Muskie - my dream fish

[RaedwulfFisher]

I know Muskie season isn't open right now. I've been targeting pike using 6" husky jerk at Gibson  (not a bite)..though did land one at Rennie park

but..I just thought I'd say...

Muskie are my dream fish..and...I can never seem to catch them even if I target them.....yet...two days in a row I have lost two muskie at Gibson... BOTH muskie spit out the husky jerk while harpooning out of the water like a freaking dolphin

*screams in a pillow*

Now when Muskie opens up I'll probably never see or hook one again for ages 

[NiagaraRiverFisher]

That sounds like one of my friends LOL ,he's been trying to land a muskie for years now !That's his dream fish too! Try the Upper Niagara River ,Muskie open up the 3rd Saturday in June (June 17th) or the Lower Niagara River open on the 3rd Saturday in June (June 17th)  , Muskie fishing can be "funny" sometimes imo, for example I haven't had good luck using "traditional baits" ie Bucktails, Believers, maybe the ski's have seen them before and remembered the results !  don't get me wrong these baits are proven and have been used for a long time, I just haven't had the luck with them, I've had pretty decent luck this past muskie season early and late in the season(I don't target them when water is piss warm) with dragging on bottom with giant tube jigs , trolling or casting Kwikfish K15x and Artificial baby ducks,  and believe it or not have been witness to seeing them landed multiple times on trout beads ,roe bags ,1/8 ounce hair jigs,  and also having the right rod and reel goes a long way into success rates with any species  ,but a good 7 to 9 foot med-heavy to extra heavy helps to get a real good hookset with these River monsters .Good luck RaedwulfFisher and don't give up ,you with catch a monster !

[smerchly]

Nice pickerel rig ......do you troll or drift for them ?  

I have caught skis by accident using a minnow or J13 while targeting pike .

Same fish , different skin , different  attitude ......

[knightfisher]

''I've never caught a muskie intentionally''.

Tommy I remember that Saturday afternoon in June a few years back. It just happened to be the muskie opener that day 

[bigugli]

2 hours ago, I'm_A_Drifter said:

Fishing for pike during the infamous NFN "Pike-Off".

You mean the "Whining" derby???

[pauly]

Muskie are not open from the peace bridge to the falls on the upper until the 3rd Saturday in June. 

[Snags]

Knightfisher has witnessed plenty of "fishing for pike but got another ####ing muskie" ... I was also with him when I had three muskies in under an hour.

Muskie are typically territorial so if you hook into one, there is a chance it will be back in that area at a later time .. but with knowledge of "that might not have been food".  Once the water warms up a little more you just might have to up the size of the lure as well to try and entice them a little more.  Colors also mean a lot for muskie if the water is clear, so take notes on what they hit.

Many years ago I was fishing a spot on the upper river and got a follow but it wouldn't commit, as I would take the line out of the water it would retreat 10 feet or so and then follow me in on the next cast ... after a while of this game (speeding up and slowing down) I changed colors of the spinnerbait ... no follow, changed colors again and it was a much more aggressive follow ... repeated a few more times, went back to the aggressive followed bait and added a plastic worm on the hook ... had a muskie.

What color was it?  I can't recall.  What color was the worm?  Again, many moons ago, can't recall.  Wish I would have written it all down.

[RaedwulfFisher]

Welp..skunked fishing gibson last two days for several hours total

[WalleyeChaser]

If ur fishing pike.......try bobber and a big minnow or creek chub..... seriously. Dynamite there right now. 

[WalleyeChaser]

I may be there tn carping 

[tombo]

On 2017-05-18 at 0:09 PM, RaedwulfFisher said:

I know Muskie season isn't open right now. I've been targeting pike using 6" husky jerk at Gibson  (not a bite)..though did land one at Rennie park

but..I just thought I'd say...

Muskie are my dream fish..and...I can never seem to catch them even if I target them.....yet...two days in a row I have lost two muskie at Gibson... BOTH muskie spit out the husky jerk while harpooning out of the water like a freaking dolphin

*screams in a pillow*

Now when Muskie opens up I'll probably never see or hook one again for ages 

Nothing like sharp hooks with a stout hookset!

[jay33]

I've been out 3 times at Gibson for pike and have caught nothing but largemouth. Last year I banged off a few pike by now. I have caught one muskie out of gibson while pike fishing, got him on a wardens worry spoon.

[dave524]

I don't get the musky mania, ate one years ago and it was nothing special, besides the size limits are crazy big , probably not a good idea to eat fish that big on a regular basis.

[genec]

Never fished specifically for them.

Caught a 47" 10 years ago in June off a Penetanguishine sandber while fishing for walleye (3 days before musky opener (:  )

Wierdest was a 37" many years ago on Upper Chemung on an ultralight with 4 Lb line while bass fishing - took 20 minutes to land that one, and never did understand how he didn't cut the line!

[RaedwulfFisher]

On 5/26/2017 at 3:53 PM, dave524 said:

I don't get the musky mania, ate one years ago and it was nothing special, besides the size limits are crazy big , probably not a good idea to eat fish that big on a regular basis.

