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Location: lansing, il | i started musky fishing because i wanted to catch trophy fish. since i was 12 i have always considered musky a trophy fish, and dont feel it is about catching numbers, if i was concerned with #s i would pike bass or walleye fish more. but i feel its more about catching "the one". not that there is any right or wrong answer here, its about what you want personally. but i think people get to hung up on the numbers game and lose sight of the fact that we are chasing a fish that is considered a trophy fish. where do you fall????
Edited by muskihntr 1/22/2007 11:27 AM
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Location: Yahara River Chain | What is a quality fish?????????
I know what quanity is. |
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Location: lansing, il | quality fish??? i suppose would be the upper end of the size of the fish in the waters you are fishing. |
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Location: Yahara River Chain | I think we ALL are trying to catch those guys. |
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Location: lansing, il | well i would like to agree with ya gerard but it seems to me sometimes people get so ingulfed in putting #s of fish in the boat that they lose sight of the fact that musky fishing is about catching the trophies. |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | quality fish??? i suppose would be the upper end of the size of the fish in the waters you are fishing.
So what you're sort of saying is that there are some people who go to a muskie lake, target muskies, and AREN'T targeting the biggest fish in the system? These guys go to lakes and chase smaller fish than the upper echelons of the muskie size strata? |
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Location: lansing, il | in a way yes ....in otherwords you know you can go to spot x where your sure to put a fish or a few fish in the boat, vs going to spot y where you have seen big ones or know the big ones are but have not been able to get them to go. so intead of concentrating on trying to get "the one" you settle for the others. make sense???? or no?
Not that I know much of anything, but I've been chasing muskies for about 20 years, and I cant say I've ever been with anyone muskie fishing that said "yeah, thats a big fish spot, but let's go after some smaller fish". Lake choice, MAYBE, but spot choice on lakes? Never seen it in my limited experience. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | i'll bite .... i'm not smart enough or organized enough to keep track of numbers or conditions in detail ... i depend on what comes naturally to make a plan for the day on the water and then it has a lot to do with whether i'm on my own or somebody else is in the boat or whether it's league night or a wmt or just out on the water or on a planned trip to mn. or canada. on my own i'll fish lower percentages for where i "think" bigger fish are and sometimes i'm right and sometimes i'm woefully wrong. league nights can get pretty exciting just seeing a tail touch the 34 mark ... whereas in canada i just like to see horses come at you and hope it's my time to have an eater and do the right thing if that is at all possible, but i'm perfectly happy with a net in my hand and with a camera helping someone else to enjoy a big experience. when i get home or to the dock i enjoy hearing from others and could care less whether they or i had a better or more successful day, i'll tend to try to understand the difference and try to learn from it on the next trip out. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I don't get hung up on trophies OR numbers. I think every single muskie that hits the Frabill is as cool as the last or next, the only difference between a 50 and a 39 is the length. Both are good fish, both are what I'm out there for, and I don't wish to diminish the thrill of a 35" fish to a 'disappointment'. |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | in a way yes ....in otherwords you know you can go to spot x where your sure to put a fish or a few fish in the boat, vs going to spot y where you have seen big ones or know the big ones are but have not been able to get them to go. so intead of concentrating on trying to get "the one" you settle for the others. make sense???? or no?
I've been chasing muskies for about 20 years, and I cant say I've ever been with anyone muskie fishing that said "yeah, thats a big fish spot, but let's go after some smaller fish". Lake choice, MAYBE, but spot choice on lakes? Never seen it in my limited experience. |
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Location: lansing, il | never heard a guide or someone tell you "this is a big fish spot"???? come on now... |
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Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | When the day comes that I am pissed at catching a high 30's fish and it not being over 40 I will have my head examined. People who loose the thrill of the catch because they get caught up in number or size are whacked in my mind.
A muskie is a muskie. Clients enjoy catching fish. Big fish come into the boat as do average smaller fish. I see the excitement all the time. Never have I seen someone shake off a 40-incher. The guys that do, well sucks to be that hung up in size that you can't enjoy all the fish you catch.
I let my clients choose. Numbers or quality. 90% choose the numbers. I like to fish for quality but putting fish in the net is my job, it's their call.
Lakes I choose to fish on my vacations I choose for quality. Trophys is what I am looking for. But I will never get pissed if a fish is under 40's inches. Thats just stupid in my opinion. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I sure say that, because in many cases it's absolute fact. There are areas in many lakes and rivers I fish that seem to produce big fish consistently. Smaller fish too, but when multiple 50's come form a certain small area, that, like the Hog Pen and Lou's Bay on the Goon, is a big fish spot. But Slamr is right, I don't feel I CAN'T catch a 55 anywhere else on the Goon, for example, so I'm not fishing 'small fish spots' either. It's both. |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | muskihntr - 1/22/2007 12:10 PM
never heard a guide or someone tell you "this is a big fish spot"???? come on now...
