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Posts: 198
| Couple of big ones caught there recently. Good article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
http://www.twincities.com/outdoors/ci_15699770?nclick_check=1 |
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Posts: 159
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Interesting---A couple short years ago everything was Mil Lacs/Leech.
Its almost like they both disappeared from the Musky radar. Certainly the trophy fish are still present in those lakes----What happened?
Did the hype just stop or did the big fish machine simply stop producing on those two lakes--Or perhaps the pressure turned everyone off.
Kind of like the Yogi Bera quote, "Its so crowded no one goes there anymore"
It would be great for the hard core guys to spread out rather than everyone crowding together on my favorite lake----Vermilion. |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Everyone? Not hardly. Are you one of the 'hard core guys'?
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Posts: 159
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No--To be sure I am not a hard core guy right now, just a guy who has a cabin on Vermilion and likes to fish Musky everyday I am up there.
The observation is not meant to be factual---Just what I have observed personally on the Big V. fishing and talking with top guides on the lake.
It seems almost all the Musky boats really know what they are doing and spend a lot of time on the water---Not to mention its seems the good spots always have numerous boats waiting there turn to fish them.
I guess my post is just a personal desire to see the big crowds of serious fisherman back down to Mil Lacs and Leech to take some pressure off Vermilion.
Not to mention the recent publicity the huge Vermilion fish have recieved---It would be nice to hear of other lakes that have true trophy potential that are also producing so everyone is not chasing the same "hot bite"
If my post is off base---I apologize for that. |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Just wanted you to offer a little more insight. There's been a little 'not on my lake' attitude lately that comes off badly at times, understandable to a point, but reality is what it is... big muskies draw muskie fishermen.
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Posts: 556
| Gotta go with whats HOT right now---Never been there before but have 2 trips planned beginning in 3 weeks and agin in Oct. Going with guys from the club who have never gone before either but we want to check it out---Been to Mille Lacs, and a few others in years past but you Look at the fish this lake is putting out and I have to admit--I Gotta try it!!! I know the resorts and other local business appreciate the business---I understand your point and maybe in a few more years another Hot lake will make it to the forefront and take some pressure off. But the talk about this lake has hit every musky club I know of and I would not expect the pressure to subside for some time. |
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Posts: 148
Location: Northwest Wi. | The pond has not been so kind to me and the crew,,Fished the last 3 days, 4 boats, north/ south, day/night, rocks/weeds, wind/calm, high pressure/low pressure...Not a Muskie...oh well,,,Maybe later |
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Posts: 64
| The bottom line is that fisherman go where the fish are, the internet has made it a heck of a lot easier to get the word out, now we now just about the minute anything of any worth is caught, which draws the crowds. A good friend of mine started a website here in Colorado that is GREAT for people who want to see whats going on in areas they might not think to try, this stinks for people who take the time to find something off the beaten path, but that's life.... no one is entitled by any means to have "their" spots and get upset when people fish them, I don't have a cabin on a prime musky lake, but it comes with the territory. I would kill ( not really) for a place on Mille Lacs, vermillion, LOTW, or Leech. I just would be sure that when I was on the lake I would be to the prime spot before anyone and if I am not, so be it.... maybe next weekend......I believe that you just need to adapt to the fish and pressure, do what others aren't doing and maybe you will catch the big girls off guard. Just my two cents.... |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | what I find funny is that you hear about the big fish caught only,not about the guys that fish the lake all week long and not catch a fish.People get pumped up about big fish being caught,so they go to the lake and fish it,some catch and some don`t,it doesn`t take much to want to go back to a lake that you got skunked on.Seeing a big fish,missing a big fish,and knowing big fish are being caught can make your trip better,lots of water on all of these lakes mentioned,it`s not gonna be easy for everyone to put a muskie in the boat,or a 50+.the most important thing is to have a good time doing it,sometimes a good trip isn`t always about catching big fish,even though your gonna try like hell to get one.
Edited by CASTING55 8/8/2010 10:58 PM
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Posts: 264
| I think maybe the reason mille lacs is such a challenge this year IMO is because there the baitfish poplution is way up. Meaning the fish have easier meals and not as many need to chase our baits. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | yes there are big fish in both..good luck!
Edited by BNelson 8/9/2010 8:32 AM
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Posts: 198
| Not matter how good the muskie fishery is it's still muskie fishing and it can be tough. From what I've been hearing Vermilion has been slow the past week. There is a alot of tulibees and other forage out there so they don't have to eat artificials if they don't want to.
