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Posts: 255
| Curious how everyone rates their success in the maddening addiction of muskie fishing. I offer a few of my own.
1. A 50.5 tiger from WI- Lax replica
2. Buddy and I got 3 20#ers in 45 minutes
3. Helping get friends PB- 46.5 last year
4. Taking 3rd in Nat. Champ. in Eagle R. one year
Whatcha got? |
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| 1. Released every fish ive caught.
2. Never gotten a hook stuck in any part of my body.
3. Never lost a lower unit or prop. |
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Posts: 88
| 1. Three 6 fish days over the past 2 years
2. PB 49.5" last year
3. Caught 3 fish in a row on back to back to back casts
4. A few other things would be tied here
Also have never been stuck by a hook, have come close though |
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Posts: 114
| 1. First 50 in my own boat, caught my by wife trolling this past June.
2. Netting my brother-in-laws 53.5" - His first muskie ever, 15 minutes into trolling on my bachelor party.
3. Hooking a smallmouth, watching a river giant eat it then finally let go. Went back and caught same fish 3 days later. |
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | Being chosen to fish for these great fish my whole life
And to see the Greatest fish I will ever see that's it !!! |
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Posts: 470
| My Son's First, My Daughter's first and her PB of 48".
Just wish my father could have been around to see 'em.
RandalB |
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Posts: 2318
Location: Chisholm, MN | 1. First 50 - Obviously
2. Guiding a young man to his first 50 on his fourth cast of the day. See pic!
3. First time muskie fishing when I was 12
4. Every other 50 incher that has graced my boat with its presence.
5. Buying my first boat.
Edited by Kirby Budrow 7/30/2015 1:37 PM
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Posts: 1828
| 1. When asked what she wanted to do for her 4th birthday this summer, my daughter said she wanted me to take her muskie fishing.
2. four-fish day, solo.
3. Lots of equally-pleasing team accomplishments: a few 4-fish days, several first-muskies for newbies, some heroic net jobs,
Any big success on a first attempt is really rewarding. Like a big fish on a new body of water, or doing well the first time you try a new technique. On the opposite end of the spectrum, it's also really rewarding to FINALLY hit the jackpot doing something on which you've long persisted, unsuccessfully.
tretsven6's #3 would easily make top 3 if I ever accomplish that.
EDIT - how fitting that my post lands immediately after Kirby's... HA!
Edited by jaultman 7/30/2015 1:47 PM
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Posts: 2318
Location: Chisholm, MN | EDIT - how fitting that my post lands immediately after Kirby's... HA!
Very fitting! Some of the heartbreakers also fit into this thread. Like the one you lost idling out of the landing that day. They just make you want to try harder! |
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Posts: 1283
| Putting my Brother on his first musky with a lure I bought him for Christmas. Ive never seen him so happy and excited.
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Posts: 443
Location: Duluth, MN | My son getting our first 50+ {53} in the boat after 6 years of trying. Nothing else will ever top that so that's all i have.
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Posts: 158
| How I rate my success muskie fishing?
-- Did we try our best to catch em? Did we have a good time doing it? If yes to both questions, then this outing was a success for me. I have many more fishless days than not, so I know that I better love the chase and not just the catch. Often a boat can do everything correct and still not get bit...or at least that is what I tell myself haha!
Greatest muskie accomplishments?
--Balancing my muskie addiction with being the best father and husband I can be.
--Whenever the other person in the boat catches one, esp. if it's a first or biggest muskie.
--Avoiding muskie drama. I just don't care who is doing what and where. I'll make my own reports.
TB |
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Posts: 1220
| If I had to be a bit of a "contrarian" here, I have to say I'm a bit sad at the focus on "fifties" that seems to overtake all things musky. And, it's not the first time I've see this sort of thing play out. My first love was rodeo and wanting to make it to the big time circuits as a bronc rider and bull dogger. In the late sixties, bull riding was just "one" single event...and not the most difficult and clearly not the most dangerous. Nowadays, rodeo is all about bull riding. That's all you see! There's hardly a TV event you'll ever see where a rope is thrown, a horse is rode, a steer is brought to the dirt or any of the other really rich history and traditions that became rodeo. Some butt hole decided that only the bull riding was worthy, and that's all you see.