My point is I've never heard anyone say "thats a big fish spot, let's go to the small fish spots". |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | here's a case for learning ... a shallow weedy bay known for perch and pike on lake tom. ... middle - later summer ... a spot i would stay away from from traditional experiences .... guy from the campground in his small boat catches perch, 51.5" tiger eats perch ... likely one of the coolest looking fish i've ever seen gets caught. coulda been me? .... nope, i was out on the "big fish water" on that same day. .... just his day and not mine i guess. when you're looking for the left hook you can get hit in the stomach quickly by these crazy fish eh? |
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| I don't think anybody goes out and says "hey, let's go get a little one!!"
But there's a clear difference between just wanting to catch muskies (targeting numbers) and wanting to catch a big one.
I'll forgo fishing a "numbers" lake for a shot at a 40 pounder. But I'm always happy to see a fish in the net no matter how small it is. I'm not going to pull the lure away from a 38, but I'm not going to pretend that a 48 doesn't make my heart pound just a little more. |
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Location: nationwide | I am after any sized muskie that wants to play . .. .especially with topwater lures. Any muskie that goes after a topwatrer lure is my favorite!!!!!!!
Corey Meyer |
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| I like both, I will fish anywhere you tell me there is a musky, granted, I like to know I have a legitimate shot at a trophy, but, I will take what I can get, I used to just get off having a follow for the day, but catching one no matter the size suits me just fine, would I rather just catch big ones all the time? heck yeah, is it possible? Not really, The fishing I had this fall was just what Im looking for in a fishery, lots of numbers, and a few "trophies" mixed in. I can't complain one bit. |
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| Interesting comments. I have only fished for muskies 5 seasons and the first two years only involved 4 days of fishing each. So I can easily see the difference from 06' and 05' seasons which was my transition into trophy hunting. Up to 05' I did go to lakes that offered lots of numbers of fish becouse with limited time I wanted to simply put lots of fish in the boat. The 05' season I still chased numbers but I looked for bodies of water that had trophy potential as well. The 06' season proved to be interesting in that in chasing larger fish I caught my PB 5 times from April 1st to Sept. 10th but my numbers where down by quite a bit. So as I am at this point I can say that trophy fish are my target fish and my goal fish, but any musky in the boat is excellet and when a 35" musky follows to the boat I go into a figure eight same as if a 45"er followed. I also think a good musky spot is a good musky spot. On most bodies of water I don't really have trophy spots and dink spots. When I do have both kinds of spots I naturally go to the trophy water which I might not of two years ago.
In relation to the TIGER story I remember 3 years ago going into a sloppy shallow weedy bay on a severe August coldfront day and catching two tiny pike and a 20 pound tiger musky! So you never know. |
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Location: Iowa | just muskies...a big one would be real nice...but a muskie is a muskie is a muskie no matter which way the pie is sliced...
Big Perc |
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Location: Contrarian Island | There are plenty of places around the musky world where there may be a "numbers lake" right next to a tougher bite water but bigger fish on avg...take Indiana...the avg size say on Tippy is bigger right?..but yet most go to Webster..why? cuz they can have a better shot at fish right?
Take Madison, we have our little pay pond, Wingra, I fished it for 5 hours this year, and only did that so I could clean up on a matchfishing day ;-). Do I want to fish if I have a choice over Monona/Wauby? No, not really, there are smaller fish in there, but yet you take a look in the lot on any given weekend day and see numerous trucks/ trailers...they could fish monona/waubesa and probably catch bigger fish, maybe less of them but they choose Wingra..to each their own. I fish a ton of lakes all over the musky land..I go there trying to catch the biggest fish I can that day....I don't fish any waters where a shot at a 45" plus fish is not a reality...
I like to catch muskies..numbers and size..I target the biggest fish I can on that water, that day...whether I end up with a 40 or 6 fish over 40 I'll be happy with fish in the net...
where you are in the quality / quantity spectrum probably comes from how experienced you are and how many years you have been at it and how many fish over 40" you have under your belt...is a 40" something to shake off, no, but when you catch enough of them, it is just a touch more fun to hook and land bigger fish...
bnelson
Edited by MSKY HNR 1/22/2007 1:53 PM
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| Mikes Extreme - 1/22/2007 12:13 PM
When the day comes that I am pissed at catching a high 30's fish and it not being over 40 I will have my head examined. People who loose the thrill of the catch because they get caught up in number or size are whacked in my mind.
