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| I bought my first boat last year and I have to say I was disapointed I caught 0 I have fished the lake with guides so its not like I was fishing completely blind.
My question is how did your first few years with A boat work for you did you do well or did it take A while |
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Posts: 1287
Location: WI | Depends where you're fishing. I caught 15 the first season I had my boat, but I spent half my time on action lakes.
ETA, 13 of my fish that season were under 40".
Edited by JKahler 1/18/2013 6:43 PM
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Posts: 2325
Location: Chisholm, MN | I started fishing with my dad's boat and it took FOREVER to catch my first musky. Bought my own boat this year and had a record setting year. The point is, it takes many years of practice with boat control to be consistent at catching muskies. Of course, some people are naturally better than others. Fish with people who do well and mimic their technique and style (which you already do). You can then develop your own style for what works best for you. Boat control is probably the #1 most important thing to learn in musky fishing, but lure presentation is a close second. I would combine both to get better results. Good luck next year! |
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Posts: 190
Location: Savage, MN | It was probably a half dozen times out before I boated my first fish which I was super disappointed about. To add salt to the wounds the first trip out was with a good fishing buddy and he landed one within the first 30 minutes out of my new boat. Ugh!!! But that is life, plus all that matters is that you are out fishing. Good luck. |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Patience.
The boat just gets you on the water, the rest takes time and experience. Enjoy the ride! |
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Location: Sawyer County, WI |
I caught one fish the first year I had my boat. I caught that fish off the dock.
I'll second what Steve said. Patience ! |
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Posts: 11
| Kirby Budrow - 1/18/2013 6:49 PM
...Boat control is probably the #1 most important thing to learn in musky fishing, but lure presentation is a close second...!
^this!
I bought my first "real" boat this last year, and my boat control was less than stellar. I beat my PB 3 times this year, and 2 of those times I feel like I owe it to good boat control, which I got better at as the season progressed. That is not to say lure presentation isn't important. Just keep at it and you will get better. |
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Posts: 163
Location: lake st clair michigan | i have a buddy that went half a season without catching a muskie after getting a band new boat ......he finally figured out he was just uncomfortable in the new boat being a little different ...so he went back to basics and walla ....he had his most catch season after that .......confidence is the key and luck does help....... |
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Posts: 717
Location: Grand Rapids, MI | 5 min. Lol. Pure dumb luck I'll admit, even though we were targeting them. 38" er. |
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Posts: 668
Location: Wisconsin | Get on a good smaller numbers lake and catch some if you are getting hung up on not catching any. Hitting the best spots on a smaller lake will increase your odds. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | I found when I started that I would give up after an hour or so and switch to bass or walleye just to have some action. I didn't start catching a lot of muskie untill I left the other stuff at home and fished only muskie. Fish water with good numbers and learn how to use 4 or 5 baits well, you don't need a boat full of lures that all do the same thing find a few confidence baits and fish them. I had one year that I wan't ever skunked but I was 25 years younger and wouldn't quit till I got one lots of 13 to 15 hour days if your on the water long enough somthing will turn on. My body will no longer take that kind of abuse and arthritis is turning me into a troller and I am relearning the whole game. Stick with it time will bring success and and confidence which will bring more success. But give your self a fighting chance and fish where there are lots of fish. |
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Posts: 456
Location: Kansas City BBQ Capitol of the world | Usually I don't like responding to "Guest" because if you have a question or comment use your name and own it.
In saying that I'll make an exception.
I bought my first boat just over a year ago and started fishing a new lake and in that year, just like you I was skunked.
Things picked up in year two and I netted a few and I am looking forward to 2013. You can't get discouraged. When you land that first one by yourself and slime your own boat your gonna feel like a rock star. Keep chugging, it will happen.
Ron |
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| Know the feeling. Ski fishing is hard. It takes time on the water just to know what you are looking at. Some suggestions: Fish the lakes and rivers that have the highest population of muskies. Only throw lures that have a good track record. Just try and catch musky--any musky. Don't worry about a trophy--they are few and far between. |
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Posts: 1828
| I bought a lucky boat last spring, so I kind of cheated. Ten muskies were caught in my new boat and four were caught in my old (smaller, non-motorized) boat last summer. I was going to write that you control your own destiny as the driver, but then I realized that Kirby B. holds the big fish record for my new "big" boat, and Travis T. (skieaholic?) holds the big fish record in my old small boat. I'll just call myself a selfless boat operator.
It was a new kind of excitement to catch muskies in my own, new boat, by myself. It was a new kind of frustration to try to control that thing in windy, fishy conditions with another experienced angler having to suffer my boat operation. I only caught muskies in my new boat on one lake all summer - the lake on which I had the most experience. |
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Posts: 2325
Location: Chisholm, MN | Umm, you hold the big fish record for my boat at a modest 52.25 inches! |
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Posts: 1828
| Which brings me to saying this: the driver can dictate action or no action for his passengers. I guilted Kirby into allowing me a fish before he proceeded to catch the third and fourth fish of the night. |
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Posts: 242
| I caught a Muskie the first day out on the water with my boat, but I was fishing for bass at the time, so that may not really count. |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | live bait helps if you can |
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Posts: 1036
| Caught one on my first trip with my new boat. Funny story. It hit a bucktail, I fought it to the boat and it tail walked, threw the bait and hit the side of the boat with it's head. It stayed there stunned long enough for me to net it and get a quick picture. She revived nicely after about 5 minutes by the boat. So, I credit the Ranger with the first catch! |
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Posts: 4266
| I caught lots of fish in my old boat, now that I have a fancy one, I have yet to pull a ski over the gunnel, and I've been fishing out of it for 3 years. It is a good bluegill and smallmouth boat, but if I go fishless this year I'm selling it. |
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Posts: 96
| I always feel like I am doing things wrong or fishing the wrong spots at the wrong time. I have been at it 5 years this is my 6th. I have not caught my first muskie yet.