I'll tell you what 50 is....it's a number, just a number. I actually caught one last week just five or six minutes after my boat mate got a 47 1/2 and.....the difference is......there is no difference. Both fish fought about the same, looked just as incredible in the water and photos and I'm not sure very many of you could tell the difference between the pictures. A nice fish, a really nice fish...even the fish of your lifetime, should have no need of any particular number. And where you fish makes all the difference in the world about fish size too. after just returning from LOTW, most of what I was asked was about how many "fifties" were caught in our group. I think were heading up the wrong shoreline with all this. |
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Posts: 1828
| Concerning the rodeo comments - I was just at one last Friday and bull riding was by far the most boring part.
bull dogging is awesome. bull dawging, too.  |
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Posts: 2318
Location: Chisholm, MN | Junkman - 7/30/2015 2:44 PM
If I had to be a bit of a "contrarian" here, I have to say I'm a bit sad at the focus on "fifties" that seems to overtake all things musky. And, it's not the first time I've see this sort of thing play out. My first love was rodeo and wanting to make it to the big time circuits as a bronc rider and bull dogger. In the late sixties, bull riding was just "one" single event...and not the most difficult and clearly not the most dangerous. Nowadays, rodeo is all about bull riding. That's all you see! There's hardly a TV event you'll ever see where a rope is thrown, a horse is rode, a steer is brought to the dirt or any of the other really rich history and traditions that became rodeo. Some butt hole decided that only the bull riding was worthy, and that's all you see.
I'll tell you what 50 is....it's a number, just a number. I actually caught one last week just five or six minutes after my boat mate got a 47 1/2 and.....the difference is......there is no difference. Both fish fought about the same, looked just as incredible in the water and photos and I'm not sure very many of you could tell the difference between the pictures. A nice fish, a really nice fish...even the fish of your lifetime, should have no need of any particular number. And where you fish makes all the difference in the world about fish size too. after just returning from LOTW, most of what I was asked was about how many "fifties" were caught in our group. I think were heading up the wrong shoreline with all this.
The difference is 2.5 inches and the rarity of it  |
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Posts: 1828
| teddy b - 7/30/2015 2:28 PM
--Balancing my muskie addiction with being the best father and husband I can be.
TB
I was trying to think of a good way to put something like that to words. I'm happy with myself that muskie fishing only has a minimal impact on my home life. My wife knows I'm obsessed, but doesn't have to tell me when not to go. Spent more time catching panfish and walleyes, riding trails on horses and wheelers with my kids this year than chasing muskies, and I feel good about that.
But there is a great satisfaction that comes from conquering the fish - aside from just having fun on the chase. |
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Posts: 163
| Junkman - 7/30/2015 3:44 PM
If I had to be a bit of a "contrarian" here, I have to say I'm a bit sad at the focus on "fifties" that seems to overtake all things musky. And, it's not the first time I've see this sort of thing play out. My first love was rodeo and wanting to make it to the big time circuits as a bronc rider and bull dogger. In the late sixties, bull riding was just "one" single event...and not the most difficult and clearly not the most dangerous. Nowadays, rodeo is all about bull riding. That's all you see! There's hardly a TV event you'll ever see where a rope is thrown, a horse is rode, a steer is brought to the dirt or any of the other really rich history and traditions that became rodeo. Some butt hole decided that only the bull riding was worthy, and that's all you see.
I'll tell you what 50 is....it's a number, just a number. I actually caught one last week just five or six minutes after my boat mate got a 47 1/2 and.....the difference is......there is no difference. Both fish fought about the same, looked just as incredible in the water and photos and I'm not sure very many of you could tell the difference between the pictures. A nice fish, a really nice fish...even the fish of your lifetime, should have no need of any particular number. And where you fish makes all the difference in the world about fish size too. after just returning from LOTW, most of what I was asked was about how many "fifties" were caught in our group. I think were heading up the wrong shoreline with all this.
I can see your point a little.......BUT who can honestly say they don't want to catch a TRUE GIANT TROPHY? I'm going for a fifty and I'm not ashamed! |
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| I also get tired of hearing all the 50 talk. Same goes for the guys that put a name on a deer and than add them to a "Hit List" and the obsession of how many inches of antler a deer has. I think it all comes down to how one was brought up. I was lucky enough to be taught by two grandfathers that hunted and fished, success was never based on inches or quantity it was about fun, family, friendships. |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Kirby Budrow - 7/30/2015 2:52 PM
Junkman - 7/30/2015 2:44 PM
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The difference is 2.5 inches and the rarity of it : )
So you fish where 50's are rare, right?
Edited by Flambeauski 7/30/2015 3:29 PM
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Posts: 102
| 1. Last September, my 4.5 yr old (at the time) son netting a low 30s I hooked. The look on his face when it hit the net and him yelling "We got him!! We got him!! I netted him!!" will forever be etched into my memory.
