Home Forums Fishing Freshwater Muskies

Has anyone fished for muskies yet? I'm going on Sunday

Sure. I think a lot of guys here have.
KY221 I think he goes by used to post a lot of pictures from smaller streams in his area.
Are you fishing that type, some big water somewhere?
Everything up here is still iced over but the Mississippi and regardless season doesn’t open until nearly June.

Osky

Haven't gotten to go much. Been busy with a lot of things. Did manage to make it out a couple of weeks ago for a few hours. Found two little ones. Both ate boatside. One on a Medusa, one on a Glider.

Haven’t gotten out this year yet but they should be biting. Should be getting ready for the spawn. Got this nice one last year.

This is on my list for this fishing season. I gotta do more reading.

You guys seen this dude’s videos? He is an incredible fisherman:

that is an excellent video to watch on muskie and pike . thanks for posting, Pete53

The vid doesn’t show much other than him casting and catching them. Usually doesn’t work that way.

They are easier to get below dams. Especially when they are in numbers.

NoDak Angler has some fun to watch videos. He did one a couple of years ago where he staked a waterproofed GoPro to the lake bed so it filmed bedding smallies, then practiced C&R on them. It was a cool video sequence.

18 degrees here in western PA. this morning. Supposed to get into the mid 30's. I will be fishing in a stream today

Should have gotten out there last month in those 70* days. Lol it’s colder now. As soon as it warms a little I’ll be in the NW.

Good video, thanks for posting.

It's time to get the boat ready. With all the rain & snow we've had and are still getting the rivers & reservoirs are full. Should be a good year.

Tough fishing today. My line guide kept freezing up on my reel. Only excitement was an eagle siting

Where are you all fishing muskies? As for the the OP,, I have been hearing of a lot of big muskies on the south side of the Bay Of Green Bay in the summer months. You will also likely find some northerns and walleye . Smallmouth bass too. However, I wonder , you being in Michigan , would some of the bays around Potasky be good ? I dont fish for them. However, I did catch a 39" on the Flambeau River last September by chance. I was going for smallmouth. Got it on a jig.

Did it the first time last year.
Personally, I don't think they fight as hard as King Salmon or Striped Bass pound for pound and the gear most guys use is crazy heavy.

Dang those are cool pics man nice fish!

Ky221 has got his muskie game dialed in I always love seeing photographic souvenirs of his adventures.

I’ve been doing some research and found that waters close to my house hold significant populations so I’m gonna have to tweak my game this year to aim for em.

Great thread y’all.

[quote=Salmonella] the gear most guys use is crazy heavy.



Couple reasons for the 8-9 'XH rods, and 80# braid.
1) those who really appreciate the Muskie for what he is really isn't interested in "fighting" with the fish. The goal is to get the fish to the net as quickly as possible and released to fight another day. Because even where there are lots of them, there ain't many. It's way more about the "hunt" than the fight.

2) a lot of us fish Muskies in small streams and rivers. Lotta wood, rocks, etc. I agree they don't go on epic runs like salmon or steelhead, that said a fish like you caught above in a small stream trying like helll to get back into the wood takes some convincing to come to the net. A flippin' stick ain't gonna do it. The long heavy rod also helps in the figure 8. Which is where most Muskies are caught. The longer the rod, the bigger the circle you can make with a long fish that turns like an 18wheeler, not to mention easier on your back. Figure 8s all days with a 7' rod......SUCK.

3) the 80# line. Some of the lures that really appeal to these big fish are heavy. A backlash with a 12-15oz bait and 30 pound mono? Goodbye lure.

Beautiful fish, thanks for sharing those pics.

I agree btw, not the best fighters, but boy do they look fierce

I understand.
I've fished amongst steelhead purists many years.

We use 80# power pro on our 300 sized baitcasters for stripers.
$250 lures.


https://hiroshimacustoms.com/products/11-hiro-trout

Jeezaloo! I thought Muskie plugs were high.

They look like some great lures but for 250 they can keep it. Go get yourself some cheaper line thru trout by savage gear. You might like them and can save some money.

KY I’m using 10-10.5 food rods on the troll, I use 8’9” rods on the cast. I’m not of the school of giant lures. I fish Canadian waters the most, maybe the Mississippi and a few lakes in Minnesota for Musky and those northern lakes don’t have much obstruction to deal with. Plus I generally fish deeper than most so a long easy bending rod works well for a patient fight. Easy on the fish.
Line is 100 lb stealth if I can get it, 80lb otherwise. My paycheck depends on the pictures so I don’t leave much to chance.

I use the same for trophy pike. I agree with Sal… musky don’t fight like some others, certainly not like a pike of the same size. These days I’m hired probably 10% musky and 90% trophy pike. 50 plus inches of pike give way
more battle than the same in a musky at least in the far north. I don’t think that fight strength is the determining factor in why so many want pike, it just seems to be the flavor of the time to catch one that big. That pendulum will probably swing.

Osky

Muskies are supposedly the fish of a thousand casts.
People don't realize how hard it is to cast those heavy broomsticks all day.
I have for decades fished from sunup to sundown.
Cast after cast after cast for King Salmon and Striped Bass.
We fished mostly with 8-12 lb fast action Salmon-Steelhead rods with 300 class Diawa Lexas, Shimano Curados and Chronarchs.
We caught countless kings up to 40#.

Nice fish.
I’m not a caster per se for musky anymore. Even with the lighter gear I choose to use and supply clients with they physically wear down quick and the tangles and backlashes increase. Heck I’m getting older too.
Trolling is my primary especially in real clear water. There is no more heroism in boating a musky on the cast than the troll to me.
One exception is a warm summer days approaching thunderstorm. That last hour of the approaching black clouds, when you can hear the Thunder and see the lightening coming is unbelievably good, cast away and enjoy!

Osky

A note on the big lures. I often work a double set with a good flashy bladed bucktail type or flashy spoon style and within 15 feet or less a smaller rapala like an sr9 size or even a seven. You would be surprised at how often the musky or pike will take that smaller lure. I think at times they are just plain not hungry but can’t resist the attack reflex after being attracted so the little lure takes the duty.
Be sure and check even the little lure hooks because new doesn’t mean sharp and be sure and back the drag off a little on that rod.

I don't think I've ever seen a musky.

Pikeish. Lotta color variations depending on being a true musky, tiger musky and so on. Within those two there are variations even.
I fish people on one very deep gin clear lake where many musky come from the bays and shorelines looking “standard” if you will, and then if you run 35-45 feet deep down in the Cisco schools those musky are colored and brilliant like many ocean fish. Go figure?

Wabi you probably have them closer to your lake up there than you think.

Osky

Wabigoon lake has musky's. Dad told about a musky fisherman that. took his wife on a fishing trip.
She got bored after a few days of shopping, and sightseeing. The decided they would eat an early supper they'd go out in Musky Bay, in 45 minuets, she caught the biggest Musky in Ontario that year.

Spend enough time trolling the lake, enjoying the day and scenery, and you will catch one.

Osky

Three subspecies of pure and tigers are hybrid. Clear (inland lakes of some states), spotted (the Great Lakes), and barred (Chautauqua). All have nice colors but I like the blueish in the barred and clear.