I don't eat fish. I catch and release 100% I love them..I think they're beautiful...muskie are big beautiful beasts and I want to catch them because I respect what they are and it gets my adrenaline pumping.

[Guest brookie slayer]

I don't think to many fishermen chase Muskies for the table

[dave524]

9 hours ago, RaedwulfFisher said:

I don't eat fish. I catch and release 100% I love them..I think they're beautiful...muskie are big beautiful beasts and I want to catch them because I respect what they are and it gets my adrenaline pumping.

I find 100 % catch and release , with never any thought of putting a fish on the table totally inhumane. Using animals and fish as solely sources of entertainment puts that sort of fishing in the same class as bullfighting , cockfighting and dogfighting. Animals are not playthings for our entertainment or to prove your manhood, go buy a video game if you want to play.

[dave524]

22 minutes ago, I'm_A_Drifter said:

Except when the season is closed, right?

Of course , if it is not a legal catch, season or size limit you must let it go. 

 

Quote

In Switzerland and Germany, catch and release fishing is considered inhumane and is now banned.^[5] In Germany, the Animal Welfare Act states that "no-one may cause an animal pain, suffering or harm without good reason".^[6] This leaves no legal basis for catch and release due to its argued inherent lack of "good reason", and thus personal fishing is solely allowed for immediate food consumption. Additionally, it is against the law to release fish back into the water if they are above minimum size requirements and aren't a protected species or in closed season.

 

[Guest brookie slayer]

To each his own I guess...but to compare c&r fishing to cockfighting bullfighting and dogfighting which result in deaths is laughable

[dave524]

56 minutes ago, brookie slayer said:

To each his own I guess...but to compare c&r fishing to cockfighting bullfighting and dogfighting which result in deaths is laughable

There is a kill factor in C and R fishing , most of the data puts the death count anywhere between 10% being optimistic and 20% on the pessimistic side, of course it varies too with the time of year, species of fish, depth they are caught at and the skill of the angler.  So those C and R  fanatics that brag they release several times the daily limit in a day probably kill more than the guy who takes the first few he catches home for the table. 

 

Edit: there is something morally wrong with using an animal solely for entertainment with no other good reason, maybe because I was a hunter as well and did not waste the game I took.

[Guest brookie slayer]

I'm a hunter as well and have the utmost respect for fish and wildlife...no one wastes game..if they do they're not hunters....I would assume your catch and keep style fishing isn't entertaining or fun for you? Yes there is probably a few deaths in released fish but your comparison to those other disgusting acts is ridiculous...

[tombo]

1 hour ago, dave524 said:

There is a kill factor in C and R fishing , most of the data puts the death count anywhere between 10% being optimistic and 20% on the pessimistic side, of course it varies too with the time of year, species of fish, depth they are caught at and the skill of the angler.  So those C and R  fanatics that brag they release several times the daily limit in a day probably kill more than the guy who takes the first few he catches home for the table. 

 

Edit: there is something morally wrong with using an animal solely for entertainment with no other good reason, maybe because I was a hunter as well and did not waste the game I took.

Most c&r fisherman make an honest effort to release fish unharmed! Im pretty sure we could not say the same for any of those activities you mentioned !!

[dave524]

1 hour ago, brookie slayer said:

I'm a hunter as well and have the utmost respect for fish and wildlife...no one wastes game..if they do they're not hunters....I would assume your catch and keep style fishing isn't entertaining or fun for you? Yes there is probably a few deaths in released fish but your comparison to those other disgusting acts is ridiculous...

Quite the contrary, catch and keep fishing is fun and entertaining far past the landing and hero shot before releasing it, I feel a sense of accomplishment in the stack of filets after cleaning them after a  day on the water , the planning and preparation of a good meal and the look of satisfaction on the faces of those served all are a big part of the experience,  you are missing out on a big part of the whole experience.

[Guest brookie slayer]

So your keeping every fish you reel in...then enlighten me on how those gobies taste. Or the 3 inch perch or rock bass you catch....not all c&r people are braggadocios who like to puff out their chest and say look at me look at me. Ive seen good fishing spots fished out from anglers that keep every friggin fish they catch no matter of size and species... conservation. Look it up

[dave524]

49 minutes ago, brookie slayer said:

So your keeping every fish you reel in...then enlighten me on how those gobies taste. Or the 3 inch perch or rock bass you catch....not all c&r people are braggadocios who like to puff out their chest and say look at me look at me. Ive seen good fishing spots fished out from anglers that keep every friggin fish they catch no matter of size and species... conservation. Look it up

You are being anal, of course I don't keep every fish I catch, I go by the regulations as far as seasons , size limits and such  and don't keep invasive species but toss them into to bushes to rot, but I most often fish for the table and target species that I find the most palatable. OH. and duck hunting, I don't drop the hammer on Oldsquaws, Goldeyes, Mergansers and such as I find them unappetizing along with Woodcock when I am Upland Hunting, but I do like Ruffed Grouse and Spruce are not bad if early in the season.