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Posts: 49
Location: Minocqua, WI | Hey folks...I'm hoping to just gather some general feedback. My brother and I go yearly to Ontario. We fish either Wabigoon out of Dryden or Nestor Falls LOTW's. On LOTW's we fish between Nestor Falls and as far west as Blueberry islands/King Island area.
We want to try something new and are considering the following:
Tamarack Island Lodge out of Morson
Birchdale Lodge - Eagle Lake
Cedar Lake Island Lodge - Cedar Lake
Keystone Lodge - Cedar Lake
We bring our own boat and food. A plus for us is the occasional eater size pike. Of course we all want big Musky! My brother has got a few upper 40's fish, but is still looking to get his first 50. I'm really trying hard to put him in position to hit that!
I'd appreciate any ones experienced thoughts with regards to these resorts. It appears from my research that each one has a pretty good reputation and we probably can't go wrong. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | LOTW or Eagle. Cedar sucks.
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Posts: 136
| Couldn’t agree more. Was my favorite lake but now it’s bumper boats due to constant shameless plugs by TV stars. Eagle all day long for my money these days but to each his own. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | My buddy just bought this resort. Its a great resort!!
http://whitefishbaycamp.com/
He just did some major upgrades to this camp too!!!
Edited by Tackle Industries 2/10/2018 9:13 PM
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Posts: 9
| Hands down I would say Tamarack. I have been going there for 14 or 15 years. I love the fishing. The water is slightly stained (2-4' of visibility) so you do not have to make a perfect presentation but you can still see follows. My buddy who has been coming to Tamarack with me for about 10 years used to fish Eagle. He caught more muskie in his first trip to Tamarack than he did in three trips to Eagle. |
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Posts: 49
Location: Minocqua, WI | Thanks guys! I appreciate all the feedback and will watch for more. I met the owner of Tamarack at the Milwaukee Musky show yesterday. He seems like a really good guy. The feedback on Cedar makes sense as up until the last couple years on tv, I had not heard of it either.
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | I will second Tamarack. Fantastic location, don't have to run far in any direction to find good fishing. Todd and his family really look out for you. Really enjoy sharing the day's action in the lodge at night with all the other guys and see what worked or didn't. We are shooting for 4 trips again this year. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Hard pass on Cedar, too many resorts on that body of water for that far of a drive.
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Location: Contrarian Island | hard to beat Lake of the Woods.. a great week on LOTW is 2 x as many fish as a great week on Eagle... lots of guys go to Eagle and come back with their tail between their legs... you have to hit a really bad week weather wise on LOTW not to do fairly well... I'd lean LOTW
Edited by BNelson 2/15/2018 10:17 AM
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | BNelson - 2/15/2018 10:16 AM
hard to beat Lake of the Woods.. a great week on LOTW is 2 x as many fish as a great week on Eagle... lots of guys go to Eagle and come back with their tail between their legs... you have to hit a really bad week weather wise on LOTW not to do fairly well... I'd lean LOTW
Shhh....keep pushing them to Eagle, Vermilion and Mylie’s 
Edited by Musky Brian 2/15/2018 10:53 AM
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Posts: 1636
| Staying in Morson will put you closer to both new and familiar water. That is a great area. Buena Vista Resort is another good one to consider. Good luck! |
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Posts: 330
Location: SE Wisc | Musky Brian - 2/15/2018 10:52 AM
BNelson - 2/15/2018 10:16 AM
hard to beat Lake of the Woods.. a great week on LOTW is 2 x as many fish as a great week on Eagle... lots of guys go to Eagle and come back with their tail between their legs... you have to hit a really bad week weather wise on LOTW not to do fairly well... I'd lean LOTW
Shhh....keep pushing them to Eagle, Vermilion and Mylie’s : )
Yeah, it’s a real secret! Don’t say anything! |
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Posts: 1971
| Brian I had to chuckle..for years I read your posts and the best lake in Ontario was Eagle!.. Well until you start fishing lotw! ?? |
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| Brian has been around the block a few times. I think he has multiple favorites |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | IAJustin - 2/15/2018 9:15 PM
Brian I had to chuckle..for years I read your posts and the best lake in Ontario was Eagle!.. Well until you start fishing lotw! ??
Haven’t been to Eagle once in 8 years since I started fishing the Angie.
Was there some type of contract I signed in which I wasn’t allowed to change my mind if I found something more to my liking ??
