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Posts: 187
Location: West Metro, MN | I keep track and most of the fish i have caught have been since i have joined Muskies Inc so i put them in the lunge log, but it is probably easier for me because I can typically count the # of fish I catch each year on one hand. I am at 33 fish over 15 years since I caught my first, with big fluctuations in time spent each summer chasing muskies. What i do feel is important to me is that i feel like i have become a better angler pretty much every season. I got a chuckle when I looked back on the log and noticed I have never caught a Muskie in the month of July. I guess I should take up bass fishing for a month every summer. |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | Kirby Budrow - 2/6/2013 6:12 PM
Flambeauski - 2/6/2013 4:40 PM
Wait... people set goals for numbers of fish? Why? So if you reach your goal you're successful? What if you don't reach your goal? Does that make you a failure? Will you sacrifice your enjoyment to reach your goals?
My goal is to catch a fish every cast and have fun every outing. No more no less. Otherwise what are we even doing out there?
Well yeah! I set a goal to beat my previous year in numbers and size. I've accomplished that goal for the last three years. If I don't make the goal....way she goes. But, I am shooting high for next year. If I don't make it, I just need to get better. Not a failure and I enjoy trying to meet the goal. Thats part of it for me. A lot of people just enjoy being on the water and putting in an effort, which is totally fine. Personally, I enjoy fishing hard and working to meet the goal.
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Exactly. Goals help me focus more while on the water. I am a competetive person by nature and having a goal throughout the season gives me a way to compete with myself and the fish. If I know I am trying to beat myself at something I will really buckle down and focus during certain situations. and because I am not competing against another angler, I can go lax at certain points too. Don't get me wrong, time on the water for me is where I get my serenity. It is no longer a want, it has become a need, an obsession or additction as we have all stated. A need to be in nature away from all the crap of society (even if I am fishing a metro lake that is still surounded by it). It is where I go to unwind.. But having a goal makes sure I don't slack to much and still give it all I got.
Edited by FAT-SKI 2/7/2013 7:58 AM
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| I agree with what a good buddy of mine says...numbers schmumbers...tell me your fish numbers and the hours on the water if you want to be evaluated for your fishing prowess.
Most muskie anglers I know who I would consider to be "very good" anglers keep track of their numbers and keep a log of their catches. Most of this is for patterning fish...not beating ones chest.
I think if you are feeling bad about yourself...you should buy a puppy! 
my $.02 on the subject.
Brett Waldera
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| I know how many I've caught, but I don't keep count. I don't keep count because it would be embarrassing if I did. Embarrassing for me, that is. |
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Posts: 1036
| I kept track when I was young. Then I kind of lost track. Then I joined Muskies Inc. and enjoy logging my fish into the Lunge Log.
Because of their log, I keep a little journal that includes hours fished, conditions and action.
And at the end of the year? I like to get my numbers, but I look more at what the boat caught. I'm usually in the back trying to get my friends, clients and wife on fish. The best moment in my boat for me is when I get to take a picture of someone else's fish.
Best fish in my boat this past year was a scrappy 43 incher that was my father in laws first musky and second fish that he ever caught in his life. The smile on his face was priceless. |
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Posts: 668
Location: Wisconsin | Nice vegas! I have caught a few fish, and now really enjoy when my Dad or Brother get into one. It is great to see them enjoy the action! Though I don't mind when one is on my line! |
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| Fish #'s don't mean too much unless you know the hours it took to do it. Any Tom, Dick, or Jerry can put 100 in the boat, just need the hours on the water to do it.
#'s are one thing, can't get too caught up in it, if a guy caught 2 x as many as you did, well he probably fished 2 x as much  When a guy boasts up his 100+ in the boat, Paul Harvey would say "and now for the rest of the story..."
