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| Just wondering what you all think goes into someone being a "good" muskie fisherman!?
TQ |
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Posts: 8781
| What a question! There are a lot of things that go into it in my opinion. (In no particular order)
1. Being able to pattern the fish and the baitfish. Knowing where you can expect to find muskies at certain times of the year and why they are there. You can't catch fish where fish ain't.
2. Knowing what lures to throw, where, and why... Tied closely to #1.
3. Ability to read current conditions and undertand how wind, weather, current, etc are likely to affect the fish.
4. Boat control. Not to say you can't be a good musky fisherman when you're fishing out of someone else's boat, but if you can't put/keep the boat on the structure, you are done.
5. Attitude. Muse be positive, determined, stubborn. If you're gonna hang it up after a few hours, or get mad when you don't catch fish you will never be a good musky fisherman.
6. Environment. You are a product of where you fish. If you can consistently catch fish on tough waters you can succeed anywhere. If you're fishing unpressured waters with a lot of fish I think you'll have a hard time adjusting to a tough lake.
7. Experience/time on the water. I'm not talking about casting blindly at nothing over and over again, but learning from your experiences and taking what you have learned and applying it in the future.
8. Open Mindedness. It doesn't matter how long you have been doing it the same way -- someone out there is doing it some OTHER way and is successful at it, too. Learn from others.
Edited by esoxaddict 11/15/2006 2:00 PM
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| The fastest boat!  |
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Posts: 654
Location: MPLS, MN | The one who has the most fun.. |
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| Hmmm.....lots of lures!! |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | 1. Passion for the sport.
2. An uncontrollable need to know WHY.... which feeds #1.
I've seen a lot of guys that are mega passionate about the sport, yet just don't seem to produce results. Desire alone won't cut it, in my opinion. You gotta have a personality where you aren't afraid to figure it out on your own if you shake that "Monkey see, monkey do" mode which prevents a lot of people from producing on a consistent basis.
Oh... and what EA said above too. That's all good stuff as well. Heh heh. |
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| Hard work
Confidence and determination
Desire to experiment
Passion to learn
Obsessive/Compulsive personality
Crazy  |
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Posts: 8781
| Having a picture of a giant sized $80,000 check doesn't hurt either |
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Posts: 382
| Time on the water, period.
If you spend enough time on the water the fish will eventually reveal some sort of pattern. Think about it this way, people who hire a guide do so because the guide knows where the fish are at, time frames of the bite, and lures they will hit. The guide gets "dialed in" because he is out there every single day, and has established patterns. How many times have you brought a first timer out and they hook up? They didn't hook up because they have skills like Al Linder and Happy hooker they hooked up cause you took them to the fish at the right time with the right lure. |
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Posts: 2865
Location: Brookfield, WI | Internet skills. You need to be as sharp online as you keep the hooks on your baits. The self deprecating one liner, the crisp retort, the detailed explanation, an oft-posted plan, the well phrased cry for help, the uploaded picture; all these contribute to being a good musky fisherperson.
If a musky enthusiast can clearly express himself in cyberspace, he's obviously good.
Kevin
Would there BE musky fishing without the internet? Not in my world. |
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Posts: 723
| TIME ON THE WATER! you cant catch them from the couch, you can only do homework while off the water, tinker with equipment, and make sure your stuff is good to go, but when it comes down to producing on a consistent basis, its all about putting your time in. The more you go, the more you will know, and thus, the better you'll get. |
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| There are some other important aspects that haven't been mentioned yet.
1) Skilled at boat control in all condition. I'm totally humbled when I fish with a good friend of mine. He's a true master of his domain.
2) Be able to utilize all eletronics to their fullest. GPS, Mapping, down loads, etc.
