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Posts: 8828
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I got a 49.5 over the summer, my personal best, and my first thought after we meaused it was "sh*t, almost 50"...
Is that stupid or what? Like 1/2 inch and a few pounds makes a difference?
So what is it about 50" that makes it a benchmark?
Why not 51" or 52", or even 49.5"?
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | You mean a 1/2 inch and a few ounces.
What makes 50 a benchmark??? It a round number that's all it is. And you are complaining about a 1/2 inch?
Maybe muskie fishing isn't for you??? |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | My personal best is 48"! Its 4 feet long......I want 50" so badly! Its speical number or its the high percent of fishermen think that 50" is trophy size fish! 50" or 30 lbs! For some serious trophy hunters like Larry Ramsell, Tom Gelb, Doug Johnson, etc might perfer 55" as trophy fish.
Not matter to me.....48" is cool then next goal is 50", etc!
First musky is speical, too! My first musky is 33" from Below Lake Sheivbville dam in Illinois in 1982! Its on my wall now and all the rest including 48" return to water! |
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Posts: 654
Location: MPLS, MN | My PB is also 49.5 and I'm plenty fine with that. |
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| Hey ILMuskie,
I just caught my first muskie this year! It was only 24 in! I just started 2 years ago but im really getting into it. First ones are memorable. |
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| Do a search of trophy musky on this site and you will get enough comentary to keep you busy for 3 to 4 hours. The consensus is that a trophy is more of a personal thing than anything else. With Minnesota lakes spewing out high numbers of 50+ inch muskies the past decade the 50 inch mark seems to be the goal of a lot of musky fisherman. For me personally I just like to catch one regardless of size. |
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| 50" is special. Its a benchmark for a trophy. Not saying that 49 1/2 isnt a trophy because it is. Its like going to a bar for a beer because your almost 21. You wont be recognized quite the same. Of course after you finally catch your first 50 someone will ask you the girth and of course the est weight. More trophy stuff you gotta go through. Enjoy your fish but no matter what it is or how big you will always want one just a little bit longer of fatter. Gotta love the spot. You should post a photo of your fish so we can all enjoy. |
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| One question that came up on one of these old threads that was never answered by anyone was; Would you rather catch a 50" fish with a 19 inch girth or a 48 or 49 inch fish with a 23 inch girth or so? I would gladly take either, but would prefer the latter. |
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| 48/49" by 23" for sure. |
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| It seems to me that the magic mark given to length is 50 inches and weight 30 pounds. Of course not all 50 inchers are 30 pounds and some upper 40 inchers are over 30 pounds. So would the person who sets the mark at 50 inches gets a 50 incher that weighs 25 pounds a trophy and a 49.5 inch musky that weighs 31 pounds not quite a trophy? I know there are a lot of 50 inch lovers on here. Is the skinny 50 incher in fact more so a trophy than the fat 49.5 inch fish? According to a lot of old posts, many peoples logic on hear says yes. I am just curious what others think. |
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| If you have never caught a 50 then the first one no matter how fat or skinny will be soooooo special. More special than anything under. Its an achievement to break the mark. Sure a 49x25 is a trophy but it aint a 50, especially if you didnt break the 50 mark yet. |
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Posts: 238
Location: Rhinelander | Last year fishing in August one of my buddies caught a 48 1/4" fish that weighed just a hair over 38 lbs. Saw the fish later that night after he couldn't get her to revive.
At the same time I was happy for him and sick that he couldn't get her to go. The fish was caught on a small lake near Rhinelander, after I gave him some tips on where to go.
Now after seeing that fish I would in a heart beat choose a 48 incher like her over a skinny 50". |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | the biggest fish is the trophy ... bigger than you did before, i remember each fish that bettered the prior best ... those are the special ones .... then maybe the biggest in a state, biggest canadian fish ... , biggest tiger, or biggest on a specific lake ... running out of goals should never be a problem ...
this year i got to be in the boat for hoop's brothers first 50 and i can say that's as fun as it gets. being there for a first fish or being there for a first 50 is a really cool deal!!! watching them and their faces when they know they have it on the line and then the relief and satisfaction of knowing it's in the bag, watching them release it and then finally watching them see the picture for the first time on the digital ... that's as good as it gets! |
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| BenR - 10/21/2008 8:32 PM
It is 50 because far more 49.5's are caught than 50's:)
Although I agree what you are saying is probably true, I would love to see the numbers in a bunch of the muskies inc. logs. It wouldn't suprise me at all if their are more 50's listed than 49.5's. |
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| Why NOT 50"? |
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Posts: 3507
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Personally, I'm shooting for 49-59/64" Who needs rounded numbers?!! 
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | I like 50lbs as a trune trophy myself How many are caught each year? 5-10, 50 pounders in the USA/Canada? |
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Posts: 335
Location: Minnesota | First of all I don't think anyone who has been at this for a long time really cares about what someone else's benchmark is. The benchmark for each person is a choice they make. I personally want to catch one bigger than my biggest fish. That is my benchmark.
