|
|
Location: Contrarian Island | Why has this year been so bad ? My network has some good fishermen in it, all are having a bad year for fish, and big fish ... what gives? late spring? funky weather?
it's not just one area...all over... look at the big fish entries on here... way down... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32901
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I don't think some anglers are adjusting to the weather pattern being light years from what we have had for the last 10 years. I'm having a great year so far. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | great year in what way? ie. do you have more over 45" per hour on water than past years..? to me it comes down to hours on water.. if you say you have 2 x as many big fish as you did last year but 2 x the hours to do it well then it's even and really no better...
Edited by BNelson 8/29/2014 9:18 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 335
Location: Minnesota | I blame it on the massive amounts of baitfish in the waters I fish regularly. The fish are well fed. They are very healthy looking and don't need to go looking for food.
There are some areas that the schools of perch are absolutely massive and I don't think we have had a cisco die-off in about 6 years now.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | Great topic.
I'm curious Steve, what adjustments have you made to the cooler summer that many other anglers are not?
I've had a good summer so far. Same amount of hours, actually a few less, but 6 more in the boat than all of last year. Still have Sept, Oct, and Nov. to go. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | This year has been a lot like last year. Don’t contact a ton of fish, but when we do they are usually bigger than “normal” years. I have always had a hard time keeping fish pinned, but this year has been even worse for me. If I could keep them pinned I would be having a good year for some big fish. Case in point for the NCMO tournament I lost a solid fish due to my split ring ripping off the bait!  How the heck does that happen!?
I don’t mind years like last year and this year. The fish are much heavier than “normal” years, and am contacting some good fish.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 114
Location: Kingston, Ontario | I would say the frequency of the cold fronts this year has been the biggest problem. Every 2 days a front has being moving through pushing the fish deeper and slowing them down. There has been very few times where you get even 4 days of stable weather to get the fish going. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | if one more person tells me about all the fish they have lost!!! ugh!  we all lose fish, we've lost plenty this year in my boat up to 50"+ but lost fish happen every year imo.. so is your fish per hour in the net better this year Travis and for the hours do you have more over 45" in the net? or is it worse... this year sucks for most I know
i agree, too many cold fronts etc.. wacky weather
Edited by BNelson 8/29/2014 9:44 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 548
Location: MN | sworrall - 8/29/2014 9:14 AM
I don't think some anglers are adjusting to the weather pattern being light years from what we have had for the last 10 years. I'm having a great year so far.
Steve are you making the adjustment to crappies? lol |
|
| |
|
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | what is the highest water temp. folks have registered this year, also water levels?
i've been primarily smb and lmb fishing and it's a better year than normal and i'd attribute that to the stable and relatively lower water temps.. fish are using structure and it's a matter of which side and which depth they are so sometimes you have to search the presentation, but finding fish is almost a no-brainer vs. other years where they headed to deeper water and main lake humps.
could it be that bait migration "differences" if the theory is true has it more concentrated therefore easier to find for muskies? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 202
Location: Angola, IN | I know one guide with record numbers of big fish (48"+) this year....... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 374
Location: Bemidji | I think sled hit the nail on the head. Water temps have been stagnant since the first week of July in the area that I fish (71-72.5). I think that many fish never made the traditional migration to shallow water. This year reminds me of 2009. Huge fish but not the numbers. I have more 50in fish per fish caught than ever (15 so far). It seems like it has been either feast or famine this year. 3-4 really good days and then 2-3 days of horrible fishing. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Brad, yes everyone loses fish and we all have stories. It's all I got as when you get out for 2-3 hour stints, and blow a big one due to short feeding windows it's all a guy has to go on. I don’t get out often anymore, but when I do I feel like I am contacting more big fish than normal. I don’t know for sure as I am not anal about keeping track of my hours fished, nor log catches anymore. Nothing wrong with doing that mind you, but I just have no interest in it. Anyway for the little time I now spend on the water I feel I am contacting larger fish much more frequently versus when I had a ton more time on the water. Maybe it’s just a matter of the lakes I fish, and that the dynamics on those lakes have changed a bit. One lake in particular it is odd to contact fish under 40” anymore whereas it was the norm to catch sub 40’s in the past there and once in a while contact one over 40”.
Lots of guys still having respectable years. I agree with Steve in the adjusting to the weather. I think those that got relaxed in throwing the big blades and rubber are perhaps struggling the most, but I could be wrong.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 108
| If I don't count LOTW my biggest fish of the year is still from WI in May!!!! For the guys who only get out a few hours here and there the MN bite has been tough!! Very short windows again due to various weather and water conditions. The guys I know that are putting up decent numbers are on the water for 10 hrs a day and are hitting the feeding windows to knock out a fish or two. I have not been on the water yet this season where the fish just bit all day long and you could string a pattern together to pound out 5 or more fish. Good news is September is a few days away and that will make things more consistent.
Good topic!
Brett Waldera |
|
| |
|
Posts: 40
| I agree w/ brmusky. The BOW I call home is very low density and packed full of baitfish. It wasn't always this way, but I'm pretty confident the crazy floods we've experienced over the last 5 or 6 years have had a huge impact on the tiger #s and didn't effect their primary baitfish hardly at all, if any.
What has helped me is reading over recent fish shocking surveys and seeing what baitfish I feel the tigers primarily target are showing up the most, then finding areas where those baitfish are most often found. Seems simple, but it's a bit tougher than it sounds, since I haven't been able to spot these fish (suckers) by eye very often and it's pretty difficult to differentiate specific baitfish (suckers from bass, gills and crappie) with electronics. Some of the traditional structure that used to produce fish and be my A spots have basically turned into dead musky water and big bass havens the last couple of years.
That said, I've changed my game plan and am using baits that target deeper fish that I think are most often in a neutral to negative mood. Like BR said, I just feel these fish have all the forage they need and very little competition for it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still fishing shallow an awful lot, but I'm fishing much lower in shallow water than I have in the past, as I feel the primary baitfish really hugs the bottom on this lake. Finding baits that are the best tools to trigger fish in these spots has been a bit of a chore, but slow rolling Pearson's Grinders throughout the thick stuff has been one of my best producers.