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Location: Contrarian Island | 20 years ago I thought Wingra was the coolest lake too !  |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | I also have a new preferred woman, a preferred dog breed, and a couple new bands I like better now since 2010 too.
Just thought I’d get that on record too |
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Posts: 296
| Birch Dale on Eagle is a great place to stay and a great deal (particularly housekeeping plan) compared to other resorts on Eagle. Cal Ritchie works out of there if your in need of guide or some friendly advice. Eagle is tougher than LOTW, but the fish are longer and heavier on average as well. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | Eagle is tougher than LOTW, but the fish are longer and heavier on average as well.???
I beg to difer... I've watched results from lots of guys going to both lakes for ~10 yrs. I've been going to LOTW since 2011.
While I do think the upper end fish might be longer in Eagle.. with the advent of the 54" size limit from what I've seen the avg size might be a touch better on Lotw now than eagle.. last year my boat had 29 fish with 11 over 48 and 16 over 45... 4 over 50 to 52... while we haven't popped a 54 yet... we have seen enough to know we have our shots... I also see plenty of pics of average to skinny fish from Eagle every year posted on facebook...
both great bodies of water, but guys that think fish are skinny or not long on lotw clearly haven't fished there much, or at all.
Edited by BNelson 2/16/2018 10:58 AM
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Posts: 1636
| Lake of the Woods fish might not have the bellies all the time... but, they are thick, meaty fish. A "skinny" fish on Lake of the Woods can weigh just as much as a fat fish from other places. |
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Posts: 297
Location: Not where I want to be! | Been fishing the Tamrack area since 2003. When we first started there we might have seen 1 or 2 muskie boats a day. (in July) Now often times take a number thanks to a few Wisconsin guides and now will get even worse thanks to the muskie TV stars. I do believe Eagle is a prettier body of water. |
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Posts: 612
| BNelson - 2/16/2018 11:55 AM
Eagle is tougher than LOTW, but the fish are longer and heavier on average as well.???
I beg to difer... I've watched results from lots of guys going to both lakes for ~10 yrs. I've been going to LOTW since 2011.
While I do think the upper end fish might be longer in Eagle.. with the advent of the 54" size limit from what I've seen the avg size might be a touch better on Lotw now than eagle.. last year my boat had 29 fish with 11 over 48 and 16 over 45... 4 over 50 to 52... while we haven't popped a 54 yet... we have seen enough to know we have our shots... I also see plenty of pics of average to skinny fish from Eagle every year posted on facebook...
both great bodies of water, but guys that think fish are skinny or not long on lotw clearly haven't fished there much, or at all.
I got to start fishing with this gentleman. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | it was a good week! but we fish smart, put 600 miles on the boat, and not worry about the gas bill...all things being equal I will take a 7 days on LOTW over any other water that I have been to ..yet... and I have been to Eagle...
Edited by BNelson 2/22/2018 2:34 PM
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Posts: 306
| " I will take a 7 days on LOTW over any other water that I have been to ..yet... and I have been to Eagle..."
Does that include Wingra?
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Location: Contrarian Island | |
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Posts: 7
| I would pick LOTW in a heartbeat, and Tamarack Wilderness Island lodge in my opinion is your best choice for LOTW. I fished Eagle and Lac Seul exclusively for years, before I got invited to LOTW. I have never been back to Eagle or Lac Seul since. There is just no reason to drive that far to fish waters that are tougher to fish than LOTW. Also Todd Hacault the owner of Tamarack is the most accommodating camp owner I have ever worked with (and I've met a lot of them over the years). The fishing at Tamarack is second to none, the accommodations are clean and comfortable, really hard to ask for more! |
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Posts: 667
Location: Wisconsin | cnsrtv.............Great Verse!!!
someday I hope to get to LOTW. someday |
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Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Cedar kicks a fisheries biologist's butt. LOL! I'd make a recommendation, but Lake X is right across the road from Cedar! Cedar was one of the most memorable Musky experiences ever. Crazy big fish in both lakes. If you need help Tyler Trampe can put you on fish, any species.
Herbie's a great choice too. So many great lakes , so little time.
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | LOTW- Try Young's Wilderness Camp on Steven's Bay. Perry & crew do a great job! No need to travel great distances - great fishing.. My favorite photo from last year's trip - 11 year old Hunter Saemisch w/ 48.5" caught within sight of camp. If you can't catch a multiple muskie's there, you just need to throw your gear overboard too the Muskie God's.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1694327380602096&set=t.10000...