A muskie is a muskie. Clients enjoy catching fish. Big fish come into the boat as do average smaller fish. I see the excitement all the time. Never have I seen someone shake off a 40-incher. The guys that do, well sucks to be that hung up in size that you can't enjoy all the fish you catch.
I let my clients choose. Numbers or quality. 90% choose the numbers. I like to fish for quality but putting fish in the net is my job, it's their call.
Lakes I choose to fish on my vacations I choose for quality. Trophys is what I am looking for. But I will never get pissed if a fish is under 40's inches. Thats just stupid in my opinion.
Took the words right out of my mouth!!!!!!!! Great minds think alike  |
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Location: lansing, il | this thread has nothing to do with shaking off fish or catching fish it is about targeting the fish you choose to attept to catch. heck i am still quite happy with a mid to high 30s in the net! just because im not targeting that fish doesnt mean i wont catch it, however when i see people that will camp on low 30 to sub 30" fish i tend to draw the line there in my book. but thats just me. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Which begged the question and gets you the answers. Nothing wrong with trying to catch ANY Muskie. |
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Location: South Portsmouth, KY | muskihntr - 1/22/2007 3:29 PM
this thread has nothing to do with shaking off fish or catching fish it is about targeting the fish you choose to attept to catch. heck i am still quite happy with a mid to high 30s in the net! just because im not targeting that fish doesnt mean i wont catch it, however when i see people that will camp on low 30 to sub 30" fish i tend to draw the line there in my book. but thats just me.
Let me give you this situation since you said something about camping on fish. If your out on the lake and fish hard all day with a couple of follows from 30 inch ish fish and thats all you seen all day. Would you not want to go back in the evening and try to give the 30 inch ish fish another shot or would you just forget about it? Myself, i would be going back to catch those fish in a heartbeat!!
Edited by muskie_man 1/22/2007 2:42 PM
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Location: lansing, il | muskyman..me personally....no
steve...as stated in my first post there was no right or wrong answer here.
Edited by muskihntr 1/22/2007 2:46 PM
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Location: Muskoka Ontario,Canada | Great thread John.
Although I've only fished exclusively for muskies for a couple of seasons now, the thrill of trying to figure out where the biggest fish in the system is gets my blood pumping. It's still awesome just to raise fish and try to get them to eat but there's nothng like when that bigger fish swims up and takes a look.
If I wanted purely numbers, I'd go back to Bass and Pike in a heartbeat and do very well at it again. Musky fishing for me personally has been a dream since I was 10 years old but I never really fished on waters that had more than the occasional musky until recently. I always wanted to catch and release my first musky on a lure I'd made and now that I've done that, it's about researching and figuring out where to find those bigger fish.
I have to agree on the top water comment though. There's no bigger thrill than those heart pounding boatside strikes at dusk! Right Tremblay? |
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| muskie_man - 1/22/2007 2:37 PM
muskihntr - 1/22/2007 3:29 PM
this thread has nothing to do with shaking off fish or catching fish it is about targeting the fish you choose to attept to catch. heck i am still quite happy with a mid to high 30s in the net! just because im not targeting that fish doesnt mean i wont catch it, however when i see people that will camp on low 30 to sub 30" fish i tend to draw the line there in my book. but thats just me.
Let me give you this situation since you said something about camping on fish. If your out on the lake and fish hard all day with a couple of follows from 30 inch ish fish and thats all you seen all day. Would you not want to go back in the evening and try to give the 30 inch ish fish another shot or would you just forget about it? Myself, i would be going back to catch those fish in a heartbeat!!
I love every fish that hits the net, but I wont go back on a fish that small. to me, it just isnt worth the effort. and there is really no sense in helping educate a fish that young by putting hooks in its face.
That may sound arrogant, but I dont mean it like that. That's just the way I fish, and I am definitely not condemning those that do otherwise. |
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Location: South Portsmouth, KY | I know on the lakes in kentucky if i raised smaller fish i would go back on them cause we fish highly pressured lakes and any muskie is a good muskie. But it might be different for you guys up north where you are fishing more trophy waters i can understand where you are coming from. So i guess that i am on the fence. In Ky yea i would go back on smaller fish, but up north like in canada then no i probably wouldent go back on smaller fish. |
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| Going back on a small fish? Not at 10:00am, but at 5:00? I just might. At 9:30pm, I probably would if we hadn't seen anything else all day. Some times it just makes sense to punt! |
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