3) Knows all his equipment well, is able to do on the spot repairs and monkey rigging to keep himself on the water. Never uses lets things breaking stop him from fishing. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | esoxaddict - 11/15/2006 2:12 PM
Having a picture of a giant sized $80,000 check doesn't hurt either ;-)
Ummm.... that only helps pad the ego. It doesn't really help put more fish in the boat. |
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Posts: 1270
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | p a t i e n c e |
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Posts: 1504
Location: Oregon | 1. Money
2. Lots of free time
3. An understanding spouse
4. An extraordinary amount of patience
5. Ability to withstand long hours of inclement weather
6. A dash of insanity
7. Close proximity to good musky waters, and finally
8. luck
RM
Edited by RiverMan 11/15/2006 3:13 PM
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Posts: 1168
| jlong nailed it on the "monkey see monkey do" aspect of it. Those that are "good" are always trying new things, pushing the envelope, and coming up with seemingly insane ideas but making them work consistently and then that drive to understand why out of the box stuff is actually working. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | being able to keep the boat immediately after the divorce
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Do exactly what bnelson & donnie3737 does. If you must, wear a visor! |
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Posts: 759
| A muskie fisherman who understands and accepts the importance of CPR. This good muskie fisherman practices CPR religiously making this knowledge just as important as any. A good muskie fisherman is without a doudt the most conservation minded fisherman of them all! Kdawg |
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Posts: 5171
| Patience of course.Having alot of heart is probably the most important,I think another important things in this sport is being psychicaly fit.If you are in good shape you will be able to be twice the angler you are if you are in poor shape.Trust i know because I have been at both sides of being in good and bad shape.Bill |
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Location: The Yahara Chain | Pound on your chest a lot and always refer to yourself and your fishing partners as "good sticks"  |
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Posts: 567
| #1 persistence #2 staying with it #3 patience # 4 persistence other than that ---- The guy that keeps his hooks razor sharp, does'nt waste time dallying around. throwns proven fish catching lures , fishes during all weather phases, lucky enough to live close to good water. That would make a pretty good fisherman. MD |
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| Being able to consistently put nice fish in the net thru all seasons and all weather conditions.
Consistency is probably the key to a good fishermen. Anyone can go hit the sand flats of Mille lacs and put a big one in the net. Try to put big fish in the net on Mille lacs from start to finish as just an example. |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | As boring as it sounds, it is the same as any sport. You must first master all of the fundamentals. Hopeful will appreciate this analogy, there is no good golfer that does not master driving, long irons, and the short game. Even if you can drive the ball 300 yards off the tee, you will never shoot consistently in the 70's without a short game. The same is true for musky fishing. Things to master include sharpening hooks, tying knots, boat control, casting, working baits, hooksets, fighting fish, netting fish, and on and on. Time on the water is a big part of mastering these fundamentals. If you don't master all of them you will never consistently boat fish.
Gaining a strong knowledge of the fish, and the lakes you will be fishing is the next step (these are the easiest to do on this site). Once you have learned the habits of the fish, know the ins and outs of your lakes, and master the fundamentals of the game, you are well on your way, but it all starts with the fundamentals. |
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| It's like anything....do it enough and eventually you'll get good at it. Just any sport................ |
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| I actually disagree with the last statement....I have run into some guys over the years that no matter how much time on the water they get they just aren't or won't be good muskie fisherman. They may become a BETTER fisherman, but not a good fisherman, at least according to a lot of the definitions listed above. A lot of it comes down to what Norm mentioned...the fundimentals....and a lot of the fundimentals are subtle....but without mastering them you go fishless.
Back several years ago I put a LOT of time into my golf game....but I knew I was never going to be a GOOD golfer no matter how much time I put on the course. Oh I got better, and actually was happy with how I shot, but wouldn't consider myself a good golfer. Same holds true for some and muskie fishing, unfortunately.
There is something to be said about being a "book smart" muskie fisherman, but one that actually applies what he learns on the net or mags etc and not just talk smart is worth a lot more. A LOT of people are good at talking the talk....but not NEARLY as many can actually consistently walk the walk.
