Musky as bait??
DocEsox
Posted 11/19/2003 10:00 PM (#88631)
Subject: Musky as bait??





Posts: 384


Location: Eagle River, Alaska
Caught this little baby in Florida on Monday while vacationing with the kids in Orlando. This thing could suck down a pretty big musky without a burp!

BrianW


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(Florida03.jpg)



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crippler
Posted 11/19/2003 10:03 PM (#88632 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??




Posts: 116


Location: winnipeg manitoba
cool good fish but still not a lunge!
MUSKYJ
Posted 11/19/2003 10:10 PM (#88633 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 276


Location: in front of my comp
Doc where in Florida are ya fishing? Nice fish ! my computer is on safe mode can't see the fish well is that a jewfish?
DocEsox
Posted 11/19/2003 11:04 PM (#88641 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 384


Location: Eagle River, Alaska
You got it right MuskyJ....although they "officially" changed the name to Goliath Grouper a few years ago for some kind of political correctness reasons. This was caught in Port Charlotte in only 20 feet of water....the technique was unique and bizarre. Big dang fish, though.

BrianW
ToddM
Posted 11/19/2003 11:10 PM (#88642 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 20281


Location: oswego, il
One of the funniest things I seen in a tv fishing show was fishing for these fish. They were wreck fishing and decided to snorkel over it knowing there were 500lb plus fish down there. One guy jumped in and the fish came up with it's mouth open. He practically flew back into the boat. The host tried it and the fish came up for him too. Scared the heck out of the both of them.
Slamr
Posted 11/19/2003 11:14 PM (#88643 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 7123


Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs
Try this brightened version of the fish:




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MikeHulbert
Posted 11/19/2003 11:19 PM (#88644 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 2427


Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana
Nice fish! How did you hoist it over the side of the boat? What does something like that weigh?

Mike Hulbert
DocEsox
Posted 11/20/2003 9:34 AM (#88672 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 384


Location: Eagle River, Alaska
Mike...the side of the boat is sloped and the two of us just slide it up over the side. It was 66 inches long and estimated at 250 to 275 lbs. The guide had stitches all over his left forearm from a 400 lbs that bite him from the week before. We used 480 lbs aircraft cable for fishing line.

BrianW
MikeHulbert
Posted 11/20/2003 9:53 AM (#88677 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 2427


Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana
How long does a fight like that last for?

Hulbert
MUSKYJ
Posted 11/20/2003 9:55 AM (#88678 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 276


Location: in front of my comp
I have hooked one of those beasts before but could not get it out of the reef. Back to Florida this April for some Tarpon and shark. Nice fish Doc! did you catch anything else? Cudas should be biting now
sworrall
Posted 11/20/2003 10:30 AM (#88685 - in reply to #88678)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 32958


Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Holy mackeral, Doc!! That is a HUGE fish. My first question, are they edible? My second question, what did you use for bait really, a poodle?
DocEsox
Posted 11/20/2003 10:41 AM (#88687 - in reply to #88631)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 384


Location: Eagle River, Alaska
Mike...the fight on this one was about 10 minutes. Like MuskyJ said they are always on big structure and immediately run into it. This guides technique was fascinating. He anchored in front of a hundreds of old pilings and backs the boat to within about 6 feet of them. He says the grouper won't come out away from the pilings more than about a yard. He drops a bait in...in my case about a 5 lbs mullett and you just hang on. The run into the pilings and he says he can only work out about 1 in 4 or 5 this size but we were lucky and got to nice ones out. We also lost a bigger one we couldn't work out of the pilings. It's really hysterical because we are both pulling for all we are worth on the line...once the fish clears the pilings he drops the anchor and pulls it away so you can play the fish. If you think this is hurting them he has caught several tagged ones multiple times over the years. They are tough old fish.

BrianW
Shep
Posted 11/20/2003 11:26 AM (#88698 - in reply to #88687)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 5874


Gonna need a bigger frying pan, Doc! How old is a fish like that?
davep
Posted 11/20/2003 4:19 PM (#88728 - in reply to #88698)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??




Posts: 642


Location: mount prospect illinois
That sounds like a blast. There was a tv program a few years back with a guys who was skin diving with them. he was reaching under a dock or some sort of cover and one clamped onto his arm up to his shoulder. The thing let go as he was running out of air. Those guys get huge!!!!
DocEsox
Posted 11/21/2003 9:37 AM (#88791 - in reply to #88728)
Subject: RE: Musky as bait??





Posts: 384


Location: Eagle River, Alaska
MuskyJ...we fished the flats most of the day and caught several nice snook to about 5 or 6 pounds, countless speckled trout, some small jacks and a few very nice redfish.

Shep...I have never specifically researched Jewfish but know that a similar species, black sea bass, which get the same size and shape live to be 100 years old. It's amazing isn't it? My guess would be the large one must have been 25 to 40 years old. I'll have to look into it.

BrianW