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Keeping track of numbers should only be of concern to the angler, and the reasons why should only make sense to you. I use to keep track and quit as I wasn’t doing much with the numbers, and it did not make me a better fisherman by keeping track. It also isn’t a good way to judge your skills against another’s, if you wish, in that each person has their own unique goals they are trying to achieve while on the water. Thus why also keeping track of hours versus fish caught may not be a good representation. In a way I am following a term that I have heard Dick Pearson say, and that is Soul fishing. I think the term is pretty self explanatory.
Edit: Corrected the spelling of Soul. Dummy me.
Edited by CiscoKid 2/7/2013 11:25 AM
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| sure and that's why you fish tournaments ?
right.
Let's get real. 99% of musky fishermen are competitive, type A personalities.
sole fishing. sure. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | then there are the statisticians who fish in swimming pools and at shows ...
Edited by jonnysled 2/7/2013 11:42 AM
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Count if you want to, don't count if you don't. I quit counting a long time ago because my time on the water dropped so severely when I quit guiding full time and I didn't like being reminded of that. Now I fish multi-specie much more than I used to, and when I catch a muskie, treasure the experience every time, big or little fish doesn't matter.
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Flambeauski - 2/6/2013 4:40 PM
Wait... people set goals for numbers of fish? Why? So if you reach your goal you're successful? What if you don't reach your goal? Does that make you a failure? Will you sacrifice your enjoyment to reach your goals?
My goal is to catch a fish every cast and have fun every outing. No more no less. Otherwise what are we even doing out there?
I've set goals before. Set one last year for a number as well as wanting 1 fish to beat my personal best. I missed the numbers goal but met the size goal. I don't take it too hard if I don't hit a goal but like doing it because it can help me fish a little harder at times. If my season is drawing to an end fairly soon and I'm 3 fish short of my goal, it might make me fish after work one evening, or get up a little earlier on the weekend to make sure I hit moon rise, etc. My size goal last year made me fish lakes I haven't fished in the past because I thought of them as tough water before. After pulling a pig from one of them I'm itching to get back out on those types of lakes again this year.
I do the same for hunting I guess. For bow season every year my goal is to shoot one around 140 inches. RARELY happens but the goal sure keeps me trying.
I think goals can be good as long as you treat them correctly.
Oh yeah, I keep track of numbers (usually mentally) during the year but I couldn't tell you how many I've caught since I started fishing for them. I'd guess maybe 120-140. Pretty humbling when there's guides out there that catch 300+ in a season and I've been at it probably 7 or 8 years.
Tucker |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | sworrall - 2/7/2013 11:11 AM
Count if you want to, don't count if you don't. I quit counting a long time ago because my time on the water dropped so severely when I quit guiding full time and I didn't like being reminded of that. Now I fish multi-specie much more than I used to, and when I catch a muskie, treasure the experience every time, big or little fish doesn't matter.
Exactly Steve!
Why do I fish tournaments then if I am “soul fishing”? Simply because I like competition. Has nothing to do with waving something in the air. It use to mind you, but I am over that. |
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Posts: 639
Location: Hudson, WI | I wasn't going to keep track anymore around 2007, right before our first daughter was born. But after having kids, it's really not hard to count to five or so every year. |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Size goals are great. Goals set to help better yourself through trying new techniques and lakes are great too.
Goals like taking time away from fishing to spend time with family like Travis did and goals to get the most enjoyment as possible out of your time on the water and not take this sport so seriously are the easily achievable goals that make life better in general. |
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Posts: 1036
| Don't get me wrong Clammer, I like to catch 'em too.
But I noticed that with my old cable drive trolling motor, I "hogged" all of the fish from the front of the boat.
I went to a Terrova and can fish from the back. I like being able to see everything in front of me and coach people through a figure 8. Sometimes I think I'm more excited than the other fisherman/woman who has the fish on the end of their line. It is a different experience being in the back.
And I found that in total numbers for the year/per hour? They went up when I went to the back. And I had happier people in the boat.
But in the fall? I always have one sucker rod that has a larger sucker on it and I don't care where we are in any "hit rotation". That rod goes off and it is mine. End of story! |
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Posts: 8781
| really? - 2/7/2013 10:43 AM
sure and that's why you fish tournaments ?
right.