2. 2 October's ago in Vilas County, son wanted to fish off dock. I took a musky rod down. Got him situated, then put bucktail in water to make sure it was running true, and a 45.5" starts chasing it. Drag wasn't even locked down yet, so I kept the fish chasing it while I tighted the drag, and it hit after going around about 6 times. Son watched the entire thing at 3.5 yrs old, and spent the next hour doing figure 8s off the end of the dock with his bobber and worm.
3. Couple weeks ago...my now 5.5 yr old son is casting small musky baits. He had a mid-40s come charging in on his Slammer 5" Shad (best lure ever according to my son btw) and he had perfect boatside technique, but she just wouldn't eat. His boatside technique was better than half the guys that have been in my boat. No fish landed, but watching him handle that was a proud moment for me.
4. Getting a few buddies their first fish.
5. Every time I get to spend a day in the boat with my dad these days. He's still pounding the water hard in his mid 60s, but I know that things are going to slow down in the coming years, and I know there's more years behind us in the boat than ahead of us, so I just enjoy each outing a little more these days. |
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| Can't put a 1,2,3 on it. My best day was hooking 8 in just under 3 hours and lost em all. One of my best memories was hooking a 55+ 3 times over 3 weeks and never landed. Seeing my son cast and fish, coaching him as he reeled in his first few muskies (priceless). My best fighting fish was a 41 that threw my bait the first time and got it exactly 24 hours later. Hit my glider so hard it broke it's jaw and fought like no other to date. I can't even remember my first 50 and there hasn't been a ton of those. I seem to remember the big ones lost more so. They don't haunt me but keep me goin With a smile. |
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Posts: 20211
Location: oswego, il | 10,875 completely useless posts on this website
Edited by ToddM 7/30/2015 4:03 PM
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Posts: 815
Location: Waukee, IA | 1. Self planned and executed trip to LOTW for the first time. In 5 days of mixed fishing I landed 7 Muskies, 48" being the biggest and a 45" pike. Made some mistakes that cost me a couple more, but I had a blast.
2. 44" Iowa Muskie
3. 45.5" Pike (cheating, I know) |
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Posts: 51
Location: Mound, MN | In 20+ years of muskie fishing I still haven't lost a rod and reel over the side of the boat that I wasn't able to retrieve. |
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Posts: 441
| Putting a kid whom I've been a "big brother" to, since he was ten years old, on the biggest muskie in my boat, to date. A 55 incher.
Also, catching several 50+ inch muskies, fishing solo. |
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Posts: 260
Location: Lockport, IL | ToddM - 7/30/2015 4:01 PM
10,875 completely useless posts on this website
Lol! It never gets old. Have you broken down the numbers from the MI Lunge log? I once read on here that a 49-49 3/4 fish seems much more rare than a "50". |
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | mnmusky - 7/30/2015 3:34 PM
I seem to remember the big ones lost more so. They don't haunt me but keep me goin With a smile.
Exactly!! It's "that feeling" that just never leaves every time you think about it!
Jeremy. |
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | bucknuts - 7/30/2015 4:44 PM
Putting a kid whom I've been a "big brother" to, since he was ten years old, on the biggest muskie in my boat, to date. A 55 incher.
Also, catching several 50+ inch muskies, fishing solo.
Nice job John. |
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Posts: 390
| I went out fishing with the my father and my uncle, who had just underwent what could be considered the worst thing that a father could have happen and we finally got him to go out fishing with us again(opening day 2013). Out 20 min and a huge hail storm came through went through and on the first pass through I brought in a nice fish which turned at the boat and bolted at my uncles lure and smashed it. Not more than 10 casts later i brought in another fish that went under the boat on my 8 and smacked my fathers lure. My uncle had to depart so we headed to the launch, all the way making fun of me for bringing 2 nice fish in for them (39, 43) ect. We got to the boat and tied up, something just felt right so I grabbed a rod and pitched across the marina and I looked at my uncle and said "watch this Im going to stick one". Not a second after a huge splash erupted in the middle of the marina as I set the hook. I yelled out I got one as my dad continued to walk down the pier laughing as if I was joking. He finally realized I was telling the truth and ran back. Some how we managed to wrangle the big girl in and into the bag.(46) All three fish on the same lure now nicknamed the "cooper-tale". There were 4 of us in the boat that day, best fishing day ever!