Bucktails still catch some fish, but it seems like I'm wasting my time unless conditions are prime. Moon, weather, & very little boat pressure are keys. Also, mixing it up with bucktails by changing speeds, adding jerks, changing directions has helped IMO. The trolling bite has changed in basically the same way, too. I still keep track of water temps in the various areas of the water column, but I catch more fish targeting fish lower than usual and it seems targeting specific water temps at certain times of the year has taken a back seat. This lake has basically done a 180 from the patterns that worked the best in the past.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 32901
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I am still fishing mid June patterns on the water near me. Downsized the presentations from last couple years for Pike and Muskies, and upsizing for pannies and bass, and I'm fishing shallower/more cover/more wood/more shallow rock (depending on the water fished) than I have in late summer in years. I think the Fall of 2014 may be our best Fall in a decade.
This pattern is one I saw quite a bit when I was guiding full time years ago. Water temps not getting past the 70's surface, and down 5' in the high 60's. All the species of fish I like to target are on a WAY different pattern than I have seen during the hotter Summers of the last few years. Surface temps after one cool night can be 69 to 70 or less on many of the lakes I am fishing.
The LM Bass fishing has been crazy good if you like chasing them on the 'shallower' edges, meaning I'm not fishing the big girls on the deep sandgrass/sand edges like last year. To an angler who likes to pitch creatures, that is indicative of where the muskies may be as well.
Any place you find Vallisneria Americana on the sand/marl flats relatively shallow, where that meets another good edge has been amazing this year for all species I target. I found Muskies (in surprising numbers) on Vermilion last week with the Aqua-Vu in 5' snugged down on the bottom in that stuff, mixed in with big crappies, gills, and bass. I DID have to adjust where I normally fish big crappies this Summer, and a huge adjustment was necessary to avoid catching nothing but tiny crappies and gills. It's been very, very good fishing, too.
Walleyes like the stuff too. Used to be a great pattern on Pelican when mid column water temps were high 60's to low 70's all Summer. It's worked for me so far. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 61
| 75*-78* water on central MN lake I've fished. It's been terrible, but I haven't adjusted much from last years patterns also. Only been able to fish 3-4 hours at a crack. Out of 5-6 guys I've talked to on the water they're not doing much better than myself.
St.clair is a different animal in my eyes. Us "normal" musky folk will never see the 10-20+ fish days the guides all post up about.
|
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | LSC doesn't count |
|
| |
|
Posts: 576
Location: Elk Grove Village, IL & Phillips, WI | Ditto on the bigger, heavier than usual fish this year. Also still fishing June patterns and still paying off! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | I am with Steve on the LM bass bite. I always seem to find it and have extremely great success year in and year out. But this year is just a little different then previous years. The bass where I fish are absolutely on fire right now. Hard to give up a bite like that when you are catching on almost every cast.
That being said My musky season has been flat out awful. No fish/ lost fish. I don;'t even think I had a follow on blades until two weeks ago.
I plan to stay on the bass until the bite dies. Then I'll go hardcore again |
|
| |
|
Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | Not to be ignorant, clearly I am, as this is only my 2nd year musky fishing, and 3rd year fishing regularly, can someone describe a June pattern? I assume it means smaller baits? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Been seeing and hearing much of the same. I'm still learning new waters yet and been fishing bass and pike a lot too.
Trying Beers this weekend with the old man. It's nice being on true musky water again. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 221
| I swear last year we'd at least get 2-5 follows a day, and this year we have been lucky to get one during a 10+ hour day. The fish we have pulled in have been really fat and healthy, so I think there is something to that "too much baitfish" reasoning. I also haven't messed around with the night bite this year, which has been good to me in the past. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | on avg I think the night bite has been worse....look how few night pics we are seeing ... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 158
| I am surprised this hear this season has been tough for so many. It's not the first I've heard about it, I am just surprised because I am having my most consistent year I've ever had. I may be close to last year's total number of fish caught. I have made some major adjustments due to AIS on our local pond. Basically, I'm working deeper and slower than ever before and by my standard, doing very well. Best of luck to everyone this fall, hopefully it gets epic.
TB |
|
| |
|
Posts: 441
| I agree with Kevin Cochran,
A couple of good days, mixed with a few bad days.
I think you have to be out there everyday, to take advantage of the very short windows. I'm not seeing the numbers of fish. I've been seeing a couple of fish, on average, a day.
Last year, totally sucked for me. Low numbers and total size.
This year has been my best for numbers, and size.
It didn't start to pick up for me until late July. This month has been good. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 20231
Location: oswego, il | Depends on where you are from. For me, I am 1 fish shy of tying my best year ever. I should surpass that by this weekend. Living south and a mild summer gives fibs a long season to work with. Most of these fish I have caught at a time when I can't fish down here. People are finding hot bites and doing very well in the flatland.
Edited by ToddM 8/29/2014 12:17 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 374
Location: Bemidji | Night bite? What night bite. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | ToddM, from your post I would assume you have more hours in this season from the sheer fact you have been able to fish more in IL??? So...again, how is your fish per hour? as that is what matters really...simply putting more hours in to catch more doesn't tell the story....I think the temp ranges in IL have been where WI/MN 'usually' are for the season so that explains a bit about why IL is having a good bite imo
Edited by BNelson 8/29/2014 12:25 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 999
| Steve, just wondering why do you foresee this fall being the best in a decade? I hope your right because last fall was terrible, the sucker bite was very very slow in our neck of the woods in Vilas. Nothing like other years. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1828
| This sounds just like last year's complaints. Not to say that this year hasn't been weird, but it seems like this is the discussion every year. "Weird weather"... when is the weather ever normal? "Low water temps"... Finally a year that you can fish all summer (temps stayed below 80), and now we say it's too cold?
BNelson - you keep asking about fish/hour stats. Is your catch rate much lower? How much lower?
