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Posts: 668
Location: mercer wi | Id still like to go to MN. Change of scenery. Wish I had time. Its a new adventure to explore unfamiliar waters n test yourself n your skill set. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i'm in Minnesota a lot but choose to smallie fish on the St. Croix vs. musky fishing ... that is until the crowds are gone. we go in early November when it's right on the edge of closing up. on the busiest lake you'll see maybe 4 boats in a day total and have the place to yourself. conditions can be brutal but it's the only way it's fun for me ... |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Sled, I've encountered MORE musky fishing pressure in late fall (Oct/Nov) than during mid July trips to MN recently. You can't rely on cold weather to keep the crowds away anymore. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I have noticed less pressure over there the last couple years as well in august and sept trips... I think Green Bay and LSC were taking quite a bit of the pressure off MN from out of staters like me...  those 2 lakes getting hot have helped MN and all the guides going over there full time only helped even more.... |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | jlong - 2/18/2015 8:39 AM
Sled, I've encountered MORE musky fishing pressure in late fall (Oct/Nov) than during mid July trips to MN recently. You can't rely on cold weather to keep the crowds away anymore.
i think we were there at the same time ... might be something to do with the area of the lake? that week it's a crap shoot just to get there and put stuff in the water, right? i have a list of things that i break or need to fix from that trip every year. |
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Posts: 1970
| Vermilion 1st week of November 2012, we ran 80% of the lake one day.... Over 40 Muskie boats!, but its a big lake -personally I could care less about pressure..maybe because my home lake is 400 acres and there is always at least 20 boats on it (not all muskie fishing but the non muskie guys are worse -ha!) |
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Posts: 3136
| Fall vacations on V are the best. But you guys are missing the other half of the fun bring the shotgun too. Lots of Boise cascade land and logging trails to do some of the best grouse hunting in U.S..Grouse hunting in the mourn before fishing is a pleasant change, you don't have to worry about any fronts or what the moon is doing just find em and blast em,,,and this catch you get to eat
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | happy hooker - 2/18/2015 9:10 AM
Fall vacations on V are the best. But you guys are missing the other half of the fun bring the shotgun too. Lots of Boise cascade land and logging trails to do some of the best grouse hunting in U.S..Grouse hunting in the mourn before fishing is a pleasant change, you don't have to worry about any fronts or what the moon is doing just find em and blast em,,,and this catch you get to eat
: (
precisely what i noticed last year hooker ... dog is going with me next year!! |
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Posts: 284
Location: Eagan, MN | I think it's ironic that Luke Ronnestrand, who guides on MN's big fish waters daily during the summer and fall, has caught his top two PB fish from Green Bay - a pair of 58"ers . My personal feeling is that MN's musky fishery has taken a backseat to GB, LSC, and certain places in Canada. Still big fish to be had, but you are working long and hard for 'em, no doubt. |
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Posts: 9
| There are literally 0 muskies left in Minnesota. Don't go there, go to Canada, or LSC. I repeat, 0 muskies except 36 inchers....maybe;)
Edited by N Eddy 2/18/2015 11:16 AM
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Posts: 2004
| ^^^listen to this guy. He knows his stuff. And do not waste your time around the 4th this year. |
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Posts: 357
Location: Duluth, MN | N Eddy - 2/18/2015 11:14 AM
There are literally 0 muskies left in Minnesota. Don't go there, go to Canada, or LSC. I repeat, 0 muskies except 36 inchers....maybe;)
Ditto! Waste of gas these days |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Minnesota Muskie Lakes have crashed,...... MUST be those Guys that are Trolling with ONE line.
Of course it's Tough,.. compared to 10-15 years ago, even 6-7 yrs ago the catching was easier.
Give me Vermilion any day. Love this place.
Jerome |
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Posts: 16
| HMMM, I live in MN and started on musky's in the mid 80's. We still fish a bunch and I am skeptical of an over 50" every 35 hours. Fishing has slowed down, there is a lot more pressure and better fisherman out there. We have way too many fish killed with all the photo ops and you tube postings. I usually read on here once a week and rarely post. |
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Posts: 221
| it's so tough that my boat had the best season since starting in Minnesota five years ago. Size and numbers. |
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Posts: 102
| The MN fishery has crashed...the boom from the initial stockings of the 80's is over and the big fish are simply not there in the numbers that they once were. I am happy to have experienced the growth of some of these fisheries from introduction of muskies to the peak. There are still a few lakes left in MN that haven't peaked yet but they days of "easy" fishing are gone. Many of these new lakes are seeing a huge influx of pressure before the fish even have a chance to mature. I have a feeling they will not be "easy" big fish lakes when the fishery finally does mature because many of the fish have already seen and eaten double #10s and many other lures.
MN should still be a destination...regardless of your muskie fishing experience...it still has plenty of offer for the novice to the expert angler. Do your homework and fish at seasonal peaks and you should be rewarded with the one you are after if you spend a week on the water. You will more than likely at least see "the one".
The fishery is not what it was in the mid to late 2000s...but as others have said...It is still really good! As I stated...I am confident I will never see the big fish in numbers that we used to...I could tell some stories that few would believe were possible in MN...10-20 fish days actually existed in MN with all fish being greater than 40"!
I can tell you this in closing...this fishery didn't happen by mistake and a lot of anglers worked very hard to create what we had...many are still working hard to protect and promote the fishery that is in place now. When you see a post asking to contact a State Representative or DNR Official...take the time to send the email...the future of the sport depends on all of us!!!!!
