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| Does anybody have any experience fishing for muskies while wading? I wanted to try the Fox River in Illinois and wanted to know if any of you have any suggestions. I know people have caught them wading but I don't think any of those people were fishing for muskie. What would be the best way to release the fish? Should I have a big net close by or work the fish into shallow water to release. I really want to try this but I don't want to end up hurting the fish we all love so much. |
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| I would talk to 'Chico' (as he posts here) He is from the UK and shore fishes exclusively for pike. Knows his stuff.
SV |
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Posts: 663
| If you can find the July 2004 issue of Badger Sportsman there is an excellent article by Scott Kieper about river fishing for muskies that includes wading techniques. If you fish the Fox for smallies or walleye it's sort of the same deal but keep your tackle minimal. A backpack or fannypack with some release tools and a handful of baits is about all you need. For lures I'd suggest some durable stuff in case you're banging the rocks. Jakes (6") or Baby Shallow Raiders should do well in hot colors. I'd also throw some Mepps #5 stuff in the mix especially the new #5 Marabou. Safety while wading should be your major consideration and I wouldn't even consider hitting the river without some type of flotation device. The Fox while generally fairly shallow has some nasty holes and current can certainly be an issue. |
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Posts: 228
Location: Downers Grove, IL | Esoxangler,
Email me your email address and I'll PM you.
Jeff |
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Location: Eau Claire,WI | I fish a local river a lot,like most of my musky fishing is done on one stretch.I usually fish from shore
but almost always end up in the water. I hand land all of my fish. I leave the fish in the water until
I am ready to remove the hooks. I don't like to put them on the bank,I give em line,let them swim
around while I get the release tools out.Yup, I have had a few get off but no biggie because I was
going to let them go anyway...I have a couple of different gloves I use to hold them whil I remove
the hooks.Be careful and you should have no problems. Hope I have helped,Paul |
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| fishhateme, i don't know how to get your e-mail address but mine is [email protected]. i have all the lures, tackle and gear needed. i've been wading rivers for a long time so i know about the dangers of wading but have never tried releasing a muskie while standing in water. fish handling gloves are a good idea. i think i would just get the fish to some shallow water and leave him in there while getting the hooks out. i'm going to try it out this weekend and will let you know if i have any success. thanks for the suggestions. |
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