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Posts: 15
Location: Scranton Pa. | Hello,
Just a bit about myself. I'm a die hard surf caster, fly angler, and plug builder\fly tier. I live in NE Pa. I work less than 10min. from the Susquehanna river. I have just gotten my finished plugs ready to swim. Their not monsterous, only about 8"-12", with the tail feathers, and weigh about 2oz.-3oz. They're made of red cedar, turned on a lathe, and through wired. Some are based on old school pikies, and all are metal lips. {BTW, they're not for sale, this isn't a sales pitch}
I have a serious jones to bang up some good fish on these wood metal lips. All hooked muskies would be strictly catch and release. I carry a 40# boga grip on my belt so as to minimally handle the fish, and I will be land based.
Those of you whom are die hard musky hunters, I'm wondering if you could tell me at what water temp to expect the muskies to go on the spawn. As a rule I don't like fishing over spawning fish, and would not want to negatively stress fish reproducing.
I'm primarily interested in hooking up the biggest baddest fish I can find on my own home made plugs. I'm rigged up with a Shimano 8000 stradic, spooled with 60# power pro, leadered to 3' of 80# mono, coupled to a St. Croix 9' 1pc heavy action rod with a cork taped grip. I can cast my best wood swimmers about 60yds+ and they will stay up top in all but the fastest current, and then they're just inches below the top.
This weekend's weather is calling for snow and day time highs in the 40's. It doesn't justify a 3hr. run to the salt, so I was also wondering if muskies would be active in the river, expecting about mid 40 deg. water, this time in the spring.
I have one haunt in the town of Nanticoke where a stocked trout stream enters the river, and a short distance down stream enters into a monster eddying pool. A few of my wood swimmers are bigger than the stocked trout. I can find good water and current and think nothing of 40deg daytime highs. Would you expect a musky to take interest in a big top water wood retrieved painfully slow, displacing quite a bit of water??? I won't be pre-frontal this weekend.
Thanks for your time and future responses.
Here's images of what I'll be throwing.
Tightlines!!!
Edited by Fish Tank 4/4/2007 10:23 AM
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 1st 3.jpg (103KB - 57 downloads)
Fish tail.jpg (89KB - 67 downloads)
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Posts: 32885
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Nice looking lures! I know that muskies are caught right after ice out all across the range where legal, so water temps you mention should be OK. |
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Posts: 518
Location: Cave Run Lake KY. | Hank You have PM Marv. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | One thing I think many would suggest is to not use the Boga grip. I am not criticizing you, but I think many feel that there are better ways to handle the fish. If possible perhaps look into getting a good sized net with a coated bag to help prevent fin tearing. This also alows you to keep the fish in the water while unhooking. Good luck! |
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Posts: 15
Location: Scranton Pa. | Pointerpride, I do have a wide mouthed net. Being that I was land based I probably would look to subdue and handle the fish in the water, to un hook. I could see how a bogas could be tough on mouth structure of a pike. For handling large bluefish and bass on Jettis the bogas saves having to use a gaff.
I'm only using one hook in the front of the plug. I don't like tail hooks for catch and release. I mean, for me, with musky half the fun is in the take, so even if I don't set up on it, getting a look is just as cool.
Every so often a musky will be found dead with a duck in its throat, in the river, by where I work. I wanna' catch fish that eat ducks!!! I just don't want to disturb them when they're spawning. |
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Edited by Sponge 2/27/2008 3:37 PM
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Tank, I would say if you have the net give that a try. I am primarily a shore fisherman as well and the best thing I have found is to use a net or to bring the fish in as quickly as possible and get them in shallow water and try to turn the fish on its side, they seem to be a bit more docile in that position. Good looking baits by the way! |
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Posts: 2024
| It's highly impractical to use a musky sized net when wading in ankle deep water. Instead, you end up jabbing at the fish which more times than not will cost you the "catch" as it is more probable the fish can thrust its head into the net, get the hooks tangled, and toss the bait. Think about how much water you have to work with when wading, now compare that with what you normally have to work with in a boat. See how "scooping" the fish becomes EXTREMELY difficult?
You can easily, quickly, and safely hand land a muskie when wading. Be smart, keep the fish in the water for as long as possible, have your release tools on a tool belt or in a cargo pocket (whatever clothes you might be wading in), and an EXTRA FIRM grip.
I would say if you have a Boga Grip and are wading, go ahead and use it. Especially if you are relatively new to this and haven't had much experience handling these fish and being comfortable holding onto them. The Boga Grip has a swivel head (correct me if I'm wrong) which can reduce spinal injuries and/or jaw injuries if a fish goes into a roll. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | I've used a net with no real problems....perhaps I am in deeper water though. |
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Posts: 2024
| From your pics, Mike I think you're in much deeper water than myself. Think along the lines of ankle to shin deep water. |
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Posts: 15
Location: Scranton Pa. | I greatly appreciate your replies folks!!! That's awesome!!!
My experience with pike are only on largemouth tackle, or mid sized salt water outfits. My biggest Musky is only 36" I caught years ago working an 8" berkeley power worm on a carolina rig for large mouth. I have turned some horses throwing big spooks, and while the explosion at my feet was worth it, never sank the hooks. Actually, the plug got batted out of the water.
Through the ice I'll hold pickrell to 28" by the tip of their lower jaw, no teeth there. I also have 20+ years of flyfishing for big trout on my home waters{I'm 32}. I hit 3 trout in bigger water last week the smallest was 18". All the afore mentioned fish are quite easy to handle with confidence that they'll survive the release.
I'm looking to tangle with 40"-50" musky. The river I'll be hitting holds 'em. The last I checked with my friend who's a self professed "hunter" has 3 - 50", in the local waters. I have the gear to tame them, and lean on 'em, I know they'll freak out when they get close, I just wish to minimize the stress on them.
All I know is that they're a fish of 1000 casts, and should be respected!!!
Again, thank you for your response to my question. I wear my pliers, bogas, and plug bag on my waste, and I'll fashion a lanyard for the long handled net. That way I can carabiner my net to my waste when fishing and have it at arms reach. Then, in the event I hook up and get the fish to my feet, I'll the circumstances dictate the best means of handling to pop the hooks.
Tightlines Friends!!!
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Posts: 956
Location: Home of the 2016 World Series Champion Cubs | Try a Lindy glove as well if your working w/o a net. A little extra protection when handling and unhooking fish. THEY WORK!!!!
Karl
Yes...Nice baits 
Edited by KARLOUTDOORS 4/6/2007 9:25 AM
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Posts: 15
Location: Scranton Pa. | Thanks Karl!!!
I'm going to be checking out the areas in these Google earth screen captures. The first image on Sunday and the second on Monday. Both are stocked trout stream mouths that empty into the river.
The first image has a huge eddy just downstream of the creek, and the second has a nice point on the downstream side of the confluence of the creek.
I figure if musky are going to be any where, a stream that dumps freshly stocked trout into is worth a peak.
Either way I'll post a report with some type of images.
I remember a few years ago they found a dead musky with a duck in its throat. I believe it measured in the high 50"s- mid-60"s.
I'm going after it.
Tightlines and have a great one!!!
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here.jpg (96KB - 65 downloads)
or here.jpg (78KB - 59 downloads)
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