Edited by bbeaupre 7/30/2015 5:25 PM
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Posts: 29
Location: Okauchee, WI | 1. Bringing home a trophy and a payday just for being the Junkman's net boy! He truly is a great guy.
2. Scoring a 51 on Okauchee one cold miserable November day. It was a solitary quest for me. |
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Posts: 153
| I am still fishing for them after 30 years. And I learned to navigate a good portion of LOTW before GPS. With the map on my lap.
Edited by Dan Klis 7/30/2015 6:30 PM
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Posts: 164
| My most gratifying memory from muskie fishing and even all fishing will be watching my then 9 year old son catching his first muskie on the figure and watching that muskie put on the wildest boat side show I have ever seen. All while my son maintained complete control and composure while Dad is freaking out and scrambling for the net and trying to tell my son what to do. He says to me "Dad, I got this, you need to settle down and get the net before it shakes free."
Like a few others have said as well. My other greatest accomplishment is being able to maintain my family life as well as my addiction for musky and life on the water. I can't remember how many times I was told when I first started that family life and musky fishing don't mix well, but it was by a lot of people. And yet family life is fine and time spent on the water is good (even though its not nearly as often as I would like).
The other day I took the family out to Minnetonka and we caught a variety of fish that day. Watching how happy the wife and kids were is at times more enjoyable then getting out musky fishing. Sure I fished a few spots I knew some pretty big fish called home, sure I wanted to cast a bladed bait really bad to see if I could get a rise out of some of the fish that live there. But at the end of the day it was family time and I enjoyed every minute of it. |
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Posts: 386
| I have 3 that really stick out in my mind. The first was my first 50" that I caught, in October of 2004 on Vermillion trolling a 10" Jake. We were getting hung up on the rocks like crazy that day and I went to open my bail to try and get off the rock. The bait floated up and when I engaged the reel she ate it and just about ripped the rod out of my hands. An EXTREMELY solid fish and I was quite the virgin to muskie fishing and certainly didn't deserve one that big that early in my career. The second one is my PB, 54 1/2 X 29.5 the day after Thanksgiving on Pelican. We had to use 3 tanks of chain saw gas to cut enough ice to get the boat to open water. It was so cold that day my buddy and I had a 1 man flip up fish house in his tiller with a buddy heater going. We found a HUGE pod of bait around a rock reef and I marked her about 25' down, trolling with 100' of wire and a 13" Grandma. I told my buddy, who was in the fish house at the time, to look at the mark cuz it was obviously a solid fish. He know sooner looked at the graph and my rod went off. She had that 13" bait sideways in her mouth and only the lip of the bait was sticking out. I will never forgot how cold my hands were while taking the hooks out and releasing her. The 3rd was my PB for most fish boated in 24 hrs which was 7 on Leech last summer. The biggest was a 48" and after the 4th fish my buddy, who was in the front of the boat, made me run the trolling motor, and I proceeded to stick 3 more. I've had some really good memories but the sad part for me is the vast majority of them come when I fish solo, as I usually only fish with 1 other guy and he's pretty occupied with work. |
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Posts: 2011
| Probably the (11) 48"+ muskies out my little home puddle , fairly confident that is more than double anyone else has out of that lake..48's on this little lake are probably as rare as a MN 54"! ....and then there is the 57" solo on video, but that was all luck, as were the other 14 over 50 ... Wife's first, multiple buddies PB's in my boat, Dad's first all stick out too...Good memories. |
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Posts: 31
| Guiding a number of people to their first muskie including a 44 only 10 minutes into the day. No one ever forgets their first muskie! |
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Muskie fishing with my kids and grandkids, they go where I go, and we have fun! With respect to muskies, finding 4 WR class fish in 4 different Canadian lakes - losing the absolute largest fish I've ever seen, either mounted or in photo's! They would need a bigger case for her at the Moccasin Bar in Hayward, WI. Two of those were fishing with my daughter Felicia, 15 years between fish 2000-2015, she's the "Beast Huntress"!
It doesn't get to much better than that, except! I'll take the memories. The memories drive the quest, the quest continues.
Have fun!
Al
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Posts: 156
| 1.)my 54". We couldn't light the cigarettes afterward our hands were shaking so much...and I don't even smoke either, but i did that day!
