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Posts: 75
| Thought this could be a fun topic. For me:
Caught--Dinorwic
Seen--Pipestone or the Manitou it's a tossup |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Personally Secret L. but probably Lake X will register more sightings. I normally hunt unicorns in a big river now. |
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Posts: 50
| Caught: Eagle 50.5"
Seen: Eagle guessing 55"-57" |
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Posts: 304
Location: Lino Lakes, MN | Vermilion
Caught 53.5"
witnessed 57" X26.5
Seen ??? No idea how big. just BIG |
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| Biggest caught- 55" on Lake Z
Biggest seen- Mille Lacs and no other lakes have even come close |
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Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Caught: Wabigoon
Seen: Wabigoon |
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Posts: 75
| I figured "Lake X" would get the biggest number of responses, but still a fun topic IMHO |
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Posts: 102
| Caught: LOTW north end
Seen: My buddy saw one there that had him shaking. Had to sit down for awhile and take a break.
Edited by R/T 9/6/2019 10:34 AM
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Posts: 102
| Just remembered another one. 54" and 45 lber harvested on Eagle Lake, ON. Biggest I have seen I believe. Was camp record at the time at Ojibwa Paradise Resort. I have been out of muskie fishing for 15 years. Just getting back in. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | Caught. 54.5 Lake X. 55.25" in boat.
Seen: saw one this year that was I believe longer than any fish I've seen and I've seen a few in the 57 range ... Lake of the Woods mega.
Edited by BNelson 9/6/2019 12:45 PM
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Posts: 390
| Biggest GB 54"
longest LSC a little over 54"
Biggest seen = GB bigger than I would have ever imagined, still dreaming about it
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Posts: 925
| Biggest Caught = 52" LOTW
Biggest Seen = no clue as I am a terrible judge. I always guess low. But I've seen some real dandies on LOTW that were definitely bigger that my 52". |
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Posts: 20253
Location: oswego, il | Biggest in my boat 51.5" LSC
Biggest seen potato island lake vermilion I would guess 54. |
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Posts: 8834
| All have been on Eagle Lake.
Biggest caught: 49.5" off of McCalls Island
Biggest in boat: 53.5" West Arm fish
Biggest seen: #1 was wider than my boots. No idea how long it was, but it's head was comparable to the size of a shovel. #2 I'd estimate at 54". Pretty confident on that since I had it up 13 different times. Every day, same rock, there it is again... We pound that stupid rock to this day even though I haven't seen a fish there in nearly 10 years. We call the rock "'Yagotta". "Wanna fish Yagotta?" "Yagotta!"
Edited by esoxaddict 9/6/2019 2:13 PM
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Posts: 35
| Biggest caught, 57 out east
Biggest seen, that ones grandmother.
Edited by acquaman 9/9/2019 12:55 AM
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Posts: 35
| Wabigoon eh Steve?
Interesting |
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | Caught - Lac Seul
Seen - Lac Seul |
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Posts: 35
| R/T - 9/6/2019 10:30 AM
Caught: LOTW north end
Seen: My buddy saw one there that had him shaking. Had to sit down for awhile and take a break.
My boat partner dropped one boat side a few years ago that made us both have to sit down for a couple smokes.
Edited by acquaman 9/9/2019 12:54 AM
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Posts: 403
Location: WI | St Lawrence River for both. |
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | Rowan Lake
Had two on lost both of them 1 casting 1 trolling |
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| 54 in boat. dumped a heartbreaker 55++ boat side 4pm yesterday trying to get the net. saw several 55-60 at spawn in a few feet of water on Mille Lacs 8 or so years ago. |
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Posts: 676
Location: Duluth | Vermilion for both, caught 47.5 (still searching for 50!)
Was out on Saturday had one up at RedHouse that would've gotten me to 50 and then some. Boat partner and I looked at each other, just kind of shaking our heads not saying anything for a minute |
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Posts: 90
| Haven't been to too many lakes, biggest seen was 52" in Lake Independece, thick throughout. |
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Posts: 2378
Location: Chisholm, MN | I'm pretty much wrong every time I try to estimate a fishes size in the water or even in the net. There's no way I'd be able to tell you how big the biggest one I've seen is.
Biggest I've caught was from Alexander.
Biggest seen...Mille Lacs stands out but I've seen some giant's on Bemidji, Plant, Leech, and Vermilion. A couple of those were probably in the 56-57 inch range.