There was a small tournament this past Sat. 77 anglers. 5 muskies caught 40 inches or better. 50 1/2 the largest, rest in low 40's. One boat caught several. That's muskie fishing..... |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | OK, Mr. Nelson, that's several times you have tried to dis Spring Bay's last report. The report said 40 muskies in camp in two weeks, and that is a fact. That's pretty darn good muskie angling for Vermilion, and quite a few of those fish came from the West side of the lake. The largest was Jake's 57". If that's a problem for you, I fail to see why. It's 'unfortunate' 40 fish were caught in two weeks? What were they supposed to report, everyone in camp who wasn't fishing muskies or didn't get one?
LOTW is alot further North, and is MUCH larger. The muskie angling on LOTW for truly big fish is in Canada and quite a ways up the lake for the most part, how about comparing Vermilion to other US waters?
Of course it's not going to be 'easy' to catch a fish there, Vermilion has a reputation of being fickle, but the chance for a true once in a lifetime fish is as good there as almost anywhere one can easily drive to, and Vermilion is one of the best trophy lakes in the US. I don't think too many anglers go to Vermilion thinking it will be easy; if they do they haven't been reading.
The fishing at the last MF outing was tough and so was the weather. We were seeing all sorts of big fish, but couldn't get them to go. I personally saw a couple in the 55" or better range, and missed one of them on a Top Raider. (still am moping about that one) I didn't feel a bit bad about not boating a muskie on the trip; I had a great week there last Fall and can't wait to get back up there in a couple weeks. Of course, part of the attraction is the camaraderie and superb service one experiences at that resort, and I will also be fishing (GASP!') Smallies, Walleyes, and giant gills.
Mille Lacs can be pretty fickle too. Tough fishing for the most part, but when they 'go' up there, it can be spectacular. Some folks are saying Mille Lacs has been the dead sea, yet some report good success.
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Location: Contrarian Island | Good luck w/ the outing .... |
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| I hate crowds as much as the next guy, but I will say, that just because someone finds out about a "hot bite" it doesnt mean they are going to catch anything. Way too many factors involved.
As others have said, this bite wont last forever and I think some people get overprotective about "their" lake.
I will have a chance to fish Vermillion for the first time in a couple weeks and I expect to land at least 10 fish in the upper 50 class. LOL
Right, if I see anything I will be happy. Just want a chance to check this lake out for the first time since I have never been on it. Will be interesting. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Thanks, Brad, I'm sure the Outing will be a blast, they always are. I hope the muskies are going, and am absolutely certain I'll see a few piggies and I'll never get more than 4 miles from camp. The trick is to do what Jake did.... |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | I just got back from fishing the west side of Vermillion. We stayed at Life Of Riley's resort. It was a nice resort with lots to do and lots of Muskies nearby.
Life of Rileys resort was full of experienced Muskie fishermen the week before (July 24-31) and they caught only two mid 40 inch Muskies all week and only saw a few others. No Muskies were caught at the resort last week while I was there. The largest fish were some 30 inch class Pike caught by my daughter and I.
We actually stopped by a couple of other resorts on the west end to check them out and they all said the Muskie fishing had been slow. They were seeing fish, but not boating any. In fact, the only two Muskies I heard about being caught on Vermillion were the two the week before at Life of Rileys. We didn't stop by Spring Bay resort because it is right on the road and we would never consider staying there because of that. Maybe they had a pattern going and were catching a lot of fish while others were not, but it seems unlikely based on what I saw and what everyone else was saying. Based on everything I saw, 40 Muskies caught the last two weeks at one resort sounds like either remarkable success or a bit of an exageration.
As for me: I saw a lot of fish, had three mid to upper 40 inch Muskies on for a short time, and saw a couple of massive +55 inch fish. I found a lot of mid 40 inch fish in the weeds, but the truly large fish were all on the rocks and reefs. Saddles held a lot of fish as did the obvious mid-lake reefs.
Actually, I spent much more time with the wife and kids picking blue berries, fishing for sunnies and smallies, playing with the cats and puppies at the resort, and doing water sports than Muskie fishing. Thankfully there was much more to do than just Muskie fishing.