To me it is kind of like deer hunting - a ten pointer was the benchmark of a trophy for me. Now that I am more educated I look at inches - 140 inches might be the new trophy, regardless if it is ONLY an 8 pointer. After I shoot a few 140 class deer, that benchmark will probably move for me.
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| cuz even EA can get a 49.5". ; ) |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | 50 lbs is true trophy musky!
Rare! Probably one 50 lbs every 5 to 10 years! Lets said........40 lbs is real trophy fish! Tom Gelb got 48 lbs and 51 lbs! Larry Ramsell got 3 fish over 45 lbs! Wow!
Fish big fish lakes and spent many hours on big fish lakes! |
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Posts: 431
| Nothern oppression. They just don't grow that big down here (very often) in Missouri/Sourthern Illinois, and you northerners are just looking for another way to stomp on us "southerners" by denying us the chance to catch a trophy-if you define a trophy as 50+ inches.
I, like many others, have topped out at 49.5. I still am searching for that 50. The next one that does a headshake and throws my bait will probably make me cry. |
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Posts: 1316
Location: Lebanon,Mo | Why 50'?? Because being from Missouri you dont see those fish down here.Sure i want to net a 50,but if i had a choice North versus South,it's going to be down here.There is no record of a 50" out of Missouri yet.(Tired of rumors)It will happen soon and i want to be standing in line first. |
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Posts: 999
| My PB is 49 1/2" as well and im not satisfied with that, and I wont be until I reach the benchmark with a legit Fifty or better. It's my main goal that I try to achieve each and every year. After that goal is attained my self pressure will be off.
Mr Musky |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | Southern, Ohio and Pa. Muskies get fatter but live short! Maybe that's explain why muskies get 50 " is rare when they eat all you can eat Shad buffets! |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | Fred!!! You just need to fish with bigger lures! LOL
James |
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Posts: 431
| Yeah Fred. Go throw the pounder this weekend. Those Southern Mo skis have never seen anything like it. Or as they like to say on Pomme de Terre when throwing the mag super d-"Must be fishin for gar." |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | Forget to add that I would perfer muskies in weight than length in Illinois, Ohio, Pa, etc where they eat shad! My good friend caught a 52" 38 lbs and 49" 33 lbs in Pa. I know a 47" weight 30 lbs in a private lake that have lot of shad. Also northern states...weight would be perfer for me when they eat ciscoes, whitefish, etc. Tom Gelb caught a 53" @ weight 51 lbs! WOW! Late Fall....heavier than spring in most places. |
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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | Here is a dorky conversation we had last spring trying to solve this same delema. It was in context of trying to figure a way to score released musky for a "Book" much like they do for deer. Anyway there is some stuff there you might find interesting.
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=40...
Nail A Pig!
Mike
Edited by MRoberts 10/22/2008 11:29 PM
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | MRoberts,
That's interesting and I missed that!
Tournaments....lengths
State or World Record...keep fish for weight!
Personal best (release) ...length X Girth = weight! OR length
Illinois State Record is only 38 lbs 8 oz is way back to April 20, 2002! No break record for at least 6 years...most of us let fish back to water! Break record mean keep a fish! I know several over 40 lbs in several lakes in Illinois! I am sure that anytime that will break state reocrd soon! |
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| Why was breaking the 4:00 minute mile barrier so special?
Why is hitting .300 in baseball such a feat?
Why is a 20 win season for a pitcher such a cherished goal?
Why does a bowler look for perfection in a 300 game?
Why is a hole-in-one the thing that all golfers strive for?
Get my drift? Go get your 50" !! |
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Posts: 36
Location: Blaine, MN | I read an article about 2 months ago in the Outdoors News that was similiar to this thread. Someone's benchmark is in weight and someone else's benchmark is in inches. He came up with the suggestion that there could be two state records for a fish. A record for length and a record for weight. 'Cause these days it seems everything is measured in inches. The problem with a certified length measurement means you would have to bring the fish off the lake somewhere to have it measured and most likely it would be killed. Most of the records in the past have just the weight listed, the length and girth were never measured It would be a tough thing to administer. Where to you start? Do you have to throw out some of those old records? Just an interesting article. |
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| Hahaha. Aint that the truth. Thanks for the humor. |
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Posts: 38
Location: Forest Lake, Mn | My PB best will probably never be beat. I could care less.
WS
Edited by Whopper Stopper 10/24/2008 2:15 AM
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Posts: 4266
| My PB is just a little shy of the 50" mark, but I have some 48's and 47's and a noteworthy 46.5" that I'll never forget because it probably weighed more than all of the other ones. You can set the bar as high as you want, but if you don't feel like you are any more of an angler because you haven't reached the benchmark or beat your present PB, then you better rethink why you are fishing in the first place. To me muskie fishing isn't some cosmic competition against me and all of the other muskiefishermen in the cosmos. I enjoy every trip and every fish, and when I stop enjoying it for the pure thrill that I get out of it, then I better find something else to do.
300's and holes in one are perfection. How do measure perfection in muskie fishing? Depending on their abilities, golfers and bowlers might see their PB as a low score or a high-game. I shot a 74 and a 719, both are benchmarks that I never thought that I would reach, but I did, and I'm proud of them.
