Muskie First
Published March 18, 2009

Slamr: MuskieFIRST Welcomes back to the chat room legendary
guide Doug Johnson.  Thanks for joining
us Doug!

	Doug With A Southern Muskie

Mr_Musky: How are things in Warroad tonight ?

Slamr: Please allow the questions to flow to Doug

caveman: how is lotw looking for the 09 season

dougj: Well, I guess I really don't know I'm in  Tennessee

Mr_Musky: Nice!

MuskieMike: Have you been able to pre fish any of the new
Okuma rods or reels ? and if so what do you think about them?

dougj: From what I can see the lake will be high, with sort
of a late ice out.

bignoise: there is still 3 feet of ice on lotw

Mr_Musky: Has the invasion of the "double tens"
also changed your success rate on LOTW?

dougj: Just got three Okuma rods today to try out, look very
nice

Mr_Musky: or shall I say have they led to more fish in your
boat?

dougj: Yes, we do well on DCGs on the LOTWs.

suicknut: On LOTW when do you focus mainly on muskies?

Targa01: Doug, Do you ever try summer time structure
trolling on LOTW or any open water trolling?

dougj: Lots of fish on figure-8's

Mr_Musky: Is Rainbow still your fav color?

dougj: I've done some open water trolling, but without much
luck.

djwilliams: I hear so much about algae bloom on LOTW- Where
and when can I absolutely avoid it in the summer?

dougj: Silver blade and rainbow is good!

Mr_Musky: good to hear!

bignoise: doug the fall trolling was tough did it have any
thing do to the shiners run

dougj: Algae usually start in last August, but lsst year in
didn't for some reason, and fishing was good though most of Sept.

Mr_Musky: Do you spend alot of time in the Narrows
in July or do you try to avoid that area?

 dougj: I fish lots of
areas including the Narrows

dougj: I don't spend a lots of time there, but go through it
often.

dougj: There's lots of places to fish there.

Targa01: Is there any particular reason why you might fish a
section of the lake such as the Narrows versus
others?

Seasonal thing?

dougj: Usually start shallow and go deeper as the season
move on. Lots of areas that hold fish.

Slamr: what is the deepest you'll fish during the season?

Targa01: Does water clarity play a role throughout the
season as to where you begin picking your spots?

Vonbuelo: Are there many weedbeds left around the Angle? Or
have the Rusties got them all?

dougj: There are fish in lots of other places then the Narrows

dougj: There's still some, but they are much harder to find.

Mr_Musky: Do you think it was the late ice out/spring that
caused that two week nightmare at the beginning of last July or do you feel it
was weather related with the huge drop in water temps so fast?

dougj: Worried about future reproduction if this doesn't
change.

dougj: I think it was weather related, the ice has gone off
later than last years lots of times.

Vonbuelo: Could the late iceout, dropping water
temperatures, affected the spawn? Which screwed up the fishing?

djwilliams: Doug, if a guy was going to come up to LOTW for
the first time in July, didn't want to make long trips each day, on a budget,
what part of lake would you suggest he start?

dougj: The angle or the Mosron area

Targa01: So what was the big producer this past fall?  10" Jakes?

dougj: That's Morson

dougj: 10" jake as usual.

dougj: Did well on firebelly.

Len: Ever do any fishing on Shoal
Lake?

muskyboy: What big plugs do you like to troll late season in
addition to Jakes?

dougj: Nope, From what I hear not many muskie in Shoal.

Mr_Musky: Doug, trolling with your Triton how do you handle
not getting nervous trolling within a rod length or two of rocks all day!!!  Do surprises ever come up or do you have
everything GPS''d in pretty good?

dougj: I use Grandma, Believers, stalkers, and a few
others.

dougj: Do'nt use GPS for trolling, just been doing it for 30
years.

Mr_Musky: Nice!

dougj: I do get surprised at times when in new water.

Mr_Musky: and there's plenty of rocks!

lambeau: have you run the 13"-14" cranks trolling
in the fall? any difference in outcome compared to the 10"ers in numbers
and/or size of fish?

dougj: If I'm trying a new run the first time through I go
slow and try and remember where the rocks are.

Targa01: GPS helped us some with the learning curve but it
doesn't update fast enough.. Doesn't make up for experience!

Vonbuelo: What software do you like for your GPS?

Len: What kind of reels are you using for this upcoming
season

Mr_Musky: Do you try to add new water to your arsenal each
year even after 40 years up there?

dougj: Lambeau: I do the big stuff some, usually in the middle,
and they catch fish, but not any more than the 10" as far as I can tell.

bignoise: what new lure will u try this year

dougj: I use Navionics mostly, but also C-Map. not much difference.

Targa01: Was there any predominant pattern or lure
preference  last year?

dougj: Probably a different color DCG!

muskyfvr: What kind of structure do you target when trolling
in the fall, reefs,  sand bars, etc.?

dougj: I troll shore line, usually as close to shore as I
can get and stay in around 10' or so or water. I troll structure.

dougj: The bigger the area I can troll and stay near main
channels and big open areas the better I do

Mr_Musky: why is it that the early morning period never
seems to be very good during the summer?