All in all it was a fun week, but I don't know if we'll be back any time soon. The Muskie population is good with some very large fish and the resort was a lot of fun. However, the Muskie fishing was no better than many of the lakes I normally fish. While I found the Muskies to be very easy to find and some were really big, they were tough to trigger and even tougher to catch.
If we do go back to Vermillion next year, it would be for all the other things at Life of Rileys resort. It would certainly not be for the Muskie fishing. It may sound dumb, but picking and eating the blue berries was actually more fun than the Muskie fishing. Best blue berries I ever had. And he kids loved the kittens and puppies. 
Good luck to you all.
Edited by Herb_b 8/9/2010 10:12 AM
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | couldn't agree more with your thoughts of the Musky Fishing Herb. Pretty simple to locate fish, big fish, but I personally have never seen big fish act the way they do on Vermilion. These fish see a lot of baits....and they act like it. There's some things that also go on there that I don't want to get into, but when it's easy to find shallow big muskies that aren't active...well, you get the hint 
Please don't take offense Esox, but I kinda chuckled when I read your post. That was me about 7-8 years ago, saw all the photos and gassed up my truck and did the drive. All I can say is don't expect it to be easy...I personally will not be back, that's way too far of a drive from Chicago for my tastes to not really enjoy the experience. Cook is less then 100 miles from the Canadian border....I'll choose to keep driving every time. All of a matter of opinion of course but I know I am far from alone in those thoughts
Edited by Musky Brian 8/9/2010 10:46 AM
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Location: Contrarian Island | that's kinda what my earlier post was getting at ...which I edited..I wasn't "dissing" Spring Bays reports...but it also left out some key details...so lets say there were 40 fish in camp over 14 or so days...how many guys were musky fishing in camp? that equates to less than 3 fish per day for the group... it's all relative ... ie , how many guys, how many fish...some guys expectations are just to go, have a good time, drink some beer, cast some lures and maybe catch a fish if their lucky in their week...some guys expect to put fish and more than one in the net every day... it all depends on what you expect.... some will be dissapointed...some will love it...hope they do turn on for your group and big ones are boated...there def are monsters in there....
Edited by BNelson 8/9/2010 11:19 AM
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Pipestone, Crow, Georgina Bay, Wabigoon, the St. Lawrence, Bay of Green Bay, Sault Ste Marie, heck...even Eagle at times..or any number of other trophy muskie destinations...the fishing can be very tough there, too. But when they turn on....Vermilion is a trophy destination, and has been for years. It hasn't been 'easy' since the days BenR spoke about. A good portion of the enjoyment is the fact that when one hits, it very well could be THE ONE...and the fact the folks at Spring Bay treat us like royalty.
Jake put a couple solid lifetime trophies in his net during the week before and the time Herb was up there, right? There are a couple others on the board over 50 out of camp during that same timeframe. And I understand a 58.5 was caught on vermilion in July. Just plain huge fish, and I'd expect those interested in catching monsters like that will fish Vermilion, and do so without expectation of putting a big girl in the net everyday.
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | I am also of the opinion that vast amounts of ciscos have hurt the fishing on Mil Lacs the last 2 yrs.
conditioning also doesn't help put fish in the boat.... let's face it, pressured waters make it harder to boat fish, period..
By the way I was at Spring Bay fri and they did have over 40 muskies hit the net the 2 weeks before..... and as a side note, on fri,8-6 we saw 41 muskies in 16 hrs. of HARD fishing........ only 4 of those fish were active..... a 42" pike hit the net and a 49" muskie on sat. ............after I went home.
Bottom line is just because you go to vermilion doesn't mean your going to boat anything. Time on the water will educate you on where to fish, but most of the time the fish WILL turn away from your lure. Time on the water, my friends.
And yes, its all relative
Jerome |
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Posts: 159
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Good posts guys,
Reading this thread sure beats "Favre watch"
Am I missing something about how the serious Musky crowd has changed their attitude regarding Mil Lacs and Leech?
Or perhaps when the Big Fish Bite gets going on those two lakes people are more tight lipped about it? Maybe the answr is they still get fished hard and catch huge fish but I am just not hearing about it?
A number of years ago I wanted to fish Leech for a week and could not find a resort on the lake with a vacant cabin to rent---The same with Mil Lacs. Wasn't Mil Lacs on the cover of Musky Hunter Mag a couple years ago?
A couple summers ago shopping at Rollie and Hellens Musky Shop---Everyone in there was talking about the steady stream of 50 inchers Leech was producing---the guys at the counter were telling me I should get up there because the bite was on.