Let's get real. 99% of musky fishermen are competitive, type A personalities.
sole fishing. sure.
Who are you competing against, exactly? Unless someone else is fishing the same lake on the say day for the same number of hours you can't really compare.
It's fun to make little $10 side bets in the boat for who catches the first fish or the most fish or the biggest fish of the day, but... Can a guy who fishes in IL on weekends really compare his numbers to someone who guides 200 days a year on Vermilion? |
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Posts: 668
Location: Wisconsin | Vegas, hoggin the big sucker, man that is cold!
I used to log every fish and specifics of the catch when I started back in the eightees. Then kids came and no time to do such things.
I really did enjoy logging, so I am thinking I just might start again. |
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Posts: 1036
| You betcha! My boat, my rules! Got one of my friends his first legal this year, actually his first 5 fish, all while sucker fishing in two days. When the big fella was popped he was all ready to take down #6, looked a little confused when I took that fish. And it was only a 37 incher. Oh well.
Get yourself a membership in Muskies Inc for about $37 a year. Then you get access to the lunge log and can see not only your stats, but stats on other lakes. It is a good tool. |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | vegas492 - 2/7/2013 4:00 PM
Get yourself a membership in Muskies Inc for about $37 a year. Then you get access to the lunge log and can see not only your stats, but stats on other lakes. It is a good tool.
If you can trust the lake listed is accurate for the catch recorded. |
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Posts: 1828
| So few people have actually obliged to the original poster's request. Oh well, debating is more fun, I agree.
I caught 5 my first season, which was only the month of September. Then I went three years hardly fishing, and I'm sure I caught less than 4 per year in that period. Then I went 4, 4, 7, 8, and 11.
So 9 years of "musky fishing", 39 muskies documented, and probably 45 to 50 caught. Someone said it was humbling that they caught 120 to 140 in 7 or 8 years. How should I feel then? |
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Location: The Yahara Chain | jaultman - 2/8/2013 9:31 AM
So 9 years of "musky fishing", 39 muskies documented, and probably 45 to 50 caught. Someone said it was humbling that they caught 120 to 140 in 7 or 8 years. How should I feel then? ;)
It's all relative to how much time you get to spend on the water. Comparing yourself to somebody else is a waste of time imo. Unless you fish the same hours on the same lakes.
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Location: Hayward, WI | jaultman - 2/8/2013 9:31 AM
So 9 years of "musky fishing", 39 muskies documented, and probably 45 to 50 caught. Someone said it was humbling that they caught 120 to 140 in 7 or 8 years. How should I feel then? ;)
Yep, I made the comment about humbling. I also agree you can't compare yourself to other people, especially an average weekend angler like most of us to a guide. I'm fortunate enough to live within 10-15 minutes of several musky waters and I get to fish at least a few hours (usually more) most every weekend and every now and then a quick trip after work. I feel like I put in quite a bit of time to catch around 15-20 per year. I haven't ever figured it out but I'm sure my hours per fish number would look fairly sad.
With that said, I can't compare my numbers to somebody that puts in way more time than I do, or fishes certain MN or Canadian waters.
I do know a couple select guys in my area that have regular 40 hour per week jobs that probably boat 2 times more fish than I do in a year. That's humbling, but nice to know it's possible if you know the lakes, the fish, and fish smart. Something to shoot for.
Edited by curleytail 2/8/2013 10:21 AM
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Posts: 833
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I do know a couple select guys in my area that have regular 40 hour per week jobs that probably boat 2 times more fish than I do in a year. That's humbling, but nice to know it's possible if you know the lakes, the fish, and fish smart. Something to shoot for.
This is exactly why I track my fish totals. I know guys like you mention as well. It tells me that time can be a factor, but that there are other aspects going on as well. Networking pays big dividends.
