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Posts: 255
| Winternet thought
What Muskie moment has been a thorn in your side since it happened?
I had gotten a 40 at 6:15am, went 30 yards more and went back to same spot, where a 44 cruised up within inches of my spinnerbait, but swerved off boat side. My chance of two 20lbers before 7am. 44 is my number where big fish start. |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Well I have yet to catch a Muskie, but I did get a few follows last season. I guess missing those fish was disapointing. That bothered me a little but it was expected. I was most disappointed when I lost one of the biggest pike I've ever hooked into, it had to be at least 40 inches. I got him on a little mepps spinner and got ready to net him (I'm by myself) right as he entered the net he did a head shake and got the lure stuck on the outside of the net and he popped off. Thats probably been the most disappointed I've ever Been while fishing. I'm sure other guys have a lot better stories but I figured I'd get the thread going (: |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Passing up opportunities to go fishing. |
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Location: Northern Wisconsin | floated a "new to me" stretch of river and had 8+ follows/strikes in 3 hours. Pretty much inaccessible by most boats so I bought a flat bottom and jet motor. Hope it works out and I can fish shallow this year.
Edited by fish4musky1 1/24/2017 7:16 AM
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Posts: 785
| One day in October, I only had a day and a morning to get it done and my goodness were we moving fish. I had a 50 swing and miss, my partner had a hook up on a 46 in the 8 he lost and we had 7 others come in hard but it was one of those days where we just couldn't connect. Going home the next morning was so brutal. I've never had action like that and come home empty handed before. I considered calling in sick on Monday haha
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Posts: 20188
Location: oswego, il | Just not getting out enough, cancelling trip aftrr trip to lsc and lake michigan due to constantly changing wind forecasts.
A boat partner caughf a 43.75"er and was pretty happy but as i pointed out, its not a nice fish. He was bummed to find out this was not a nice fish. |
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Posts: 246
| The thorn in my side is my inability to adapt to the weather conditions this fall. Warm steady temperatures for weeks on end had the fish hiding for me. Had a very hard time finding them. Then the temperature bottomed out and I was still struggling.
Steve |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | I'd like to catch more 20# 40"rs in 2017... |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | ToddM - 1/24/2017 8:27 AM
Just not getting out enough, cancelling trip aftrr trip to lsc and lake michigan due to constantly changing wind forecasts.
A boat partner caughf a 43.75"er and was pretty happy but as i pointed out, its not a nice fish. He was bummed to find out this was not a nice fish.
I can't tell for certain with you Todd, but I assume you are being sarcastic again.
A 43.75'' fish is very nice in my book. |
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Posts: 112
Location: Illinois | While fishing a clear water lake had a 45"+ fish slowly follow in a crankbait. It stopped and sat right below the trolling motor and sat there and sat there. I did a bunch of figure eights. It wasn't interested. So I grabbed my bulldawg(already on other rod). I dropped it out and continued to figure eight. I ended up with a nipped tail and a fish that I spent 20minutes on. It was like sight fishing a bass lol. I've never seen one just kind of sit there and look at everything but not move(until I nearly hit her in the face with the dawg). One little nip and a slow swim off. Went back to that spot that evening/next day and never saw it again. I think I spent to much time and pressured that fish too much. Bothers me still.
My daughter lost the biggest northwoods bass (easily over 5#)I have ever seen. Kept telling her to keep the rod down to stop it from jumping. She didn't listen(imagine that). |
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| Was too hot to fish. Dumped my only shot at a fifty while yapping on the phone breaking what would have been my 6th year in a row with at least on fitty. |
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Posts: 574
Location: Elk Grove Village, IL & Phillips, WI | Lost a big one that just had it's way with me. It just swam wherever the heck it wanted to and I could do nothing to control it. Never saw her, but she still haunts me. |
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Posts: 3478
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | I'd have to say my moment was an entire summer and previous summer where the fish have seemed to just disappear altogether.
The main body of water I fish doesn't have a huge population of fish, but usually every spot I'd check I would at least get a fish to follow. So on any given period of time, if I fished 4 - 5 spots, I'd see 4 - 5 fish, with an opportunity within a couple of days to hook one somewhere along the line. The past 2 summers has been more or less a bust.. Almost seems the lake is in transition somehow or just lower on numbers, and have not been able to crack where the fish are. They are still there, but must be in different location/more open water, but have not dialed it in yet.
