripped oversized plastics for 5 hours straight until our arms were like jello.  Never moved a fish.

 

I put in about 40 hours this season for one muskie.  Better than none I guess.

Yuck.

I've never done that...probably never will.  Seems like a not-fun way to catch them.

 

[gim]

56 minutes ago, Further North said:

Seems like a not-fun way to catch them.

 

It's hard fishing.  Medussas, Bulldogs, and other big plastics are effective this time of year though.  Maybe even more so in November when the cisco/tulibee spawn.  I'd keep trying but I will be hunting pretty soon and have to get ready for that.

[T-Billy]

23 hours ago, gimruis said:

A friend and I ripped oversized plastics for 5 hours straight until our arms were like jello

Way to get after 'em. Sucks it didn't pay off. 5 hrs straight is a long time ripping rubber IMO. My arms do OK, but it makes me feel like I got kicked between the shoulder blades by a mule.

[Bluebasser86]

I wish I could be a muskie guy, but the closest ones are 3 hours away from me 😔I love chasing them, I'd fish bass a lot less if I had them closer. I still make time to go chase them at some of the stocked lakes the next state over. Been to Minnesota and Canada both fishing for them, didn't move a fish either time, all 16 I've caught were in Mizzery.

I just went a couple weeks ago to try and catch one out of my kayak. Managed to get 3 of them in 2 days. I won't be going 10 years between trips again. 

[gim]

7 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Been to Minnesota and Canada both fishing for them, didn't move a fish either time

 

That's me...

 

It didn't use to be like that though.  Fisheries agencies have cut way back on stocking and sheer numbers have plumetted for the sake of catching a trophy (50+ inch pure strain, 40+ inch tiger) instead of numbers.  When I first started muskie fishing 24 years ago, it was a numbers game.  Now its just like trying to catch big foot.

 

The results of the PMTT tournaments indicate this too.  Most of them are in Wisconsin or Minnesota and the overall catch rates are very low given how many angler hours participate.

[Bluebasser86]

On 9/25/2024 at 7:26 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Don’t want any part of musky fishing, I’m a gar man 

That's the closest thing we have to muskie here. Big ones are a blast, and we get some monster longnose gar here.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

That's the closest thing we have to muskie here. Big ones are a blast, and we get some monster longnose gar here.

Yea sir!! I remember that one in your pic, that’s a dang horse. And gar are tough as nails, can’t lay a muskie on the ground and take a picture 

[Further North]

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

That's me...

 

It didn't use to be like that though.  Fisheries agencies have cut way back on stocking and sheer numbers have plumetted for the sake of catching a trophy (50+ inch pure strain, 40+ inch tiger) instead of numbers.  When I first started muskie fishing 24 years ago, it was a numbers game.  Now its just like trying to catch big foot.

 

The results of the PMTT tournaments indicate this too.  Most of them are in Wisconsin or Minnesota and the overall catch rates are very low given how many angler hours participate.

Stocking is - at the end of the day - a loosing proposition.

Habitat is the answer.

[gim]

39 minutes ago, Further North said:

Habitat is the answer.

 

Natural reproduction isn't enough on its own to sustain a muskie population in dense enough numbers anymore, even with available habitat.  The habitat is there and it has been for many years.  And its certainly not able to do it with tigers because they are literally unable to reproduce on their own.

 

If that was the case, the catch rate would be closer to what it was in the past.  Muskie anglers here chose trophy over numbers, so that's what the state went with.  The habitat is still there.  The numbers aren't.

[Further North]

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

Natural reproduction isn't enough on its own to sustain a muskie population in dense enough numbers anymore, even with available habitat.  The habitat is there and it has been for many years.  And its certainly not able to do it with tigers because they are literally unable to reproduce on their own.

 

If that was the case, the catch rate would be closer to what it was in the past.  Muskie anglers here chose trophy over numbers, so that's what the state went with.  The habitat is still there.  The numbers aren't.

I'm trying to understand what you're getting at - if the habitat is there, natural reproduction will be enough to sustain the population.

If it's not, we have to stock...which is a losing proposition over time.

...I'm not trying to be difficult...just trying to get my head around what you're saying.