For me I strive to be as good as Herbeck some day. I will never get there and I know it....he has "it", which I don't have. But, I still like to aim high
Cory |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | when anybody teaches, coaches anybody who becomes good, very good or great they have to be "coachable" and i think that's an element. in order to learn anything you have to be capable of "listening" which comes hard for most. |
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Posts: 474
| I agree that it is not just time on the water. You have to be able to dissect a situation, learn the lessons why was that fish there, what was holding it. Repetition will only take you so far but reading water and conditions, and developing an approach every time out thats what makes a good fisherman versus someone who can go out and boat several fish a season. New waters, change in conditions. Granted I dont think you can become a great fisherman without paying your dues, but just putting time in alone doesnt cut it. Trolling around for days may luck you into a fish or few but it wont be consistency. Thats the key consistency. I was able to pattern a lake or two for one or two seasons but just now able to have success at different bodies of water and seasons. Gotta long way to go but I am acquiring the tools. I always run into old timers and they say they just arent active. But they have been doing the same thing year in and year out so when that do work they are SOL. $.02
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Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL | To me a good fisherman is someone who knows "where" to give the credit of the catch. Because once a fishermen understands why he caught the fish then catching another fish or the next 1000 fish,, is guaranteed.
Jerry Borst
Spoonplugger/Instructor |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Hey, I'm an 'old timer', and I'm pretty versatile, so don't be knocking us folks been around longer than you just because you don't understand us. 'Good' muskie anglers put it together and apply it on the water. Knowing what, when, where, how, and why is great, applying it is the challenge. Time on the water hones those skills and IS the key, whether you like it or not; it's a combination of learning from others, learning from experience, and willingness to break every single rule along the way.
Boat control and reading the water means more than most, it's IMPORTANT to know this, and know it well, or the rest is just misapplied knowledge. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | bn - 11/15/2006 6:28 PM
Being able to consistently put nice fish in the net thru all seasons and all weather conditions.
Consistency is probably the key to a good fishermen. Anyone can go hit the sand flats of Mille lacs and put a big one in the net. Try to put big fish in the net on Mille lacs from start to finish as just an example.
I agree with consistency being part of what defines a "good" fisherman. However, the question I'd like answered is HOW do you maintain CONSISTENCY? So... using BN's Mille Lacs example... how you avoid the "Monkey see, monkey do" approach on the sand flats and consistenly catch fish from ice-out to ice-up? |
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| If we put catching aside, because obviously some of us have greater success than others. Most importantly novice or experinced is having a good attitude, without that you've lost a lot and of course good CPR |
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Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Being smart enough to recognize that fishing for muskies is a lot more than just catching a fish.
At the PI outing Plan C. was fishing with Howie Meyer on Sunday. I had Howie Meyer net a fish for me, and I almost lost Howie's (Muskiehopeful's) fish w/my net job. Howie did say it was pretty hysterical watching me net that fish!! Geez!! What an adventure, i.e., fishing w/ Howie.
Although he's pretty humble about it, Howie Meyer is a VERY GOOD muskie fisherman.
Al
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Posts: 8781
| Jlong,
How does one ebcome consistent? I think it's a two part process.
First part is a thorough knowledge of the lakes you fish. The guys I know who are most consistent don't just know the structure, they know the spots on the spots, they understand the forage, the movements of that forage, and how the musky population reacts to that forage. They understand the whole lake ecosystem, and can predict where the fish will be based on weed growth, water temperature, where the perch/crappies/etc. are congregated, and factors that a lot of people overlook.
There's a big difference between knowing that a lot of fish get caught in a certain area at a certain time of year and knowing why those fish are there, what they are feeding on, when they show up, and when they leave.
The second part of consistency in my opinion comes from being on the same lakes on a regular basis. Even if you aren't the mopst knowledgeable guy on the water you have a BIG advantage if you're out 4 days a week, because you can go back to fish you moved the day before, or a few days before. You see a few fish on a spot, hit that spot a few times over the course of a week or so, and you are probably going to catch those fish. If it was there yesterday, it's probably there today, and will probably be there tomorrow. But if it's there today and you come back in a month? Probably not.
So to summarize
1. Know the lakes you fish
2. Fish them often enough to know what's happening where
Doing either will give you a great advantage. Doing BOTH will give you consistent results. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | EA.... I'm skeptical of your #2.
Would it be possible to be consistent and never fish the same lake twice? Or how about those guys that travel to a "new" lake (one they have never fished before) and instantly have success. And do that no matter where they go?
I guess I'd say a guy that can fish the PMTT from KY, to New York, to MN and catch fish in all locations with minimal "prefishing" is a very good angler. Now... is that angler better than someone who fishes one lake all season long? I dunno... seems like apples&oranges to me. But I do know that if a guy can travel to a new body of water and crack it... they should have no problem cracking a lake they fish repeatedly.