I have had one over 56 inches in my boat, and my boat partner and I estimated it at 52-53 in the net. We were pleasantly surprised when it hit the board. It was not a skinny 56 either. True mastodon. |
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Posts: 173
Location: Alexandria, MN | Caught: Lac Seul
Seen: Whitefish Bay, LOTW (though have seen fish on Seul and Cass that were close)
Edited by phselect 9/9/2019 9:36 AM
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Posts: 401
| Caught - multiple 49 in Vermilion
Seen - 55+ in Vermilion |
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Posts: 104
| 51" on LOTW
Upper 50s on Vermilion. That fish was insane. |
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| Caught- 54.5 GB
Seen- 56-58 GB
Edited by muskyhunter07 9/9/2019 3:30 PM
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Posts: 667
Location: Roscoe IL | Caught: 51 LOTW
Seen: Wingra 51.5 Ate some shrooms that day, so my est might be tainted a bit  fear and loathing fishing back in the day.
Edited by ToothyCritter 9/9/2019 4:27 PM
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Posts: 612
| Not to pee on anyone's parade. When viewing a fish underwater light's (distorted, refraction, etc) so all one can state is that it was a whopper and make a very rough est..
My biggest fish was lost ~ 18" under the boat could have been 47" to 54", really can't do any better IMO, as a fisherman - engineer. |
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Posts: 356
| Caught:Big(Ontario)
Seen:Bigger(Ontario)
And yes,even 5% distortion makes a difference.Experience helps.Exposure helps.With time one recognizes general classes-unless they glow and appear yellow.They are different. |
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Posts: 75
| dickP - 9/9/2019 7:53 PM
Caught:Big(Ontario)
Seen:Bigger(Ontario)
And yes,even 5% distortion makes a difference.Experience helps.Exposure helps.With time one recognizes general classes-unless they glow and appear yellow.They are different.
This sounds eerily similar to an In Fisherman article I have.....a huge mustard colored Whitefish Bay muskie.....
Same trip I saw my Manitou fish a friend raised one he still won't say how big it was....just really big. This guy caught a tank on Dogpaw and says it was bigger than that.....almost scary! |
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Posts: 63
| My biggest or one of my biggest came from Dagpaw. 49.5"
Biggest seen was on Eagle.
Is the muskie fishing still good in Dagpaw? |
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Posts: 35
| NPike - 9/9/2019 7:26 PM
Not to pee on anyone's parade. When viewing a fish underwater light's (distorted, refraction, etc) so all one can state is that it was a whopper and make a very rough est..
My biggest fish was lost ~ 18" under the boat could have been 47" to 54", really can't do any better IMO, as a fisherman - engineer.
Meh. |
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Posts: 75
| willyboy - 9/9/2019 9:08 PM
My biggest or one of my biggest came from Dagpaw. 49.5"
Biggest seen was on Eagle.
Is the muskie fishing still good in Dagpaw?
Very much so. The accomodations at the local lodge leave much to be desired though |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Biggest fish I have ever seen was on LOTW. I’ll throw a number of 56-57 that is relatively meaningless as who knows. I got a long great look at it and haven’t seen anything before or since that would match it
Edited by Musky Brian 9/10/2019 8:47 AM
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Posts: 50
| 52.5 Sanford MI caught
Seen low fifties lotw no giants
However love this thread check it daily leads to alot of google map checks and dreaming. |
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Posts: 343
| My biggest was 52.5 Kentucky purebred and a 52.5 tiger in Utah. Lost a 54+ in Kentucky, had a follow at Rowan that was likely heaviest. Unfortunately haven't spent a ton of time on big fish fisheries, or tried a lot of the famous hog waters. |
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Posts: 10
| Longest 54" Long legged Lake (It was big headed snake ) I fished 12 years was great average size fish was 45 to 50. Fishing pressure took its toll around 2005 never been same for me but others still enjoy. Back on Wabigoon originally fished it 89 to 93 it is where have caught my heaviest and seen my largest by far. It was good then and I think is even better today. |
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Posts: 8834
| Ahhh, yeah. The yellow ones are what keep me going back to Eagle. Only seen a handful over the years, but they were something else. They don't even swim right. Has anyone here caught enough of them to estimate at what size they start losing their coloration? |
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Posts: 425
Location: Roseau | Caught 54" LOTW
Thought I had seen big fish maybe 54-56" on several follows but they weren't that big after catching the 54.
