Posted 9/3/2009 12:36 PM (#397791) Subject: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 3920
Over a year ago, at about 4 in the morning, I was playing with my Q-Beam and spotted a HUGE fish laying on the surface near an island. It slowly, slowly dropped down into the dark depths after getting hit with the light. Over the years I've seen a couple true 50"+ fish, and boated a few in the 40"s including a fat 48" that went between 30-35#. This fish was way, way bigger than anything I've ever seen. I bet it approached 60" and weighed 40# or better. This is in a 300 acre lake that has a very few big pike, and about 15 years ago a dead 30# muskie was found on the shore. I assume the fish I saw was a muskie, and if not, it was a pike.
I know that beast is still out there. I can't stop thinking about it. My question to you is......what would you do to hunt it down????
Posted 9/3/2009 1:05 PM (#397803 - in reply to #397791) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 8863
Ranger, I'd do whatever it took! Seriously, though... If there's not a known population of muskies in the lake, chances are nobody is fishing it. I would think that fact would increase your odds a bit. I'd fish deep, honeslty. Not sure what the lake is like, but I'd avoid the shallow weed edges and shoreline structure. If that fish has survived this long and gotten that big, it didn't do so by eating perch in the weeds, or taking small panfish. Chances are that fish is spending its time in deep water, still relating to structure, but not in the way we usually think of.
But you know all of that, already.
To answer the question of what I would do? Morning, noon, and night! I'd throw pounders, double 13's, big grandmas, all those lures I look at and say to myself "I ain't throwin THAT, give me something that doesn't hurt!"...
I'll usually forgo the stupid size lures for the sake of my back, shoulders, etc, because I'm not a kid anymore. But for a true giant fish? Hmph. I have the whole off season to get over my injuries!
Posted 9/3/2009 1:30 PM (#397814 - in reply to #397791) Subject: RE: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 100
Location: W-PA
Troll some large lures like a Legend Plow past her this fall.
Brian
Posted 9/3/2009 1:44 PM (#397817 - in reply to #397791) Subject: RE: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Try to locate the fish again using the same method you did before....4 am, Q-beam. You know that it likes to be shallow in the middle of the night. Once you re-locate the fish, come back repeatedly and try to catch it.
Posted 9/3/2009 3:05 PM (#397832 - in reply to #397791) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 427
Location: Wausau
Not knowing the lake and structural elements...I'd start by fishing the steepest break leading into deep water from the weed flat where you saw her. I would also move 1-2 cast length away and fish suspended from the break or flat. If there are inside turns, thicker weed clumps and/or combination rock/wood/weed - fish those areas at prime-times and after dark.
I'd also learn the baitfish profile - if sucker based...know where you can find the suckers and you may find her...same with cisco, pannies, ell pout, etc. I'd be tossing the same lures as mentioned and for sure draggin' sausage in the fall.
Best of luck!
Guest
Posted 9/3/2009 3:11 PM (#397833 - in reply to #397791) Subject: RE: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posted 9/3/2009 3:16 PM (#397834 - in reply to #397791) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN
60" in 300 acre lake? I would start smoking whatever you were smoking that night again. Kiddin kidding. sorta.
Guest
Posted 9/3/2009 5:01 PM (#397850 - in reply to #397791) Subject: RE: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Whether there's one fish or a thousand fish, why would you fish any differently? What you need to do is figure out where the one or few fish in the lake like to hang out. Approach it like you would any other lake -- where's the food? Fish will be near. Then convince yourself to fish for days on end without so much as a follow. Perseverence is the key. It's not any more complicated than that.
Posted 9/3/2009 5:54 PM (#397861 - in reply to #397791) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 1061
Location: Medford, WI
Fish primetimes as AGrimm mentioned (major/minor, rise/set) and NIGHTFISH. Fish the area you saw her in and any areas in the rest of the lake that have the same type of structure whether it was a deep weedline or big rocky break.
Nail'er.
-Jake
Posted 9/4/2009 6:51 PM (#398030 - in reply to #397791) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 3920
Thanks for all the relpies. She initially caught my attention because of the wake she was putting out as she cruised along the surface. This was the Tuesday after memorial day and the lake surface was covered with weed debris from the speedboats. When I first turned on the q-beam and began scanning the water I spotted a wake that was pusing the debris to both sides, a gentle V. I followed the wake up to what I assumed would be a muskrat. But it was the fish, and only about 10-15' away. I had been fishing for walleye with jig/minnnow combo straight down next to the boat, drifting slow and quiet in the dark. No fish, I'm going to move the boat, but first I needed a stretch so I set down the rod, picked up the q-beam and stood up to shine the water around me.
I was not "spleeefin'" that night! I'm trying to be accurate in describing what I saw. This fish was real.
Posted 9/5/2009 8:05 PM (#398121 - in reply to #398030) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 32955
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin
This fish was filmed on a small Oneida County lake, under 240 acres. I know of ( saw the images and trust the angler) two fish CPR'd there in the last two years that were 53 and 53.5, and one during a MuskieFIRST Outing that was 49. Big muskies can live in tiny lakes.
Posted 9/6/2009 12:52 PM (#398174 - in reply to #397791) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 3920
"If there's a muskie in this lake, why is it a non-muskie lake?"
Just as Steve said, there's little to no history of muskies in this lake. Pike, yes, and some real big ones years ago. (BTW, I've seen big gar up close and this was not a gar.) There are a lot of smaller lakes hereabouts, like 25 lakes within 20 miles. Only a very few (like 3) have reputations as having fishable muskie populations.
Posted 9/6/2009 3:14 PM (#398184 - in reply to #397791) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 203
i second camping on the area with 72inches of suckers in the water!!!
good luck.
steve when u get that footage through the ice are you just camping on those spots till muskiea\s swim bye or hitting a series humps looking for other fish to catch and a muskie just happens to be there? cool footage
Posted 9/6/2009 3:59 PM (#398188 - in reply to #398184) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 32955
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin
I'm setting up in areas that usually have a Muskie or two around on three of the lakes I fish during the winter, but not specifically targeting them for the video. They show up regularly enough. I believe the camera attracts them in close. A couple on Julia last year actually attacked the camera. I am planning to hit Minocqua, Gilmore, and a couple little lakes quite a bit this winter, and should get some good Muskie stuff there.
fish4musky
Posted 9/6/2009 10:22 PM (#398213 - in reply to #397791) Subject: RE: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posted 9/8/2009 3:38 PM (#398532 - in reply to #398213) Subject: RE: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN
I'd fish the lake just like it had a lot of Muskies. I'd start with the shallows, work the edges, and then try open water bait fish areas. I'd go with standard Muskie lures and see what happens and then go from there.
If nothing else, you may run into some big Pike and your Muskie gear should handle them just fine.
You don't need a huge lure to catch a big Muskie - especially if the fish aren't used to seeing Muskie lures. That fish might be big, but that doesn't mean she won't fall for a properly presented Muskie lure. She may have even hit a few lures like Pike sized Daredevils over the years. But if the fishermen weren't using heavy enough of tackle, she may have just broken off or bent over the hooks and they were left wondering what they had on.
Sounds to me like you may have a good lake to fish. But keep it quiet if you do catch her or you may have everyone and their dog on the lake. Although, you can email me if you want.
Posted 9/8/2009 4:51 PM (#398556 - in reply to #397791) Subject: Re: How to Hunt a Huge Muskie in Non-Muskie Lake?
Posts: 3920
No, not a UP lake. Located in SW Michigan but not Bankson. Steve, are you talking about Julia near Three Lakes? Nice lake, I took my son there and he had a strike on a Topraider.
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..karol