Targa01: How does big winds affect fish location when fall
trolling?

dougj: I look for area that hold tullibees and areas where
they spawn.

weedsweeper: How often do you drag weeds when trolling close
to structure

dougj: Very seldom. Not many weed where we troll.

Vonbuelo: What type of structure do tullibee spawn in?

Len: How would you know where tulibees actually spawn?

dougj: Usually rocky or gravel areas.

dougj: Biggest thing is to start out in areas where they
spend their summers. Waters over 25' deep.

weedsweeper: Do you used any of the new swimbaits?

dougj: Some.

Mr_Musky: Do you see increases in your catch rate and size
around the moon phases?

Vonbuelo: Ever troll deeper than 10 feet of water?

dougj: The last couple of year we mostly been using the
DCG's

weedsweeper: Do you find the swimbaits have any better
action than a good action lipped crank?

dougj: 10" is not a hard and fast rule, it can vary
greatly. Most fish are caught with in a range of 7' to 20'.

Top_H20: Doug, I've fished around Hansons
King Island
and really liked it, but  my buddys and I
will be fishing in Sept. out of Mylies Resort (thanks Operation Muskie) Sooo...
how is the fishing in this area ?

dougj: I don't go back and forth very often, mostly stay at
the Angle during the summer.

muskyfvr: What speeds do you troll in fall verses summer

dougj: I fish with Jack Burns a lot out of Morson and we do
well in September in that area.

Mr_Musky: Has the "early morning" timeframe been
productive for you during the summer?  We
have struggled until the sun has been up for awhile so im curious.

Top_H20: Thanks

leo: ever head up to the winnipeg
doug?

dougj: I usually don't troll much during the summer, as it's
casting time. Fall trolling is usually around 4 M PH.

djwilliams: Is Morson area/LOTW like the Boundary Waters-
rocks just under surface near deeper water? 
Saw Winkelman on TV lose his lower unit. 
Gotta be careful everywhere?  
First trip guide needed (?)

dougj: Yes, the LOTWs is has lots of reefs, just under the
water.

dougj: Just go slow if you don't quite know where you are.
Watch your map carefully and know where you are on the map.

djwilliams: For a lake that big they must make  many different nav maps-handheld- what do you
recommend?

lambeau: what are some of your general strategies for early
in the year? (opener - July 4th?)

dougj: Don't entirely trust you GPS either.

Top_H20: How thick is the ice now ? will spring be like last
year ?( late)

dougj: I usually fish where the fish have spawned, but
depending on Water temps and ice out that may change.

dougj: It doesn't take long to find out where the fish are.

djwilliams: Any specific paper map you'd recommend?

dougj: On warm springs I've seen fish a long ways from
spawning areas at opener, I've also seen fishing spawning at times. Every year
is a little different.

dougj: Get the Canadian hydrographic. better detail that all
the others.

dougj: 6216 for the Angle

dougj: I'd just like to give the guys at Muskiefirst a big
thanks for all the help they did with OMII. There 20 Vets who are smiling!

bignoise: thanks Doug wish u were up here shoveling all the
snow with me

Targa01: Very kind of everyone involved...  a great thing

AJ: just wondering, when do you think iceout will be on
lotw?

AJ: just a good guess is all I need

dougj: I would guess second week of May.

Cowboyhannah: Doug---How do NW Angle and Sab. bay (Morson)
compare...Fished out of Red Wing and liked the area, but have heard a lot about
the angle.

AJ: thanks doug

Cowboyhannah: driving from WI so Morson closer

lambeau: it seemed there was a dominant mid-upper 30"s
year-class up there last summer. what are your thoughts on the health of the
fishery and natural reproduction prospects going forward?

dougj: They are similar. Right now I think there's less
pressure out of Morson.

dougj: I think the fishery is in pretty good shape. Hope
mother nature keeps it up. A little worried about the lack of weed growth or
future.

muskyboy: We have July and September outings on LOTW and our
members do great!

dougj: Also lots of 44-47" fish.

lambeau: there was poor weed growth in many areas south of
the border last year due to the cold spring. was that the case on LotW, or is
it a water level issue? crayfish? what's causing the weed reduction?

dougj: And a fair number of 50" fish.

dougj: Rusty's are the problem.

dougj: Just came to the Angle around 6-7 years ago, and they
have done lots of damage,

dougj: From what I read they boom and bust, so I'm hoping
they bust soon.

JRedig: You'd think if the rusties eat all the weeds, they'd
die off too then...what else do they eat?

Pointer: could become cyclical

Mr_Musky: With the high water this past spring there was
more weeds then there has been in a long time do you agree?

Pointer: boom, eat out of house and home, die of, weeds grow
back, boom of rusties again

dougj: They eat what ever is available from what I hear.
Just go to a shore lunch spot and look where they throw the remains for
cleaning the fish.

Top_H20: They will bust... they will eat themselves out of
food and die off sooner or later

dougj: Yes, high water is good for weed growth.

Pointer: they haven't busted on Pelican yet from what I've
seen

dougj: Yes, I'm not sure they will on the LOTWs either. Just
too many spots for them to be.

Targa01: Thanks Doug! 
Maybe  run into you on the lake
late October/November this year!

 

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