Crow(Kagagi) is a spectacular blue water lake too. So many lakes, so little time.
Have fun!
Al |
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Location: Eagle Lake Vermilion Bay, Ontario | interesting. im not gong to get into bashing lakes both are great lakes though entirely/totally diff. just a few observations and thoughts.
i can say the same or more as far as results on big fish over the years and numbers are very easy to throw around these days so i wont.. but certainly not avging 5-10 daily on every trip and avg fish over 48 to 52 every day .
but i fished LOWDs for years .first time to Eagle i encountered more fish over 52" to 56"+ in 5 days than i had in 8 + years on LOWDS and havent been back except for a get together here and there with old friends for day here or there. no doubt a great lake and they are typically easy biters. are there some giants..without doubt. but...
i do tend to disagree on the statement a 54" size limit is creating more 54"+ fish there. very few have the genetics to reach 54"+...on any lake thus the reason for the established 54" limit by the biologists with the MNR especially on a lake that has not routinley produced fish 54"+ for the past 50 years. Eagle has . every year. i know some anglers i respect as some of the best and innovative big fish anglers in canadian/LOWDS history could count the number of fish 54" less than the fingers on their hand they have boated over a 20++++ yr span. genetics dont change because of a # and i havent seen nor heard of more than totally a handful of fish that size or under been killed on both lakes combined in the past 12+ years or so.. but...except more fish than you think under that size die from mis. or over handling and there is not a lake in ontario that the pressure and thus catches has increased as much as LOWDs in the past 12-15 years. dramatic forage base changes could possibly increase size at least weight but also conversly but i think the size perceived and i say percieved as changing to bigger size and talked about are more about intelligent anglers fishing LOWDs differently because of the pressure and bigger water areas and diff patterns than traditionally has been done there mainly because of loss of shallow weed habitat in many areas and to escape the increased angling pressure in easier to get to areas .
some of the comments on eagle are from those who have not been there in awhile. quite awhile thus are not valid as 15 yrs ago..
contrarily eagle has without doubt changed much more dramatically in the other direction past 8-10 yrs. the pop. is exploding with lots of younger fish in the pop. of fish 38-46" for those needing action too (sounds a bit like lowds 10-15 yrs ago eah?) but the diff is as many fish 48-54++" as ever. why?? i find it hard to believe its the 54" limit ,they tend to protect themselves and also by anglers these days.. i believe its a # of factors but majorly because of the decrease in shallow pike populations which are i would make a guess is at least 50-75% less than 20-30 years ago. thus way better spawned survival.
there is no doubt lowds is one of the best musky fisheries in the beautiful scenic shield country of nw ontario,and a great place to boat numbers and a good fish up to and over 50". and eagle is a great lake with exploding numbers and historically as well as today one of the best chances at a true giant 52"-54"++ in NW ontario.
diff strokes,diff goals,for diff folks, best thing to do? fish em all at the right times!!!
tights lines open water coming soon!
steve herbeck
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Location: Contrarian Island | why are they easier to catch on LOTW? I'll go out on a limb and say it's because there are way more fish and way more water to fish.. Eagle is in reality tiny compared to LOTW... Eagle fish see wayyyy more boats/pressure than LOTW fish in general in my opinion... pressured fish are simply harder to catch. how many legit 56"ers have been caught on Eagle the last 10 yrs? 1 resort posted pics of 2 55s and a 56 last year on LOTW .....both are great bodies of water.....some other interesting data. and I know lots of guys don't register fish but this is just a sampling....since 2008 2 biggest fish registered in muskies inc from Eagle were 54". same years, 6 fish from 54.5" to 56" registered from lotw... I wish I had enough time and money to spend 10 days on each every summer and fall...
Edited by BNelson 3/5/2018 2:30 PM
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | BNelson - 3/5/2018 1:37 PM
why are they easier to catch on LOTW? I'll go out on a limb and say it's because there are way more fish and way more water to fish.. Eagle is in reality tiny compared to LOTW... Eagle fish see wayyyy more boats/pressure than LOTW fish in general in my opinion... pressured fish are simply harder to catch. how many legit 56"ers have been caught on Eagle the last 10 yrs? 1 resort posted pics of 2 55s and a 56 last year on LOTW .....both are great bodies of water.....some other interesting data. and I know lots of guys don't register fish but this is just a sampling....since 2008 2 biggest fish registered in muskies inc from Eagle were 54". same years, 6 fish from 54.5" to 56" registered from lotw... I wish I had enough time and money to spend 10 days on each every summer and fall... :)
'Eagle fish see wayyyy more boats/pressure than LOTW fish in general in my opinion... pressured fish are simply harder to catch.' ---Depends on which part of LOTW. The Angle is getting pounded. Other areas have been for a decade or more. And it shows. Some areas are not, and that's the key, I think. That too will change as folks pick up on it.