2.)in 2006, my buddy's brother was with us (and another guy)...both never fished Muskies before. Group of 4, 2 boats. My buddy was scheduled to be with his brother the last day of the trip, but my buddy came up to me and said "Look man, my brother doesn't have a musky yet. I really want him to get one, or he's never gonna come back with us. So you take him today, cause I know he's got a better chance with you." No pressure! We're pounding the water, aren't seeing anything! We are fishing til about 6pm that day. At about 5pm or so, here comes one right on his bait. I go "here you go, speed it up." She's coming to eat, and he reels right up like a madman to the swivel on his leader at 100mph going up and out into the first turn as the fish is going to eat. "DINK"...really LOUD. Fish spooks off. I put my head down, almost crying. He goes, "OMG, I blew it." I said "yes, you did." We hit two more spots. Nothing. I can see him mentally deflated, he's all quiet and kind of pouting. I say, "Look man. 'stuff' happens. In Musky fishing, you gotta be like a closer in baseball. You blow a save, but you gotta forget it and be ready to close the next one. REMEMBER THAT!!! Yes, we're in the bottom of the 9th for this trip, but it's not over yet." He perked up a bit, and we pull into the last spot. One of our old reliable spots. I gave him my best Grandma. He casts out, and BOOM. "Got something!" And a musky comes flying up out of the water. Netted it...turned out to be 40". Not a giant by any stretch, but we were pretty proud of that one. He was so happy, perma smiling on the ride back to the lodge. They see us coming into the Bay...his brother comes down to the dock looking all beat up. But as we got closer...brothers made eye contact...and my buddy knew it was "Mission Accomplished" for his brother. I just exhaled in the back of the boat as I docked it and said "You wouldn't believe it, you really wouldn't." If that's how guides feel on certain days, I have to say its a great feeling. Worth more than $$$ to me, thats for sure. As i packed up the loose baits (cause we had to pack the car for an early exit that next morning), I tossed my buddy's brother my best grandma he caught that fish on and said "There. That's for you. Everyone should have the bait they caught their first musky on."
3.)My buddy hand landing my 53+ after he blew the net job. He was like a madman. He knew he blew it, the net was rendered useless, couldn't flip the bag inside out. And he goes "I'm grabbing that &$%$%." And I'm screaming "^*^*, #%^&, ^$^. No, you're gonna get hooked up." And he goes, "I don't %$^$^ care. She's barely hooked now." And I'm screaming "noooooooo"...but he had a mind of his own. Then all I hear is grunting and splashing, and he starts coming up and turning around with this huge fish (with one point barely in the skin on the outside of her face) and he looks at me and screams (I'll never forget him screaming it), "I ****'n got her, and I'm never ****'n letting go!!!!!" The whole thing was so over the top, that a boat nearby came came over (cause they heard screaming and yelling) to ask if we were ok. HAHA.
Edited by MstrMusky 7/30/2015 10:23 PM
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Posts: 20
| 1. Low 40's hitting 15 minutes into my first time musky fishing
2-4. The other 3 follows I got that night
Haven't moved a fish since! Oh well back to the big O tonight! Hopefully the full moon brings some luck?? |
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Posts: 163
| It will be awhile before I forget the day i caught this fish! Monday, July 01, 2013, 5:00PM. Me and my wife got on my buddy's little john boat and pulled away from the dock. I think I fished for muskys a max of about 3 hrs prior to this trip. After leaving the dock i snapped on a 8'' firetiger jointed believer and tossed it behind the boat. Made it maybe 100yds max and the rod bent over..........................when the fish surfaced my wife says OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Neither of us had seen a musky up close before. I didn't even know what a trophy I had till I talked to more experienced musky hunters. Muskys are rare where I live and smaller on average than the normal trophy range. Fish was 45'' long and very healthy! snapped a pic or two and released the fish to fight another day! Wow was I a happy boy that day! That experience started an addiction I had no clue the power of. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Edited by ajrod88 7/31/2015 8:27 AM
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Posts: 5
| My first 50 then 51 in same season, guiding wounded warrior to her first muskie 40", July 5 this year got 3, 42.44.5,55.5 (PB),placing 10 th in frank Schneider tournament, winning George Wahl tournament first time entering it. Watching all my releases swim down for someone else to battle someday. And just being able to hunt these beautiful fish is enough in itself. |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | Number one, without question, is reducing the bag limit on muskellunge in Michigan from one per day to one per year with a tag. Lots of other cool stuff is a close second, like arranging 40,000 muskies to be stocked over six years that otherwise wouldn't have been stocked. |
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | teddy b - 7/30/2015 2:28 PM
How I rate my success muskie fishing?
-- Did we try our best to catch em? Did we have a good time doing it? If yes to both questions, then this outing was a success for me. I have many more fishless days than not, so I know that I better love the chase and not just the catch. Often a boat can do everything correct and still not get bit...or at least that is what I tell myself haha!
