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Posts: 103
| Does anybody find that rivers outproduce lakes/vice versa? I'm still very new to muskie fishing and I'm trying to figure out where to start (which river/lake to target, what to use, to troll or cast, etc.)
On one hand, I think rivers probably have a little bit less pressure because a lot of boats can't fish some areas and they're a bit trickier to fish. Rivers also may have more forage depending on where you are.
On the other hand, I think lakes are probably a bit easier to fish and pin point locations where fish might be. |
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Posts: 1319
| Lakes have been my bread and butter of Muskie fishing however we've caught some Muskies in rivers too and it's fun to go to a small rivers off the beaten path. In the past we went up and fished the Winnipeg River system for a couple of weeks each summer and it was a blast. The biggest fish we (or I should say my dad caught) come from there. I need to get a passport and go back. |
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Posts: 13
| The river fish are going to fight you harder and also will require more specific conditions in order to be around and receptive due to the variability of the water day by day. I wouldn't doubt that lakes will produce more consistent circumstances and therefore steadier patterns in fish behavior, I guess the random part of me is after the randomness the rivers provide.
Edited by Tyendinaga 7/2/2024 9:44 AM
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Posts: 103
| chuckski - 7/2/2024 8:31 AM
Lakes have been my bread and butter of Muskie fishing however we've caught some Muskies in rivers too and it's fun to go to a small rivers off the beaten path. In the past we went up and fished the Winnipeg River system for a couple of weeks each summer and it was a blast. The biggest fish we (or I should say my dad caught) come from there. I need to get a passport and go back.
Where I live now in southeast PA we really only have a few lakes with some muskie in them and the rivers here which have some muskie, but nothing crazy. I plan to move to the northwest corner of the state later on and I'm just trying to think if I should aim to be near the Allegheny river or closer to Pymatuning/Conneaut. |
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Posts: 3859
| Rivers are more interesting than lakes. Much harder to identify spots on spots; they are rarely on maps while any popular lake sees muskie guys lined up to pound likely spots. Here's my PB (and another) from the Menominee River in the Yoop.
Edited by Ranger 7/2/2024 11:44 AM
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 Menominee Muskies.jpg (61KB - 28 downloads)
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Posts: 628
Location: Duluth | Ranger - 7/2/2024 11:29 AM
Rivers are more interesting than lakes. Much harder to identify spots on spots; they are rarely on maps while any popular lake sees muskie guys lined up to pound likely spots. Here's my PB (and another) from the Menominee River in the Yoop.
Hey! I know that spot. Still fishes decent too. |
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Posts: 1319
| Ranger great looking fish! |
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Posts: 3859
| Aw shucks. The big one, a fat 48" was hooked while trolling within sight of a couple pontoon boats. The toons came over to watch the long fight and then the fish in the net. Cheers and clapping, two pontoons come close to see and take pics. I take a couple quick pics then silence on the toon as I gently lowered the fish back into the water and I started gentle CPR. A woman yells "What are you doing?!" "I'm releasing the fish." sez me. Then she SCREAMS, "Are you crazy?! Stop! Kill it!" I ask, "Why would I do that?" She SCREAMS "There are children who swim in this river!" By now they are like 20' away from me and I let go of the musky and it swims away and down, I look up and say with a smile. "Well, if you're worried about that sort of thing, you should know that there are MUCH bigger muskies in this river." That shut her up. The pontoon boat was full of people including a bunch of kids, all from a resort within sight of where I released the musky.
Good times.
Edited by Ranger 7/3/2024 12:15 PM
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Posts: 103
| Do people troll in rivers? I've been trying to get into trolling and I imagine if you can troll a lake, you could troll a river, too. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | In Ohia and WV they troll them Gotta watch them snags, tho. m |
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Posts: 20211
Location: oswego, il | Everything is relative to makeup and fish population. Good River spots can be better than good lake spots Everything being similar.
Yes you can troll rivers and catch fish. Your approach to doing so is dependent on current flow. |
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Posts: 1253
| River fish are going to be much less effected by current weather conditions such as a shift in the wind or post frontal conditions. They will be much more influenced by water level-high and fast versus low and slow. |
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Posts: 103
| TCESOX - 7/3/2024 6:52 PM
River fish are going to be much less effected by current weather conditions such as a shift in the wind or post frontal conditions. They will be much more influenced by water level-high and fast versus low and slow.
