musky opener

[jwl]

Any body planning on going for some of these bad boys in a few days when they open up around here, this Saturday pretty much is fair game around here..well in Div2 and 8....3 is already open, anyone want to share some of your tactics for getting into a couple toothy monsters...me I am not asking for spots or anything..I know a few spots for sure, might not be a great idea to post locations in the open forum anyways..but might be fun to see the different things people try to get them in different water conditions...the one I have there in the pic is a bit better of a view than a pic I poted a little while ago...caught that behind and island..on a rocky weed edge where the water goes from 20ft deep to 9...medium action spinning gear..8lb test line (no leader to boot)..on a black and yellow skirted bushwacker spinner bait..tipped with a 6" white twister tail.

[smerchly]

Up at Quinte Sunday , 2 guys got "bitten off " either by pike or musky, and a guy from our camp lost his fishing pole when a fish hit so hard he lost the whole rig. With these new no stretch lines we have today , I can see a ski snatching your rod& reel out of your hands if your not paying attention . The BOQ &St. Lawrence R. hold some big skis , but I haven't noticed people targeting them but they prob. do more often than I think .

[jwl]

don't need a charter on the upper..lol..just a crappy fall day, a decent boat, a couple diehard fishermen..lol..actually there are lots of spots to get smaller ones around when bass fishing..had lots follow up to the boat..even after big trail of weeds on a lure...and my buddy even got a smallish 3 footer on a worm before...but ya gotta spend a bit of time out to see some of the big guys for sure...there are a few good spots on the upper and the lower..true though that most of the big brutes aren't seen till the fall,but ya never know when you are going to get one sometimes...gets a little pricey at times though at an average of 20 bucks a pop for the lures though..lol

[jwl]

I hear ya on the tackle..mine I have just picked up bit by bit over a few years, sometimes ya really gotta toss up spending $25 bucks on one lure..or do you take the same and get a few things for bass or walleye with the same money..and sure a heavy rod that can handle heavier line is always good..but like i said that one was caught on my regular spinning out fit..med action..8lb mono...sure i have lost a few trophy sized ones on that but..that's half the fun of it..as for the rubber walleye net not cutting it either..lol..tell me about it..that one on the floor made the boat kinda not seem big enough too..lol..and the livewell..lol..well that wasn't quite big enough either..lol..my brother-in-law held the lid down on that one till we got back to my dock..lol

[floatmaster]

the biggest for me was about 2 years ago at nichols marine on a 1oz gold syclops spoon she was about 25 lbs on 10 lb test no leader took me a good 45 min to git r in other than that nothin like a monster chub under monster float

[scottydog]

Good question jwl: I'm heading to Parry Sound for the opener on the 24th with Boston, Sirfishalot and Jeetmuck. Looking for the big lunge. Fishing from five mile bay up to San Souci. Will be working back areas close to deep drops and weed structure. Fish won't be long off the spawn. Hoping for lousy weather. Will be working bucktails, Suick And large Slugo's. Jerk baits are my favourite this time of the year. Also cast some with depth raiders and Leo's. It really all depends on water temp and how long off the spawn. This is a tough fish to get. A fish of a thousand casts. Good fishing. Scottydog

[jwl]

ya I got a huge one on a big float rig and giant chub last october off my dock at the trailer, guessing it was about 35-40 lber based on the one in the pic in my post..that one was 30.5..and the one I got last fall was longer and fatter than that...just left thye chub in the water most of the day..people where asking me what i thought i would catch on it, I said that I didn't know, but if i did get something it was going to be really big..and I was right..lol..a few people of my neighbours at the park flocked over soon as they heard i had a huge one..and when it jumped out of the water.anyone else who saw it..rushed over to check it out...that one was happily released..I have my one and only trophy.

[scottydog]

Finally home eh Boston. Lets do some fishing. Good fishing. Scottydog

[jwl]

well I hope you guys get into a few monsters like the ones in the pics in the clippings you posted Scottydog, they sure can be tough to find for sure...I know I have put in many hours and a few tanks of gas in the boat trying to get em...I think I have lost mre than I have ever caught..lol, well i know I have lost more really big ones than I have caught..have gotten a few little ones over the years...well little being like 36-40..little on the lines of not keeper size..lol..and a few like 2 footers...only ever landed 4 in the 50's, and almost all of them have been on spinner baits....normal sized ones..not even musky size lures..lol..so sometimes it's really hard to guess what to fish with for them..lol...I have only actually ever hooked one I think..on any of the lures that I consider part of my musky tackle..and that was on a big oversized white skirted spinner bait...I think almost any one you will talk to catches them on all different stuff..lol..a musky charter guy up at the lake where my trailer is always makes out pretty good with big suick type baits that had a twistertail tip built into them...been out on the water a few times when thier boat has caught a couple..I usually try to fish areas like you guys picked out....a rocky weed transition adjacent to deeper water..thats the couple spots like that I fish for them when I am up at the lake, and one spot that is sandy turning to mud and weeds, then as it gets deeper it gets rocky..then the bottom is flat....I try to fish the outside egde of the weedline..where it drops off in the rocks to the flat spot...there is also one sunken island..where the water goes from over 25ft...right up to 9...then drops off again on all sides, Its just a small little spot..and hard to find sometimes..lol..and I pretty much know where it is by landmarks..and it still takes me a bit of circling around to find it.personally when I fish for really big pike and muskies I prefer to use baits that aren't loaded with trebles.I change the hooks on lots of baits...don't need to worry about all the teeth..and the hooks,,and I have seen guys catch em..and there mouths get pretty messed up, big pike and muskies aren't as tough as everyone thinks when it comes to releasing the big guys..specially after a long battle...better to try to get em in quick if possible...or try not to let the big muskies jump around so much..when I have had them start jumping I try to lower the rod way down even into the water to try to keep thier head down....hmm makes me want to try for the big ones really soon..lol..I am kinds getting bored with catching fish under the 10lb mark...gotta get out for some different species soon...well bass opens up thats always fun for a few outings..lol..well really guys enough of my rambling..lol..hope you guys make out good on the trip.