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Posts: 1086
| If it's in the water...and it's moving: it's food.
Don't over think it.
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Posts: 88
Location: Des Plaines, IL | BNelson - 7/26/2017 1:30 PM
spend less money on baits, and more money on fishing w the best in the game on their waters to learn as much as possible.
I completely agree with this for someone who is in the third year of it. Ask a ton of questions while you are out. Up at Vermilion this year we went out with a guide for a half day. We didn't get any in the boat but had some fish up. For the last hour we trolled, which I haven't really done. I asked about different baits he uses, specifically the ones I have, and things like "do you run them on boards", "how much line", "how fast", "what do you look for on the electronics." Sure enough, he helped me out with what to do on a Cover 6 bait and the next day we got one to rip when out with my mom and sister (their first fish).
I always try and watch the screens that guides have for what's going on below the spots we are fishing. The thing that I still struggle with most is boat control and positioning. I try to be acutely aware of what a guide is doing to put us on fish: how far from structure are we sitting, what are we casting to, how is the wind affecting where the boat is, etc. If you have a boat, I think position is incredibly important. |
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| Learn some new expletives, perhaps in a new language. You'll use every one, and will always want more. Then, learn how to get over it quickly and get back fishing with a positive mental attitude again. |
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Posts: 209
| the fish that aren't using shoreline structure are less educated - find them........... |
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Posts: 93
Location: Des Moines IA | Can't catch fish playing with your cell phone.
Edited by Larbo 7/27/2017 10:26 AM
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Posts: 264
| Fishing in general can suck.
Musky(ie) fishing in particular can really suck.
Learn to embrace the suck, for on the next cast everything can change to FANTASTIC!!!! |
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | Building relationships with other humans is more important than building relationships with muskies. Nobody will ever be lying on their death bed and say, "I wish I would have been better in tune to what the muskies were doing". It's all about the people. Muskie fishing just happens to be the thing we do when we build meaningful relationships. |
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Posts: 13
Location: Billings, MT | So many good ones listed already. I would add Details. I think someone earlier said to 'perfect your awareness'. Its so true. The biggest difference between average fisherman and really good fisherman is the ability to think about the details that are making the difference in finding fish and getting them to bite. Then, remembering those experiences to use for future situations. If the OP asked what "two" tips you would share, would add 'fish with confidence'. |
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Posts: 1086
| Weather is the trump card
(no presidential pun intended) |
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Posts: 1086
| Everyone gets skunked from time to time
(Everyone. Even the Pros/Guides) |
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Posts: 8835
| Never forget why you're out there. Even during the most frustrating times, bad weather, wind, fish not moving, broken rods/reels/whatever. You're fishing. It's still better than a day at the office! |
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Posts: 105
Location: Jane Lew, WV | Just keep casting. It will happen eventually. |
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Posts: 73
Location: Cedarburg, WI | X2
(Sorry...Was trying to "second" Kirby's post).
Edited by Softwater 7/27/2017 1:40 PM
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | MACK - 7/27/2017 12:16 PM
Everyone gets skunked from time to time
(Everyone. Even the Pros/Guides)
Even BNelson??? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | lol. oh yah, skunked a lot... but you learn more from your failures than from your successes..  or you should anyway.
one more tip: take whatever you read on musky boards w a grain of salt.. everyone is a fish magician behind a keyboard.
Edited by BNelson 7/27/2017 1:44 PM
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Posts: 7090
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | BNelson - 7/27/2017 1:41 PM
lol. oh yah, skunked a lot... but you learn more from your failures than from your successes.. or you should anyway.
one more tip: take whatever you read on musky boards w a grain of salt.. everyone is a fish magician behind a keyboard.