I fished a fair amount (by my standards) up til July, and my catch rate is half that of last year. BUT most of my catches were in Sept and Oct last year. I start fishing again next week, so hopefully this fall is stellar. It kind of eases the pain of not fishing to hear that a lot of guys have struggled this summer. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 131
| For the little time I've spent on the water it's been a good year.I caught my personal best 55 and 2 days later kustom boy caught his personal best 54.5 .both on the same pond. For me it's been more of a mid morning bite .. I ve been through you pain Brad some years ya just can't catch up with the bite. I've been spending more time on spots casting primarily Jerk baits, no run and gun |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | my boat numbers are a touch worse, a fish has hit the net every 4.92 hours.. the reason I ask that is when guys say they are having great years, ok well if they have 2 x the # of fish as their best year, but have fished 3 x the hours it's actually worse... when i have been out, the # of fish contacted and # of sheer hits is down... not seeing the bigger fish very often... just an odd year all over
Edited by BNelson 8/29/2014 1:38 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1828
| If a fish every 5 hours is a bad year... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | It's been the same year for me, I catch a couple opening weekend and then dream for the rest of the summer. The same pattern for the last 5 years. I found a new way to save my arms and probably for future muskie day's....it's called jiggin. Never thought I'd find myself doing it on a consistant basis, but the results don't lie, the last 7 out of 8 weeks someone jiggin has won the Wednesday night league. I wish I could say that it's produced good results for me, but I guess 2nd place isn't so bad, someone once said "it's like kissing your sister". YUK! Bring on the sucker fishing.......
Netman |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | I didn't say it was a bad year for me. just a bad year overall..look at the big fish contest on here, half the fish to date as last year, friends of mine who are good fishermen not doing well, many guys going on trips to MN/Canada etc for a week and coming back with less than 10 for a week... that is just flat out slow in most guys books... it has been slower here in Madison.. just not seeing the # of fish per outing or getting the hits... Lake of the woods accounted for almost half the fish in my boat this year in a week...it's all what you expect...some guys think a 4 fish day is like out of this world great, well for some that is avg... just all what you expect and are use to doing
Edited by BNelson 8/29/2014 1:55 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1037
| Not a bad year, but a strange year over here. Lots of undersized fish in the spring. Then I got my butt kicked in the early summer period.
Re evaluated my approach. Gave a few new techniques a chance. Most failed, but one technique has paid off big time. Lots of fish, some nice ones. Repeatable. Got me back on track. Now I need more time on the water and on different water to keep trying my new technique.
But I have no doubt that had I kept doing my same old same old, that I'd be sitting here with an awful year under my belt.
Highest water temp I've seen was 79.5. And that went down to 78 quicly when the sun set. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 410
Location: With my son on the water | Is a 48 and a 53 on the same evening a bad year? Or seeing your son stick 4 over 40 inches in one evening bad? Not those days for me, but I certainly have had some tough days. But after those days, who cares?
To bad he has to go back to school.
Edited by btfish 8/29/2014 3:14 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 20231
Location: oswego, il | BNelson - 8/29/2014 12:23 PM
ToddM, from your post I would assume you have more hours in this season from the sheer fact you have been able to fish more in IL??? So...again, how is your fish per hour? as that is what matters really...simply putting more hours in to catch more doesn't tell the story....I think the temp ranges in IL have been where WI/MN 'usually' are for the season so that explains a bit about why IL is having a good bite imo
I dont know what my catch rate is but I do know I only have two days on the water this year I have not caught a fish and that was in the spring. Normally I am not musky fishing in late June, July and August. This year I am. Granted 13 fish are from a trip to lsc, throw those out and being able to fish during the summer is the difference between 18 and 60, just weekends. |
|
| |
|
Location: Canada | BNelson - 8/29/2014 2:37 PM my boat numbers are a touch worse, a fish has hit the net every 4.92 hours.. it would be helpful to me, for my own fishing, to know how your "boat hours" translates into "individual angler hours." I think my numbers going into this weekend are about 15 hours per fish. I fish alone 100% of the time. Wondering if my catchrate is lower than yours, a lot lower than yours, or dramatically lower! Purely so I have a benchmark for my own future fishing. Not interested in or hopefully not creating any p*ssing contests. TIA |
|
| |
|
Posts: 162
Location: Metro, MN | Ive caught a fish everytime Ive been out! Its still been a horrible year because I've only been out 3 times! The two w's playing defense on my chances to fish, work and the woman.
And BNelson is correct Lake St. Clair doesnt count |
|
| |
|
Posts: 305
Location: Illinois | I think individual guys can have great years even when fishing is slow overall. Based on the stats you can't argue that it's been a tough year.
Most fisherman spend the majority of their fishing during traditional peak times; dawn, dusk, and night. These key times tend to be best when the weather is hot.
Most fisherman are eating lunch or relaxing around noon, and missing the bite.
I know this because I always take a long lunch. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 298
| Not sure why the bites been so bad, but I've heard the same thing from others. I just got back from Canada and some of the muskies I caught on LOTW between Aug 8-16 were still carrying eggs. Water was still super high 36"-40" over normal in our area and I know it was even higher earlier. I had a 48" drop about 300 clear loose eggs all over my deck when I took her our of the net for a pic. Maybe some of the big females never spawned and are still absorbing their eggs. Too early to be next years eggs and doubt they'd be loose. All the fish we caught were fat and looked like October fish; even a smaller 37". We put 12 fish in my boat for the week, 6 over 45". 5 fish on figure 8s', and 7 out on the cast which is about average. 33" 37" 40" 42" 42.5" 43.5" 45" 46.5 47.5" 48" 50" 51.5". Some lost fish, but nothing big. Normal number of follows. My partner and I had an awesome trip! I wish we could have spread the wealth. Makes for a happier cabin.
Some fish adapted to the new shoreline cover while others were in their normal locations. You had to check both or you were losing out in my opinion. Our best spots were still good, but the fish were sometimes set up differently and you could easily miss out if you weren't thorough.
On the flip side, we were up there with 9 guys, 4 total boats and caught 24 fish for the week. Only 12 fish caught and one over 45" for the other 3 boats combined, a 49".
Some of our best sticks struggled all week. We all fish a lot of the same spots and it may have just been a timing thing. It's just really weird when you get such extremes just in one cabin. That's Muskie fishing I guess. I been on the other side and it can certainly be frustrating.
Weather is always king and the crazy weather patterns the past few years are beginning to be more the norm it seems.
Good luck out there! |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | Newbski, I have a fish personally every 10.5 hours, but that is a bit misleading as one 3 day weekend friends come down from MN and I fish in back so I'm 3rd bait thru, and we got a few fish on suckers and I let them have the hits, fishing in back a few other outings with friends when we caught fish ..had I been in front or taken some of the sucker hits my fish per hour would be better but I always look at it as a team, not just my hours, but boat hours.. 12 fish in a week on LOTW to me is slow, we got 18 in our week to 52 and I considered it slow... we expect 4 fish per day in the boat on lotw... we had the hits to do it but lost too many.. tough year overall for most imo... hour for hour not as many fish are being caught or for that matter even seen ... on most bodies of water it seems...