Is it just me or has all that died down somewhat in the last 3 or 4 years?
Thanks for posting the article in the paper Silver Scale---I was glad to hear about these trophy reports.
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | The people fishing out of Spring Park must have been putting in some serious hours to catch that many fish. I'm sure that if all I did was fish all day every day, I would have probably boated a few Muskies. But, that wasn't going to work for my wife and kids and I doubt my back would have taken it anyway.
It was fun and all, but I am certain that I could do much, much better on my normal lakes than on Vermillion. While I would probably have a better chance of catching a really big fish (+55) on Vermillion, my chances of catching just nice Muskies (+45) on many other lakes would most likely be much better.
That said, there is no chance that I would drive all the way to Vermillion just to fish.
About Leech: I think the main reason why one doesn't hear much about Leech is that while Leech has a good population of 50 to 52 inch Muskies, it has few Muskies over 53 inches. It is a great lake to catch a 51 incher, but a 54 or over is very unlikely. The fish simply don't get that big there.
About Mille Lacs: You aren't hearing much because there isn't much to hear. The high populations of perch and ciscos have made the Muskie fishing there very difficult. It should be better in a couple years when the perch and cisco populations retreat to more normal levels and could be tremendous if the perch and cisco populations decrease to less than normal levels. It is possible to catch big fish there now, but feeding windows are really small and you have to be in the right place at exactly the right time with the right lure worked precisely the right way. Get the idea?
Good luck all. |
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Posts: 221
Location: Detroint Lakes, MN |
Herb;
Guessing you don't fish Leech much.
JS |
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Location: Contrarian Island | some 52s, a few 53s and a 54 registered from Leech in the Frank Schneider weekend tourney over the last 5 yrs... must be some bigger ones than that...
Edited by BNelson 8/9/2010 2:07 PM
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Sounds like Herb didn't fish Vermilion much either, but that was his choice and it sounds like he had a good family vacation. No reason to then be critical of Vermilion as a bad place to fish muskies and criticize those who actually DID put 'em in the net by accusing them of exaggerating. Just saying...
I can catch WAY more numbers of mid 40" class Muskies fishing hard for 6 days here in Rhinelander than on the Goon, Vermilion, or any other trophy destination I might select. The 'magic' for me is the absolute fact the next cast could connect me with a fish of a lifetime...and maybe even a record class fish. And the fact my phone won't ring, because I'll have it turned off. |
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Posts: 536
| herb, leech!! the fish just simply don't get that big there! you know you are talking the home of the leech lake strain, there is plenty of food for them, there is no reason why there isnt just as big of fish there as there could be anywhere! pretty much every big name musky guide on leech has caught fish of 56" caliber that I know of! |
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Location: N.FIB | sworrall - 8/9/2010 2:26 PM
And the fact my phone won't ring, because I'll have it turned off.
I just might have to do the same,except on the 24th cause my family will be calling me wishing me a happy birthday |
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Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | There are NO 55-59" muskies in Leech Lake, Ahhhh,.....ok herb what ever.
Home of the Leech Lake strain, isn't it? or am I missing something here? |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | I fished Vermillion about six hours a day last week. I'm sure its not nearly as much as most of the Spring Bay resort people. I know the large group of Muskie fishermen who were at Life of Riley resort the week before fished a whole more than I did. Those guys were fishing hard all week and only caught two Muskies. One of those guys caught a 56 there last year so its not like they were beginners either.
About Leech:
Our cabin is just 30 miles away from Leech. I have fished Leech and have never seen a mid-50 inch Muskie there. It just seems the numbers of very large fish on Leech is rather low compared to other lakes I fish. I've seen a lot of low 50 inchers there, but none larger than that.
But I don't base my opinion on just my own experience. I have talked to a number of fishermen who have logged many hours on Leech and have never seen a mid-50 inch class Muskie there either. I can't remember his name, but one of those guys spoke at a North Metro Muskies, Inc meeting a couple of years ago. At that time he had caught a very high number of 50 to 52 inch Muskies on Leech, but said he never saw one much larger there. Someone might know who he is. He used to be on a fishing show of some sort and lived in Walker. Younger guy, Maybe 30 or so? He seemed very bright and talented.
You guys are probably right and maybe I shouldn't give up on Leech.