Hopefully this summer will be different...
Steve |
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Posts: 239
Location: Madison, WI | too many wasted days of doing the same old stuff rather than really changing it up |
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | Musky Brian - 1/24/2017 9:46 AM
I'd like to catch more 20# 40"rs in 2017...
Hahah I was thinking this myself. |
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Posts: 470
| Not having a camera setup for 1 man fishing when I landed that 51" in June..
RandalB |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | Still eating at me... That I didn't tell someone to set the hook again when my gut told me she wasn't hooked. Sure enough, after a long fight and two feet from the net she opened her mouth and swam away. Loosing big fish is heartbreaking, loosing fish easily over 40# is something more than heartbreaking. |
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Posts: 2289
Location: Chisholm, MN | Not fishing during deer season was a bummer. I had the chance, but the snow and lack of interested partners caused me to stay home or in the woods.
I also had a super tank that was probably pushing 55 fly in on my bucktail. It was a strong east wind banging on a rock reef right before a storm. She came in, followed the first turn slow, came in hot on the straightaway, and when she was an inch from eating on the second turn she just boiled away hard...never to be seen again. I think I came up too high on that turn, and maybe if I would have been a foot or 2 down she wouldn't have spooked. I was turning away from the boat, so she wasn't looking at me. But it's my only explanation for that fish not eating right then. My wife was with me and she just gasped hard when it looked like it was about to eat! So did I, I guess! I caught an unsatisfying 40 a few minutes later and she had an upper 40 inch fish pushing in hard a cast after the big one came in as well. I relive that daily. |
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Posts: 244
Location: Mallard Island Lake Vermilion MN | 
Been a long time I have posted here is one just 4 fun.
: )
July 2016. "THINGS"
Had a long big head fishy on a long time while fishen with the Marauder Boyz while fishen noonish high sky sun, big winds Mid July.
We are fishen sandy / gravel area that gets hit good with NW winds up by what they call 36 island.
We call it Granny Gap...couple reasons but that is a whole other story.
Few huge rocks buried under sand in just the right places and they create a trough type hiding place going East n West for minnows an sunfish, perch. Weeds near by hold ducks sometimes also.
More times than not if a fishy is hangin out it is BIG an most times ~~~ EATING!
Aint Mother Nature cool.
Know a fish is around is gained by time on water, listening to what lake shows ya an just being a fishy nut, LUCKY.
Tossing bomb casts with wind an heavy Londtail spinnerbait and mix up retrieve, Speed, Drop, Dig sand, Bump, Rip, Zig ~ Zag ~ Zoom .....repeat...repeat
All while at my knee, Moe Rock is right into it all, as we are trying to hold boat in waves it with me on bow.
Polar Bear Boy just laying about digging the breeze an HEAT.
Few casts in way up shallow an coming out with bait hard, I looked down controlling foot pedal.
RIP!
Nice Tug, I STROKE twice an she erupts out of shallows right in trough, belly flops down an begins a run right towards Marauder boys n myself, the one an only Wonderful T.
hooks in good, you can feel it.
Stroke again, she don't like it, an again, sky bound as no where to go in that shallow but at me or UP!
We are having fun.
Moe very excited, even Bear knows what's up, getting to his feet an leaning over bow an both their heads going from water to rod tip to me then back...
Just to fun.
Everything laid out well in boat as went out doing a single boyz run for fun, only use a few lures an net is ok fine...
Fishy is mad an she makes couple power dashes to boat, trying to go under but I keep her on a tight harness an say other wise with my actions.
she bolts away to shore, around back of motor an trying to beat me down with big power thumps.
Thump, thump, thump...all while moving powerfully an slowly trying to take control.
Did not see her close up yet as waves have everything messed up sight wise but you can tell by weight in rod butt she is a game'r!
Funny thing is Hound boyz know where to go what to do when it is FISH ON time.
At 10 years of age they seldom get in my way as I maneuver my 61 year old bones around Big Black Beauty or wonderful fishen Boat.
: )
That is what adds to things making everything double fun.
Fishy seems to think she is in control, heads West again into Bow an just under big waves and I see her come up an just under surface for first time.
WOW!
She is beautiful.