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Posts: 12
| With 2 other people I placed a canoe paddle on the back of a spawning lady and the paddle was shorter then she. Paddle was 60" and her address is the Turtle Flambeau Flowage. |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | only catch'n - 9/12/2019 7:42 AM
With 2 other people I placed a canoe paddle on the back of a spawning lady and the paddle was shorter then she. Paddle was 60" and her address is the Turtle Flambeau Flowage.
She let you get that close? |
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Posts: 12
| When they are in the act of spawning you can actually pick them up with some stealth. |
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Posts: 35
| only catch'n - 9/12/2019 7:52 AM
When they are in the act of spawning you can actually pick them up with some stealth.
I have actually seen this in action. |
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Posts: 203
Location: Germantown, WI | Caught: 48.5" on Upper French River in Ontario 2019 caught by my brother James. Very girthy fish, probably close to 30 lbs.
Seen: 55" in Middle French River (Wolseley Bay area) in 2017. We were fishing for dinner below a rapids when a giant Musky inhaled a Smallmouth I was reeling in at the side of the boat. I fought that fish for 45 minutes on a medium action spinning rod rigged with 8lb mono. It eventually cut the line, but we had it close to the boat several times, just not close enough to net it with my big Beckman. It made several jumps. That fish was definitely over 40 lbs and I was both mentally and physically exhausted after fighting it. |
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Posts: 46
| Caught: 54.25" MN metro.
Seen: Again in the metro, opening day a few years ago we rolled up on one that was sunning in the shallows. 56-57" if I had to guess. Who knows, but it was the biggest fish I have seen still to this day. She let us get real close after she wouldn't move, so we got a great look at her. We lost one right at the net two years ago that was bigger than my 54.25". This fish was noticeably bigger. |
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Posts: 618
Location: Michigan | Caught: 50.5" from a small lake in SW Michigan
Seen: ~55" and THICK from Eagle Lake. We have seen a handful of BIG fish up there in the 54-56" range and all of them were built like tanks. |
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Posts: 1096
Location: Hayward, WI | Caught - 53" Mille Lacs
Seen - BigV about 2AM on a full moon night |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Caught: 54.5" Green Bay, 54.5" MN
Witnessed: 57" Green Bay
Seen: 2008 LOTW, lost one that we'd been seeing all week, that was a class bigger than either of my biggest caught fish.
Edited by Reef Hawg 9/15/2019 6:03 PM
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Posts: 528
| Caught: Mantrap 54.5"
Seen: Vermillion... no idea exactly how long, but way bigger than anything I have caught. |
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Posts: 512
| caught is 50.5, I saw a 51.25 caught as well, all of this in northern minn back when it popped in the early to mid 2000s
my nephew had one follow from a fish that we both just stood in silence and looked at, I mean it looked like a sturgeon or a porpoise or maybe even a small beluga whale! I have no idea what the size was, but it had to be mid to upper 50s I would think because I had never seen anything like it before or since..
something ill never forget for sure... |
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Posts: 118
| Caught a 52 on the 8 on Vermillion.
The next day my buddy had one up that made that fish look tiny. I've never seen a 56/57 in the boat, but that one had to have been there. I'll never drive by that spot again without throwing a few casts. |
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Posts: 24
| Caught: 55"x26" on Mille Lacs
Seen: Mille Lacs. No idea how big but it was gigantic. It followed my brother's shadzilla and he had it in the 8 for one turn. Made the above-caught fish look average. This was over 7 years ago and the fish still haunts us. |
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Posts: 11
| Caught- 54 Vermillion off Strawberry Island
Seen- same 54 Vermillion |
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| Caught a 52 Northern Michigan
Seen mid 50s tanker Banana Lake |
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Posts: 323
| Biggest I’ve caught was a 54” from McMaster Lake in IL. I did get a real good look at a fish there a few months later that I thought was a couple inches longer. These were early stockings of Leech Lake fish. Fishing for and seeing those giants in the clear water was awesome! |
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| Sounds like you caught the Illinois state record.. |
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Posts: 323
| muskyhunter07 - 10/1/2019 11:36 AM
Sounds like you caught the Illinois state record..