Edited by BNelson 8/29/2014 7:57 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 626
Location: S.W. WI | I am having a fine year. Size and numbers. Quite possibly my best. Probably more bigger fish this year (so far) than normal. Same 4-6 lakes I always fish, about the same # of days. No doubt it is a different kind of bite for me this year, but I think every year is. I have a few lures that get most of the fish and these lures seem to change each season.
...Also (sorry BNelson) but I have never lost as many fish as I did this May & June. We all lose fish yes, but not like what happened to me early this year. A lot of nippers and a lot of bigger ones that got off at the net. WAYYYY more than a years worth.
-Jon
Edited by Rudedog 8/29/2014 8:32 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 2283
Location: SE, WI. |
BN, I think the night bite is slower this season because of the cooler summer we've had. I also think because of the high water on the woods, that fish are scattered as well. Talking to a local walleye guide, he said that he has had more pike and muskie's taking there walleyes coming up off reefs than he can ever remember. So obviously many more ski's are staying deep than the regular shallow patterns we are used to on the woods. Also, I think #ers are down because of the cooler summer has the fish scattered! 1/2 deep! and 1/2 buried in the weeds. Where a typical summer, 75-80% of the fish are deep. My numbers are down a bit. 2012 and 2013 I had over 200+ Ski's each season. This year my numbers are at a pace of about 130-140. I think a good cool down will change things for better numbers and big fish! Guiding Pewaukee Musky JD
Edited by jdsplasher 8/29/2014 9:18 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 285
Location: NE Wisconsin | I am getting older and have not fished as much as normal. I have been to LOW for a week and have two more weeks planned. I have fished LOW since 1986 every year except one. Give me below normal levels EVERY time. And for WI, give me a warm spring over a late cold spring every time. Neither of which we had this year. Just my observations over the years. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1168
| Life circumstances have dropped the number of hours I've fished down but the rate of catch and overall size is the highest it's been in a decade. More multiple fish days, more "quality" fish, more fish contact overall and more "quality" fish contact. I don't know, it's been pretty darn good. Patterns have been predictable and have hung around longer and this is not an anomaly for just my boat of those I converse with on a regular basis. Many guys are having very solid seasons. I looked at a fairly comprehensive log a friend of mine keeps (includes fish he knows were caught regardless of water) and there was a stretch a month or so back where over 20 fish over 45 inches were caught in one week by half a dozen guys.
In "poor" years some guys can have great years and vice versa....in "great" years some guys can have poor years. Just part of the game. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 23
| I agree with BNelson and Cochran. it surely has been a tough/different year so far, thank goodness september is almost here. looking over the numbers i have, my boat has a significant amount more during the daytime periods than other years. most summer nights we could count on a fish or more a night, not so this season. the night bite up in northern minny has been terrible for me. why do i think its been so bad? call me dumb, or doom and gloom, but i believe that the increase in muskie fishing pressure and amount of bait fish this season has led us to where we are at. ive seen more muskie boats (which is great) this year than any other year. it just means less fish for everyone. i do think sometimes that maybe some of these minny lakes that were stocked in 1982 and 1989 have reached a peak and are stabilizing out. theres some studies being done on muskie cannabilism and escapement and i feel that plays a role as well. ya have a 15 inch year old muskie swim in front of a 52 incher sitting on a weed edge, it gets chowed and its one less stocked fish to catch when shes 14. my 3 biggest fish this season so far have come in the evening, during full light conditions, which, the last 6 years i could not have said. i dont know what the answer is, just know its been tough compared to other summers. good fishing to all! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 23
| and where the heck is the topwater bite??? other than lotw.... good luck! |
|
| |
|
| This has been the year of follows for me. Dozens and dozens but few takers. Never had so many in one season with so few bites. I'm guessing this to be a good month in sept. Into oct. In hopes they start eating and less looking. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 275
| Scottie Thomas - 8/30/2014 4:52 PM
and where the heck is the topwater bite??? other than lotw.... good luck!
Vilas County for me. Ten days of fishing on two trips, (6 days in mid June and 4 days in late August). I put 13 muskies in the boat from 33" to 42".....10 were on topwater!
Jaimy |
|
| |
|
Posts: 35
| I love how it says the following on the MuskieFIRST home page:
"Summer Muskie action has been excellent! The weather across the country has been cooler and wetter than normal, keeping the bite active."
Seems like this is total bull! Since when do cooler temps translate to a better bite? I'd much rather be fishing 76 degree water in July than 71 degree water. Everyone I've talked to said it's their slowest year ever so far. I will agree that it's been a fairly good year for 50+ inch fish but terrible for everything else. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | They gotta sell papers right? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32901
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | bcram555 - 8/31/2014 11:22 PM
I love how it says the following on the MuskieFIRST home page:
"Summer Muskie action has been excellent! The weather across the country has been cooler and wetter than normal, keeping the bite active."
Seems like this is total bull! Since when do cooler temps translate to a better bite? I'd much rather be fishing 76 degree water in July than 71 degree water. Everyone I've talked to said it's their slowest year ever so far. I will agree that it's been a fairly good year for 50+ inch fish but terrible for everything else.
That quote was from early Summer and was referring to the fact the water temps didn't scream up into the 80's as they had the last few years.
Everyone gets fired up for the 'best bite' when water temps hit 70* to 75* in the late Spring and early Summer, and again when the water cools in the Fall....odd.
Since when does cooler water (in the low to mid 70's) translate to a better bite? Study up on the biology of the fish.
The muskies are not eating or hitting any less than they ever would, especially when the water temps are dead center in the range at where a muskie's metabolism is peak. Jim probably said the closest thing in this thread to what we've found.
We hear the same thing MANY times about the Walleye bite, and then a National Walleye Tour event shows up and it takes almost the maximum weight possible to win, and 90% of that to get a top ten. At this weekend's NWT on Bay De Noc, the press and almost everyone was hollering the bite would be down and fishing really tough. We predicted after our day one morning interviews it would take 24 pounds to make a top ten going into day two. It took nearly 25. 28 is about all one can bring in...there's a slot up there and only 2 'overs' are allowed in the limit of 5 fish.