I do not enitrely buy the whole "I cannot compare myself to a guide" thing. In terms of overall numbers probably not, but if the guide is out the same day as you then you are both are chasing the same fish. At that point in time the "time" issue is a non-factor. If the guide puts fish in the boat and you do not, then it was something else that caused him to succeed where you failed.
Guides certainly have advantages, I'm not denying that. My point is that when you are on the water at the same time the "time on the water" variable is null and void. What else causes them to outfish you on that day? Those specifics are where the weekend warrior can seek to improve and level the playing field to some degree.
Edited by Brad P 2/8/2013 10:43 AM
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Brad I understand what you're saying in that the conditions are dealt equally to the average Joe and the Guide on a given day but I'll throw a wrench into your logic if I may. In my mind, that guide has a lot more PREVIOUS time on the water than me. He's been faced with the conditions similar to today's conditions more than I have, knows the lake better, and hopefully is "on" the pattern since he's been out 13 of the last 14 days. The weekend guys like us have a little more work to do since there's a good chance we have to find the pattern again each time we go, vs staying on it.
Not saying it's easy for a guide to catch multiple fish every day, but I think previous experience should give them the edge over me on any given day. No different that most of us are better fishermen today than we were when we started fishing for muskies 2, 5, or 40 years ago. We have more previous experience to draw from.
I didn't fish muskies when I was in high school but spent a lot of time going after walleyes, northerns, crappies, etc. When I had a part time job and fished 4-5 days per week in the summer it was a lot easier to stay on top of fish than it was during the school year when I only got to go once or maybe twice per week due to school and working weekends. A lot less time was wasted figuring things out again, and most days I could pick up where I left off, maybe with a slight variation.
That's just my take.
Tucker |
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Posts: 8781
| Brad, I think you raise a valid point about guides. But the advantage they have over the weekend warrior is that they have likely spent the last few weeks on that body of water. Most times they are on a spot and fishing it how they do because that's where they saw fish yesterday or the day before. Yes, you both still need to figure out a pattern, but they're hitting the lake with a plan based on where the fish have been lately. You're hitting the lake with a plan of where he fish should be based on the conditions, water temperature, time of year, etc. It's a whole different game when you're fishing a lake that you haven't been on in a few weeks, or a month, or even a year or more. If the guides are outfishing you, it's because they know where the fish were yesterday and the day before and the day before that. |
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Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | Like many I would guess I kept track of every detail I could muster back in the day. I hit a milestone in catches /logged and I took my log and laid it in the campfire at a fish camp by Hayward. I beleived if I would have kept it I would still be recording. I shed myself of it. I try to count the fish annually now as I have less time now than ever on the water. Even less the time to chase those great fish! But I do not write it down. Pretty much the same every year give or take 4 fish. In 20 years I may well wish I had those notes to read through as age and winter sets in....but Not Yet!! |
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Location: Contrarian Island | more hours will equal more fish...
simple
I've tracked my boat hours and catches since about 2006...it is interesting to look at.
best year for Fish per Hour ratio was also the same year I put in the most hours. If you are fortunate to be able to fish long periods of time instead of short windows here and there you are going to get more feeding windows and contacts to fine tune catching them that day or days
Guides have longer days, more time on the water day after day, season after season = more data points, to use to their advantage... they should catch more than the rest of us!
a journal and keeping track of catches in a journal or log i think can and does come in handy on subsequent trips to the same body of water / same timeframe
there is value in it...
Edited by BNelson 2/8/2013 1:44 PM
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | Emptynet - 2/6/2013 9:08 PM
Every Muskies Inc member has access to the Lunge Log Records of over 300,000 musky catches. I use this to keep track of the muskies I've caught, and to research various waters I plan to fish. It helps you put together a "game plan" before ever seeing a new lake. Just another benefit on being a Muskies Inc member.
I do the same thing to some extent. Muskies incs lunge log is pretty cool and it has helped me on several occasions on trips to lakes I had never fished. So we keep track of all our fish over 30 inches . They go into the lunge Log. However before I joined Muskies inc I already had a lot of fish so I have no Idea how many total. |
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