I can attest to the growing numbers in Eagle. I also remember the discussion 5 years back on LOTW from biologists up there as a group of large year classes matures and comes to age as predicted. A good muskie angler can go to either and have a great trip or a bad one. A REALLY good muskie angler would do better...on either lake. I've seen more really big fish on Eagle as of late, but that's limited to a maximum of one trip a year to both, and both trips under a week, which isn't conclusive. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | they already have.... |
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Posts: 32801
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Inevitable, eh? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | more and more musky fishermen every year, big boats, map chips, and cheap gas the last couple years.. makes a big lake fish a lot smaller than it use to |
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| Our overall average size has gone up on Eagle just about every year since 2006. I thought it was just us getting better at it! |
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Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | esoxaddict - 3/5/2018 3:03 PM
Our overall average size has gone up on Eagle just about every year since 2006. I thought it was just us getting better at it!
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Location: The desert | esoxaddict - 3/5/2018 3:03 PM
Our overall average size has gone up on Eagle just about every year since 2006. I thought it was just us getting better at it!
I think what Brian is trying to say is.....
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Location: ontario | if you drive about 12 hours east there is a place called georgian bay where everyone catches a 50 incher |
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Posts: 50
| If 50+ is the goal I’d say Eagle. If you want more “numbers” with a shot at a 50+ then LOTW.
How about Rowan on a fly-in? You guys deserve it! |
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Posts: 306
| So much water,so little time.Fortunately some of the best waters never get mentioned. |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | dickP - 3/14/2018 11:14 AM
So much water,so little time.Fortunately some of the best waters never get mentioned.
Do tell Mr P. You may pm me |
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Location: New Hope MN | dickP - 3/14/2018 11:14 AM
So much water,so little time.Fortunately some of the best waters never get mentioned.
Please share!
Edited by dtaijo174 3/14/2018 4:50 PM
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| Wingra??? |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | dickP - 3/14/2018 5:11 PM
Wingra???
:)
Edited by Propster 3/14/2018 5:28 PM
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Posts: 296
| BNelson - 2/16/2018 10:55 AM
Eagle is tougher than LOTW, but the fish are longer and heavier on average as well.???
I beg to differ. I've watched results from lots of guys going to both lakes for ~10 yrs. I've been going to LOTW since 2011.
While I do think the upper end fish might be longer in Eagle.. with the advent of the 54" size limit from what I've seen the avg size might be a touch better on Lotw now than eagle.. last year my boat had 29 fish with 11 over 48 and 16 over 45... 4 over 50 to 52... while we haven't popped a 54 yet... we have seen enough to know we have our shots... I also see plenty of pics of average to skinny fish from Eagle every year posted on facebook...
both great bodies of water, but guys that think fish are skinny or not long on lotw clearly haven't fished there much, or at all.
I beg to differ. I definitely phrased it wrong, cause I did mean the high end of the spectrum more than anything. Eagle has genetics on its side and history. Its capable of longer fish. Growing a freak! Spotties out east, Minnesota and the great lakes. They can get to the high 50s” regularly.