A couple of the best of the best thought out of the box, adapted, improvised; fished a method NO ONE else was using...and ended up first and second with close to the maximum weight possible (and took home around $95,000.00 in cash and a Ranger Boat certificate), even though the weather slowed the bite some for most of the field the second day...no wind and Bay De Noc ain't a good thing since the Zeebs showed up but both nailed a huge limit.
And then there are the dire predictions at any one BASS Elite event that the bite is 'off'. Someone finds the fish and spanks 'em good every time, and that 'someone' is usually the listing on the leaderboard at the end of the event in the top 20%.
I've heard that all Summer about the bass fishing from some folks up here. The fish are not where they were in late Summer the last few years and therefore are not 'biting' there..... |
|
| |
|
Location: MN | I have wondered if a lot of the fish stayed deep this year as others have mentioned in this thread. If that is the case shouldn't the open water trolling guys be having a better year? Can anyone who does it a lot comment? We caught a few nice ones early in the year deep but got bored of trolling and went shallow. Maybe we should have kept at it.
Most of the fish I caught this year were very solid thick fish. One in Mid-June looked like an October fish. That tells me they are still eating plenty, maybe just not what or where we have been offering.
Scottie the water is cooling down, the topwater bite is NOW! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 285
Location: NE Wisconsin | 1 inch of water over an acre is 27,150 additional gallons water the fish can be in. Multiply this by 1,000,000 acres of water in LOW and you get 27,150,000,000 gallons of water in LOW for every inch water above normal. Multiply this by 24 or 36 and we are talking some serious extra water to cover searching, for exactly the same number of fish that were there before the water rise. Give me below normal water levels anytime on LOW.
In WI, I feel, rising water temps are normal in the summer and what is expected by cold blooded fish. Fish seem to bite better in the summer with rising water temps, to a point, and slow up with the reverse or stable temps. In the fall, normal water temps are falling, when temps are falling fish are active, when a warming trend comes and water temps stabilize or rise cold blooded fish become less active. I have been wrong before and could be here also.
Edited by Johnnie 9/1/2014 7:36 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 218
| Steve
The statements were about muskie not bass or walleye. Why change the topic? It is easy to move off topic and cloud the issue. I am sure you can defend your post, but it does not speak to the topic. Is there a reason to be so defensive?
Ray |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | Ulbian I'm curious if you fish rivers? as some guys I do know that have had pretty good years have been fishing rivers... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32901
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Southshore - 9/1/2014 7:37 PM
Steve
The statements were about muskie not bass or walleye. Why change the topic? It is easy to move off topic and cloud the issue. I am sure you can defend your post, but it does not speak to the topic. Is there a reason to be so defensive?
Ray
I wasn't 'defensive' at all. I pointedly explained the front page headline the guy was commenting about point by point, and then addressed what our group has found out on the water this year.
It's called 'debate'. Way different than arguing, I offered opposing supported viewpoints.
All of the species of fish we pursue are not where they were during the warmer years, and that should be important to muskie angling for a number of reasons. Muskies behavior should not be considered mutually exclusive in the ecosystem.
Hardly clouding the issue, I was offering reasonable, factual parallels. Make more sense now?
And my post certainly does speak directly to the subject clearly in the first four paragraphs, please read it again.
I think I already mentioned the videos we shot with an Aqua-Vu Micro+DVR looking at the crappies were were after on Vermilion for the Spring Bay Worrall cabin fish fry, and finding big Muskies, and not just a couple, right there with them. Neither specie was there the last 5 years, and that is exactly the point I was making. We've seen that elsewhere as well. Why were we shooting that video? The fish were behaving oddly once the light got up seeming to refuse to rise more than a few inches off the bottom (despite being very aggressive once we figured out how to get the bait to them) eliminating the most efficient method of catching them. I wanted to know what was going on.
BN, you have heard of folks doing well on rivers this year? I haven't fished moving water since June, unfortunately. Keith was on the Pelican today right across from the house.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 999
| Steve, just curious as to why you think 2014 could be our best fall in a decade? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32901
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The last time we had this weather pattern, I had an absolutely incredible September and October before I went into Whitetail mode. We had multiple evenings with two and three fish, and Keith smacked 'em around too. Water temps are at almost exactly what we had that year, algae is an issue on the same lakes, and the fish seem to be set up about the same. here's to hoping....I believe absolutely no one has all of this figured out, because the fish do what they do, sometimes with no rhyme or reason. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | I've spent most of my time on moving water, and the only consistent bite in my neck of the woods has been under the dams (big surprise).
High water is swell in the early season, late season high water sucks. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 141
Location: Minnetonka | It's definitely turning around in Northern MN. On Saturday, we boated three fish and the DNR officer at the launch said he had heard of two other boats that put 4 in the net and another with 3. All different times of the day...on all different kinds of structure. The cool down is just starting and I agree with Steve that this fall will be one for the books. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 999
| Great to hear!
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 216
| sure was, I was in a little mid summer rut but kicked off sept 1st with a big pig 54". Can't wait for what's to come in the next 3 months.ps that's without pinching tails and our ruler is a sticker on the middle seat of the aluminum boat, so when you bump em the point of the beak is actually past the beginning of the tape because the side of the boats not square so she was all of 54" and maybe then some.i know, I need a bump board, never really mattered before to me but now I feel kinda robbed. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 146
Location: Alsip, IL | My hours have been way down this year due to paramedic school but numbers haven't been bad. I've got 37 fish in the boat, and plenty of lost fish and follows. I only have 5 over 40 with my big fish coming a few days ago at 47 inches. I'm not complaining though. I'd say I have less than 80 hours on the water this year unfortunately. Bulk of my fishing is done in Illinois, Southwest Michigan, and the UP. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 300
Location: Minocqua, WI | jonnysled - 8/29/2014 9:48 AM
what is the highest water temp. folks have registered this year, also water levels?
i've been primarily smb and lmb fishing and it's a better year than normal and i'd attribute that to the stable and relatively lower water temps.. fish are using structure and it's a matter of which side and which depth they are so sometimes you have to search the presentation, but finding fish is almost a no-brainer vs. other years where they headed to deeper water and main lake humps.
could it be that bait migration "differences" if the theory is true has it more concentrated therefore easier to find for muskies?
