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Posts: 7037
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | It's cold and frozen out there, what better time to talk about mid-season trip planning? So I was thinking, how does everyone prioritize that which they need to have in the trip they look forward to all year? We all need different "things" in our "muskie experience", and to each of us, these things all have a different level of importance.
I'm going to list out a few features of any trip you would plan (thinking 3+ days away from home), order them as you would from most to least important!
-Numbers of Muskies
-Trophy muskie potential.
-Scenery devoid of "the footprint of man" (ie. wilderness setting)
-American plan meals (ie. prepared for you 2-3X a day)
-Boat rental
-Guides to pay for a day(s)
-Instruction/guidance towards how to go find fish on your own
-Multi-species potential
-Clean to nice (graded A or B) accomidations
-Bar/Restaurant on premises for after fishing libations
-Access to phone/internet connection
-Bus trip option
-"other lakes" outside of the main where the lodge/camp is located.
Which is important to you? How would you rank them?
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Posts: 8772
| If I am going somewhere 3 days away from home, the fishing had better be world class. I can catch small muskies, or not catch them at all two hours away from home.
The same goes for the wilderness settting. I can fight crowds anywhere.
American Plan: I'd never be organized or awake in time to feed myself on a regular basis otherwise, and I'd rather not have to worry about it. If it was a bunch of people going, it might be fun to skip the meal plan, but it's so much easier not having to worry about anything except what time breakfast and dinner are.
Guides: That gets less important as time goes by. If they don't have guides, they had better have rental boats though.
Instruction: Not as important. If it's a lake I've never been on, it may be nice to know where the hazards are or if they are marked or not.
Multi-Species potential: All depends on who I am with. I can catch walleyes and bass anywhere, so it doesn't matter to me. Phone/internet? I go fishing to get away from the phone and the internet. I don;t mind having cell coverage, but it's not a requirement. Done without it for years in most of the places I fish.
Bar/Restaraunt: That IS nice!
Other lakes? Again, depends on who I am with.
Accomodations: I don't care as long as I have a bed to sleep in, a toilet that flushes, and a hot shower. | |
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Posts: 73
| Well, that’s quite an option list there. Like you said, it’s probably a different selection for different folks---thus this thread. It makes me think back years ago, when all that was necessary’ pretty much a boat (of any kind), a pole or two and some tackle. Then, somehow over the years that list has grown to include a lot of things that you’ve listed.
But the basics are still the same:
·A reliable boat from the outfitter
·At least a portable depth finder, if it’s a fly-in
·No other cabins on my lake! I like the solitude, if I’m doing a fly-in.
·The right guys to spend that time with. (Nothing’s worse than being stuck 3-4 days with some Bozo that your other buddy brought along. Been there; done that)
·Multi-species options
·Definitely no access to phones or computers. (If you do something stupid, I guess you’ll die.)
·A clean cabin with my own room. (Can’t stand yer snoring, Padre)
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Posts: 147
Location: Milwaukee, WI | #1 trophy potential...by a big margin!
2 numbers of muskies
3 wilderness setting
4 multi-species fishery
5 bar/restaurant near cabin
6 clean cabin
7 guides available
8 american plan
all the others are don't care. | |
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | I do a Canadian trip every year. I go to a lake nobody else has hardly heard of and if they did they don't try it. It is one tough nut to crack. But it has semi protected water, many nasty rock reefs that will destroy a boat if you don't know where you are going, beautiful deep clear water, and best of all if I see another boat fishing muskies in two weeks it is a rarity. Super fish? Hell yes! But I have only seen one that would maybe hit 50# in twenty five years and it didn't bite. I know some of the locals very well and they have stories of huge fish that make you believe they exist. Not in numbers like other places but they are definitely there and if you are lucky, you just might get a chance to tangle with one.
This lake will bring you to your knees and then some, as it is typical fishing to go bust for four to five days in a row before they start to bite again when the weather shuts you down. This ain't for everone and that's why I have it pretty much to myself. I mean, really, how many people are willing to risk an entire vacation to maybe only catch one fish? That's me though. Get me the hell away from people, give me solitude and gorgeous scenery, give me the ability to fish any spot I want and be pretty sure nobody else has hit it in a month or more, and I am in heaven!
Restaraunt? Bar? What are those? Stores? Activities for the family? Phththht!!!! Just give me a roof that doesn't leak, screens that hold out most of the mosquitoes, a stove with a few burners that work, and a bed that ain't too crooked and baby, I got it all!
No guides and no rental for me. Phone? TV? No how no way! Radio, barely, to get a forecast but other than that &^%#&*^$*$!!! the world, I'm fishing! It's like a time warp when I get back home. People are talking about things and I haven't a clue.
That's what makes it great for my Canadian trip! I've been to other lakes, big name lakes, that offer much more in the line of trophy fish and numbers. They don't compare. Just give me my little obscure corner of the shield and I'm a happy camper! | |
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Posts: 366
| 1. BIG muskies
2. very few other boats
3. beautiful scenery and other wildlife
4. numbers of muskies
5. easy/guaranteed walleyes
6. comfy beds
7. good dockage with power
8. clean cabins w/ minimal rodents
9. Decent to high quality hydro maps
10. Info on current fish location types
Anything else would either be a plus, or I could care less | |
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Canadian Destination Priorities