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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I thought I would ask a question to you river fishermen. Since I am not much of a river fishermen and have not grown up around a river that holds muskie like the Wisconsin part here in Point, what type of things should shore fishermen look for? Any ideas other than the spillway, or below the dams. Pointer and I drove by some areas we had access to tonight but any particular things to be looking for? I know these questions are probably pretty simple for some guys like Reef Hawg and Tforcier, but I would really like to learn this river and be able to catch fish out of it more often. Any thoughts or suggestions about the river would also be aprreciated.
Also, another question that I just thought of. Suggestions on baits, size, color? Or anything else people would like to share? | |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Best advice I can offer about river fishing actually comes from Mauser:
"When targeting likely areas for muskie, treat 'em like trout!"
They will lay in current breaks and in slack water areas much like trout, ready to slip out into the run and pounce.
m | |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Think of it as a big trout stream and fish it like one. Any current breaks you can find, behind rocks, downed timber, sandbars, islands you get the picture. They are definately a fish of opportunity in the river. They expend as little energy as possible in a area of slack water and wait for an easy target to come past. You also have to really pick apart an area that looks good, I'm talking maybe 6+ casts real close to the spot as the dark water also changes things. Do not be afraid to fish shallow, it is not uncommon especially when the water gets cooler to find fish in less than a foot of water. Bright loud and obnoxious baits are always good, though I have caught fish on natural baits like perch and walleye patterns. I find spinnerbaits to be my favorite all around river bait, with loud topwaters a close second. | |
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Posts: 199
| TJ,
Are you talking about fishing the river right down in Stevens Point ? A guy I used to work with did a little part-time guiding down there I am not sure he is still in the area but his name is Jeremy Schroeder he live s right by it and used to fish it 3-4 times a week. I went out with him once and I can remember doing some trolling too. I hope that helps. | |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | All seasonal of course, as far as location and activity level, but this is the time of year you are talking about I am guessing. This is an exciting time of year for the river guy. With the type of summer we've had, many of the areas that are accessable to guys from shore or in small crafts, really became stagnant with no flow conditions(this being on big rivers), forcing one to fish in deeper holes downstream. Now that the water is cooling, even the lower flow areas will start to draw fish again, and there will be a period in time where the fish really tear up the crawfish for a spell, as they've been unharrassed in these parts all summer long. That is a good bait connection, as are the frogs beginning now. With the WI River, we've had a Whitetrash...errr Bass explosion over the past 3 years that is something unlike I have ever seen. The Muskies are really on em too, as the trash are right in the 6-9" range right now. You casn't miss these things skipping around on a calm night, chasing minnows and bugs. Often a big explosion will ensue at some point in these areas. This is a pattern not overly exploited yet, and some of the fattest fish around could be hanging around them,...
All of the types of areas mentioned can be good, though more and more fishing pressure for Muskies over the past few years has made it a bit more difficult to score in the shore areas, but they still will use them. With fish at their peak activity level, one can cover spots quickly now, and staying high in the colum isn't a low confidence deal like in fall and spring. Save on lure costs too...lol. We need a few days of big flow to blast all of the summer bloom/stagnancy out, then some of the out of the way areas will pick up too. It will rain big soon....I hope... After that, it can happen anywhere, which makes it easier for dudes like you and I.
Edited by Reef Hawg 9/6/2006 10:23 AM
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Posts: 1316
Location: Madison, WI | I fish the river by Mazo down here, mosting throw walk the dog lures, prop style topwaters and spinner baits. As you probably know, watch your step.. ..I use handle or rod to test water depths. I try not to cast up stream, gets too much slack on the line. I always cast perpendicular with shore and let the bait carry down river. All topwaters are black/brown, and Spinners are red/orange works well for me. | |
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Location: Eau Claire,WI | Try the current areas.I know everyone says slack water,but I gotta tell you,muskies are in the current too.Also try going against the current with a topwater or bucktail.Cast downstream and bring it up.Yup,fish do swim upstream you know,why not have your lure do the same thing????Got an old beat up,never caught anything floating Burt?Try ripping the rapids,casting down and bring it up,the current will help desnag it.You will be amazed by what swims in fast water! One other thing with new water,if it looks good,fish it!!! | |
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Posts: 3863
| I boated my biggest ever, a fat 48" and pushing 35#'s in the Menominee River in MI's UP and I worked like a SOB to get her. Check it out....