I've been on the bass bite all year ^^ with this guy above and Jon knows what's up. This has been an incredible year for some fish species like bass and walleyes, and poor for others. I think it all has to do with the lakes and how fish aren't cooperating with the conditions we as anglers are being dealt with....... which could include high water, cooler water temps, strange forage movements and corresponding fish locations.
Haven't made any travels outside of WI this year for one reason or another, but in the 20 days or so I've spent casting throughout Vilas/Oneida/Iron/Price I've only caught 7 with none over 40", and the number of followers has been way down like most years. I keep to a rotation of 20 lakes and rivers that have treated me well over the years. Has my lake selection for specific days or conditions been bad? Can't argue for this year and how unproductive its been. On a typical day I'm trailering around, hitting anywhere from 1 to 4 lakes per day for up to 14hrs. Then afterwards I return to the house asking myself whether these are mythical creatures we keep chasing around. So at this year I'm at about 34hrs per fish thus far (20 days @ 12hrs/day at 7 boated) whereas last year I was at 15hrs per fish (40 days @ 12hrs/day at 32 boated).... painful. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | wow, you have 37 fish in the boat and only 80 hours on the water? you are doing better than pretty much anyone I've ever heard of .... good work! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2021
| 84 in my boat so far this year, 3.8275 hrs per fish  Looking over the past 10 year better than average numbers so far lots of 42-45" fish , 16 over 45" boated (and more than a few lost) ... been decent so far. |
|
| |
|
Location: MN | IAJustin - 9/4/2014 4:53 PM
84 in my boat so far this year, 3.8275 hrs per fish Looking over the past 10 year better than average numbers so far lots of 42-45" fish , 16 over 45" boated (and more than a few lost ) ... been decent so far.
If you take out LOTW and LSC (if you go there) what do your numbers look like? I'd be interested to know the same for BNelson. Not trying to prove anything, just trying to compare with my notes.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 619
| I just think there is less available fish with more people fishing equals lower catch rates. I don't think it has anything to do with weather. Not quit sure how some of these Mn lakes will make it. Plus it seems like the few fish I'm getting are all gill hooked and real questionable if they live after release. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2021
| Nershi - 9/4/2014 5:05 PM
IAJustin - 9/4/2014 4:53 PM
84 in my boat so far this year, 3.8275 hrs per fish Looking over the past 10 year better than average numbers so far lots of 42-45" fish , 16 over 45" boated (and more than a few lost ) ... been decent so far.
If you take out LOTW and LSC (if you go there ) what do your numbers look like? I'd be interested to know the same for BNelson. Not trying to prove anything, just trying to compare with my notes.
Take out LOTW (don't fish LSC) and I'm at 49 fish.. hrs per catch is almost same under 4 hrs per fish boated. Only one day in MN this year. one fish in 10 hrs. there pretty small sample size though Weird year for me number have been excellent ..less four footers + than usual....no time in MN - HA!
Edited by IAJustin 9/4/2014 5:23 PM
|
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | Lotw didn't do much to the hours per fish as if I take out that week the fish per hour stays about the same at 5.2 hours per fish...Madison lakes have been tough this year, one guy is out there pretty much every day and usually isn't lighting them up for the hours he has in... last year I believe he had 6 over 45 by now I believe casting this year zero....
what I have noticed in this thread is the varying degrees of what we think is a good or great trip or outing..... some think 2-3 fish per day or outing is great, to others that is avg or some even below avg.... lotw my partner and I flat out expect 4 fish per day .... it's all about expectations and what your "fish thermostat" is set at..most guys I know in MN are way behind for size and numbers..maybe it will change this fall.... ?!
Edited by BNelson 9/4/2014 5:39 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 298
| BNelson - 8/29/2014 7:56 PM
Newbski, I have a fish personally every 10.5 hours, but that is a bit misleading as one 3 day weekend friends come down from MN and I fish in back so I'm 3rd bait thru, and we got a few fish on suckers and I let them have the hits, fishing in back a few other outings with friends when we caught fish ..had I been in front or taken some of the sucker hits my fish per hour would be better but I always look at it as a team, not just my hours, but boat hours.. 12 fish in a week on LOTW to me is slow, we got 18 in our week to 52 and I considered it slow... we expect 4 fish per day in the boat on lotw... we had the hits to do it but lost too many.. tough year overall for most imo... hour for hour not as many fish are being caught or for that matter even seen ... on most bodies of water it seems...
I know what your saying about slow fishing. I probably should have clarified what section of LOTW, but it's not Sabaskong, The Angle, or any of the Narrows. 12 is a large number of muskies in one boat for a week in the part of LOTW I fish. More trout water fishing than meso. My average would be closer to 7-8 most years. Fishing is rarely easy, but you can be rewarded and average length and girth is superior. Though it can be impossible at times! |
|
| |
|
| Madison lakes have been tough this year, one guy is out there pretty much every day and usually isn't lighting them up for the hours he has in... last year I believe he had 6 over 45 by now I believe casting this year zero....
It's funny how "feel" can be different than objective stats. The pace actually suggests that he will end up with more fish this year than last year. Less big fish than last year for sure, but I think that's because something unique happened last year and this one is more typical for big fish in Madison. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | Pace is one thing. Hard to know if its better or worse without knowing hours put in vs. last year... from what he has said to me and from my own observations on the water madison lakes have been sub par this year |
|
| |
|
| Pace is one thing. Hard to know if its better or worse without knowing hours put in vs. last year... from what he has said to me and from my own observations on the water madison lakes have been sub par this year
it may be true, maybe he's fishing way more than he did last year. so it's probably better to look at a larger sample size since averages across large groups are more consistent for amount of time fished.
