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Location: minocqua, wi. | i live in the basement here but come up for topwater when there is a good bite going. |
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Location: new richmond, wi. & isle, mn | jonnysled - 8/7/2018 10:36 AM
i'll be pointer's net man on this fish ... at least he won't blame me as another excuse. My dad always told me you could never get too good at netting.  |
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Posts: 1760
Location: new richmond, wi. & isle, mn | I need to get this up on my hummingbird on a split screen. I keep blowing my trolling run. Lol! |
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Location: Sawyer County, WI | Numerous > 45 and one 51 that I'm aware in my neck of the woods. Plenty of the typical Wisconsin mid 30s too. I've focused more on smallies this year (getting lazy I guess) but my neighbors are working for them and having success when they aren't golfing. |
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Posts: 238
Location: Rhinelander | jonnysled - 8/7/2018 7:09 AM
if N. Wisconsin is a >45" destination? why drive to MN. or Eagle? 20 over 45" in N. WI. by August would be on a brag-board 18 years ago.
as it goes with all species, when you aren't catching fish, someone is. the butt-hurt is big in the air today ... OFM > Netflix this week!!
last week there was a big fish bite happening in MN too, one of my gypsy friends was on em ... that's a young man's game.
20 over 45" in northern Wi by August was doable and done more than once a few years back in the day and no we didn't post our numbers/pictures then or now. You know that sled. Reason we fish out of state is for the 50" plus, something northern WI could never do on a consistent basis. Yes, there are 50's in WI and I've even caught a few...LOL.... but not the numbers MN or Ontario crank out.
I'm not butt hurt with the guys catching fish, because little ones can be had this year (still believe it's a below average year) but show me a guy with 20 over 45" this year? Guys that fished a lot years back and fish a lot now will tell you the size of WI fish is going down, not up.
Some lakes will tell a different story, as all waters go through their cycles, but on average it isn't what it used to be.
Edited by Hodag Hunter 8/7/2018 12:36 PM
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Location: minocqua, wi. | 20 over 45 and a 50+ in a season is a huge accomplishment and i don't doubt that from the pack you run with. |
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Posts: 238
Location: Rhinelander | jonnysled - 8/7/2018 12:48 PM
20 over 45 and a 50+ in a season is a huge accomplishment and i don't doubt that from the pack you run with.
To clarify I was talking boat numbers not per man for numbers by August. Personally my best season over 45" was in the upper teens. My partner hit that number or slightly higher also. He usually beats me. All the years kind of run together now.........
This year on our Canadian trip he spanked me with numbers and big fish of the trip. Last year I beat him in numbers but he got the big fish, year before that I got the whopper (biggest we have ever gotten) and he got the most........this year I think he was mad at me and came out swinging....I didn't have a chance. LOL
Edited by Hodag Hunter 8/7/2018 1:43 PM
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Location: Contrarian Island | to me a 45 is a ~49 or so in MN/Canada... so yah 20 over 45 in vilas area in the boat is darn good ... sad to hear it has gone downhill.
do you switch front to back or does Mark run the boat the whole time? that also can skew stuff. and how fast one runs the boat etc to give the guy in back "clean" water or water they already strained ...
Edited by BNelson 8/7/2018 2:06 PM
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Posts: 238
Location: Rhinelander | He runs the boat.
When we fish around home I don't believe there is much of an advantage in the front, in Canada there is a distinct advantage and even he is feely slightly guilty about this year...... just a little. LOL
Around home we will take my rig if his is broken or a lake I know better than him, there aren't many, and it just about kills him to fish in the back.
It's all good, we give each other endless crap in person, public and on FB but deep down I know he is a better fisherman. The guy is a machine and will probably die from exhaustion with a fishing rod in his hands. If we are on the water he does not take a break. Ever. We had 3 or 4 shore lunches in 15 days. otherwise food is hot sticks, cheese and crackers while the boat is moving to the next spot to cast. So I guess a shore lunch is a break....
