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Posts: 255
| In 3 to 5 bullet points, sum up the year. I know it ain't over yet.
Mine are:
1. Made contact with some nice fish
2. put in more time than last year
3. feel positive for next season
4. slow down
5. need to use gliders more |
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Posts: 523
| 1. It sucks when your bearings go out and you need to order a new axle from Ranger.
2. Early season was tougher than normal.
3. Most 50" fish in a season for me.
4. Top water was awesome this year.
5. I hate that season is almost over... |
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Posts: 983
| First season Musky fishing and not even a season just started Musky fishing first of October so for me
1..Get First Follow.... CHeck
2. get first Musky
3. get first Musky
4. get first Musky
u get the point |
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Posts: 2280
Location: Chisholm, MN | 1. Try new spots away from the main crowd.
2. Try new baits.
3. Don't throw bucktails all the time.
4. Fish with friends, not just alone.
5. Don't blow it on the 8 when your PB arrives. |
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Posts: 815
Location: Waukee, IA | 1. Most fish I've gotten
2. First fish on glider
3. Fished new structure with success
4. My blood is indistinguishable from fish blood.
5. Cheap rods cost more in the long run. |
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Posts: 221
| 1. First bondy fish out in 30 ft on a suspended school of bait, which was awesome
2. I'd never seen fish more aggressive than the fish I caught on Lake X cbjr's
3. I barely threw blades all year and caught more fish than ever
4. Spent a lot of time mapping weeds out early in the season which really paid off
5. If you see a fish and it disappears, don't stop the figure 8 for a few minutes |
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Posts: 2005
| 1. Docks hold fish all year long... Even if they don't bite.
2. Don't pull your bait away from a small one, just in case you don't see another fish for 4 more days.
3. When very good fishermen tell you a pattern when nothing else is producing, do what they say, not kind of what they say.
4. Not new to me, but reinforced again... Slop and shallow weeds always hold fish, big tankers too. |
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Posts: 3136
| Season Sucked,,,need to push legislators to legalize pot in Minnesota!!! |
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Posts: 221
| happy hooker - 11/18/2016 3:14 PM
Season Sucked,,,need to push legislators to legalize pot in Minnesota!!!
Haha |
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Posts: 1126
Location: Minnesota. | 1.) Cast.
2.) Cast again.
3.) Keep casting.
4.) Keep up keeping up casting.
5.) Even with all that "keeping up" my season sucked bigtime!
And you know what? Next year I'll be at it again...
Einstein said that's the definition of stupidity.
Case closed. |
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Posts: 269
Location: Oregon, WI | Worst year ever. Put over 50 fish in boat in 2014, last year fishing was limited due to quad bypass surgery but still put 20 some fish in the net. This year only 3. |
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Posts: 300
| 1. First glider fish
2. First WTD fish
3. Suckers actually paid off
4. If a bait is fouled, fish WILL still eat it |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | 1. Allergies
2. Doctors appointments for everything but allergies
3. Allergies
Finally complained enough to get doc to do allergy testing. Turns out I'm allergic to every single thing in the allergy test except....rabbits. Allergies had me sick nearly the entire summer, so fishing was limited. |
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Posts: 271
Location: davis,IL | Fishing wise, a rough year ( crappy weather, too much competition)...only 1 over 48... broke in my new boat (good).. rough medical diagnosis that has me in the crapper till next spring. Then hopefully back in action for next year. |
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Posts: 1209
|
Yeah I was coming off an awesome 2015 and that confidence would help. But this year was rough. Contemplated posting all for sale. Just couldn't come to terms with anyone paying 5g
Edited by Fishysam 11/19/2016 11:00 AM
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Posts: 431
| Great Year for me
1. My partner that was laid up last year dealing with medical issues is back full force
2. Met a new partner off M1st that is a blast to fish with
3. Lots of good weather days out on the water with the gang
4. Caught some fish
5. Learned some new baits. |
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Posts: 394
Location: WI | 1. Got my wife to go musky fishing, she likes the rush of a figure 8 hit. GOOD
2. Got my Son to go to LOTW, wants to go again next year. GOOD
3. Caught my 1st 2 figure 8 fish, both on home made bucktails. GOOD
4. Missed 2 months of fishing due to Mom's medical issues. BAD (she's fine now)
5. Spent more time bowhunting this fall, tree stand stolen from private land. BAD
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Posts: 1000
| 1. First month was brutal
2. shoepacks never get old
3.tried some new water in the Longville area. super cool
4. hot bites usually repeat themselves year after year
5. got five metro fish on the fly rod in the last seven days
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Posts: 897
| First and last fish were biggest in the boat this year. 49 and 52.