I can see your a good angler, and don’t take offense. I been going to LOTW since 1992. Lots of 50’s in my group to 53.5” with girth’s to 24” in August. I don’t fish anywhere near Sabaskong or the Angle. Saric televises it for everybody, and they all go and it’s still a great place. Occasional nice one like anywhere else. I started out at Red Wing. You can have all the numbers areas and I’ll never post a fish on Facebook, nor will my guys. The internet is wonderful thing but it’s not everything. My largest are all from LOTW and one 54.5” out east. LOTW is the best Lake overall for catching numbers and low 50’s in the world. Lake of the Muskies, no doubt, and I highly recommend it to all levels of anglers
Maybe you’ve never experienced Eagle in late October casting lures or soaking a sucker. It is a lot smaller and gigantic all at the same time. I’ve seen some giants. Believe what you want, but I firmly believe the Holy Grail lives there, and somebody’s going to get her one day, but maybe they won’t tell, or post it on Facebook. I hope they don’t. |
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Posts: 2006
| Lake Ouachita for stripers, in lieu of Kinkaid for pre-spawn muskies. Blasphemy, I know. |
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | I spent many years on Rowan and fished the others mentioned here and
There is No comparison. And there are very few hunters that fish there on a regular basis. If you fish Rowan one time for 4 days you will never be the same. Why you can’t get your great boat in there, and that’s a big deal I get it, absolutely No pressure on these fish great population of little and well the other level of true giants, and they live there lives there and never see a lure, the negative about Rowan is that there is SO MUCH FOOD great food white fish brown and black suckers lake trout they eat what ever they want when they want. I have seen many incredible fish there hen they spawn
When they follow when they eat like a monster following an bait with the tail of a 8lb
Trouts tail sticking out of its mouth just things like that. I have many encounters with these fish and never really came forth and told the stories because no one would ever believe me, and would say I’m just trying do drum up business. Well I’m not there any more but the lake and the remarkable fishery will Never change. Just sayin Thanks to the ones that have come to really see what’s there. Looking forward to go back and just go FISHING on my own. Every cast is an Expression of Hope ! |
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Posts: 58
| Had the honor of chatting with you at a fishing show Don. This is why my group fishes trout water, nothing compares in beauty or what lies in the depths. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | Fishboy19 wrote:
"I beg to differ. I definitely phrased it wrong, cause I did mean the high end of the spectrum more than anything. Eagle has genetics on its side and history. Its capable of longer fish. Growing a freak! Spotties out east, Minnesota and the great lakes. They can get to the high 50s” regularly.
I can see your a good angler, and don’t take offense. I been going to LOTW since 1992. Lots of 50’s in my group to 53.5” with girth’s to 24” in August. I don’t fish anywhere near Sabaskong or the Angle. Saric televises it for everybody, and they all go and it’s still a great place. Occasional nice one like anywhere else. I started out at Red Wing. You can have all the numbers areas and I’ll never post a fish on Facebook, nor will my guys. The internet is wonderful thing but it’s not everything. My largest are all from LOTW and one 54.5” out east. LOTW is the best Lake overall for catching numbers and low 50’s in the world. Lake of the Muskies, no doubt, and I highly recommend it to all levels of anglers
Maybe you’ve never experienced Eagle in late October casting lures or soaking a sucker. It is a lot smaller and gigantic all at the same time. I’ve seen some giants. Believe what you want, but I firmly believe the Holy Grail lives there, and somebody’s going to get her one day, but maybe they won’t tell, or post it on Facebook. I hope they don’t.""
I get it Fishboy, I do.. I guess I go by real world results...not what people say they SEE in the water... stats are stats, data is data. Are there or have there been any 56+ caught in the last 10 yrs on Eagle? I have not heard of one. It seems to me that soooo many guys go to Eagle and say they have seen 56+ inchers. Most of those seeing these mythical beasts haven't put a 52 in the boat but yet can tell everyone they see 56+ fish. Muskies are dumb, let's be honest, if they are there shouldn't they be caught once in a while? I have been on Eagle, we saw big fish no doubt, maybe there were more there 20 or 30 yrs ago? I can say we have had shots at 54-55 inch fish each year on lotw...that's just 2 guys, 1 week. Do I think Eagle is a great lake, yes. I just sort of have to chuckle at soooo many seeing 56+ inchers but yet we never hear of one caught... they aren't really that smart....lots of the guides and resort owners are the ones that seem to feed the lore of the lake, they have a vested interest... Those same resort pages on FB would definitely promote a 56 incher caught wouldn't they?? Just like the Resort page on LOTW that posted those 3 fish over 55"just last year alone! I do hope you catch the holy grail on Eagle some day.. and I hope you share the pic with the musky world...
I'm sure there are some crazy big ones in both lakes....it's fun to have choices..
Edited by BNelson 3/22/2018 2:26 PM
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Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | I’ve always felt that Lac Seul is the crown jewel of Canada in terms of world record potential,or for simplicity, 55+ caliber fish. I have certainly seen the most photos of fish in that caliber coming from there, and I also know that it gets probably quite a bit few less anglers per season versus a few others due to the remoteness and lack of camps in the NE corner. While I fully understand many people don’t register fish, MI data for those that do suggests Lac Seul is kicking out the most of that size without even considering the fact that is with a smaller group of anglers. Quite a few big guns on record who agree. If you have ever had a chance to get up there, it’s a pretty special place. Truly feels like you could find a giant that has never seen a bait...just talking about it has me dying to go back someday. |
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