We left for Canada Friday after work about 8pmish and drove to the resort, it was light Saturday am so we went fishing. Didn't go to bed until about 1am and on the water Sunday at first light. By weeks end our morning rise did get delayed but only because I put my foot down. 4-5 hours of sleep for two weeks straight makes me a little crabby. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | he sounds like my kind of wingman! no rest for the wicked... 
we got a nap on the side of an island when we had a 1.5 hour thunderstorm roll thru last week. perfect.
Edited by BNelson 8/7/2018 2:40 PM
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Location: Rhinelander | Trust me when I say I take enough breaks for the both of us!
Once he woke me up from a quick 10 minute nap to net a fish....turned out to be a pike. He laughed his nice try off.....I didn't see the humor as much as him. |
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Posts: 238
Location: Rhinelander | fish4musky1 - 8/7/2018 6:36 AM
Wow, 20 over 45” by August? I doubt many are even doing that in mn.
Are you joking? Guys that are fishing a lot hit the number quite easy in MN or Canada.
14 of our 29 fish were over 45" on our Canadian trip this year. (15) fishing days.
Back in the day in Northern WI when we fished just about every Saturday and Sunday with minimum one day during the middle of the week after work. This equals 30 trips based upon 10 weeks from opener to August. Some days were 8-10 hours but others were only 3-4 hours but at the prime times.
Back in the day it wasn't really that hard to hit 20 fish 45" or larger if you put the time in. There were days we landed none and other days we had 2-4 per day 45" or larger. I do remember a stretch we had 11 in one week.........that wasn't the norm but ran into a good bite of big fish.
Things we then took for granted...... I can remember 4-6 fish days and only one over 45" and being disappointed. Had an eight day once on LVD of all places and none over 45" and saying WTF where were the big fish. Fished a lake after work one day before a tournament and quit because we smoked 3 over 45" in a little over an hour. Another small lake under 400 acres (3) different fish (3) years in a row at least one fish over 48". Never touched 50" on this lake but came close at 49.25". Many more examples of lakes that were barely fished beforehand but now exploited.
It just wasn't my fishing partner and I doing this either.....quite a few other guys also. Some guys on this board may admit and others that rarely if ever come to social media and post results had similar or better numbers too.
Looking through old pictures brings back a lot of memories and makes me even more disappointed. LOL
Edited by Hodag Hunter 8/7/2018 4:37 PM
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Location: minocqua, wi. | he could catch one in the kitchen sink ... |
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| I don't know about you guys... but, there are times where I will sacrifice time and covering water - and hunker down for ONE fish.
Numbers are nice... but, anyone who decides to slam their foot on the gas is most likely going to go fast.
I'm out for the hunt.
:)
Edited by Reelwise 8/7/2018 5:19 PM
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Location: Sawyer County, WI | Do any stats exist on how many 40+ fish get speared in MN or Ontario over an average winter ? |
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Posts: 612
| happy hooker - 8/6/2018 1:41 PM
Just gonna keep casting till the Minnesota legislature legalize s marijuana.
In NY it this will likely happen before years end. Consider both, however not simultaneously.
As for the post haven't caught any good fish this year. But this year hasn't lent itself to fishing. I hope things change as September approaches. Things usually turn around a bit then. |
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Location: oswego, il | Time per fish can be skewed as well. Some people have the time to travel to better fishing while some don't. Comparing time spent per fish is not only relative to the fisherman but the water they are on. Can't compare. |
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Posts: 8782
| You are a product of the waters you fish.
End of Story... |
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Posts: 107
Location: central illinois | This has been the worst year I have ever had. I thought last year was gonna be the worst ever. I still have hope to overcome terrible 2017 with the fall season coming. I think it’s gonna take a miracle. |
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Posts: 770
| my problem this year is I cant keep fish pinned..... I bet I have lost 3/4s of the fish I have put hooks into.... |
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Posts: 41
| T3clay - 8/8/2018 11:51 AM
my problem this year is I cant keep fish pinned..... I bet I have lost 3/4s of the fish I have put hooks into....