To me seeing is believing. There are really big fish on Vermillion and it is possible to catch them. That I believe. But are my chances of being successful better there than the lakes I normally fish? That I don't believe because I just can't put in the time required to be successful there. It seems one either has to get really lucky on Vermillion or put in a lot of time to find the fish and then get after them again and again and again and again....
I hope that all makes more sense.
Edited by Herb_b 8/9/2010 4:15 PM
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Just to add: I'm glad that the people at Spring Bay resort did well. It was nice to hear at least someone was doing well last week there. I'd feel really bad if everyone else sucked as bad as I did. 
Edited by Herb_b 8/9/2010 4:30 PM
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| Just wondering....what you actually consider a success.
At times I would like to post some things.....but it would just pee people off.
Wealth of knowledge and large fish catches by non contributing anglers. |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Yeah no 52"+ fish in Leech. Those LL strain are just plain puny... |
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| I fished Vermilion last September for a week when the temps spiked to the highest of the entire season. Fishing sucked. I think I moved 6 fish for the week with one hooked and lost, nothing in the net. There was only one fish caught in the CAMP for the week. Tough conditions. It gave me the time to actually learn the lake, though. I went over spots again and again. I criss/crossed them and layed them out on the gps and located the high points of each reef and weed edges. I knew I'd be back again so the trip was worth it.
I went back for a quick "two dayer" two weeks ago and my partner and I boated 5 with 46.5 and 45.5 being the biggest. We were happy with that.
I'll be there from the 14th to the 21st next week hoping to use the information I gathered last year. I also have a weekend booked for November. I feel if you put the time in, the musky gods will eventually pay off. True trophies don't come easily...but they are more rewarding when you've payed your dues. It will happen, just have time on the water. I think too many people want fish every trip and that's not realistic...possible, but not realistic for the average musky fisherman. I love this game.
Jeff |
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Posts: 556
| Can't discourage me---The fishing experience is far more than just the catch--Like I said--I haven't been there yet but will be shortly--Hope I get a shot at a big fish but if not I am positive I will enjoy the experience---New lake and part of the country for me so it will all be good--I have no dreams of putting a fish in the boat everyday---Just a chance at 1 will keep me going for my 2 trips up there this year---After the 2 trips I will make my own decision if I want to come back next season---There are plenty of great Musky lakes out there I haven't fished yet, but for right now Vermillion is the one on my Radar. |
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Posts: 427
Location: Wausau | Does the thread need to be changed to: Personal Opinions About Lake Vermilion
My personal experience includes seven years at one-two weeks per outing and one-three outings per year. I have had visits with zero to six fiftys in the net, with 55 being the largest in 2009. This year, I spent July 23rd to August 6th and caught six fish. The first 3.5 days were great and we put 8 fish in the boat with a 49 during the full moon evening ( I believe this is about the same time frame 40 fish were reported). The fourth night a major storm rolled through and fishing conditions didn't seem to recover, at least for me. On an average day, we fished predawn to about 11:00 a.m. and then from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. We added one more fish over three days before my boat partner needed to leave. Lastly, I added a solid 51 from a deep hole surrounded by boulders, reefs and an island. I fished solo 12-14 hours a day, if not for T-Storms and/or high winds. In that case, I was off the water two nights before sunset b/c of lighting and one day didn't fish until night b/c of 35 mph winds during the day.
Now this is where the debate of on/off starts. To me the lake was off, even though I caught a 49 and 51. I expect more than one fish a day for the number of hours I fish and plus added past experience with time spent marking structure(s). The fish were not where I would normally find them, which was high points on reefs or closest to wind blown structure. Years past, I would at least have several follows or lost fish on a daily bases. Sadly, we went hours/day without even a sniff. I did not fish weeds at all, which could be one of the reasons I was struggling. IMHO, I see the following as reason why it was tough for me:
1> Highly educated and better prepared fishermen/women
1a> Pressure: every reef has a boat casting almost 24 hours a day. If you plan on fishing a community spot, be prepared to pick a spot at 7:00 and not moving. Because if you move, you won't have a community spot within eyesight and by the time you turn around, someone else will be where you just were.
2>Bait Fish: a ton of tulibee, perch and walleye. I witnessed 300x300 yards on Frazer Bay break out in jumping tulibee.
3> Warmer water temps in the last few years. 74 a.m. and 79 afternoon: moving fish a little deeper into preferred water temps.