Greatest muskie accomplishments?
--Balancing my muskie addiction with being the best father and husband I can be.
--Whenever the other person in the boat catches one, esp. if it's a first or biggest muskie.
--Avoiding muskie drama. I just don't care who is doing what and where. I'll make my own reports.
TB
+1 for TB's Guide to Muskie Fishing Accomplishments |
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | Hammskie - 7/31/2015 9:12 AM
teddy b - 7/30/2015 2:28 PM
How I rate my success muskie fishing?
-- Did we try our best to catch em? Did we have a good time doing it? If yes to both questions, then this outing was a success for me. I have many more fishless days than not, so I know that I better love the chase and not just the catch. Often a boat can do everything correct and still not get bit...or at least that is what I tell myself haha!
Greatest muskie accomplishments?
--Balancing my muskie addiction with being the best father and husband I can be.
--Whenever the other person in the boat catches one, esp. if it's a first or biggest muskie.
--Avoiding muskie drama. I just don't care who is doing what and where. I'll make my own reports.
TB +1 for TB's Guide to Muskie Fishing Accomplishments
TB comes in with some solid Muskie thoughts! |
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Posts: 568
Location: Lake St Clair | this makes me sad
I live 15 minutes from the world class LSC and i cant even add anything to this other than meeting new friends along my journey. This is also my 3rd season also.
Edited by mastical 7/31/2015 9:54 AM
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Location: minocqua, wi. | being able to confidently and safely navigate many, many miles of shield lakes and knowing where i am, where i am going and why i want to be there ... |
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Posts: 1185
Location: Iowa | Anymore for me its all about getting people who haven't caught a muskie involved in the sport. Taking someone out and seeing the joy and elation on their face when they catch that first fish or their biggest fish means more to me than catching fish myself. Also, getting my dad on fish (he only fishes a couple times a year). Don't get me wrong, catching muskies is awesome but seeing someone else do it is just special. |
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Location: Sawyer County, WI | Greatest accomplishment ?
What about not fishing at all while my elderly mom was visiting these past two weeks ? I'll be able to chase muskies later, but I do not know when I'll be able to play cribbage with Mom again. Some things are simply more important than musky fishing. |
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Posts: 386
| Greatest accomplishment ?
What about not fishing at all while my elderly mom was visiting these past two weeks ? I'll be able to chase muskies later, but I do not know when I'll be able to play cribbage with Mom again. Some things are simply more important than musky fishing.
Amen brother, good for you. The addiction is strong but it's not everything in life. Gotta remember that myself sometimes. Hope everything turns out ok for you and your mom. |
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Posts: 85
| 1. 54" on top water. Got her up, made her chase, and got her to commit. All while being able to share it with my Dad.
2. 10 fish day that included a 45.5", 45.75", 54", and a "double"
3. Caring enough to document every musky my Dad and I have ever caught. (I.e. Size, lure, lure color, date, and if it was a figure 8 fish). Not for any other purpose than learning from it and fun to talk about/look at in the off-season
Can't wait until my son is old enough to start chasing them too! |
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Posts: 37
| My proudest accomplishment is catching my 1st muskie at age 14 and still catching them at 73! While I cannot put in the 12 plus hour days for days at a time, I can still hang in there for 8 hours for a few days
I've guided every family member to a muskie including a 49.5 caught by my wife and son's 49 hybrid that won the MI contest many years ago.
I've met lots and lots of great guys and gals chasing muskies and am still meeting them. Really sad though to see many of them pass. I started organizing my many memories with current and lost friends recently.
last on the list is catching 21 over 50 including three that measured 55. A real challenge when one you live 800 miles from trophy muskie areas.
I really enjoy introducing new people to the sport and seeing their joy and excitement when one goes in the net! Kinda puts things into perspective. |
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Posts: 171
Location: indiana | My greatest accomplishment to date would have to be LOTW 2014. We did a family trip with some friends we met in 2009 at LOTW. All the kids and the dad of the other family wanted to catch a musky. Every morning we would go out for a few hours and the other dad caught his first at 49.25! Then we focused on the kids. My daughter and I were out and I hooked a 39 and instantly handed it off to her. She fought it like a champ and got it in the net. The next day we had one of the other families daughter out and she had several follows of her own. I hooked a 41 at the boat and let it take some line. I then handed it off to her and she brought it to the boat and in the net. Those memories will be the ones I will remember over the muskies I have caught.