Ditto... it's also been the year where I've had to do the most solo fishing yet. I can't even blame my net man, it's truly just me failing at an almost beautiful rate |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | This might surprise some folks, but how many times one fishes for muskies during any one year after 40 plus years of experience has near zero to do with catch rates per hour now on the waters I know well. In other words, I don't need to 'practice a lot', I just need to fish more hours.
It's not like I or anyone else forgets seasonal patterns over a few months learned the hard way with no one to 'network' with, no message boards or social media, a flasher for a sonar, no GPS and no 'hot bite' to chase across the country...just plain time on the water. I averaged 125 to 140 muskies in the boat a year with low periods like this one at around 85 when guiding full time, mostly on Pelican,. Bass lake, Moccasin, and Enterprise, with an average of 20 a year or so between 45 and 52. Some years better for big fish, some worse, this is over 20 plus years and was when the average density per acre in many of the waters I fiehd was WAY less than it is today.
Muskies are muskies, and we've seen this before if one has enough years under the belt. Increase pressure, decrease personal catch rates on most fishes, decrease time on the water during a tough bite and REALLY decrease personal catch rates,
What we are doing now to adapt to a tough bite on our local waters is spending more time on the water fishing muskies further afield (in my case I have a job to do when I fish, every time I fish, and most of the content we had to generate for clients has not been muskie related this year. That happens this year in the late Summer and Fall) and downsizing considerably. In the past when the bite was tough long term Keith broke out the modified Husky Jerks and Flicker Minnows, I broke out the creatures, and we started racking up good numbers again. Worth a try.
Man bun? Uhhhh, no. |
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Location: Northern Illinois | Funny how the guys crying the most are the ones always preaching
the cream rises to the top...… it's not the fish, it's the fisherman, and then
they question anyone else who say's they are having a good year and catching
fish. lol. It's fishing, go out & fish. guys crying about fishing on vermillion & lake of
the woods makes me laugh, come on down & give the fox chain a whirl. lol.
Edited by Fishen-ski's 8/8/2018 2:38 PM
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Location: Contrarian Island | still managed 44 in the boat in under 200 hrs fishing... fish smarter, not harder!
overall the guys I chat with have all said it has been a bit off all year... hoping the fall is good.
Edited by BNelson 8/8/2018 2:48 PM
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Fishen-ski's - 8/8/2018 2:36 PM
Funny how the guys crying the most are the ones always preaching
the cream rises to the top...… it's not the fish, it's the fisherman, and then
they question anyone else who say's they are having a good year and catching
fish. lol. It's fishing, go out & fish. guys crying about fishing on vermillion & lake of
the woods makes me laugh, come on down & give the fox chain a whirl. lol.
That's a bit harsh.
I haven't seen anyone 'crying', just discussing a tough bite and declining fisheries. |
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Posts: 324
| Here’s a less than profound thought or 2.We are fishing.It’s what we do,what we enjoy,how we decide to spend our time and money.So,why not enjoy and savor it,just the experience of fishing and all it offers besides catching? The time will come when you can’t,or can’t do as much as you want,and trust me,you will miss it and all it used to give you.
Normally I’d likely have 80 days or so on the water by now,this year it’s been 8.Assorted reasons but I’ve missed it and especially the experiences it gives me beside the catching.Oh catching is key,and clearly a driver,but it’s really far from the end all of fishing.It’s a lot more gentlemen so keep the catching in perspective. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | ^yup ... |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Yup for sure. Sidelined for three years myself. WAY better now. |
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Location: Minnesota. | DickP may have said most of it here...
I fly fish a good bit. Nope, not just muskies but most everything else to include some trout. Streams are really cool, that clear, flowing water. And yeah, there's a good bit of "Oh how lovely this and lovely that..." involved too. (me, I'd still rather catch a few but)...
A well known saying goes like "Many men fish their entire lives w/o realizing it's not the fish they're after..."
Well.....okay...*grins*.
DickP still got it right!
Edited by Jeremy 8/8/2018 5:46 PM
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