I think that we put too much emphasis on what other people think about our catches than we do. |
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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | Other than deer hunting and the social conflict between number of points and scored inches. I think Golf is a perfect analogy for this discussion.
I don’t golf other than a scramble now and then, there just isn’t time and I am two competitive to just go out and do it for fun, I would constantly be pushing my self to be better and golf is the ultimate sport where every time you are out there you are competing against yourself. Much like musky fishing, though its you against the fish in this sport. Golf is really you against you, it can be made competitive against others but really it comes down to personal achievement, just like musky fishing.
Anyway from my golfing buddies, they are always talking about their individual score. I may be wrong with the numbers her, but it seems 100 is a big deal. The first goal of beginning to average golfers is to break 100. Then 90, then 80 and so on. Eventually you find your skill level and the improvements are very slow after that.
Much like musky fishing, musky fishing is very dependant on where you fish. I live in northern Wi. I started out and just wanted a legal fish, then I wanted one over 40, then 45, 10 years after getting that 45, I am still looking for one over 50 in Wi. You hone your skills, but there is a point where you will plateau, until you start spending more time or fishing different areas. I started going to Canada and now have a couple 50+s under my belt, but not from WI.
Round numbers are just easy targets. Is shooting 99 really that much better than shooting 100, no but it a goal.
Weight used to be the ultimate goal in musky fishing 30lbs, 40lbs, 50lbs. With the advent of catch and release the emphasis has shifted to length.
I’ll tell you I have a few 30lb class fish under my belt, both from WI and from Canada, nothing over 50 in WI, (48.5 is the largest) so my goals still are set at a 50 incher for WI. and sense I have a 50”er my next, reach for the sky, goal is a 40 pound class fish. I say class because I will not purposely kill the fish, so the weight will have to be estimated.
I like the L+G scale because it takes the need out of deciding which formula to use. My largest fish is probably 71 to 72 inches(I didn’t girth it), a 78 inch fish will be around that 40 pound mark and that’s a good enough estimate for me. It gives a pretty good scale taking into account both the length and build of the fish. 70+ is readily achievable, 80+ takes A LOT more work.
Just my opinion!
Nail A Pig!
Mike |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | great analogy mike ... it's interesting because in golf your first best chance of scoring is becoming a great chipper/putter if you take a look at what you can do to maximize scoring opportunities, the second level is getting off the tee to be able to break 90 .. breaking 80 means hitting fairways and greens ... you can't hit greens if you can't drive long and in the fairway and you can't depend on one-putt pars ... each level of accomplishment requires banking skills and performing in areas to maintain consistency. you can boil it down and practice it ... much like musky fishing where some people have a way to subtract themselves into consistency by making key choices. i've always thought around the rule of 80% of the fish live in 20% of the water and eat 10% of the time ... the guys who consistently subtract themselves into that zone become the par-shooters of musky fishing. i know two such people personally and am continually impressed to hear them score consistently under very different waters/situations and try to listen to them as much as possible.
i just got a text message from one of them ... he's 49.5 and 46 for the day today ... guess who it is ... lol |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | Go have fun musky fishing and goal to beat your personal best and it will climb to 50"mark then above! |
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Location: Twin Cities | My goals are to catch/see muskies when I go fishing. If I catch a bigger fish than my current PB, whatever those numbers are, great. If I trigger a fish to be interested in what i'm doing somehow, i go home pretty happy....fishing is about so much more than catching to me. |
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| One difference between golf and musky fishing is you can't hire someone to do the work for you and then claim you have scored your personal best. There are some folks out there that got there 50 while trolling with a guide that set up the equipment for them and the client just picked up the rod when it went off and reeled it in. If you had Tiger go golfing with you and put the ball 2 feet from the cup each hole and you just had to make the short putt would you believe that YOU scored your best round? |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | another difference ... most who play golf don't get jealous and bitter about what others are able to do or how they do it ... which, is a far-cry from the sport of musky fishing. |
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| You didn't answer the question Johnny. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | my answer to that would be for sure that i personally get a ton of satisfaction out of doing it on my own vs. the alternative. i've been in guide boats (at eagle) and never boated a big one with them but what they taught me allowed me to do better on my own for sure.
in the trolling argument for sure you have a point that is valid especially in comparisson as you put it
on the casting side for sure there's a component of selection of location and presentation but that's no different than playing a new tough course with a caddy who helps you do the same thing with local knowledge for best placement, shot selection and a putting line ... the "golfer" or "fisherman" still has to make the shot though.
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| I see your point. I only mentioned trolling because I too agree that if one is casting and choosing the baits and working the baits they still have to get the fish to strike and still have to set the hooks. I might be a little jealous. My PB is still 46. |
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Posts: 15
| My goal is a little different; I have caught a 10lb walleye (10.5lb, 30.5") it's on the office wall. I have caught at 10lb Largemouth (14.5lb 29.75") replica on the office wall. I want a 50" Musky (replica... I do CPR) to add to my collection.
I feel the freshwater triple is one helluva accomplishment. My PB is only 42.5" but I know I've seen a few near 50, just haven't been lucky enough to boat one. More time, more casts, it will all work out.
SW
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why 50"?