THE ABILITY TO ADJUST TO THE CONDITIONS is perhaps what I"m suggesting makes a "good" angler? Conditions could be anything. New lake. Odd weather. Whatever. The question I have then is.... how do you learn to adjust? Time on the Water is no guarantee. Yah... its a great asset... but I feel it goes beyond opportunity. |
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Posts: 8781
| It's cumulative, Jason -- the more you learn about one lake, the better equipped you will be to approach a different one and be successful even if you've never fished it. I've never fished the PMTT, but I suspect that the guys who are consistently putting fish in the boat are doing their homework -- studying maps, pre-fishing, talking to the panfish guys, etc. Even though it may be the first time they've fished that lake, they certainly aren't going in blind knowing nothing about it.
As for #2? I'll agree that being really in touch with what's going on where on Lake A doesn't guarantee you will be able to fish lake B well, unless you are in touch with WHY what is happening on lake A is happening.
I guess it's not really 2 seperate things is it?
Which angler do you think is going to be more consistent:
1. We've been seeing fish on this flat a lot over the last few weeks (#2 above)
2. There's a steep drop off on the East edge of this flat over here, and the crappies should be starting to move up into the weeds to spawn any day now (#1 above)
3. We've got 62 degree water temperatures, it's the third week of May. Right before the Crappies move up into the weeds to spawn the muskies stack up on the break along the East side of this flat. We moved a couple big fish out here yesterday, and so-and-so got a 47 here on Tuesday (combining #1 and #2 above)
In this particular case, combining #1 and #2 should give your angler enough to find a similar set of conditions on a different lake. You may not know the sturcture as well, but find a similar area under similar conditions, at the same point in the season, and you should find fish.
Edited by esoxaddict 11/16/2006 10:25 AM
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Disagree with the "like anything you do, do it enough and you'll get good at it".
I've never believed the old addage of "practice makes perfect".
If you're not doing it right and and practicing right and learning. You're only getting better at doing it wrong every time you do it. I.e. "perfect practice makes perfect".
Golf is a great example of this... |
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| they have to be "coachable"...in order to learn anything you have to be capable of "listening"
exactly!
if any of us wants to improve, the first step is to stop thinking of ourselves as "good".
thinking "i'm good", or even worse, comparing oneself to others, is a huge barrier to learning and improving. ego leads us to put others into classes of "better than/worse than" and discount what many have to offer.
what makes someone a good fisherman? humility.
it's only through humility that we're able to put our ego aside and learn from others.
when we're humble enough to stop bragging about our own success and start listening to others' experiences, then we become "good" anglers, because it means we're improving...
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | By the way, I can be a 'good' angler one day, and not-so-good the next, because I'm not focused or am plain not paying attention. Another point to make, success by the day, or even the year, is fickle.
Reality is based on personal perception, and your's is going to differ from mine. If someone thinks I am 'good', and says so enough out there, then folks see my skill level as high. I don't place any value on that at all other than the inevitable ego boost, because what others think doesn't put any Muskies in the Frabill.
It boils down to learning all the time, applying what's learned, and good execution of the mechanics. My skill level doesn't change day to day, just my execution; some days it's just a desire level at work. The beauty of this sport, unlike golf or basketball, is physical prowess and athletic 'gift' isn't going to make or break you.
The concept that big muskies equal talent is flawed to a degree. If you are a reasonably accomplished angler and fish where there are good numbers of big fish, you are going to catch them occasionally. Although there is SOME validity to the idea that catching a few 50" fish a year makes one 'good' by perception, if one lives on the Wabigoon, then the accomplishment is not as impressive as it would be on the Chip, or Pelican. Same goes for huge numbers, if you are fishing water that has 5 adult muskies per acre, you are GOING to catch more fish than I will on Pelican with a .3 fish per acre total. If you only catch twice as many as I do, then who's the 'better' angler? No idea, and more importantly, who gives a hoot?