Oh...and Brad Nelson's a 50" for every 35hrs on the water in MN is legit. I will vouch for him.
Brett Waldera |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | BrianF. - 2/18/2015 10:00 AM
I think it's ironic that Luke Ronnestrand, who guides on MN's big fish waters daily during the summer and fall, has caught his top two PB fish from Green Bay - a pair of 58"ers .
It was 57 and 58, caught a year apart and the same fish. |
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Posts: 20179
Location: oswego, il | People are killing muskies with their gopro? |
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Posts: 668
Location: mercer wi | Still probly better for numbers of 45 n better fish there then were on at in nort WI. Id still loke to go at some point in time. |
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Posts: 3136
| Todd M People are killing ME with their gopros !
"HH you gotta see this"
"Heres some footage of me with my 42 at the front of the boat."
And
"Heres some footage of me with my 42 at the back of the boat"
And
"Heres some footage of me with my 42 at the side of the boat but you can still see part of the front of the boat"
And
"Heres some footage of me with my 42 at the other side of the boat but part of the back is also visable"
And
"Here is some footage of me spending 15 minutes trying to revive the fish"
"Hey HH wake up"!!!!!
Edited by happy hooker 2/19/2015 8:26 AM
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Location: Contrarian Island | GSHA, go ahead and be skeptical but think of it this way... musky fishing is like any other sport, there are those that are good, avg, below avg etc... just like golf for example...you may have been golfing the same course since the 80s and only shooting Par.. a really good golfer could come to your course once a year and shoot 5 under par every time out... different skill levels dictate success... those that know me and know my trip reports can see I don't lie about hours or sizes... don't have to... the results are what they are... I get my butt handed to me just like the rest and I'm not afraid to say it when I do, but more often than not we find the fish and put them in the net...
MN is still awesome... I can get action from more fish over 48 in one day over there than I do in a full season fishing my home waters... that to me is just plain fun.
Edited by BNelson 2/19/2015 9:23 AM
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Posts: 745
| N Eddy - 2/18/2015 11:14 AM
There are literally 0 muskies left in Minnesota. Don't go there, go to Canada, or LSC. I repeat, 0 muskies except 36 inchers....maybe;)
Best post in the thread yet.... |
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| BN averages 20 under par for every 18 holes of golf. He averages a birdie every 9.4 minutes, an eagle every 1.2 hours, and a hole in one every 3.6 hours. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | but I don't golf Derek! |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Brad,
I certainly am not doubting your numbers or Success,.... but you also have a
"Network" of friends/guides that help keep you up to date on what is working, where, when, and what Lures/colors to use. A lot of us "Common" Muskie guys don't have the Networks that some people have, especially Guides.
I don't think I'm to far off base with these statements.
Don't get me wrong, I don't even know you personally, but from what I have Learned on this Site (from your Postings) and from other people that know you, you come across as a person that should be listened to when it comes to putting Muskies in the Boat.
Most successful Muskie fishermen/Guides wouldn't put nearly as many fish in the boat if it wasn't for their CELL Phones and Network of information.
Again, 35 hrs. to boat a 50" Muskie is very impressive. also is that 35 hrs. just you or combined with the other 2 guys in your boat, for a total of 105 hrs.
Interesting topic.
Jerome
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Posts: 117
| My only sweet golf/Muskie moment is tying the course record at The Wilderness at Fortune bay in the morning 66 (-6) and then catching a 55.5 PB incher that evening. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I use boat hours.. not personal hours...and I rarely have 3 guys in the boat.. 35 boat hours per 50.. yes, I do have a good network of guys that fish more often on the waters I fish than I do, I live 8 hrs away...none are guides tho.. and I don't fish
Vermilion...I'd pull my hair out! I know other guys that venture over to MN and have similiar results as well... sometimes people get stuck in a rut or fishing what was working last week or last year... to some degree, when guys like me make a trip we have an advantage as we aren't fishing memories, we are fishing what is working that minute/hour/day if that makes sense. heck my buds could probably mop up on my lakes if they came here too!
I will also say I would never expect to have that kind of success over the course of a season if I lived there... I of course pick days/time periods I feel are prime for success...
fish smarter, not harder.
one other thought...so Lukes 58incher grew a full inch in 1 year.. wow.. usually fish that big might only grow 1/4 to 1/2" ..??!! impressive growth rates!
Edited by BNelson 2/19/2015 11:41 AM
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Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | T_Peterzen55 - 2/19/2015 10:40 AM
My only sweet golf/Muskie moment is tying the course record at The Wilderness at Fortune bay in the morning 66 (-6) and then catching a 55.5 PB incher that evening.
Timmy, I believe the 55.5 incher (right of the Docks at Fortune Bay ( wink, wink ) but, come on....66....You probably avg. 335 yds. off tee also. Nice |
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Posts: 117
| Top H2O - 2/19/2015 11:06 AM
T_Peterzen55 - 2/19/2015 10:40 AM
My only sweet golf/Muskie moment is tying the course record at The Wilderness at Fortune bay in the morning 66 (-6) and then catching a 55.5 PB incher that evening.
Timmy, I believe the 55.5 incher (right of the Docks at Fortune Bay ( wink, wink ) but, come on....66....You probably avg. 335 yds. off tee also. Nice
Not kidding! Played for the Gophs for 4 years at college. I was 50/50 on turning pro but couldn't give up the Minnesota outdoor lifestyle! |
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Posts: 13
| 57 in 2011
58.25 in 2013
She was caught a few years before 2011, at 55" about 15 miles away. |
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