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Posts: 32801
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | World-Famous or Legendary Muskie “Hotspots” – Part XI
by Larry Ramsell, Muskellunge Historian
Had a request, and since actual “hotspots” have been growing dim, I’ll honor a request and discuss a lake that created a furor in the late ‘70’s and early ‘80’s and beyond. We are going to be talking about Giant muskie catches from “The Goon”, aka Wabigoon Lake in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, near Dryden.
Click here to read more!
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Posts: 3472
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Nice Read!!
Definitely makes me want to take a trip there sometime. I would have to say, though..the dirty water would be intimidating to start...
How is that lake for those wonderful (ahem...) yet plentiful granite structures that like to eat lower units of outboards? Those ones that just sit under the surface and only show themselves in wind with the odd ripple....
Steve
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Posts: 315
| Great read! Had my first trip there cancelled last year due to COVID-19 and this year doesn’t look good either. Maybe in 2022 I can get up there to chase those cabbage dragons..... |
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Posts: 89
| Lot's of rocks, especially on the south end. Can be interesting given the water colour as you don't know there is a rock unitl you hit it. There is a hazard map online from when there used to be markers on the lake but even it doesn't include them all. |
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| I remember watching an older episode of Due North with host Ron Shara, where he boated giant pike after giant pike. After a while he and the guide would just shake their head after catching yet another big pike. Shara clearly has a great fondness for the lake. |
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Posts: 264
| Great story and some great photos!
Thank you Mr. Ramsell!
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Thirty-plus years on the lake and somehow I never hit a rock while under power. Came close a couple of times though. During my baloon investigation, I had found so many rocks within 150 yards of shore I just never traveled at over an idle unless in the channel or a well-known area.
There are some giant pike there. We had just released a 54" muskie a half-hour before when Keith hooked up on a fish on a topwater we all immediately thought was in that class and assumed it was a muskie. When it surfaced about 15' from the boat we were amazed to see it was an almost impossibly big pike. One head shake, and gone.
I lost one twice in two days at the mouth of the river by the Yacht Club also in that class. I really enjoy that water, and Eagle too. Would be a great area to live in..... |
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Posts: 455
| Great read as usual Larry. Thanks |
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Posts: 72
| The thing I really like about Wabigoon is that the fish simply attack your lures due to the low water clarity. Its also a great place to catch fish on topwater which is always fun. For anyone that goes don't forget about Dinorwic. My personal best is from there, and my friend raised a super tanker as well. |
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Posts: 297
Location: Not where I want to be! | Great read, brings back many memories. I fished the Goon in 1982, 83, and 84. Saw several big fish but unfortunately my biggest was a stout 46 incher. Our lures of choice were large spinner baits and oversized for the time period, bucktails. Orange and Black seemed to be most productive. At that time I was 50% owner of the Hi-Fin tackle co. of which our baits included creepers and flaptails. We then thought that top water was primarily a night time presentation. If I only knew then what I know know. Geez! Didn't fish after dark cause the mosquitoes were horrendous. My fishing friend/partner did catch and keep a 39# and 38#er in '82 and '83. As Larry and Steve said things went south after that. Ron H.
Edited by wavridr 6/5/2021 6:26 PM
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Posts: 306
| Great read Larry!
Like Ron said so many memories rekindled by it. Made my wifes day with the pic of Hannah Northcut! They where good friends. Actually if memory serves,i think the first time i met Steve was at Govt dock in Dryden while Doug Stange and i were chatting with Hannah. Great times! |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Yup, that was the first time we met. Hannah was a special lady for sure. |
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Posts: 306
| Indeed she was Steve. Being a mental midget i struggled to convert celsius to fahrenheit back then and she used to tease me about it. Finally she gave me the simple formula i still use. Double the celsius number,subtract 10%,add 32=voila!!! |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | dickP - 6/7/2021 8:39 AM
Indeed she was Steve. Being a mental midget i struggled to convert celsius to fahrenheit back then and she used to tease me about it. Finally she gave me the simple formula i still use. Double the celsius number,subtract 10%,add 32=voila!!!
That's funny, she also taught me that formula. |
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Posts: 45
| Been to the GOON several times... not your typical good looking Canadian musky lake in fact we call it the Sewer !!. After seeing the incredible amount of over harvest and enormous fish gut piles around the islands I'm too disgusted to go back. It's by no means the same fishery it was 20 years ago. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I think you would be very surprised. |
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Posts: 306
| Yeh,20 years ago was the problem era,not now. |
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Posts: 1671
| Nice read, thank you. I have never been there but you got my attention with the mention of big Pike. Might need to make a road trip when it's allowed again. |
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| No musky in the Goon. Nothing to see here 
Edited by DGX 6/22/2021 10:11 AM
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Location: Alexandria, MN | Brian Hoffies - 6/21/2021 4:46 PM
Nice read, thank you. I have never been there but you got my attention with the mention of big Pike. Might need to make a road trip when it's allowed again.
I have only fished Wabigoon a couple times, but the pike were amazing. First time I was there, I got a 39" pike on my second cast. Brilliant coloration, and we got several in the 36"to 40" range. Our group boated several muskies, too, though no monsters. Fun lake once you adjust to the water color. |
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Posts: 45
| For amazing pike and I mean AMAZING try Great Slave it is beyond words !!!! |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | VMS - 5/25/2021 11:31 AM
Nice Read!!
Definitely makes me want to take a trip there sometime. I would have to say, though..the dirty water would be intimidating to start...
How is that lake for those wonderful (ahem...) yet plentiful granite structures that like to eat lower units of outboards? Those ones that just sit under the surface and only show themselves in wind with the odd ripple....
Steve
I never hit a rock in over 30 years of trips. If you pay attention to the main river channel and idle once out of it, watching the marked reefs and running on plane only where you are absolutely sure of your track, neither will you! |
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