From opening day - first Friday in September, year-on-year registrations in the Muskies Inc Lunge Log for Dane Co by CCMI members:
2011: 264 fish, 8 fish of 45" or larger, 3 fish of 48" or larger
2012: 316 fish, 21 fish of 45" or larger, 3 fish of 48" or larger
2013: 380 fish, 32 fish of 45" or larger, 7 fish of 48" or larger
2014: 531 fish, 30 fish of 45" or larger, 7 fish of 48" or larger
x-factor: no mid-summer heat issues this year.
|
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | yah no doubt, last few years we have missed months at a time, I think it was last summer or maybe 2012 that we had sustained 80 degree water for 2 months and most of us shelved our musky stuff...
interestingly ... the # of fish caught went up 71% from last year but the # over 45 and 48 stays the same? that is more about what this thread is about...not all the sub 40 fish...but the BIG fish... ie, the lack of big fish registered on here, and the overall lack of big fish being caught by most on the water... look at the hours some have in to not even have 1 over 45 casting? where are the big fish?
Also, muskies inc data doesn't tell the whole story, Cap City has a huge club, are more guys fishing this summer w the cooler water temps, are more guys registereing fish that maybe never use to, it also sheds no light on the # of hours to get those fish...if the angling hours went up 100% but catches only went up 71% then it is in fact a down year...
same story in MN from those I know over there... late spawn messed things up coupled w the crap weather?
Edited by BNelson 9/5/2014 9:12 AM
|
|
| |
|
Location: MN | I would also add that numbers and hours per fish vary greatly based on what type of lake you fish. I know a few guys who travel to action lakes to catch a lot of small fish. Most of these action lakes you have little chance at catching a big fish (45+). There is nothing wrong with that but catching a fish every 2-3 hours on those types of lakes is not hard. Personally I fish for muskies to catch big fish. I'd rather fish a whole weekend and only catch one big fish than fish an action lake and catch 20 fish under 40. Some guys like numbers some guys like size, nothing wrong with either. I'm not saying that is the case with you guys, just pointing out that hours per fish does not tell the whole story.
Back to the original topic, my hours per fish on big fish waters is definitely down. I don't keep track of time on the water but I know I have a lot more time in this year and my numbers and size are about the same as last year. |
|
| |
|
| Also, muskies inc data doesn't tell the whole story...if the angling hours went up 100% but catches only went up 71% then it is in fact a down year...
yep, data is just data. that said, we have a lot of data for Dane Co. and large groups of people behave in astoundingly predictable and consistent ways when studied over time. knowing that, it's likely that fishing hours per person in 2014 are comparable to those of the previous 10 years. inferred and likely, but not known.
our trend data for big fish (over 45" long) predicted about 6.5% this year. we'll see how the year ends up, but if it's 5.6% we'll be slightly down but not horribly so. 2013 was a strong year above the curve so be careful of the recency effect in looking at just last year as the comparison. of course, 2009 and 2010 were strong up years too, and 2011 was horribly down for big fish.
same story in MN from those I know over there... late spawn messed things up coupled w the crap weather?
everyone everywhere is complaining, so there's clearly something happening. my feel by looking at the numbers is that it's much more pronounced in northern MN than southern WI.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | My season started out great. Boated 17 in June & then went o for 1 in July (lost a 50 on a prototype that I was field testing). I was feeling down after July but the first weekend in Aug I boated a nice one then didn't see a musky worth catching the rest of the month until the 31st where I boated 2 within 15 minutes of each other. Going to take a break for the next couple of weeks & target sturgeon. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 455
| Last year I boated a fish almost every trip and my boat only skunked one day. This year I have not landed a single fish and my boat has one 49" in it so far. I attribute it to Karma. Prolly ran my mouth too much last year. Anyway for me the weather does have an impact but so does statistical chance (luck) and plenty of other factors that can be local in nature. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 397
Location: Wisconsin | I have had a rough season as well, only a handful of musky in the boat in wisconsin. But, Steve Heiting just wrote an artical in wisconsin outdoors magizine... clearly laid out how to change up your game in and "odd weather" season like this. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1828
| Last year I had 14 fish and about 1 fish per 10 hours. Those are just the ones I caught, not the data for my boat.
This year I'm at just 4 so far and only 1 fish per 22 hours.
Still better than one fish per ten thousand casts! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 127
| jaultman - 9/8/2014 8:00 AM
Still better than one fish per ten thousand casts!
I think that's about what I'm at this year...again. hah |
|
| |
|
| yah no doubt, last few years we have missed months at a time, I think it was last summer or maybe 2012 that we had sustained 80 degree water for 2 months and most of us shelved our musky stuff...
here's the same data for May 1st - July 15th the past few years for CCMI in Dane County. it doesn't speak to catch rate, but it's interesting to compare.
2009: 191 fish, 19 over 45" (9.9%)
2010: 219 fish, 23 over 45" (10.5%)
2011: 186 fish, 5 over 45" (2.6%)
2012: 237 fish, 19 over 45" (8.0%)
2013: 236 fish, 16 over 45" (6.8%)
2014: 311 fish, 12 over 45" (3.9%)
so even when you remove the time when most people weren't fishing mid-summer, this year's numbers are still significantly up in Madison/Dane County overall. however, big fish catches are down dramatically as a percentage of fish caught.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1245
Location: Madtown, WI | I would argue there are more big fish in madison this year than years previous, as you know Mike the HUGE stocking that took place (forget the year) those fish are now in the mid-to upper 40 inch range... definately more big fish then there was in 2009...
I have been on the sidelines a ton this year so can't use my info other than my Canada trip has echo'ed the "slow" factor.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 62
Location: Minnetonka MN | mnmusky - 8/30/2014 6:12 PM
This has been the year of follows for me. Dozens and dozens but few takers. Never had so many in one season with so few bites. I'm guessing this to be a good month in sept. Into oct. In hopes they start eating and less looking.
Very similar story for my son and I. Lots of time on the water, primarily Tonka. Have had as many as 7-10 follows in a 6 hour period with zero strikes. Not a single strike in the figure 8. People have said we are doing something wrong, need to do more to trigger strikes away from the boat. Oh well |
|
| |
|
Posts: 238
Location: Rhinelander | Shocked by the low % of fish over 45" and total amount caught.
I under stand the larger fish are a small percentage of fish in any given body of water but would assume more fisherman would be targeting them.
Between myself and consistent fishing partner we hover around the 22-25% mark of our northern WI fish over the 45" mark in a "normal year". As we all know this isn't a normal year for big fish. This year we are at about 14% of our muskie catch over 45 inches with still fishing big fish waters on big fish spots. We have moved around some searching for the larger fish on smaller fish spots but caught smaller fish. Go figure. This what has kept our overall numbers somewhat constant.