4> Weather - always the trump card: Wind shifts every other day, T-Storms, post frontal, etc.
What frustrated me the most was the amount of pressure. I take pride in finding fish away from the crowds and I felt the crowds were expanding and exploring more and more as well. I believe with a boat on every spot for 20 hours a day, of course there are going to be some fish caught and a percent of those will be over 53. I'm just not one for lucky lure, lucky spot at lucky time. Currently I'm a little disheartened because I've seen a change on V, but know I have also been apart of the change...bitter sweet. The wilderness fell is what will keep me coming back, and the challenge to keep finding new spots will keep me motivated. The lake is a great choice for anyone at any time and like I said before, everyone is becoming smarter and better, so the fish are seeing the best from us.
I hope the best to those fishing Vermilion in the near future and may each catch a 50+. May your skill or luck be better than mine. |
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Posts: 536
| herb, like I said every big name musky guide from leech has caught a 56" caliber fish that I know of! |
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Location: Maple Grove, MN | As for Leech:
The term Leech Lake strain is nothing more than a name. A much more accurate term is the Mississippi strain. It could also be called the Cass Lake strain or Lake Winni strain because the same strain is native to all those lakes. The Mississippi connects all those lakes and that is why the fish are there.
This got me thinking. My observation is that many of the Muskies roaming Leech Lake are found near schools of perch and perch, by themselves, simply may not be a heavy enough forage to grow really big Muskies. From what I have read, Muskies generally need something more oily like ciscos, suckers, or bullheads to reach their maximum size potential.
It could be that both I and the people I have talked to are not fishing the areas of Leech that hold the largest Muskies. Perhaps those fish are cruising Walker Bay and other areas where there are more ciscos. I do tend to focus on shallow areas where I see more fish and that may also be the areas more concentrated with perch and thusly the not-quite-so-big Muskies.
So, does it appear logical that there are Muskies that eat mostly perch and others that eat mostly ciscos? And is it possible that the cisco eaters get larger due to the heavier food content of the cisco?
I wonder what some of the guides that fish Leech think about this. |
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| Responce for Andy Grimm. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but "I told you so" You are experiencing the pressure that results from people that have to constantly show the size of their fish and where they caught it. I understand that these boards are for sharing info and most info should be shared along with pictures. But, people need to stop posting the exact details. Leave a little mystery in the game.
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Posts: 427
Location: Wausau | Unsilent Majority,
No need to say "I told you so"...I told myself the same statement and agree. As I stated, bitter sweet knowing I was part of the initial rush and enjoyed finding fish that hadn't seen a lure 20 times all ready that day/night. It's hard for me to not want to go back because of the time I've invested, but I think it's time to find a new lake to explore. I can always stop for a shorten trip - rocks don't move and my icons/way-points are saved. Next time, information will be shared with those who share in return or not shared at all. I thought about posting a report for a few days, but felt it was unfair to let others assume Vermilion was an "easy" bite. As time goes by one learns more about this sport than just how to put numbers of fish in the boat. There is more to fishing than casting/reeling...there are important relationships to make, save and rebuild. Thanks for the reminder...although I believe you have my e-mail as well. |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Guides at shows talk the water up as much as anyone here. Magazine and newspaper articles. DVD sales. TV shows. Tournaments. resorts...and even resorts at Muskie shows. The pressure will abate as anglers move around, just like it has on Mille Lacs. In today's instant information society, you can't and won't keep water that big and that good secret.
Look at the Angle. That's all Dick and Doug's fault...right?
Eagle...dang that Herbie guy, anyway.
I detest revisionist history.
It's ridiculous to even think any one person personally caused the pressure up there or for that matter less than a TON of folks, the water has been well known for years. I covered a tournament years back one of the regulars here won; some very big fish were caught. I remember very clearly when the muskies there AND on Mille Lacs were just hitting the low 40" class. I remember Dave Bentley's pictures of his Mille lacs fish, and the fact very few muskie anglers were up there. My partner in OFM worked on Vermilion before any muskies were catch-able. Here; take a look...you will recognize some of the anglers:
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=16...
Unless you live on the water or fished it regularly before the Muskies grew up, you are part of your own problem. Pelican Lake here in WI has one of the highest angler hour counts for muskies in the state. I guided that water for years, and caught quite a few over 50". Several made it into the papers. But...I didn't cause the exodus there; believe it or not MI logs had as much to do with it as all the media combined.
