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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | Ok so what is wrong with our minds.
This weekend I tied in to an awesome fish. The fish smoked my Longtale and went deep. I was convinced I had a mid 40” musky on. I fought the fish to the boat in the dark water and just as Oneida was about to slip the net under her, we got our first good look at the fish. DOG FISH! John immediately let out a chuckle and removed the net from the water. I instantly let the line go slack in hopes that the fish would shake off, and major disappointment set in. As I started unhooking the fish I realized it was quite large, we estimated the length at around 35 inches. And it was quite robust so my guess is the weight was 15 to 20 pounds. From what I hear a record class dogfish.
Here I had a fish that equaled the fight of a 46 ½ inch musky I caught just over a week earlier, and as soon as I saw it wasn’t a musky I was disappointed. Did knowing the fish wasn’t a musky make the fight less challenging? Was it more common than a musky? Will I likely ever catch a dogfish bigger? The answer to all those questions is NO! So what is wrong with the wiring in our brain that makes the accomplishment of catching a hard fighting fish like that less than catching a 35” musky.
This doesn’t go with just musky. I had the same feeling when I got my personnel best pike a solid 45” fish on LOTW. I watched Oneida bow to a 29” walleye, hoping to shake it off, when he realized it wasn’t a musky and I don’t think he even took pictures of what would have been a line class World Record smallmouth because he was disappointed it wasn’t a musky.
So what happens to the musky fishermans brain that we get this feeling, I know there are more of you out there that feel the same way. Lets hear your stories of big fish that weren’t an accomplishment in your mind, but most multi species fishermen would die to catch.
My name is Mike and I AM A MUSKY FISHERMAN!
Nail A Pig!
Mike
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | I hear ya Mike.
I got a 19" smallmouth this spring and was telling a friend about it - I believe my words were, "I thought it was a fish for a while"...
S. |
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| I can see how a dogfish, gar, carp or something could be a bit of a let down. Big bass, walleye, pike or laker, no problem and no real let down for me if they're in season. Sworn at a lot of sheephead that were supposed to be ten pound walleyes. Insert January-esque 'how-can-you-say-one-fish-is-greater-than-another counter argument here__________ha ha. Just my opinion. |
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| I was on Kinkaid this March and caught my biggest IL bass ever on a Super Chinook. I was extremely disappointed and my friend Russ was laughing hysterically at me because I thought for sure it was the 45 inch musky smoking my MM spinnerbait that hot followed on the cast prior (the biggest musky seen on the trip by far)!
I know exactly how you feel!
Steve |
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Location: The Yahara Chain | Mike I have caught numerous large bass while musky fishing with two of those reaching the 8lb class. The Yahara Chain has some monster bass and they love top water. After they eat it, I soon realize that it is a bass and I don't get the feelings that you are describing.
The Pike get me every time though, they really like thumper baits. I have caught a lot of pike that fooled me and I always have a big letdown when I see it is a pike. I shouldn't, it fought hard, it gives me the top water hit rush.... but I always get the big let down, it never fails. |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | A few years back fishing LOTW with Troyz, I hooked a 40" ish pike. I thought it was a musky, and after realizing it was a pike I tried to shake it off. I had it boat side trying to shake it off when it thrashed wildly and spooked a mid thirty inch follow that Troy had behind his bucktail. I actually apologized to Troy for spooking the fish.
Trying to shake off a 40" fish and apologizing for a lost chance at a mid thirties. Obviously the mid thirties fish is more attractive. You are right, something is wired wrong.
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Posts: 1168
| I gotta admit, I'd be pretty stoked about a dogfish of that caliber. Gonna have to start exclusively throwing Longtales to entice the dogfish. hehehehe. With muskie and trout my wiring is different, if I'm out for anything else it's more sane. A good fighting fish is fun no matter what it is. Got my fixes of the sucker run and bullhead run this year, now the wiring changes. |
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Posts: 476
Location: WI | The state record for bowfin (dogfish) is 31.6 inches and 13.1 lbs. Caught on the Willow Flowage. They put up quite a fight too don't they! I've had the screws get pulled out of my Jackpots from their alligator rolls. Sounds like you had a state record!