Experienced the most action packed day I've ever had on LOTW. 40+ follows. Caught 6 lost 4.
Low gas prices are both awesome and suck - much more traffic on lakes.
Outdoor grips jig ripper is a game changer for me.
The Beast HS is a nice reel. |
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Posts: 132
| 1. Had my first child in May = least amount of time I've spent on the water in 10 years (not a complaint, just reality)
2. Good rods/reels make a HUGE difference
3. Spent most of my time on a new (to me) body of water
4. Caught two 50's 15 min apart at high noon
5. Easily had my best boated fish per hour ratio this season |
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Posts: 688
Location: Already Gone | 1. Outstanding multi-species season.
2. Found the Fall season to be about 3 weeks behind what I consider normal for temps, but shifted gears, got outside the box, and adjusted nicely. Still have a weekend left where I enjoy being the most.
3. Getting involved with the IL Take a Vet Fishing outing was a huge highlight and something I won't miss in the future.
3. Many Elite fish this year hit the Beckman, but mainly just being out with certain individuals was top priority. Happy Thanksgiving to all. |
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Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | 1. Did not buy any new musky lures. 2. Caught more fish than last season. 3. Finally landed a musky that I hooked in the figure 8. 4. Fished for musky less than I have in several years. 5. Started loosing interest in musky fishing & more interest in sturgeon fishing. |
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Posts: 705
Location: Alex or Alek? | 1. Fished new waters, caught some fish on them
2. Didn't kill myself by getting up extra early (hungover) and caught just as many fish
3. Had a good time with good friends
4. Still have yet to catch one on a sucker...One more trip planned |
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Posts: 1100
| From Europe so this is pike stuff.
1. New PB 46,5inch
2. Didn't fish as much as last year, but upped the number of 40" or + from 13 in 2015 to 25 (so far) in 2016
3. Girlfriend caught her first fish casting, a 40,5 inch (with tons of screaming)
4. Bought even more baits i don't really need
5. Got my hands on the Big Nasty after looking for one for years, but the 8.5 foot+ are hard to come by due to shipping.
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Posts: 470
| 2016 was great even though there were long stretches when my home waters were unfishable due to temps (all of August, some of September..) 25 Fish total for the year.
Had some great moments:
1) New PB - 51"
2) First fish on a Suick
3) First fish on a Glide bait.
4) First Fish on a Sucker
Overall, the total size of fish was much smaller in 16 than 15, more sub 30 fish this year. There was a large weed kill by the local lake association that I think moved the big girls off the weed edges and into deep water suspended mode. Still, no complaints. Looking forward to the Chicago expo and 2017
RandalB |
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Posts: 105
Location: Florida | 1. Caught my first Muskie this year.
2.Plan on making future trips up north for Muskie/Pike fishing.
3.Did extremely well in freshwater fishing.
4.Did extremely well in saltwater fishing.
5.Looking towards to fishing the rest of 2016. |
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Posts: 36
| first fish on glide bait
but 3 friends on their PB 44.5, 48.75 43
still trying to catch on big rubber
fished more new water
still haven't broke 40" yet this year 39 3/4"
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Posts: 64
| 1) First year I've ever tried musky fishing
2) Caught my 1st ski, a 40'' out of my canoe on a TI dbl 10 bucktail
3) Never got out again this year, but booking time off for next year to get out a lot!
4) Bought a boat with my Dad so we can catch skis together
5) Invested in baits and gear all recommended from this forum, ready to rock and roll next year |
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Posts: 426
| Great season no complaints
1) Best year ever for numbers
2) Caught my heaviest fish 43.25 lbs
3) Spent more days catching then fishing for muskies
4) Stayed with what has worked in the past not what should work now
5) Caught fish my first and last trip out. |
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Posts: 441
| It SUCKED!!
The muskie fishing, that is.
Love being up north, though. |
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Posts: 1023
| Worst season casting on St Clair EVER for me.
Worst Fall so far ever this year too.
I am not alone in my suffering but I am sure someone is killing them. |
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Posts: 51
| Mostly LOTW for me this year -
1) Shorter feeding windows during the summer months (some very tough days)
2) Less fish seen
3) Bigger fish caught
4) More fish caught on retrieve than 8 (shocking)
5) More fish caught on baits other than blades |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | - average year
- lots of firsts for people in my boat
- didn't catch a 60 lber... yet. |
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Posts: 31
| 1. Getting to fish with my two best partners.