What is truly amusing to me is the complaining about the very source of information on which the complaint is lodged. That's too funny.
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Posts: 221
Location: Detroint Lakes, MN |
Leech has a very healthy population of ciscoes, suckers, bullheads and burbot for muskies to feed on Herb.
Murphy caught 2 57" fish in Leech this decade. Last year Schriver Sr. caught a 55 1/2 that was massive.
The week of the challunge last year saw a 53"er entered. Watched a guy land a 54" up in portage bay.
People commonly refer to the MN muskies that are stocked as Leech Lake strain because that is they lake they came from. They didn't take them our of Cass or Winnie.
JS
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Posts: 536
| yap like js said, leech has a good population of tulibee and whitefish! |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | what kind of puppies and kittens were they? |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Dang, Sled, be careful you don't end up in Sponger's old position here. Miss that guy some days. |
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| Do I think there are big muskies in Leech? Yeah, but I believe that Leech gets more credit than credit is due.
Considering the Schneider tournament in September. I have fished it several times and since this tourney is open to many lakes, there is nothing that says these fish were caught on Leech lake. Each year I fished it there were more 50"+ fish caught on lakes less than 10,000 acres (as part of the tourney) than were caught in Leech. Based on information I heard after the tournament, many of the "Leech" fish were not even caught there in the first place, but Leech got the credit because they wanted pressure somewhere else (off said lakes under 10,000 acres).
In 1996 there were two tremendous fish caught in MN that received a LOT of notoreity. One tackle company laid claim to BOTH of these fish. One was credited to Leech, but there were several people in the local circles that said it was caught elsewhere.
Yeah, this is a lot of heresay and conjecture, but we as musky fishermen do it to ourselves.
Just because we see a picture, read a story or a post about big fish being caught somewhere, doesnt mean they actually were.
Regarding the Leech Lake strain not getting big, well, many of the muskies in Mille Lacs were "Wisconsin Strain". We all know what bruisers are in there, and there is no such thing as a musky over 40 inches in Wisconsin. Tongue in cheek of course to a cheeseheads to the East. |
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Posts: 393
Location: Hopefully on the water | Sorry to put my 2 cents worth on this but complaining about seeing 50" fish and the amount or lack there of. Come on, really, how many angler out there would be happy to see a 50" fish even if it doesn't hit. I know personally that I would be thrilled to see multiply 50" fish in a day. I can say that honestly that I may have only seen 2 in 12 years. Yes I went to Mille Lacs years ago when it was supposededlt on fire and landed nothing in a couple of trips out there. Would I go back, YES, or to Vermillion just for the chance to see them or the hopes that one would hit. The people that put the time in on ANY lake will reap the benefits of it. Granted a outside going on a hot bite (like myself) may catch one here and there but I am more likely to miss that outside or inside turn than the regulars already know about to the fish and the structure. While for some people just the sight of seeing some of these big fish may be worth the trip in itself for some of us. There will always be a hot bite somewhere. Must we always bash the lake or person that wants to take the chance to get in on this. |
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Posts: 281
Location: ROckford IL | I was up there for the week of July 24th- July 31st and I can say that Spring bay Resort is a great place to stay, I never had a issue with anything I needed, they take care of their guest and go above and beyond. Now as far as fishing goes, it is not easy, I can say that, some days we fished 16 hours non stop, we did finally boat a 52 but it was hard work to get these fish to go, I had a couple of chances that I also did not connect on but if you put in your time and do it wisely you can get paid. I took my good friend up there for the first time and he only caught 2 muskies in his whole life up to that point,but he fished hard with me up on the big v, his hard work finally paid off when he hooked that 52". I put dude on a fish of a lifetime and he will never forget that day. The lake does get pressure but so does many other hot musky lakes, the big fish are in there, I seen a ton of pigs cruzing around, you just got to be on the spot at the right time and in the right place, I still love Vermillion regardless
Edited by Bigman 8/10/2010 6:44 AM
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Location: Twin Cities | Herb_b - 8/9/2010 7:04 PM
As for Leech:
The term Leech Lake strain is nothing more than a name. A much more accurate term is the Mississippi strain. It could also be called the Cass Lake strain or Lake Winni strain because the same strain is native to all those lakes. The Mississippi connects all those lakes and that is why the fish are there.