In that case, how would I target them given those conditions? Would I use bigger lures in one case as opposed to another or a different type of lure on certain conditions? |
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Posts: 1253
| More of a location thing. In higher, faster water, fish will be in different places than in lower, slower water. Often, the location will determine the type of lure and presentation. The spots where the fish are, can be limiting in how you can fish them in a river. In lower, slower water, you may be targeting deeper holes, which may allow a few more choices in baits and approach. In higher, faster water, you may need to target specific, little spots that are not always under water. You may only have one angle to get your bait in there, and only a couple baits that allow you to avoid snags, etc. Size of river will also dictate possible bait selections. |
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Posts: 1319
| Water levels really come into play when fishing rivers. In high water the fish will be scattered over a bigger area and low water your best spot can be high and dry. |
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Posts: 523
Location: NW WI | Well said TCESOX. Boat control can be EVERYTHING when fishing moving water, especially if it's water you can't effectively power against the current without making a racket.
As far as lure size goes, it's Firstly dependent on what you can physically throw and properly retrieve out of whatever craft your in. Secondly, it's no different than lake fishing, it's not as much about the size as it is choosing a bait that effectively reaches your targeted depth, than from there your choosing baits by retrievel speed essentially. I recommend carrying a variety of baits on your first times out so you can target any depth or structure as you come across it. Downsizing can be extremely effective in low pressure smaller rivers, so don't shy away from 4-6" swimbaits or bass/pike sized Jigs and blades. |
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| When motor trolling was allowed in Northern WI, I began to troll the section of river between the lake I live on and the next lake. I have had success doing so but make a couple of changes to what I might do in a lake. The section of river is shallow for the most part so I troll in the prop wash. I can only have one rod, so I hold it rather than put it in the Folbe. This gives me the advantage of immediately knowing if it is fouled. Using an 8" jointed believer, which thumps nicely, I can tell if it has even a long piece of grass on it while holding the rod. There is always something in the current of a river, floating weeds, sticks, etc.
First time I hooked one in the prop wash, it was cool to look and see what had hit the lure.
Edited by North of 8 7/5/2024 5:41 PM
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Posts: 3
| PennsylvaniaMuskie - 7/2/2024 10:56 AM
chuckski - 7/2/2024 8:31 AM
Lakes have been my bread and butter of Muskie fishing however we've caught some Muskies in rivers too and it's fun to go to a small rivers off the beaten path. In the past we went up and fished the Winnipeg River system for a couple of weeks each summer and it was a blast. The biggest fish we (or I should say my dad caught) come from there. I need to get a passport and go back.
Where I live now in southeast PA we really only have a few lakes with some muskie in them and the rivers here which have some muskie, but nothing crazy. I plan to move to the northwest corner of the state later on and I'm just trying to think if I should aim to be near the Allegheny river or closer to Pymatuning/Conneaut.
I'm west of Erie near the Ohio line.
Lots of places to fish within 1.5 hours drive.
I believe you will have more fishable days on the lakes than the rivers.
I'd say live closer to the lakes and it's not too far to get to the river. |
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Posts: 66
| There's a ton of good water within 3 hours of Southeast PA. Just have to start putting the time in on the water to find fish and dial them in. Join MI Chapter 50 if its still around. Those fellas should be able to point you in the right direction. |
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Location: PA Angler | If you really want an easier target then fish them below dams. Some spillways will hold them in numbers.
If you want can send me a pm for Allegheny river. It’s a very shallow river closer north to kinzua and if you fish it, it has a lot of boulders and rocks in the water and the Muskie really like those rocks. |
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Posts: 565
| I enjoy casting rivers and trolling lakes. |
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Posts: 2
| It really depends on your location and conditions. Rivers can offer less fishing pressure and diverse forage, making them attractive if you can navigate and fish challenging spots. Lakes, however, might be easier to target specific spots and generally have more accessible fishing areas. Both can be productive for muskies, so it's worth trying both to see what works best for you. |
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