basser89 Posted July 30, 2013 Author Posted July 30, 2013 Went to Black Hills on Saturday morning and evening. Managed three and the morning and two that evening. Lost a fish that evening that I think may have been huge, after I set the hook I felt a lot of weight but she broke me off about 10-15 feet from shore. I saw a big swirl where she had me wrapped around a log and that was it. Haven't stopped thinking about since... How big was the swirl? Keep in mind, there are tigers in thete. Ya could've had your first encounter with one. Quote
Bill Poch Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 How big was the swirl? Keep in mind, there are tigers in thete. Ya could've had your first encounter with one. You ever try to target tigers in there? I'd love to try that one day. Quote
KenLattimore Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 How big was the swirl? Keep in mind, there are tigers in thete. Ya could've had your first encounter with one. Hey Sean! Thanks for the reminder. It was a sizable swirl, so who knows. Didn't those fish get stocked last year? How big do you think they've gotten in that time? Quote
Super User BrianinMD Posted July 30, 2013 Super User Posted July 30, 2013 Ken, Tiger Muskys were also stocked a few years ago. There are not a whole lot left but the ones that are from that stocking are over 50 inches. Quote
MARsSPEED Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 Hey Sean! Thanks for the reminder. It was a sizable swirl, so who knows. Didn't those fish get stocked last year? How big do you think they've gotten in that time? A quick internet search gave me info it was last stocked with Tiger Muskie in 2010. I actually researched these fish for Lake Linganore after seeing it was stocked with Tigers in 2005. Depending on the environment, Tigers can live up to 8 years. I would think 3 years after stocking, the muskies of Black HIlls are probably at a nice size. Quote
Super User BrianinMD Posted July 30, 2013 Super User Posted July 30, 2013 Where did you see they were stocked in 2010? Quote
MARsSPEED Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 I think we've all lost some good ones over time. As spriros said, its what keeps us coming back for more! I do use braid for a couple techniques but not all. Froggin and flippin and pitchin in heavy cover are the 2 I use more often. The other that comes to mind is throwin jerkbaits for smallies in areas I know to hold walleye as well. I do compensate for the braid by using a softer rod so I don't pull the hooks out. What techniques are you considering switching over to braid? Right now I am using 12lb. Yo-Zuri Fluorocarbon/Nylon hybrid. The majority of the time I flip and pitch grubs and 7" worms. I rarely fish topwater with the exception of a spinnerbait or buzzbait here and there... The problem I had was just lifting the weight of the fish out of the water without my line snapping. I am still upset from losing this fish after bringing it in and watching it jump out of the water a few times just to lose it by lIfting it out of the water. It was the only choice I had... Quote
MARsSPEED Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 Where did you see they were stocked in 2010? Looks like my mistake, took the article date. Upon a second search the latest stocking of Tiger Muskie was 2006 which would make for some very large muskies on their death bed... http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishingreport/fishingrptarchive/frarchives2006/0913freshwater.asp Quote
KenLattimore Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 Looks like my mistake, took the article date. Upon a second search the latest stocking of Tiger Muskie was 2006 which would make for some very large muskies on their death bed... http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishingreport/fishingrptarchive/frarchives2006/0913freshwater.asp Thanks guys. If memory serves me correct the last stocking was just last year. I think the lapse was due to a supplier issue. Sean can probably verify but I think it was discussed on the thread. If it was last year I wonder how big they are at this point. Quote
MARsSPEED Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 Thanks guys. If memory serves me correct the last stocking was just last year. I think the lapse was due to a supplier issue. Sean can probably verify but I think it was discussed on the thread. If it was last year I wonder how big they are at this point. That's good to know. I wish DNR would throw some more Muskies in Lake Linganore as the Carp issue is out of control once again. They usually publish info listing what has been stocked and where seperate from the yearly fishing guide. Quote
Super User BrianinMD Posted July 30, 2013 Super User Posted July 30, 2013 They only due stockings of tiger musky when populations of other fish are getting out of hand. In 2006 it was crappie, last year it was due to yellow perch. The yellow perch was someone self stocking, they were not introduced by DNR and they are actually not happy they are in there. The concerns are an alteration to the food chain. The population of perch is growing quickly. Last years tiger musky cannot be very big, I haven't heard anyone catching smaller ones so not sure exactly how big they are. Quote
Super User Munkin Posted July 30, 2013 Super User Posted July 30, 2013 It has beeen 4 or 5 years since I caught a Tiger Musky at BH. I know everyone likes to try and catch one but for me they are a pain anymore. Allen Quote
Super User SPEEDBEAD. Posted July 30, 2013 Super User Posted July 30, 2013 It has beeen 4 or 5 years since I caught a Tiger Musky at BH. I know everyone likes to try and catch one but for me they are a pain anymore. Allen Oh, boo hoo. I catch too many big, toothy fish. I dont like to catch big fish. Waaaaah! Quote
Super User Munkin Posted July 30, 2013 Super User Posted July 30, 2013 Oh, boo hoo. I catch too many big, toothy fish. I dont like to catch big fish. Waaaaah! I don't like them biting off $20 jerkbaits Beavis. Quote