Genetics studies show more diversity from lake to lake than you're assuming exists. I can't recall the speakers name, but he was at the TC meeting last winter. |
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| had this discussion w/ some buds on the water in MN this summer...even though the fish may be from the same hatchery, every lake has it's own coloration and build to the fish in it...You can take ten, 48 inchers from 10 different stocked lakes and they all will have different builds and coloration/spots. Kind of interesting to see the diversity from lake to lake even though they are the same genetics.
back to the discussion/debate.
We all are different staged in our musky fishing. Some are just happy to see a 50 incher in a week. While some have seen 20 in a week and caught multiple 50s in a day. It all boils down to what you realistically can expect to catch/see. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. But even the good fishermen on V have been having a fairly tough time all summer. I can catch way more mid 40s in a week to MN than I can in a week in WI on any water. That I know. |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Its good to hear that there have been some very large Muskies caught on Leech in the past few years.
I had pretty much written Leech off a few years ago as a big lake with lots of mid-sized Muskies. The problem I had was I would fish Leech Saturday morning with minimal success. I would then fish one of the smaller Longville area lakes on Sunday morning and usually boat 1 to 3 Muskies that were often larger than the ones I was seeing on Leech. So, I could either see a few Muskies on Leech or catch larger Muskies elsewhere. Hmmm. What sounds better there?
I do also believe that many of the big Muskies that are caught on other Longville area lakes are often reported to have come from Leech. Not that I would ever do that.
As far as seeing 50s, I have seen as many as three in a day on one of my regular lakes this year. One was a massive tiger that would easily surpass the MN Tiger Muskie record and may push the world Tiger Muskie record late this fall when she fattens up. Those are the type of fish I'm after these days.
Good luck all. |
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Posts: 3147
| JRedig
it was Dr Loren Miller,,,,great speaker for any club intrested in this subject |
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Location: Twin Cities | happy hooker - 8/10/2010 1:17 PM
JRedig
it was Dr Loren Miller,,,,great speaker for any club intrested in this subject
Thank you! It was an excellent presentation and discussion. |
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Posts: 726
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Sled, I'm with Steve, that line cracked me up. I want to know more about the puppies and kittens too!
C'mon herb, spill it! I want pics and I want the locations of all the puppies and kittens. I would also like to know if they show any kind of preference for one kind of treat over another.
: - )
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Posts: 477
Location: Iowa | jonnysled - 8/9/2010 10:19 PM
what kind of puppies and kittens were they?
LOL Very good question. |
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Location: MN | Lone Stone - 8/10/2010 8:09 PM
jonnysled - 8/9/2010 10:19 PM
what kind of puppies and kittens were they?
LOL Very good question.
jonnysled, thanks for lightening the mood! I laughed.
Very interesting posts regarding Vermilion and people's thoughts. I started fishing Vermilion six years ago and pounded it for four years straight, often spending weeks at a time on the lake living in my boat and at my family's cabin. At the end of the fourth year I was absolutely sick of the constant pressure and combat fishing; so I left. I stopped fishing the lake for the past two years. Recently I made it back up and what did I see, much the same. The pressure was still there, the fish were still spooky, but I will say it is sooooo much nicer to fish than fishing here in the MN metro. It really felt good to fish in the "wilderness" again and hear the loons, see the northern lights, etc. The quality of being on the lake was an A+ for me. From a fishing standpoint, the only draw is the potential for nailing a true monster. I know how fickle the lake can be but I know there are fish of a lifetime swimming around. This fact combined with the scenery & ambience will have me coming to the lake regularly again. However, I do have to agree with Herb on fishing some of the local waters. I have caught more trophy muskies fishing the past two years in the metro lakes than I did in my four years of pounding Vermilion, go figure. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | fished it from 1978 - around 1986ish. my perception especially after reading this thread is that it looks like a good smallie lake got wrecked by an invasive species and it's corresponding anglers. guys fishin' smallies back then didn't fight near as much as muskie guys do and al gore hadn't started inventing stuff yet, so the braggin' had to wait til we got back home over a cold shmidt and a bowl of popcorn down at the city club so you could get away with a lot more b.s. than you can these days. i wonder if the photshop creators were even born by then. sucks to get old ... |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The smallmouth fishing is still as good Sled. Sue and I intend to beat on them for a week. Bluegills, too. Sacrilege....and it's all just good fun until the smell of frying fish wafts over the camp....
You ain't old. You're just seasoned. |
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Mil Lacs