I have seen 2 caught one was by accident while smallie fishing by my brother in law. I don't have great populations anywhere near me and cant afford to go to a different state all the time to chase my dream. |
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Posts: 292
| alot of patience and beleave in what and were your fishing helps.you may have had action and not seen the fish. |
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Posts: 3867
| Takes a lot of time and wasted line until you know you understand. |
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Posts: 1168
| Took me about an hour into the first muskie trip with my current rig to catch one. The boat itself had nothing to do with it, it was about knowing the area and and having confidence in what I was doing.
You don't need a fancy glittery sparkly boat to catch fish. Some guys catch a ridiculous amount each year by fishing from shore. They know the area they are fishing, know how and when to fish it, and rack up some pretty impressive fish. |
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Posts: 833
| Don't feel bad, I got skunked my first whole season and that was with my first new boat as well. Sworral's advice is very sound. I'd also echo the comment about 4-5 baits. Buying lures is very easy. Using the them effectively is a different story. Put time into developing your range, but be patient with it. If you throw 5 different baits a trip, you'll get minimal meaningful experience with each of them. If you throw 1-2, after a few trips you'll learn a lot. Learn seasonal progression for where you fish, that will help keep you up to speed on the location puzzle.
Edited by Brad P 2/12/2013 8:30 AM
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Posts: 785
| My first day ever musky fishing I caught 4 but the biggest was only 37"es. That was a little lake though that you just had to cast shorelines. Took me another 4 years to crack 40"es. If I would have started on a different kind of lake I woulda for sure got skunked.
Boat control is one of the most important aspects of musky fishing. Being on the fish all day long, not running them over, not being too far away... either of those will blow your chances. So often I see guys using the right lures at peak times on great spots but they're running it over and getting tangled in slop or casting to kinda nothing... they are so so close to putting themselves on big fish but come up short more often than not due to poor boat control. So take this as an opportunity to get familiar with your boat and learn to work spots correctly. If you do not have good electronics or possibly even a GPS I would recommend the investment as it will greatly aid you in boat control. I don't know your situation or the lakes your on so I'm making an assumption that this could be the problem. I know for me my biggest breakthrough in musky fishing was getting a good handle on boat control.
Edited by musky-skunk 2/12/2013 9:40 AM
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| Daytime throw cowgirls over cabbage, nightime throw a hog-wobbler over same cabbage. Never motoer full boar to a spot, sneak...The fish will come |
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Posts: 127
Location: SUN PRAIRIE WI | I have had the same problem new boat fishing lake Monona amd I caught 0 A couple follows and thats it. It is frustrating to say the least and I wont give up after 1 year but I do say at this point I am not happy that I bought A boat
I did catch 3 the last 1/2 of December but that was fishing from shore
GOOD LUCK to you and at least I know I cant do worse this year
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Posts: 304
Location: Lino Lakes, MN | New boat - Mine is a little different deal. I bought my Lund in 2004 it was 2 years old at the time. I picked it up on Monday night and on Tuesday night we had our North Metro Muskies inc league night on Forest Lake- Early August I believe.
My partner Dave and I boated 4 fish and Dave spilled a beer all over in the first 45 minutes- The spilled beer was the key- get it over with and get on to catching fish.
Many of the others had very good points about fishing limited numbers of lures ect. I wouuld also suggest picking apart one part of a lake to get to know it inside and out. Work on boat control. If you do not have a locater running off the bow trolling motor get one up there. GPS mapping would be great but a locator will help in the boat positoning.
Good Luck this season - don't baby that boat get her slimmed up, spill a beverage and don't sweat the little things.
Steve |
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Posts: 833
| I needed some burbot blood and sturgeon slime in mine to finally pop the cherry. Sorgy has good advice there! |
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| I like the honesty on this thread. Usually just a bunch of egos out there that only catch 30lbers.
A friend of mine can always catch fish because he's learned to read the water and graph so well. I've had the blessing of being with him a lot, and got into some nice ones, all in WI. We were learning a lake over 7 years, a lake that was hitting it's prime, which is long gone now. At first we would see fish, catch mid 30's, then see bigger fish, and finally cracked the 40 barrier, then more often. By the end of our run on that lake we had pulled several 50's out, and almost every trip got a 42, and were guaranteed to see something 46. Got to see a 52 there, my friend had on a beast that looked like he hooked a telephone pole. It takes so much time. Be calm, patient, learn, don't rush. I tend to rush, and get disappointed because I don't get a lot of time on the water. Since learning where and what about those bigger fish, I do the same things on other waters, and even though I don't "deserve" it, I usually still get into 40-42inchers on new waters.
Few points: don't fear depth, stick with faith lures, stay focused and motivated. Dull days need a dancing jerkbait, vary everything in a cast from speed to twitches. Work a structure in and out, not the same weedline or depth- don't stay in the same rut. Have fun. |
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HOW LONG