Late summer, hot as the beesknees for days and days. Lake action was dead so I went river. I had located a drop off next to a bluff. I'm trolling 4' from the rock bluff to my right, on an outside turn of the river, fast current going down stream and the water is like 15' deep for 30 yards, all rock below. BUT!! as I go over a certain spot, right next to the wall, my finder tells me the water drops, straight down, to 20', and within 10 yards or so it rises back up to 15'. Spot on a spot on a spot and the finder says there's a big fish sittin' there lookin' up and I'm creamin'. I went over that spot, over and over, for HOURS in like 98* sunny midday and no wind. Over and over and over, trying different baits. Trolling was the only way to get the bait down, too much current to cast and at that time I knew nothing of jig/creatures. But I knew that big Beeeaaatch was there. Finally she bit a 7.5 weighted-to-suspend (so it trolled deeper) granny. At like 3:00pm and almost 100 degrees outside. Hours and hours of looping around. It paid off in diamonds. The fish is in the pic next to my name.
Natch I let her go and I suspect she stays there now, in that same spot, throughout the summer. That was 5 years ago, she's 50"+ and maybe 40 pounds by now. I hope.
Anyway that's my story. But I'll add, in those parts, MI's western UP, which is of course north of all those WI hooligans, the Menominee River holds the best opportunity for a really huge fish. Yes, yes, I know about Lac View, Chicagon, etc. But aside from specific isolated weedbeds located certain bays in Lake Superior (that the DNR guys won't talk about), the Menomiee River holds the beasts. Be ready to work hard.
Last, in that river I once caught a 38" pike that had been chewed on by a much, much bigger fish. The chewer had grabbed that 38" pike from above, straight over the dorsal, and the teeth marks went down to the pike's belly on both sides. How big do you suppose that chewer might have been? Spooky big, that's how big. | |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | My partner got a nicely built 40"er last night on a white GP Thumper spinnerbait that I lent him 4 casts prior. The fish was in 4' of water and fairly heavy current with gravel. I had just worked through the area with the money Reef Hawg, but she wanted the straight ahead. He cracked a 34" pike a few minutes later on the same lure. Lots of bait n bass hangin around.
Edited by Reef Hawg 9/7/2006 9:26 AM
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Posts: 350
Location: WESTERN WI | The best action for me has come on high percentage days and times. Such as last hour of daylite (1st hour of darkness) and sunrise, and using the lunar table to enhance those times such as New Moon and Full Moon, oh sh*t!!! That is today, gotta go................................... | |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | I would disagree with Magruter....Throw your bait up stream, just got to reel a bit quicker to pick up the line.....and whoever said try the current areas hit it right on the head! Love the areas with strong current. I think some guys that only fish lakes would be blown away by the speed of current a musky sit in, at least I was when I got started in the river.
TJ for us around here what we need most is a good rain like Reef Hawg said. A good cool down and some rain and I think we can get into a few fish. Also need some of the walleyes to come back up, I think they are hiding on us right now.
Mike | |
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Posts: 31
Location: Hoges Store, VA | I don't know........I'm still learning this business myself........I have caught 7 muskies this summer since I got my boat in June, and I don't think I've caught two in a similar area yet......I've caught one where a spring feeds into the river, threw a bucktail up in the mouth and when it came out into the river, bam!!.......I've caught them throwing around brushpiles, throwing at docks and bridge piers, weeds, but I seem to have the most action via follows and sightings at shallow to deep drop-offs......I'm assuming these fish are laying at the edges and waiting for baitfish to swim out overhead.......but I have also seen muskies chasing fish in the shallow water to where they looked like a shark with their back sticking out of the water.....I prefer to fish the lazy water myself, but my dad fishes swifter water with success, especially in eddies after a set of rapids or riffles or a little falls drop off, guess there's more oxygen in the water in these spots.....I also like to throw more upstream than down....I don't know why, that's just what dad said...says muskies like to lay facing upstream.
Edited by Fullback 9/7/2006 6:14 PM
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river guys, got some ?'s