I find that the really consistent anglers know how to read the water. Some are just good at it, some are totally reliant on electronics. Either way, it's important. That same consistency is coupled to the read-the-water thing AND Boat Control, paramount to execution. Those two things will make or break you, no matter what else you know. I'm not much of a troller, so my boat control using that technique is poor. I'll get my fanny handed to me if it's a trolling bite. Thing is, trolling is illegal where I spend most of my time, and inefficient where I vacation most of the time. SO I'm NOT 'good' at that, and need to work on the technique. |
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Posts: 3867
| I'll add one thing to the ideas above.....
Minimize downtime in the boat.
I bet I get as many as 30% more casts in than some folks I fish with because I have my 4-6 rods set up as I hit the water and everything is always organized and ready. Using flouro leaders has eliminated changing kinked sevenstrand leaders after boating fish.
Also, respect the environment, never ever litter and always pick up trash. |
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| Just Fish |
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Posts: 1636
| The Yeti - 11/16/2006 6:16 PM
Just Fish
Exactly!
Of course there is more too it than that, but just like athletes, you perform best when less is on your mind. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | The Yeti - 11/16/2006 6:16 PM
Just Fish
...... with intelligence.
Yah... I'll "just fish" when I'm frustrated and perhaps beginning to over-think stuff to the point of losing confidence. But... to "just fish" by simply "going through the motions" or with a "monkey see, monkey do" approach can be an absolute waste of time. And in this day and age... who has time to waste? |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | GOOD = making the finals in matchfishing! hahahahahahahahaha
I'm not so good. At least I don't consider myself very good. I bumble into a fair number of fish out here cuz I get pretty intimate w/ the ONE water that I spend time on. I probably post more pictures than I should. I envy the muskie anglers who seem to catch fish where ever they go. But you know what? I don't care. I don't care if I'm good, and I don't really care if I ever get good. I have fun. I take my kids fishing for muskies and they want to let them go when they catch them (I'm kinda proud of that). They have fun (I'm really proud of that). I would hope that the people that are with me have fun. I have more important things in my life than whether or not I can catch a fish. It's my recreation, not my yardstick. I have met a fair number of folks that I really, really like associating myself with due primarily to muskie fishing (and this website), some may be considered 'GOOD', some maybe not so much: it's not, however the criteria I use to decide their value in my life. I gotta make it to another outing...
S. |
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Posts: 2865
Location: Brookfield, WI | Sorno, why doesn't surprise me that I like your Good fisherman post best?
Kevin
Making good gravy is not easy.
Edited by MuskyHopeful 11/16/2006 9:25 PM
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Location: The Yahara Chain | sworrall - 11/16/2006 12:47 PM
The concept that big muskies equal talent is flawed to a degree. If you are a reasonably accomplished angler and fish where there are good numbers of big fish, you are going to catch them occasionally. Although there is SOME validity to the idea that catching a few 50" fish a year makes one 'good' by perception, if one lives on the Wabigoon, then the accomplishment is not as impressive as it would be on the Chip, or Pelican. Same goes for huge numbers, if you are fishing water that has 5 adult muskies per acre, you are GOING to catch more fish than I will on Pelican with a .3 fish per acre total. If you only catch twice as many as I do, then who's the 'better' angler? No idea, and more importantly, who gives a hoot?
This paragraph nails it my world....well put Mr. Worrall.
The anti-good stick
Sometimes it is as simple as "Who gives a hoot". I fish for Muskies because I love it, my wife thinks maybe a little to much. For me it is a passion, putting a few fish in the net is just the iceing on my cake. |
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| if he respects the musky,
if he respects the environment,
if he respects the water,
if he respects the other fishermen,
he's a good musky fisherman. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Bytor - 11/16/2006 10:44 PM
Sometimes it is as simple as "Who gives a hoot". I fish for Muskies because I love it, my wife thinks maybe a little to much. For me it is a passion, putting a few fish in the net is just the iceing on my cake.
I agree!!! However, this post wasn't about WHY we fish for muskies. Its asking for people's opinions on WHAT makes a GOOD muskie fisherman. Perhaps what motivates people to fish is part of the success equation?
In all honesty... sometimes I think I fish for muskies just cuz I like casting the lures. Seriously. Some lures are just fun to fish with. I think we all fish for different reasons.... and perhaps that subject is worthy of its own thread? Why do you fish for muskies... vs..... what makes you a good musky fisherman? |
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What Makes a GOOD Muskie Fisherman?