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Posts: 696
Location: Northern Illinois | Went to LOTW August 13-20 (Rat Portage) last year for the first time and loved it. The only problem was that we caught only 3 muskies between 4 people (I caught them all...LOL) and we caught probably 75-100 Northerns 34" and bigger. Its fun to catch a big Northern any day but that was kinda out of hand. I had the things hitting everything from Pacemakers, to 11" Suicks, and Depth Raiders. We did see some big muskies but not a lot. The guys that were there a week before us said they had great action with 1 guy getting 2 50s (54" and 50"). I was honestly thinking about buying that Bobbie Bait at R&Hs that was like 15" long. What would you guys do and what would you use? Maybe some of you fish this area and know what to do?
Any help is much appreciated!
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | I bet it was more of your choice of locations as opposed to your lures. Most of the success I have on LOTW I am generally in an area with just Musky, or Just Pike. They often don't seem to mix together from my personal experience, although one spot can change from one time to the next. The musky "spots" I found on LOTW were less obvious then your typical Pike Spot, although I am not entirely sure where Rat Portage is, I generally fish Sabaskong.. |
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Posts: 2044
| thats alot of 34" + pike in a week on LOTW ......If you want to return in Aug. to LOTW I would find a resort up near Big Narrows ....goood muskie water!!! |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Your post sounds like, "I fished Northern Minnesota and all I caught was a lot of big pike!"
Where on LOTW were you? That is some big water, can you narrow it down a bit?
Try bucktails, they worked well on Sabaskong Bay for me (Sab Bay is a big area, too!). ,m |
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Posts: 2044
| rat portage bay is up near Kenora....Sab. or NW angle will not offer as many "snots" if you find them annoying ... I never found catching 34"+ pike all that bothersome to me  |
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Posts: 696
Location: Northern Illinois | Yeah, we stayed and launched in Kenora and fished the whole Rat Portage area. We had a "milk run" that seemed pretty good and we talked to a lot of people who fish the area that never seemed to of had the same problem. I couldn't explain it at all. Don't get me wrong...Catching a 34" Pike is nice but when your expecting to see and catch some big musky it gets old. 1 guy in the group isn't going this year because of all the Pike. I hope that it was just a freak week or something that turned the Pike on. All 3 musky that I caught were on 10" Suicks. |
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Posts: 381
| The water is very fertal up around Kenora. That is where all the weed are and then that is where all the northerns are. I would work a little sound of there and you will find Muskies.
Drop me a line I fish this area and have done very good the last couple years.
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Location: Chippewa Falls, WI | Hey Brett,
Try fishing more main lake structure, look for the Big points/reefs, and Main lake Rock Complexes/islands.
I have had good luck over the years fishing the main lake rock stuff, and staying out of the weeds.
Also have seen and caught more big girls out in this stuff
If you are in the weeds, yes you will get in to more pike than Muskies.
Good Luck |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | I was up at Sabaskong Bay about that same time last year ( week later ) along with some other Muskie 1st Folks and we found the same thing,
what we found as a group was that the bigger Northerns were using prime musky spots when they were there you could not buy a Musky but if there no Northerns you would get a Ski.
Jonesi and I talked about this one night and we think what was happening was the lake was starting to cool ( WEEK LONG DAY AFTER DAY COLD FRONT ) bringing the Northerns shallower moving some of the Skis off the classic structure
BIG NORTHERNS ARE FUN BUT DISSAPOINTING IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A BIG SKI ON 
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | I agree with the weeds in August, forget it....only small patches connected to something else or better yet, Fringes of grass, my favorite musky spots
Edited by Musky Brian 4/17/2006 7:00 PM
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Posts: 696
Location: Northern Illinois | Yeah, I would agree that almost every "Prime" musky spot held the biggest Pike that we caught. The 3 Musky caught were all caught with some vegetation but mostly rock structures of some kind. Obviously, Pike love weeds and this year were going August 12-19 and staying at Smith Camps in Kenora, ON. What lures would you guys recommend for this area?
One more question: We had a guy that is a claimed guide up in Kenora and showed us a bunch of spots including a spot called "The Bus Stop" which seemed like a great spot. Can't think of this guys name but he seemed like a nice guy that might be a little full of himself. Anyone know who this is?