2. Putting a newbe onto his first muskie.
3. Catching a 50 at LSC.
4. Having a good friend catch a 50.5 the day before my 50 (and in the same boat).
5. Not getting to Kinkaid for the second year in a row.
6. Not getting two of my nephews out to try for their first muskies. |
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Posts: 156
Location: Alexandria, MN | 1. Best year ever for me - by far. Boated 16 fish from 35" to 51.5"
2. Caught more fish trolling this year than the previous 15 years combined
3. Had a personal best 5 fish day. 40" to 48.5" - all in about a 2 hour window around the moon phase
4. Though I planned on throwing topwater more, none of my fish came on a topwater
5 Never put a lot of stock in sun/moon charts before this year. That thinking has changed. |
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Posts: 22
| 1. Upped my fish count from last season
2. Found a few new spots on home water and took trips to explore new water
3. Forced myself to fish with something else besides blades... Did NOT prove to help.. All fish on Blades.
4. Bought a new boat
5. Caught PB 51" x 22" |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | 1. Spent less time targeting muskies. Perhaps this explains my poorer than normal fish/hour? 2. Discovered I really enjoy fishing with my boy. Even if that means spending more time chasing crappies, bass, and walleye. 3. Realized I'm less driven by ego these days and motivated by other things. Perhaps I'm just getting old(er)? |
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Posts: 572
| 1. Below average year for me in terms of overall numbers, likely explained by fewer hours on the water.
2. LOTW was a bit strange; fishing definitely seemed slower than usual, yet numbers/size boated were above-average.
3. Open water trolling bite, locally, was essentially non-existent for my boat...which I thought was quite odd...though again, fewer hours on the water might have something to do with that.
4. Had the pleasure of at least seeing a truly special fish; up on LOTW, my brother had her up to the boat, though she was low and slow. I won't guess on size other than to say that she was in the top 2 or 3 fish I've ever laid eyes on. Hopefully we see her again next year!
5. Definite highlight however was taking my daughters (ages 10 and 6) on their first trip up to LOTW on a short trip where we got into some great smallmouth fishing...they had a blast, and so did I.
Edited by Matt DeVos 12/1/2016 9:46 AM
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Location: Contrarian Island | 1. average size was up this year with 32 of 94 over 45", 7 over 50"
2. Hours per fish about on par with other good years at 4.4
3. LOTW fish are definitely getting conditioned by all the pressure, excellent figure 8 skills are a must more and more each year... dare I say becoming Eagle like..
4. learning new spots/patterns on all the waters I fished will only pay off more in years to come
5. it's not over yet...a few more days on the water to go 
Edited by BNelson 12/1/2016 9:51 AM
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Posts: 1971
| 1) Still love to get on the water but Hrs. targeting muskies was way down for me this year
2) All three "out of state" trips were successful -caught lots of fish and big fish
3) 14 of 39 muskies I caught this year were 45"+ ..boat partners did well too - Can't complain! |
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Posts: 833
| 1.) Best year for size for me, 4 out of 16 fish over 50, 2 at 54, new PB
2.) Fewest hours fishing, trend continues to go down as kids get older, but that is as it should be.
3.) Fish per hour much improved, getting better at finding them
4.) Casting fish up quite a bit from past two years, happy trend
5.) Caught first fish on lure I made myself
Very happy and satisfied with my season. |
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Location: SE Wisconsin | |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Sam Ubl - 12/5/2016 3:18 PM
Yeah...it was a pretty fun year in SE WI wasn't it? |
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Posts: 118
| 1. 3 new PBs. 49 - 49.5 - 50.25
2. Caught 5 of 9 fish on my own bucktails
3. First sucker fish (I'm hooked)
4. Tranx is a beast and was worth every penny
5. Last trip to LOTW for a while. For size and numbers I'd be better off driving 20 minutes to Minnetonka
6. First year that the end of the season hit me like a death in the family. Counting down the days til next year. Ice fishing is dumb. |
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Posts: 45
| 1. Hit 2 of my 3 goals for the year (first Topwater and first over 50"; didn't hit on #'s)
2. Caught a lot of nice pike, including PB's for my brother and I.
3. Fished new waters (Central MN and Wisconsin), didn't catch any but raised nice fish
4. Used baits other than bucktails way more (WTD, Suicks, Jerkbaits, Trolling, Live bait)
5. Didn't fish as many days as last year due to home projects
Edited by Redlineracer12 12/6/2016 11:51 AM
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Posts: 3
| 1. Trolling is great for numbers, but casting trumps for experience
2. Grinding it out on a spot can really pay off
3. DC 10s are still awesome
4. 53inchers can rip your 4/O hooks apart and still see the net:)
5. Fishing with knowledgeable good friends is priceless |
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Posts: 9
| 1. First trip to LOTW, loved it!