There is no release record but to my knowledge it’s still the biggest released in the state. It was a post spawn fish but could have weighed more that the record but I didn’t want to thump her. |
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Posts: 793
Location: Ames, Iowa | My youngest son's first muskie was a huge headed 52 incher on Leech in 2012. My oldest son's 2nd muskie was a 47 incher on Leech in 2018. I hooked what I figured was a 53 on a Rumbler on Leech until oldest son mis netted and lost said fish at boatside- no worries. Biggest fish I ever saw was on Wabedo- 54+ very thick fish followed in my bulldawg that was covered in weeds and kept me from performing a proper figure 8. |
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Posts: 200
Location: Milwaukee, WI | Caught was 52.5 on Eagle
Saw a 55+ on Eagle
Floated over a 55+++++ on Cedar. Looked like a German Submarine even with the water factor. Fish had no fear because it was the biggest &$@%# in Hatfield Bay. I think that fish has been seen by a few people. The legend is true!!! |
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Posts: 75
| Cabbage Patch - 10/3/2019 9:57 PM
Caught was 52.5 on Eagle
Saw a 55+ on Eagle
Floated over a 55+++++ on Cedar. Looked like a German Submarine even with the water factor. Fish had no fear because it was the biggest &$@%# in Hatfield Bay. I think that fish has been seen by a few people. The legend is true!!!
Was it Oscar???? |
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Posts: 300
Location: Minocqua, WI | Caught - 51" Minocqua WI area lake
Seen - A couple 50's and pushing that from rivers and off the radar lakes around Vilas/Oneida. Also seen 50-53' size LOTW. |
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Posts: 200
Location: Milwaukee, WI | Yes I believe it was Oscar. |
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Posts: 1564
Location: Brighton CO. | 50" Lake Minnetonka, MN (quite lean)
My Dad got 53" Winnipeg River Really fat buckled my knees getting it out of the net.
This fish was caught on the first of July I wonder if this fish still had some egg's in her?
Biggest Winnipeg River when we saw her we figured 55"-56" sitting right on the surface next to the boat.
Friday 13 the night before we had to go home.
The two years later when my dad got the 53" was like holy crap I think that fish we saw two years ago was more 58ish. |
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Posts: 572
| Cabbage Patch - 10/11/2019 7:59 PM
Yes I believe it was Oscar.
How long ago was that? The muskie I saw was so many, many years ago. I figured it was the one (Oscar) being talked about. Times Square was the area where it was reported seen the most. At least, that is what I heard the most. Truly, an unbelievable fish at the time.
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Location: Vilas | Ive caught fish up tp 52"... seen one on Many Point Lake in Mn that dwarfed them... |
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Posts: 427
| Caught my biggest 54 in lake "Y" after leaving lake "X"! |
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| 58+ in the Great Lakes |
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Posts: 259
Location: Madison, WI | Caught: Lake of the Woods
Seen: Rowan |
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Location: On the O | Caught 53" River O
Seen 55"-56" River O
I too had to take a seat, just saw her turn away before I started my figure 8, cast back at her and wham...36" pike. Man I thought I had her for a second or two. Hands were shaking for about 5 minutes. They can sure get the heart going at times. |
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Posts: 173
Location: Alexandria, MN | BigC - 1/10/2020 9:49 AM
Caught 53" River O
Seen 55"-56" River O
I too had to take a seat, just saw her turn away before I started my figure 8, cast back at her and wham...36" pike. Man I thought I had her for a second or two. Hands were shaking for about 5 minutes. They can sure get the heart going at times.
Man, that drives me nuts. Raised a big fish on the Seul years ago. Came back to the same spot at dusk only to have a 36+" pike crush a topwater at first dark. I about soiled myself. I think we ate the pike just for spite!
Edited by phselect 1/10/2020 9:55 AM
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Posts: 3
Location: Loves Park | Caught 50 LOTW
In Boat 54 LOTW
Seen 55+ LOTW |
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Posts: 153
Location: MN | Caught 52 Millacs
Seen Millacs. Thought it was a dead head, but it was a giant muskie on the north end, we raised it 3 times during an amazing day. Later we talked with a couple anglers that were paralleling us all day about two cast lengths deeper and they said they thought they had raised the fish as well.
I think some females never drop their eggs. Maybe only some years , maybe never. |
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Posts: 612
| Geez at over 60 in age my biggest is a tiger 44.5" from Conesus. Not many over 38 in that lake however.
