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Muskie Fishing -> Fishing Reports and Destinations -> On the Board for 2016 - Webster Lake Indiana Report
 
Message Subject: On the Board for 2016 - Webster Lake Indiana Report
RandalB
Posted 4/18/2016 6:44 AM (#814374)
Subject: On the Board for 2016 - Webster Lake Indiana Report




Posts: 470


Hey All,
Spent the Weekend at our place on Webster lake, Couldn't have asked for better weather for April.

Temps Spiked from 51-53 on Friday to 60-64 by Sunday PM. Water is clear in some areas, Murky in others. Weeds are still not showing a lot of growth, with last years weeds still present in the 2-5' range. Not seeing much new growth as of Yesterday.
Bluegills Swarming in the 2-5' Range, LM Bass bedding up in the channels (Saw some in the 5# range..)

The muskie pattern was reported to me as fish being contacted in the 6-10' Range on Small baits. I can't confirm this, I didn't see a single fish working that pattern.

I did however (while boating with the family, nose in the graph..) see dense clouds of bait suspended in the 17.5' range in 20-30' of water with classic arc's above and to the sides of the clouds. By Sunday, I gave up on the shallow pattern and decided to fish deep water. That decision saved the fishing portion of the weekend.

I started fishing in 20' of water adjacent to a known spawning area with a large bright bait (A Bulldawg I bought at the musky expo.. Gotta try the new baits right?) Fished for about 15 minutes down the contour, working the 'dawg in what I'd consider a fall type retrieve (long Pauses, with random twitches/jerks). As I'm watching for the lure, almost to boatside, I see it come up (visibility 6-8' down) and I see a flash that ends with a tail. My Daughter reported the conversation going like this: "What was... FISH!, FISH ON!" in about 1 second. Fish took a swipe at the 'Dawg, missed, turned on a dime and grabbed it so fast it was unreal. My netgirl took care of business, and I'm on the board for 2016.

42" (Yes, on the bump board Todd..) Female with some spawing marks in the bag.

I'm very glad it went down like it did, I think it helped to reinforce some of the fishing lessions we all hear on Message Boards, TV shows and in the Magazines with me early in the season:

Trust your read on the data; I was seeing fish on the graph deep and the shallow pattern felt "wrong" to me, like knocking on the door of an empty house.

Concentrate. Take a break if you are getting tired to regain your focus.
You may only get one shot at a fish the whole trip. (Only one I had, couple of lazy follows after the 42" was it..)

Don't worry about high speed. She wanted that 'dawg and got it. No way I could have pulled it away from her: She was that fast.

Remember why you are doing it. Makes the hours of grinding worth it. It's the next day and I'm still jacked up (as if you couldn't tell by my running off at the keyboard)

Hope everyone has a great year on the water and I'll keep reporting the Indiana conditions as I get out there.

Hope to be telling you all more Muskie tales as the season progresses!

RandalB


Edited by RandalB 4/18/2016 6:46 AM



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chasintails
Posted 4/18/2016 8:04 AM (#814377 - in reply to #814374)
Subject: Re: On the Board for 2016 - Webster Lake Indiana Report




Posts: 457


Nice job Randall, nice report too.
ToddM
Posted 4/18/2016 6:26 PM (#814424 - in reply to #814374)
Subject: Re: On the Board for 2016 - Webster Lake Indiana Report





Posts: 20214


Location: oswego, il
Nice fish! I "echo" chasintIls sentiments when I say congrats.:-)
hambone
Posted 4/18/2016 9:27 PM (#814451 - in reply to #814424)
Subject: Re: On the Board for 2016 - Webster Lake Indiana Report




Posts: 52


Good job Randal and company !! We went to Skinner last Wednesday and caught a little feller, 26", and a 36" fatty. All in 8' to 10', casting smaller crank-baits. Water was 47* and murky/clear depending on where you were at. Marked some bigger girls deeper, but no takers. Going back out Tuesday/tomorrow, to see what we can find!! Man, nice weather make it fun !!
RandalB
Posted 4/18/2016 9:31 PM (#814453 - in reply to #814374)
Subject: Re: On the Board for 2016 - Webster Lake Indiana Report




Posts: 470


Recognize somewhere did ya Todd? LOL

I actually saw more bait clouds between Eagle and yellow banks, but I was keeping an eye on my son and his buddy putting around with his 12' aluminum boat (8 HP Evinrude) along the east shoreline....

RandalB
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