GotOne |
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Posts: 1270
| Honestly I do not have that problem. I like catching any kind of fish regardless of th e glamour factor of the fish. Just this past weekend I was fishing Green Bay for walleyes for a Memorial Day fish fry. Now normally all I run is GULP! crawlers because the sheephead seem ot not like them and all I catch on them is walleyes. This weekend I used 4 lines with real crawlers and 2 lines with GULP! crawlers. We caught 6 of the 10 walleyes on the 2 GULP! lines but boy did we catch a ton of catfish and sheepheads on the real crawlers! And the sheepers and cats put up a much better fight than any 24" walleye does. If we were tournamnet fishing for walleyes we would have just run GULP! but when I'm fishing for fun I like to have fun and to me fun=catching lots of fish.
Congrats on your trophy Dog Fish! |
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Posts: 2089
| I had an "awakening " last season. 2 weeks of 44" - 46 1/2". Saw and lost bigger but couldn't get 'em in the boat. Complaining about catching 25# fish????? I musta been dropped on my head as a baby. I have re-learned from clients and maybe being I'm a little older too, that the incidental walleye/pike/bass is just as special as the the long green fish we hunt. Ok, maybe not. Opener this weekend.Tic toc tic toc tic toc. Steve |
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| I fish Sturgeon on the Rainy river in the spring (1 annual trip per year) If I could fish them year round and didn't have to drive 5 hours to find them, I would give up musky fishing in a heartbeat and soley fish sturgeon... Bigger, fight harder and they do jump, plus you caught alot more... Unfortunatly I can not fish them year round, so the muskies make a great second choice.... |
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| Mike's fish was easily over 31 inches! He said should we measure it, but we couldn't find the stick so we let it go!
Congrats to Mike Roberts, his new nickname is.....Dogfish Roberts! |
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| I got a 40" Pike sunday on Waubesa in Madison and was dissapointed it was a pike...I didn't even take a pic!
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | I definately do not feel your pain regarding the pike, guys. We sometimes hook and catch pike in the low to mid 40" range and immediately get more excited than if it were a Musky of the same size. Pike in that size range in drive to situations, especially in WI, are a rare beast, and one I take care in getting in the boat when hooked. I know what you mean about the bowfin though, as we've had them hit on Pete in the tournament on occasion, and they dog like a ski' initially. They are good tuggers no doubt, but a big dissapointment when the $$$ is on the line...err not on the line. |
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Posts: 574
| I got a 35" pike last week, and all I could think is @#$% thats not what I wanted! I dont think its that I dont enjoy catching other fish, its that they get my hopes up and then I'm dissapointed. I did get my largest smallmouth last week, and it fought harder than my largest ski this year. But none the less it was not a Ski. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | My boy felt the pain last year when he fought a huge fish for way longer than usual. This huge fish was a 12 pound carp snaged in the poop shoot. Try to bring in a big carp backwards. BUMMER for the boy. |
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Posts: 1286
Location: WI | About a week ago I snagged a carp in the tail while pike fishing. It took me 10 minutes to get it in...backwards! I thought I had a really BIG walleye or pike on. That was a dissapointment, not only because it was foul hooked, but a 15lb carp isn't even that big of a carp. |
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| Mike
Was it in the same spot me and John caught those two dog fish a few years back.
Jeff |
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Posts: 1185
Location: Wishin I Was Fishin' | Last month I was fishing a local pond with a Tony Grant Rattle Trap for musky when in less then 1 feet of water only 5 feet from shore I thought I had a snag after my hook set stopped dead. Then all of a suddon it took off fast. Pulled a ton of line. Maxed my Lomis musky rod right out. Took me around the boat twice. I finally got a look at it by the boat.....a huge catfish....probably 40 lbs or close to it. After the flash at the boat....one more run and she shook the bait. Hardest battle by far that I have ever had...my arm really was sore after that one. I could really see trying to catch more of them.
I have snagged 3 foot carp and a 49" & 60" Sturgeon but the fight was no where even close.