Thanks, |
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Location: LOTW Canada | If it was Gord Pusnik (http://www.gpguiding.com/) then pay very close attention to what he tells you. You would not believe the fish he puts in his boat. I doubt ANYBODY knows the north end of the lake better.
The Bus Stop is a very well known spot. |
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Location: LOTW Canada | Oooops!
I bet I know who you talked with...was it Craig Stapon? |
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Posts: 696
Location: Northern Illinois | Yeah! It was Craig Stapon. Very nice guy who showed us a bunch of spots but we didn't know to believe him or not. What can be said of him? |
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Posts: 33
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba | Craigs a good guy and very generous and open with his information. He wouldn't show you a spot without fish. The bus stop gets fished a lot but turns up a lot of huge fish. |
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Posts: 197
Location: N Illinois | We had the same experience a couple of years ago. Big pike in every weedbed. We started fishing the rocks and voila, we found the muskies. |
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Posts: 2024
| Were you fishing expansive, shallow weed beds? If that's the case then in the future you might try spending some time looking for the narrower weedbeds that incorporate one or more other structural features. The best weedbeds I've found on Sab Bay have been within two cast lengths (... a Jackpot-with-the-wind-at-my-back type cast... lol) of deeper water - the basin or a channel. I've never done much good fishing featureless weed beds, or weeds where that's the only type of cover present in that area.
My other thought when I read your post is that you were fishing a "rocky" time period. You may have heard the old rule of thumb - slide shallow early, move out as the season progresses. This may have been the key. It's quite possible the fish you were looking for had already hit the rock shorelines and slid off to the reefs and scattered small islands. Next time you go up there, especially if it's at the same time period, try the rocks or a combo of both to pinpoint the fish.
One more thing, I've been in your position before. In 2003 we fished the last week of July and first week of April. I think for TWO weeks we had five fish between three guys. Lots of missed opportunities, but boy was it humbling. Looking back on it I think we focused too much on weeds as the fish we did contact came almost solely from rocks (including my PB 48"... I guess the trip wasn't a total loss...). Still, the biggest fish I've seen/hooked up with (how do you lose a fish on a bucktail?!?!) came during that trip from a shallow, thick, cruddy looking weedbed (the kicker being, IMO, its proximity to deep water). |
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Posts: 30
Location: Woodridge, Ill | We tend to have more luck, like previously stated, on the main channel / open bays. And we follow the walleye, big time. If we find walleye in the area, almost always we will raise a fish or hook one. Ask where the walleye are being caught in the area as well. The windy side of the islands are what work best for us as well. We have little luck in the slop or in the weeds. Seems the fish in that stuff follow more than anything else. If we fish large bays, we stay way out away from the weeds, almost in open water. One guy throwing a topwater, another throwing a jerkbait, and someone else using the bucktail. Keep that walleye factor in mind though also, they really key in on the walters up there. Or this is at least what we have found. |
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Posts: 696
Location: Northern Illinois | Most of the rock points and even reefs all seemed to hold the biggest pike we seen. The 3 muskies caught were on rock points and reefs which were adjacent to weeds. The other key we noticed was that the muskies were always close to really deep water. It seemed kind of like an escape route or something. Anyone else notice the muskies being really close to deep water.
Note: Craig Stapon showed us a spot on Rat Portage that he claims he saw a 60" fish that he thinks is a world record. The funny thing about that is its on a huge weedbed. Go figure! |
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Posts: 696
Location: Northern Illinois | I just found out from my Dad that we'll be staying at Smith Camps on Big Stone Bay of LOTW. Anyone know this place specifically and how to fish the area? The website didn't have much information so anything will help! |
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Posts: 63
Location: Maribel WI | More rock than weeds. Also, I had a 12" Bobbie and wouldn't recommend it. Its too bouyant (yes you can add a FEW ounces) and the wind plays havoc with the casts. Like MBrian said, more the spots than the lures. |
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Posts: 381
| Brett
This is Bill I gave the information to your Dad about Smith camp's.
We played holdem with you a couple months ago. I live in Roscoe also.
We will get together with you before you head up.
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Posts: 696
Location: Northern Illinois | Sounds good! NxtCst! I'll email you or something before! Thanks! |
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Posts: 10
Location: w\winnipeg, s\on an island in lotw | Musky fiishing is about a life time of learning, that what makes it so fun!!!! If you want numbers in late Aug, fish the rock. But Sab is alot different than the northern part. |
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