Fat Boy Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 On July 12, 2012, the Maryland DNR stocked approximately 3,000 4" tiger musky fingerlings them again last year after 6 years of not stocking them due to fears of VHS disease and the Feds making it illegal to export any fish from Great Lakes states where the disease was found. Since then, those states had to have their hatcheries certified as selling "clean" fish, free from disease. Maryland gets theirs from PA, and for the first time in several years, "clean" fish have been available. PA produces the most tiger muskies of any state by far (probably over 90%), so you can imagine that they're in high demand nationwide, hence the other road block to stocking has been simply availability (or lack thereof). Below is a letter from a concerned fellow angler from several years ago that explained the issues. My friend sent another email asking about stocking this year, and was told that they are trying to acquire the same number of fingerlings from PA this year and stock again. Availability is the issue now. That update was three weeks ago. Mr. XXXX I procrastinated in replying to you because I was hoping to have some definite news or information for you regarding the future of tiger muskellunge in MD. As you may have heard from John Mullican, biosecurity and disease concerns have been a major problem in importing tiger muskellunge into our state. Specifically, the concerns about importing fish carrying Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS).Our MD DNR hatcheries are attempting to culture tiger muskellunge with some limited success over the past few years. A major problem has been the extremely predatory nature of the fry. Our hatchery manager has experienced losses of 50% per day even when there was sufficient live food available to them. We are basically trying to learn to culture these fish intensively and they are eating each other at an alarming rate. This leaves little room for experimentation when you are losing 50% of the population on a daily basis.So the situation is that we have no problem producing and hatching the fish, but we do have a problem growing them to a fingerling size that would have a good chance to survive. In 2012, we will attempt a few different strategies such as, stocking some fry, stocking at younger fingerling stages, and some low-density pond culture. Hopefully, one of these will produce some stockable tiger muskellunge.My first priority would be stocking Little Seneca Lake, then Lake Needwood and Centennial Lake.The attached photo was taken at Lake Needwood when we electrofished it 2 weeks ago. The tiger was almost 36 inches long and was the only one we encountered. We last stocked Lake Needwood in 2006. Sincerely,Mark StaleyCentral Region ManagerMD DNR Inland Fisheries Several years back at BH, while fishing out of my buddy's Coleman Crawdad, I had one bite off my Rattlin' Super Rogue one spring while that lure was producing several very big bass for me that day (all between 18 and 21 inches long). I cast to a log jam, twitched it once and let it sit, then wham. At first I thought it was a monster bass only to see it launch out of the water and it was pretty massive (maybe low to mid 40 inches). I fought it using Fireline on my finess rod, and it was directly below the boat about 4' down and shaking it's massive head. Inside it's mouth, deep, was my jerkbait hooked on each inside cheek sideways, with my line exposed to those teeth. I had just said to my buddy that I don't think we're going to land this one when my line just went limp. The tiger jumped a few times trying to throw the hook but didn't see that occur (not that I could have retrieved it). I was bummed not only because of losing that fish, but more importantly the hot lure of the day was gone. My replacement that day, my closest match, a Husky Jerk, caught bass, but not like that Rogue. I know own many Rogues, LOL. As far as growth rates, those 4" fish are probably about 16-18" now. The should be over 30" in two years, and after that they get pretty large very quick. They only live about 6 years or so, but some have been recorded as living as long as a dozen years. Those fish become massive. The biggest officially recorded tiger musky out of Black Hills was a dead 51" fish. The biggest officially recorded caught fish were mid 40's at most. Now that perch are in there, along with the many gills and crappie, there could be more fish approaching 50" in the future. There were two bogus reports (no pictures of fish on a bump board or other measuring device) of 58" tigers caught at BH. The pictures looked like either the tigers were mid 40's and held very close to the camera, or the angler had extremely abnormally sized hands and fingers that could engulf the head of any human easily in their fist . 1 Quote
Fat Boy Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 Oh yeah, Brian was correct, initially they were stocked for two reasons, and today those reasons still exist, to control crappie, and now yellow perch, and also to provide anglers with additional opportunities to catch a fish of a lifetime. Quote
Super User BrianinMD Posted July 30, 2013 Super User Posted July 30, 2013 Dang, nice info Fat Boy. Had not heard the supply issue, heard they were happy with the food chain after the 2006 stocking until the perch showed up. Quote
Super User SPEEDBEAD. Posted July 31, 2013 Super User Posted July 31, 2013 I don't like them biting off $20 jerkbaits Beavis. 20 bucks? I wish swimbaits cost that much. I hear ya though. I realize I'm a special kind of crazy. LOL Quote
MARsSPEED Posted August 1, 2013 Posted August 1, 2013 Good Evening Gents! Beat my PB after work today. Here are some pics. Lake Linganore, t-rigged green w/black flakes, 6' of water and 10 yds from shore. 2 Quote
Bill Poch Posted August 4, 2013 Posted August 4, 2013 Hit Potomac today. Put in a Mouth of Monocacy and floated to White's Ferry. Caught my PB Smallmouth just up from the ferry. 16.5" 2.71 pounds 3 Quote
MARsSPEED Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 I am convinced that there are large Muskie still living in Lake Linganore from the stocking in 2005 of 18,500 fingerling. I know its a stretch but today I was under the bridge, cast out next to structure. My grub fell maybe 3' before the line started to run left to right. I reeled my line in tight before setting the hook, and boom, the line was clean cut. No Frey, just a clean cut. Being a noob I am not sure what this was. Pickeral are no longer in the lake. Nobody has ever caught any Snakehead. I did manage two 19" bass today. Pics are the "Who's In" thread. I've managed 5 fish for a total of 96.5" in just a week. Not bad, but I credit Lake Linganore before the man behind the rod, haha. Quote
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