I see she is a LONG wide back Beauty of a fighting missile, full of big head power, teeth chomping on lure that is stuck inside of right side lip flap telling me "I aint a like'n this Tommy me boy"
She takes a deeper power dive in the 5 feet of water / waves an dose a front under water flip then several rolls and try to do a sky leap but I power on the grip to hold he down...Lucky I done this before a few times in past, I have total control an boyz an I know it.
Funny how you sort of go into a trance thinking of or reacting to everything going on around you an that needs doing in yer mind, than sort of snap out of it an realize you are talking out loud to yerself an hounds are totally into it and everything is going GREAT!!!.
: )
Couple more Zig Zags along port side an a third try to ditch me under Big Black I make sure boat is cool in wind for the moment and reach for net.
She is still just under surface heading west into waves just past bow and In sun showing me her beautiful colors / markings an BIG wonderful eyes an that big long knock out smile.
I see she is indeed a wide healthy very peeed off girl not to happy about me an boyz interrupting her lunch.
: )
Keepin boat off beach in big winds with auto drive trolling motor deal works some, but these waves be a rock'n so keeps me bizzy a bit as I ease net deep as I can with one arm into water an then reel down, give my own power tug on rod to aim her beautiful face at net opening which is between me an the boys but waves pushing me fast an she is coming slow, trolling motor doing its best as waves crash up in bow pretty good.
She is single hooked pretty good it looks, but who knows.
Oh boy, this is really cool.
I get her to surface, aim to net, she starts sliding in perfect direction for easy capture, BUT doing all these things an waves make net rise to surface just enough as Her head clears net rim, continues about half body in, I heave down on net handle with one hand, release bail on reel, set rod down between Moe n Myself as I issue a mini "Scoot" to both boys an they give me enuff room as they know I need to get bizzy.
Everything happening so fast an she is so big, crabby an pretty.
As I go to punch net into water to position her to end this great fight and raise net, well she aint done yet an caught me a tiny bit by surprise an that is all it takes most time.
She dose a big FLOP in net, tail over head, then a half flop as she is weighty an tired some and I see lure is stuck in net.
She is loose.
RATS!
I lift an lift an she is half way in ~ half way out of net.
Us boyz all three excited for sure an going "Oh NO, Oh NO!"
Wind blowing us hard, fish might have been aware she was free I don't ever know for sure.
Sun shining, mind racing, ...to fun.
In reality only a few seconds go by she is loose, head facing away from us, slowing moving away from net, Big Black boat.
Us boyz on our knees, trying to get at her as give one last I lunge, but this proves no good...
Boat moving hard by waves, trolling motor did its best, but was again as if Mother Nature said we had our fun, now lets call it a draw, both man, hound an muskie fish be happy and everyone wins.
: )
Not much a guy can do except smile.
See hound boyz looking at her slowly swimming away, then they look at me, then her and me, as I look at them, then her....as she slowly eases down an into sand an away to deeper dark Vermilion waters we all call home.
Absolutely Fantastic. No photo...who cares.
We will tangle again young lady, Lord willing indeed we will.
So after few belly rubs all round, Marauder high Paws its time for a pop an some super fine Venison Jerkey all round, few extra hound cookies an get back to work keep Big Black out of shoreline shallows crashing waves all the time trying to prevent us from what we almost pulled off.
Well we did pull it off just no Photo Up which is really not to much missed.
Good stuff. Life is good, life is good.
Back title of post in that this dose not really eat at me but dose make me smile clear to my middle.
: )
Few times since I wave woken up feeling good, laughing an seeing this play out in my mind.
Odd as it my be to you I have actually turned to my head as I awake an know something is up that tells me I must have been reliving the whole deal over around in my sleep as there in my face are Moe Rock & Polar Bear Boy smiling at me as if to say: "Hey, you OK T? ~ that was cool, lets have cookie.."
Have not posted here in a long time, was looking in Buy n sell area for fun and saw this post, caught my attention an I like hearing others adventures good or bad an everything in-between so figured I might ad one Just 4 fun.'.
Still Alive an Well.
EIGHT YEARS CANCER FREE Jan 20th 2017!!
Keep smiling an remember to always enjoy it all.
KEEP ON ROCKEN!
Tommy
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Edited by KidDerringer 1/24/2017 12:33 PM
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| RandalB - 1/24/2017 11:46 AM
Not having a camera setup for 1 man fishing when I landed that 51" in June..