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Posts: 720
| Personally, its a 44" musky that I caught in Canada. I've been fishing in Canada since 92" and I have made some great friends. Ed a really good friend who I've camped and fished with wanted to go musky fishing. He wanted me to take him. I was very hesitant because Ed was very sick. So I arranged an evening trip on a local lake I know well for me, Ed and another friend Mark. As luck would have it the weather was beautiful. Too beautiful. Ed was too ill at the time to fish so he just wanted to tag along and watch. Mark and I hit spot after spot. Like friends often do I was really getting the business from these two clowns all evening long. It was getting dark and I wanted to get Ed back to camp so he could switch his oxygen tanks and sit in a comfortable chair. But I told them I have two more spots I wanted to try. As I pulled up to my last spot and with my ego taking a huge beating from these two I told Mark not to bother picking up a rod. I would need him to stand by as net boy. You would have swore I insulted his mother with that statement. I stopped the boat made my first casted "Nothing" again more jaw jacking. Next cast and three twitches on a Sand Cat I get smashed. I looked back at my friends and said "That boys is the way you catch a musky" we netted it and it measure 44" released it and laughed the whole ride home.
I never saw Ed again. He passed over the winter. But he told his wife he wanted me to have something. I was unaware Ed had hidden within his oxygen bag a small video camera that night. He would tape certain parts of the evening. That last spot was one segment on his tape. Not that I needed to see the video to remind me of that evening. I miss my friend but I miss him a little less than I would have because of his little video tape. If I live to be 100 I will never forget that night and that fish. It's really all about the adventure. |
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Posts: 8772
| I'd be lying if I said I don't view some of my bigger fish as an accomplishment, or a 4 fish day, or #*#* like that. But if I can go out there and enjoy the fog on the water, watching a storm roll in, nobody gets hurt and we all have a lot of laughs that's an accomplishment. One of my most memorable days was stumbling into a "herd" of dink pike on a small bay up on Eagle. We were calling our casts, making fun of each other because my 12" pike was fatter than yours, seeing who could catch a fish, unhook it catch another one faster than the other guy...
We laughed so hard we could hardly fish. The more years I put into this crazy sport, the more stuff like that sticks with me. If you're having fun, that is an accomplishment.
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Posts: 284
Location: Eagan, MN | Hey, IAJustin...I've watched that vid of your 57 something like two dozen times. That strike! Brian |
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Posts: 1168
| I wouldn't fish for muskies if it wasn't for my brother. Getting set up with a boat, gear, etc. was something I did to give us a common bond because he was already into it. I've netted a 54" for a first timer, netted a 48" tiger for a buddy, had a pair of 9 fish days, a handful of 5-6 fish days, the past 7 years I've doubled by sunrise on opening day. Those aren't accomplishments. They pale in comparison to the bond I've formed with my brother through fishing. Last weekend we were discussing where our fishing passions are currently at and both of us agreed that winter cannot come soon enough so we can get back on the ice. If only ice fishing lasted longer with the only thing breaking it up being maple syrup season life would be great.
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Location: Lake Tomahawk, WI | Muskie Town
JS |
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Posts: 44
Location: Ohio | I haven't boated one yet but I got the fever by losing a large muskie at LSC in college while bass fishing. We had just boated a 40" for another angler on bass gear. I hooked one that hit right at the trolling motor and when peeling off. We could tell it was bigger than the 40 we had just caught. I was using bass gear and fought it for awhile until the spinnerbait hook worked its way loose. I can still see that fish slamming the bait at the trolling motor to this day! I have to get another. |
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Posts: 32882
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Can't think of anything.
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Posts: 167
Location: Tomahawk, WI | Putting my sons friend on his first muskie on his first day of muskie fishing.
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Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | My greatest musky accomplishment is that I haven't fallen overboard while fishing for them. I've come close a few times but so far so good. |
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Posts: 99
Location: Tulsa, OK | For me
1. Landing my first 50" fish by myself
2. Landing my biggest fish, 51", 20 minutes into a trip
3. Getting a 49.5" fish in a 10 minute window between Thunderstorms that had me sitting in the woods for an hour. I literally had 10 minutes to work a reef before the 2nd storm hit. |
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | redskeet100 - 8/6/2015 9:35 AM
For me
1. Landing my first 50" fish by myself
2. Landing my biggest fish, 51", 20 minutes into a trip
3. Getting a 49.5" fish in a 10 minute window between Thunderstorms that had me sitting in the woods for an hour. I literally had 10 minutes to work a reef before the 2nd storm hit.