Except for me, I admit that I am a Factory of Sadness for the last 9 months of muskie fishing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-ZqR8J_Ktw |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Musky_Mo16 - 7/26/2017 7:39 PM
Musky Brian - 7/26/2017 4:26 PM
I see way too many new guys in the hobby spend too many hours/days/money fishing tough water. 1-2 trips per year on good water is just way more valuable than beating tough lakes to a froth and not contacting fish or learning anything...
I can agree with this as a new guy. I like to beat the Illinois water until I get to go up north in a few weeks here. But I can say I'd rather go fishing a not catch anything than sit on my couch and say "man, I wonder if I would have got one today"
Well...Former FIB here, not even sure I bought an IL license my last 5 years of residency. Really not worth investing all that much time in. Couch > 30$ for Fox Chain Ripoff stickers for mediocre at best fishing ...
Edited by Musky Brian 7/27/2017 2:10 PM
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Posts: 1150
Location: Minnesota. | Remember to fish those two best times to fish....when it's rainin' an' when it aint!! |
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Posts: 1168
| true tiger tamer - 7/26/2017 1:30 PM
Fish smarter not harder
^This.
There's no need to beat yourself 18 hours a day with little to show for it. That's being dumb. If you can't fish in the so called "ideal conditions" don't fret. There's a fish out there somewhere that will eat. It's up to you to find it and fool it. |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | BNelson - 7/27/2017 1:41 PM
lol. oh yah, skunked a lot... but you learn more from your failures than from your successes.. or you should anyway.
one more tip: take whatever you read on musky boards w a grain of salt.. everyone is a fish magician behind a keyboard.
Except for you and me, right?  |
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Posts: 1416
Location: oconomowoc, wi | Slamr - 7/27/2017 1:46 PM
BNelson - 7/27/2017 1:41 PM
lol. oh yah, skunked a lot... but you learn more from your failures than from your successes.. or you should anyway.
one more tip: take whatever you read on musky boards w a grain of salt.. everyone is a fish magician behind a keyboard.
Except for me, I admit that I am a Factory of Sadness for the last 9 months of muskie fishing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-ZqR8J_Ktw
BUMP! |
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Posts: 841
Location: Southwest PA | Take a kid fishing with ya... even if his mum, your sister, gets driven up a wall by a 7yr old screaming: "I got muskie fever! I gotta get me a muskie!!", for the whole day before and after the trip. |
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Posts: 108
| Have a plan and purpose with your time on the water...everyday...every time...fish with purpose...but be quick to adapt to what the fish/conditions are telling you.
The very best anglers I have fished with have a plan before they hit the water...a mental checklist so to speak...but they are also very versatile and know how to adjust that plan to what feedback the conditions are giving them. |
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Posts: 689
Location: Already Gone | "Our greatest trophies are not things, but times."
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Posts: 1209
| Since I'm normally around fish my advise is to my dad and friends who get backlashes, "aim hi" reallly seams to help.
And 2, just enjoy the chase. |
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Posts: 1753
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | Take care of your gear and have it serviced or inspected about twice as often as you would think. You don't want a failure with a big fish on the line that gets away due to an equipment malfunction. |
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Posts: 581
| As has been said above, realize that fishing is about more than just the fish. My most cherished moments in the boat have come from the time spent with my brother, my dad, my daughters, and friends and aren't related to any actual catch. |
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Posts: 8835
| If I could go back a dozen years and give myself one piece of advice, it would be this:
Don't waste your time and money driving all around the Midwest to fish lakes that don't have a good population of quality fish. Just because it has muskies in it does not mean its worth a 6 hour drive. I learned more fishing with Herbie for 3 days than I learned in 3 years before that, because I was actually contacting fish on a regular basis. And some good ones at that. |
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Posts: 119
| PMA -- Positive Mental Attitude -- If you have a good outlook on the day, even if it's a spot you've fished a million times before, if you have a positive outlook on fishing then you fish harder and smarter and more often than not you end up with a reward for your effort. |
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| Whenever possible, fish out of someone else's rig. That way, when you get skunked, you have someone to blame other than yourself. |
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