Buddy got a 50" on Chatuagia (on 10 lb test fishing 4 walleye, believe it or not. My biggest on Chautauqua is 40".
Like many post seen some giants how long? but > 30 lbs. The trouble is that due to reflection (refraction) - distortion it's virtually impossible to tell size of a big one underwater (they often look a bit bigger), so I'll never know. |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Caught 54.5 on Minnetonka.
Seen some bigger ones on Tonka, Vermilion, and Mille Lacs. Sometimes they look so big you begin to question yourself on the size. |
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Posts: 238
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota | Biggest caught is nothing to brag about, but my biggest seen is a cool story. My family has had a place in vermilion and when they got the place 5 years ago I noticed what I thought was a log underneath our boat lift when I was about to go out one morning. Turns out to be the biggest musky I’ve ever seen. It was a week or so before the opener so I assume it was just sitting there either recovering from the spawn or in the middle of it. It was sitting there long enough I got to touch it a couple times, literally pet the thing like a dog. It’s head was waaay wider than my hand outstretched and I wear double xl gloves. Tried to hold a rod up to it to get an idea how big it was and it came out somewhere between 54-58 for what it’s worth. Would do anything to have a video of that now |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | 57 x 27 Out East on Ottawa River.
Mille Lac's lake scouting during the day on rock bars was my biggest seen. Mid 50's plus.
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | Seen Rowan !!
Caught Rowan !! |
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Posts: 463
| What's your biggest caught from Rowan Don? |
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Posts: 568
| Caught -- Manitou , a couple 50-51's
Seen -- manitou 1988-90 or so , In a different t class from anything I've seen since . Raised 2-3 times . 56-58 or ?? . Not old looking at all. not scared of the boat . Just massive , it moved like a train with several cars slinking behind it . Raised on freaking topwater .. Hawg Wobbler . Still talking about it 30 years later . |
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | 55 1/2 |
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Posts: 463
| Thats impressive. |
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Posts: 962
| Biggest I've caught Trolling 55.5" St. Clair lost one a hair bigger the year before
Biggest I've caught Casting 54" on a figure 8 Eagle Lake Ont. Seen 4-5 Bigger than that there up to 57"-58". Usually spent a week a year there.
The day after my 54" I had one go around on figure 8 that was noticeably bigger than the 54" in length and girth probably heaviest fish I've ever seen.
Jeff Hanson
madisonmuskyguide.com
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Posts: 9
| Biggest Caught 53” Minnetonka
Biggest Seen 56” Lake Vermillion Unfortunately this is an exact measurement biggest is had just died out in open water. Good thing was that the MNDNR got a hold of it to determine age/stocking and other important info.
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Posts: 2378
Location: Chisholm, MN | CR21 - 2/22/2020 6:50 PM
Biggest Caught 53” Minnetonka
Biggest Seen 56” Lake Vermillion Unfortunately this is an exact measurement biggest is had just died out in open water. Good thing was that the MNDNR got a hold of it to determine age/stocking and other important info.
I’m curious, when was that? |
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Posts: 333
Location: SE Wisc | Caught: ~45#er
Seen: Hayward, Wi |
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Posts: 112
Location: Illinois | Biggest I’ve seen was on the Chippewa Flowage about 10 years ago while fishing with a guide buddy of mine. Raised it twice in a 24 hour period once on a pacemaker and the other was on a crane bait. Guide had another customer catch it 3 days afterward. It measured 50.5”. My biggest is only 42.5” but only get to fish a couple weeks a year. Every bigger fish I’ve hooked has tragically gotten off (I have had a few and feel completely cursed) |
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Posts: 9
| Hey Kirby pm'd ya..
Edited by CR21 2/29/2020 3:32 PM
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Posts: 612
| Chautauqua |
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Posts: 1296
Location: WI | Caught, 52.75 on Vermilion. Seen, same fish. |
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Posts: 238
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota | Biggest I’ve seen was on vermilion. Followed a toothys tickler and then sat at boat side for a bit so we got a great look at it. I was fishing with the guy who got me into muskies, he’s been fishing vermilion since the early 90’s and caught 4 over 55 out there with one being 57”. I don’t want to put a number on it but he said it was no question bigger than his 57, i still think about that fish every time I look at a toothys tickler, no question a state record size fish. |
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