2. Caught a 54" beast, loved it!
3. Fished a lot, struggled most days, but had some great ones.
4. Casted more than trolled, getting good at both now.
5. After 3.5 years in the sport, I finally feel confident on the water.
Brian |
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Posts: 114
| Worst season ever for me. Fished mostly metro waters, fish were not holding in classic patters as they were in prior years. Tried many different techniques to find them. Very short windows. Fishing pressure WAY WAY WAY up from past years. Lots the biggest fish of my life that was just inches from the net before she got off. Lake of the Woods trip experienced high pressure system and algae bloom for the full weeks I was there. 2017 Can't get any worse for me. |
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Posts: 50
| Total success for me. I only boated 4 but after having season ending back surgery in September 2014 and season ending emergency back surgery in October 2015 I was just blessed to be able to get out and fish this fall. |
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Posts: 34
Location: Illinois | I had a pretty good year. Caught the largest Muskie of my life with my grandpa, I'll never forget it! |
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | BNelson - 12/1/2016 10:49 AM
1. average size was up this year with 32 of 94 over 45", 7 over 50"
2. Hours per fish about on par with other good years at 4.4
3. LOTW fish are definitely getting conditioned by all the pressure, excellent figure 8 skills are a must more and more each year... dare I say becoming Eagle like..
4. learning new spots/patterns on all the waters I fished will only pay off more in years to come
5. it's not over yet...a few more days on the water to go ;)
Truly impressive. |
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Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL | Nice job Nelson! |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | first year not musky fishing since 1997 and had a fun year training another grouse dog so i will have 2 FBEC's ready to go next season and had a pretty good smallie year and a great time salmon fishing. dog investment will pay off over the next 10 years so can do maybe more on the water this coming year too.
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Posts: 32800
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I had a good year, limited in time on the water because of recovery from a seriously crappy illness. Back on my feet and probably at 75% late this Fall, so look out next year.
Spent a fair amount of time catching big crappies, smallmouth, and other fish fulfilling content creation needs, and enjoyed that immensely. |
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Posts: 386
| My 2016 summary...
I don't even want to ice fish this year, is it June yet?
i felt like I was putting the pieces together when I had to cancel a trip last minute and then the season closed.
Usually I look forward to some time to regroup, maybe fish for some other fish. This year, I've been looking into TN or NM. I can drive there in just under 24 hours so if I took off Friday and Monday... |
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Posts: 8720
| First year I did not musky fish since 2003. First year I did not even wet a line since 1974. Didn't even buy any licenses. Didn't go to the musky shows, did not buy even a dollars worth of fishing gear for the first time in at least 30 years.
So as far as fishing goes? Worst year since 1973. Nowhere to go but up. If I throw a cast next year it will be better than this year. |
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | esoxaddict - 12/13/2016 6:18 PM
First year I did not musky fish since 2003. First year I did not even wet a line since 1974. Didn't even buy any licenses. Didn't go to the musky shows, did not buy even a dollars worth of fishing gear for the first time in at least 30 years.
So as far as fishing goes? Worst year since 1973. Nowhere to go but up. If I throw a cast next year it will be better than this year.
Were you in a serious injury causing full paralysis, in which the road to recovery required full physical and spiritual investment, as well as crippling debt?
I see no other explanation...
Joking, hope you get your mojo back though brother.
Edited by JakeStCroixSkis 12/14/2016 1:16 AM
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Posts: 22
| Muskies are hard to net out of a kayak. Time to get a real boat. |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | Great year here. By far the fewest hours musky fishing for me this year, but made it count when I got out, including my new PB in October.
Salmon fishing was outstanding this year!
Love taking my kids tubing, fishing, hunting, hiking, watching them play soccer, etc.
Loving my new hobby of chasing deer.
Having a blast chasing song dogs.
Boy how priorities change as you get older.
Edited by tuffy1 12/20/2016 7:11 AM
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2016 sum it up