This...this was good!!! Nice going Red! |
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Posts: 1828
| This was a fun one, just last night. The 11-year-old had never fished muskies, never even used a baitcaster. We only had 2.5 hours to fish before dark, and luckily the fish were on. He had a blow-up on a TopRaider but it didn't get hooks. Then he got to watch this one eat in the 8, and the other 11-year-old (who took the photo) got to be the net man. You'd think it was a 55 incher with how excited the boys were. The only sad part was that my 4-year-old daughter acted all "this ain't my first rodeo, boys."
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Posts: 8
| Having a book published (at the publisher right now) of 50 personal stories mostly about muskie and muskie river fishing in West Virginia.
~ Jim Wetzel
Edited by redfinjim 8/9/2015 7:09 AM
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Posts: 8
| Oswego, IL dude - 10,875 useless posts? Really? and which end is the sucker on? Being from the Sucker state, you ought to know better!
Edited by redfinjim 8/9/2015 7:20 AM
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Location: Contrarian Island | the first one that came to mind are all the good friendships I have formed from the sport...some have become my best friends and it was all from chasing this stupid fish.
as far as others, *putting 10 in the boat in under 3 hours from the first fish to the last with 6 over 40 to 47 and quite a few others missed or lossed during a league night a couple years ago
my 54.5" pb
the many PB's that friends have caught with me
Edited by BNelson 8/9/2015 10:00 AM
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Posts: 410
Location: With my son on the water | It has to be when I dropped a rod over board and did the dive after it and actually came back up with it! (skill)
Ya I have also caught (8) over 50 in the last 4 years but a guy should get better at a sport that you have done for over 30 years. Now diving at my age?
But I think Brad Nelson hit it on the head, all my friends are people I have met in this sport. |
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Posts: 331
Location: Stevens Point, Wisconsin | After thinking about it for a while I would have to say being a guide for Operation Muskie all 8 years. So many great friends made and experiences had over those 8 years.
Otherwise.....boating 25 muskies in 7 hours on a fly-in trip.
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Posts: 239
Location: Illinois | IAJustin where can i see the video of your giant?!
Edited by Natureboy 8/10/2015 9:12 PM
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Posts: 2011
| Youtube Keyes Outdoors "9th Show Ramsell Outing 2013" |
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Posts: 108
| For me it is surely the friends that I have made while pursuing this strange creature we call a muskie. my best friends in life surely share the common interest.
Catching a 54" and 54.5" on the same day...but from two different bodies of water in MN. (before AIS was a concern)
Putting friends on their PBs.
Catching three 50" muskies in a row in under an hour.
Getting the stocking changed from 1000 fish bi-annually to 1500 fish bi-annually on a MN water.
Working with a friend to get a new muskie water stocked in MN to create a new opportunity for muskie anglers. If it weren't for our grass roots efforts that muskie water wouldn't exist today.
Lots of good stuff and hopefully lots more to come! |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | My greatest accomplishment in fishing were the times spent taking my brother, his first Musky(during my bachelar party float trip), many Canadien trip fish, and his magnum PB on the river here one summer evening. 3 years ago I'd have counted the the 50's, PB's, 40lbers, etc as 'the' accomplishments. I'd trade any and all of them for another float down the river together. Now, it's time with the wife, kids, dad and great friends that supercedes individual catches, though big fish are still the target/goal and always remembered as accomplishments. And, as Brett mentions, working with the club stocking fish into local waters each fall, investing in my/family/kids/friends fishing future, is also very rewarding.
Edited by Reef Hawg 8/11/2015 5:22 PM
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Posts: 75
| 1. Getting my nephew his first muskie measuring at 40.5
2. Catching my personal best muskie(47") and pike (35") on back to back casts. I'll never do that again. |
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Posts: 69
| When I was 14 years old my dad caught caught a Musky, while he was casting for Northerns in Sabaskong back in the early 60's. That ruined me for Walleye fishing, and I knew some day I was going to break away from the family Walleye craze. 50 years later I have hooked 2 son's, and a grandson on my passion for Musky fishing, and our love for Sabaskong Bay. I know it will continue on for generations, and that makes me very content. It is way beyond size or numbers of fish, and more about the "experience". Retirement and living on social security has limited my trips, but man do I have some memories. |
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Posts: 9
| bucknuts - 7/30/2015 4:44 PM
Putting a kid whom I've been a "big brother" to, since he was ten years old, on the biggest muskie in my boat, to date. A 55 incher.
Also, catching several 50+ inch muskies, fishing solo.
ISU GO! |
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