I could see more catfish but the carp and Sturgeon were a let down. |
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| I've went fishing twice so far this year. First time out I caught 10 small Perch from the bank, while waiting for my boat partner. Once on the water I caught two Northerns. Last Sunday I caught 6 Largemouth Bass, 2 Smallmouth Bass, and 2 Rock bass. I also had a 40 inch class Muskie chase a Bass-sized chatterbait. I instantly went into a figure 8 before realizing what the heck was doing and pulling the bait from the water. I kept 5 of the Largemouth, which were delicious. I enjoyed catching every one of those fish, and even enjoyed the 4lb Largemouth that jumped two feet high out of the water and threw my bait back to me. I just like fishing, period, even when the fish don't cooperate. My only regret is that i don't get out as much as I'd like. I'd love to catch a 35 inch Eelpout/Dogfish. As mentioned above, the fight would be well worth it. |
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Posts: 20212
Location: oswego, il | Hey, we don't mind catching other stuff when we musky fish!
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Posts: 462
Location: Antioch, IL | Here is a funny one for ya. Up in LOTW my buddy Bob was banging a shad rap along the bottom, with good success, when the lure started coming in real funny. He thought he had busted the lip, but he had picked up a hitchhiker. Wasn't a muskie, but oddly enough we were not dissapointed. 
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | Had a Largemouth inhale a buzzbait last fall. The fish was around 20 inches and must have been in the 5 lb. range. I figured, "Well, I have a small Muskie on the line." When I saw the fish surface I thought, "Oh, it's just a Largemouth."
When I used to fish for bass, that fish would have made my day. It is strange, isn't it?
Craig
Edited by cjrich 5/30/2007 8:50 AM
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Posts: 1237
Location: South Portsmouth, KY | Fish and Whistle - 5/29/2007 11:05 PM
Here is a funny one for ya. Up in LOTW my buddy Bob was banging a shad rap along the bottom, with good success, when the lure started coming in real funny. He thought he had busted the lip, but he had picked up a hitchhiker. Wasn't a muskie, but oddly enough we were not dissapointed. :-)
HAHA. I caught a bunch of those on my dawgs up on LOTW when i went. Oddly, in the same little rock shelf that i was catching the crawdads on was where i was rasing the most fish. i guess the muskie were feeding on those things! |
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Posts: 468
Location: Not where I wanna be! | i completely understand. however, i love toothy critters, and i would be super happy to catch a 40" plus pike.....
But when you devote yourself to a specific species, especially one that is very difficult to catch.....
it gets you excited then lets you down....
its understandable.....
here is a sad dogfish story for you......
i am in the exact same boat as you....no pun intended.
i was a senior in highschool, and i was fishing a slough near my house. i hooked into a big 'ole doggy. this was probably the 4th or 5th dogfish i had ever caught.
to me they have always been considered trash fish or rough fish, which seem to have a tendancy to get really big.......
my little bro and i pulled him in, put him on a digital scale, and he weighed in at 12 pounds 9 ounces. i thought nothing of it, and tossed him back in assuming he was just a small one sinec big carp are 50 lbs......
the following day i told the story to a teacher of mine who is an avid angler, he notified me that i had broken the state record by 3 ounces......
oh well, story of my life....... |
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| I'm back to the point where I apprecaite the other fish. They're usually on the larger size, and a welcome diversion from cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve...
It's important to me that I appreciate the whole experience, not just the desired results. |
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Posts: 284
| I gotta agree with you here. We are messed up fisherman. This past weekend I was on okauchee and tied into a mid thirties about ten feet from the boat. It made a short run then turned very quickly and headed at the boat with a headshake and spit the hook. Neither me or my buddy got a really good look at the fish but we convinved ourselves it was a northern to make ourselves feel better. Any body else would have been happy to boat a mid 30's earn but had we got it in the boat I am certain it would have been a disappointment. Why is this? I don't know for sure but I think I would rather boat a small ski than a large ern. |
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Posts: 37
Location: Mid Wales, UK | Wish we had a few of your nuisance species this side of the atlantic  |
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Posts: 171
| I snagged a bullhead on a bulldawg last spring. Disappointing, but pretty darn funny!
But how about this one.....I finally caught a fish on a figure 8 this year! I had a follow and went into a smooth 8, with the rod tip buried about 2'....when out of nowhere a 2nd fish came and ate my lure! ......oh, did I mention that both fish were 8" crappies??!!!!! LMAO
ErieBoy75 |
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Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I fish for almost all the panfish and game fish we have in Wisconsin, and like big Pike a bit more than big muskies, just because they are far more a rarity. A tight line to me is a good line. |
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