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Posts: 101
| South Dakota's musky season does not close. As a result, I COULD fish musky if I so chose, but to be honest, I am not sure if catching musky in extremely cold weather carries the same risk as catching fish in hot water. So, a few questions:
1) Do you consider the risks manageable enough to ice fish for musky?
2) Any specific cautions and tips to be as safe as possible if yes to 1, both for the fish and me?
3) If you do ice fish musky, are there any specific strategies that work for you? Live or dead bait? Lures?
This is my first hard water ever. I assume that winter might follow a summer-type movement, where the colder it gets, the deeper and harder to catch they become. If this logic is wrong, let me know. Any help is appreciated, as always. |
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Posts: 268
Location: Central Pennsylvania | An option would be a haat rods 45" extra heavy rod rated for 1-8oz and the typical jigging baits such as tubes and bondys.
Plus, you just can use your typical musky reel on it since it's a casting setup
Edited by Pa Tigers n trout 12/12/2022 10:15 AM
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Posts: 716
| The biggest risk to any fish that you catch is freezing important tissues. Fins, eyes, gills are all very easily frozen in a very short time when pulled from the water and exposed to sub freezing temps. |
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Posts: 1247
Location: Walker, MN | Pick a warmer day and carry something like a yoga mat or cheap sleeping pad to protect the fish from the ice when unhooking and releasing. |
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Posts: 35
| Very lively large suckers and making noise/walking hole to hole and even jumping on the ice is when I would get bit. They act the opposite of pike under the ice in my experience. Good luck. |
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Location: PA Angler | I think it’s better to catch them in colder weather but catching any fish and overplaying them can kill them.
So the right gear is needed to still bring them in. Make sure your hole is big enough so they can fit threw without scraping them on the ice. When you catch a fish do not lay it on the ice or in snow.
For you I would go with someone who has experience for your first time. Bring extra clothing, dress warm. Waterproof gloves and outfit helps. They are just as hard to catch some say it’s easier threw the ice. |
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Posts: 554
Location: WI | Keyes has some musky ice fishing episodes that would probably be worth watching to see what they do and how they handle fish. |
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| raftman - 12/12/2022 3:31 PM
Keyes has some musky ice fishing episodes that would probably be worth watching to see what they do and how they handle fish.
Thanks for info. Found a "you tube" of Keyes fishing with Bret Alexander through the ice for musky. Fun show and Alexander provides good examples of how to land the fish. |
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Posts: 554
Location: WI | No problem NO8. He seems to make an effort to get a hard water episode made on that lake before the season shuts down in this half of the state. There’s a couple episodes floating around. If I had the appropriate drill and equipment to handle the large suckers I’d be tempted to do it. Small to nonexistent window most years so wouldn’t be worth the investment |
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| raftman - 12/13/2022 9:04 AM
No problem NO8. He seems to make an effort to get a hard water episode made on that lake before the season shuts down in this half of the state. There’s a couple episodes floating around. If I had the appropriate drill and equipment to handle the large suckers I’d be tempted to do it. Small to nonexistent window most years so wouldn’t be worth the investment
Yes, short time to do it and frankly I would not be pulling musky with a big 8/0 treble out of that hole with my bare hands like Mr. Alexander. He made it look pretty straight forward but the guy has handled a lot of musky. |
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Posts: 1397
Location: Brighton CO. | There's a Lake in the foothills that has Tiger Muskies and in the winter it has iffy ice and heavy snow but I talked to a guy a number of years ago that every winter someone catches 4 footer while fishing for Rainbows or Lake Trout. |
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Location: On the O | Cast and Conquer on YouTube seems to have it figured out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwbl5uxd9Zc
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Posts: 101
| Appreciate the quality replies, everyone. |
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Posts: 159
| chuckski - 12/13/2022 9:49 AM
I talked to a guy a number of years ago that every winter someone catches 4 footer while fishing for Rainbows or Lake Trout.
That's not muskie fishing. That's trout fishing and accidentally catching a tiger muskie. I believe the OP is specifically looking for methods and strategies to target muskies through the ice.
Edited by gimruis 12/14/2022 12:51 PM
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Posts: 101
| gimruis - 12/14/2022 12:50 PM
chuckski - 12/13/2022 9:49 AM
I talked to a guy a number of years ago that every winter someone catches 4 footer while fishing for Rainbows or Lake Trout.
That's not muskie fishing. That's trout fishing and accidentally catching a tiger muskie. I believe the OP is specifically looking for methods and strategies to target muskies through the ice.
Yeah. I want to do it if I can I can do it safely. And definitely want to catch fish. |
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Posts: 1397
Location: Brighton CO. | When it comes to Muskies and ice fishing the best way to catch one is not to fish for them. Here in Colorado no live bait above 7,000 feet (except worms and water dogs) and some lakes are artificial lures and flies only. They do this to keep out invasive stuff out.
The stock Tigers to eat the suckers and when the suckers are back in control they back off stocking Tigers. In the 1950's they stocked Pike and come to regret this decision. |
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Ice fishing musky