Our overall numbers of fish are slightly down but not by much. Weird why little fish are occupying big fish locations. Off year for catching the top fish in any given lake with any consistency. Have theories and guesses but can't say for sure why this year is a down year. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1828
| I'm facing a rude awakening here... People are catching dozens and dozens of fish and averaging a fish in the bag per 4 - 5 hours this year? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 35
| All depends what lake you are fishing. St. Clair or LOTW you might get a fish every 5-6 hrs and Mille Lacs you might get a fish every 40+ hours. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | yes to some degree it depends...but I know good anglers who fish mainly in Northern WI, they avg a fish every 4-6 hrs on water and fish tons of different lakes, same story for some of the anglers I know in MN...same thing, they fish multiple lakes over the season and avg a fish in the net every 4-6 hours.. Mille Lacs and LSC are the 2 far extremes...by and large we are all fishing waters with musky populations at .2 to .5 per acre... of course if you fish mainly action waters the #s can be skewwed and if you mainly fish lakes like Mille Lacs the # is skewwed... I know most are out fishing and don't chime in here but I'd be curious how the guides are doing ... I have heard some guides in MN are def having down years for #s and size as well.
Edited by BNelson 9/10/2014 2:06 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1283
| jaultman - 9/10/2014 12:32 PM
I'm facing a rude awakening here... People are catching dozens and dozens of fish and averaging a fish in the bag per 4 - 5 hours this year?
Ha right? I must be doing something wrong. Hell I even hired a great guide and hit 3 lakes with him during a full day and didnt boat anything with three of us fishing. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 619
| Yep. Same here. I'm going on 40 hours here pretty quick fishing stocked waters without a bite. Maybe 4-6 hours when the fish are really biting. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | it's an average... yah you maybe have gone 40 hours w no fish, but in next 5 you could boat 5 or more to get your avg back down there.. heck we all go long stretches w out a fish... but over the course of 100, 200, 500, or a 1000 hrs it will avg out... just like MLB hitters going 25 at bats w out a hit..then they go 9 for 10 ... averages are just that.
Edited by BNelson 9/10/2014 2:16 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 238
Location: Rhinelander | Brad is correct.
Just recently had a 11 hour day with 4 fish caught. Week before had a 9 hour day with zero fish caught. The four fish topped at 44" (2) at low 40's and a mid 30's fish.
But the norm for us is to fish, what we believe for that day, the most productive times. Fishing this way will keep your catch to hour ratio lower than multiple all day marathons during poor conditions. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | Except you mean that "your catch per hour ratio" will increase if you fish that way (most productive times). Your hour per catch would be lower. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | This is some interesting data from the Frank Schneider tournament held over the weekend in northern Minnesota.
Goes to show how tough the bite was. Obviously not everyone fished all 28 hours of the tournament, but just to put it in perspective: 550 anglers x 28 hours = 15,400 hours for 86 fish caught. That's 179 hours per fish 40 or bigger caught, on a variety of some of the best waters Minnesota has to offer. That's nearly fifteen 12 hour days per fish! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 441
| Come on up to Vermilion and average one fish every 4 to 6 hours!!
Ain't happening, over the season, unless you are using dynamite
Vermilion has been better this year, compared to the last couple of years.
It's not hours per fish, on the Big V, it's days per fish.
Edited by bucknuts 9/10/2014 5:09 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1283
| How many under 40 were caught?
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | achotrod - 9/10/2014 5:07 PM
How many under 40 were caught?
We don't count those |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1283
| Lol they count in my boat. Just sayin the numbers are off because they dont count. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | Throw in as many little fish as you like - numbers still pretty low |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1828
| Propster - 9/10/2014 8:22 PM
Throw in as many little fish as you like - numbers still pretty low
Make it 5 "unders" for every one "over", and you're still talking 36 man-hours per fish, which SUCKS. Rough tournament!
I will now blame my miserable results last weekend fully on the weather. Thanks. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 113
Location: Shoreview, MN | So throughout this thread no one has actually posted anything they personally did differently this year! If people are making adjustments let's hear 'em. I fish a few lakes in the NE MN Metro about once a week and I can say that June was fine/normal patterns but July-Aug was mostly the dead sea for me doing things that worked in the past. It's picked up in the past couple weeks and my usual Sept stuff is working. But I'm still scratching my head about what happened over the summer - the typically fly hatches that usually signal a suspended bite were late and long so maybe they just stayed scattered and suspended all summer? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 334
Location: Madison, WI | MNSteveH - 9/15/2014 4:16 PM
So throughout this thread no one has actually posted anything they personally did differently this year! If people are making adjustments let's hear 'em...
That's what I was thinking.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | EsoxAddiction - 9/15/2014 8:15 PM
MNSteveH - 9/15/2014 4:16 PM
So throughout this thread no one has actually posted anything they personally did differently this year! If people are making adjustments let's hear 'em...
That's what I was thinking.
fished smallies … caught a bunch, some pigs n had a blast! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1316
| I also fish the NE metro lakes, and I have been trying to figure out if it is a worse year or not, for me. It seems like it is, but when I look at it, maybe not. It might be circumstances. Last year, I didn't start fishing until mid July, as I was without boat until then. I didn't fish as much as this year, and I hooked fish every time out. Saw lots of fish. Had no outings where I didn't encounter at least one fish. This year, I've fished more, and caught less. Had a few outings with no muskie encounters, and a couple without so much as a pike. I have also had a couple outings with no musckies, but caught several really big pike. Looking back at my logs from last year, almost all of them happened to be during moon rise or set. In fact about 80% were moon sets. This year, I've hit two moon rises, that's it. How influential that is, I don't know. We've had the weird season weather-wise, and I know I haven't made the best adjustments, although, I did try some completely different things last weekend, and broke a two trip drought on the same lake. I'm not counting the trips to my neighborhood tiger lake, as I am pretty much on a first name basis with most of the fish in that lake. It's where I go when I need a confidence boost. I only fish about 3 to 4 hours at a crack, and mostly fish alone. I go when I can go, regardless of whether it should be a "good" day or time. It seems like I happen to have gone during more prime times, last year, and this year, I always seem to catch the front wrong, or there is no notable moon event. So, it seems like it's not as good as last year, but I can't say for sure. It just hasn't seemed as good. |
|
| |
Bad year ? why?