RandalB
It never happened Randal  |
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Posts: 614
Location: Seymour, WI | I hooked two muskies last yr and lost them both.
The first one would have been my first muskie with the kids in the boat, bummer. |
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Posts: 470
Location: Blaine, MN | 2 moments that stand out... 1.) The inability to get out as much as I would have liked to, and.... 2.) partner and I dumping all 13 fish we had bite on day 1 of a 2 day tournament that was won with 3 &%$# fish, we sucked that day big time. |
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Posts: 2289
Location: Chisholm, MN | Tommy, your posts are awesome! |
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Posts: 347
Location: Vilas County, WI | Had a decent fish hit a bucktail 10 feet from the boat. One big head shake and gone... I threw a temper tantrum while leaving the bucktail hang in the water boatside... Son of a %#$^&* that musky smoked the bucktail again (literally the bait just hanging next to the boat). I missed it a 2nd time.
Lesson learned. No temper tantrums. |
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | RandalB - 1/24/2017 12:46 PM
Not having a camera setup for 1 man fishing when I landed that 51" in June..
RandalB
Do you have a cell phone? |
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Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | While jigging in the DR solo back in June I hooked into one pushing 55". She came up & rolled boat side, started going back down then jumped clear out of the water then on the second jump she threw the Bondy Bait at me. Losing that fish most likely saved me from going overboard because just as she got loose I took a boat wake over my bow & got rocked pretty good. |
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Posts: 45
| A couple moments stick out for me.
I camped for three days on Vermilion. We fished hard and didn't move a single muskie. I had a fish hit a topwater after dark on top of a rock reef the first night that I didn't get any hooks in and that was it for the entire trip. I was invited on another trip to Vermilion later in the season but couldn't get that poor taste out of my mouth from that trip.
A trip to Eagle with my friend and brother in the boat, we found an upper 40s fish on a weedbed from last year and managed to raise it a few different times but would never eat. On about the third day after eating lunch it was just my friend and I in the boat, that fish came cruising in nose right on his bucktail, in the figure 8 it t-boned the bait right on the blades. After a disappointing hookset the fish seemed confused and kept following for 3 or 4 more figure 8s but wouldn't eat again for the rest of the trip. My friend didn't get a muskie in the boat that whole trip (after losing a couple more) and it still bothers me since he doesn't get to get out much. |
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Posts: 61
| First time fishing on St Clair in my own boat running big boards, had a seasoned captain come out with us, first 25 minutes of light we had 4 bites, lost em all to only using a single rubber band on the releases off the big boards, next day doubled up on rubber bands and never lost a fish, solid hookups pinging every time. Sucked, lesson learned. |
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Posts: 8743
| I have a spot on Eagle where there's almost always fish. 8 years, and the smallest one I've seen on it was 45". Of course, that's the one fish I've caught there. Swing and a miss on many others. Netted a 4 footer or three, but never managed to hook up myself. This spot plain owes me a big fish.
Last time I fished it the wind was hitting it perfectly, no other boats in sight. "Today's the day!" Threw the perfect cast, right in the little slot between two big boulders. "That's the cast!" couple cranks, over the ledge, bait stops. ROCKED the boat on the hookset. "GOT HER!!!" for a second I thought I was snagged even though I knew I was past anything I could get hung up on. A couple giant headshakes, and then just dead weight. I think I said "STUCK!" because I couldn't reel and couldn't turn the fish. I remember thinking that something was going to break, my rod, my reel, something. With that, the #*^@ fish turned and headed right towards the boat. Stepped back, raised my rod up, reeling as fast as I could. I could still feel the fish but I never quite caught up to it. Give 'em slack line and you know what happens...
Sometimes there's nothing you can do.
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Posts: 284
Location: Eagan, MN | Moments eating at me? This probably wasn't a musky moment (though there are muskies in this body of water) but here's mine... My son hooked 'something' while walleye fishing late in the fall last year in the Twin Cities metro. Jigging a 1/4 oz. head/twister tail on bottom in 20' of water, he hooked a fish...a huge fish. He fought that fish expertly for 25 mins while we followed the fish for approximately 1/2 mile from the spot where she bit. He never got her up off the bottom and we never saw her, other than on the sonar. That fish wasn't even close to being done when she simply shook free of the hook. Heartbreaking...
Edited by BrianF. 1/24/2017 4:31 PM
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