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Location: SE Wisconsin | This is one of those topics that resonates with all musky fishermen, and it has everything to do with the choice between quantity, or quality, and the reality being there is little opportunity of a cross-between. An ARTICLE on the topic: https://www.chasenation.co/single-post/2017/07/13/Chasing-50 "Around here, word of a fifty-inch musky or bigger travels faster than sheets of rain across open water." - quote from the article
Edited by Sam Ubl 7/14/2017 11:03 AM
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Posts: 2275
Location: Chisholm, MN | Nice article! |
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Location: oswego, il | A few weeks ago i was up north and there was a rumor or a 57 caught on big arb. I didn't buy it. |
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Posts: 119
| I have much to say about this article and topic in general. I totally agree with the author that no matter where you live, catching a fish regardless of length or girth is an accomplishment in and of itself. Numbers or size - makes no difference to me. I can recall with vivid detail every musky I've ever caught right down to the shoes I was wearing that day lol. I understand the argument that he is making about taking a trip to a premier musky fishery is viewed as cheating if a fish of a lifetime was captured. While I tend to agree that no matter where you catch "her" it will be an accomplishment, I have a caveat to add to this argument. For all of us that DON'T live near these types of waters and fish smaller impoundments/river systems; although it would be fantastic to hoist a 50+ incher from any water, it would never be nearly as enjoyable or accomplished as if I had caught that fish on my home waters of WV or wherever you are from. I may be in the minority on this but for me "there's no place like home".
HOWEVER!! That does NOT mean I won't be taking a trip to one of these premier spots someday  |
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Location: Chisholm, MN | River2Stream - 7/14/2017 1:16 PM
I have much to say about this article and topic in general. I totally agree with the author that no matter where you live, catching a fish regardless of length or girth is an accomplishment in and of itself. Numbers or size - makes no difference to me. I can recall with vivid detail every musky I've ever caught right down to the shoes I was wearing that day lol. I understand the argument that he is making about taking a trip to a premier musky fishery is viewed as cheating if a fish of a lifetime was captured. While I tend to agree that no matter where you catch "her" it will be an accomplishment, I have a caveat to add to this argument. For all of us that DON'T live near these types of waters and fish smaller impoundments/river systems; although it would be fantastic to hoist a 50+ incher from any water, it would never be nearly as enjoyable or accomplished as if I had caught that fish on my home waters of WV or wherever you are from. I may be in the minority on this but for me "there's no place like home".
HOWEVER!! That does NOT mean I won't be taking a trip to one of these premier spots someday ;)
Agreed on the no place like home! There is one certain lake that I desperately want a 50 from, but have only come close once. I've caught some pretty big 50's elsewhere but if I caught one that barely hit 50 from this lake, I think a replica would be in order. It's the challenge for me. Sure, I fish the big fish water all the time is search of the one, but I'll never forget about my old home waters where the one is more like 50-52 rather than 55-57. |
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Location: Northern Illinois | River2Stream, I could't agree more with you. I would be much happier if I caught a 50 in my home waters of the fox chian o'lakes then anywhere else. But yes I do also travel to bigger waters in search of the almighty 50. |
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Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | I would say to those (not saying any of you here) who think it is so easy to head up to Canada and come back with a 50", you might be surprised at how it's not quite as easy as you might suspect when you get there. Take a look at a LOTW MH school and its annual boats/anglers/hours:to caught 50" ratio as an example. Or how many anglers and hours are on an average week at AML versus how many catch a 50 in a given week.
I don't think I'd constitute much of anything as cheating...maybe sitting on a LSC charter boat with 10 other guys and reeling in a 56" when it was your "turn"? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | How many guided week long trips has a certain guy that posts on every thread had without a 50" on Eagle?! sorry had to... yah, going to Canada and expecting a 50" the vast majority will come back dissapointed... I do agree jumping on a charter on LSC and reeling one in to me would be the least rewarding way to get a 50" imo.
To me the most rewarding is of course doing it on your own, in your own boat, casting... but to each their own as the saying goes. 
Edited by BNelson 7/14/2017 2:05 PM
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| Personally I wouldn't feel I accomplished anything if I hired a guide on a big lake and caught a big fish.
For me to feel accomplished I need to find that spot, find that fish, and catch it. |
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Location: Jane Lew, WV | I don't know if I'll ever get one but I'll be #*^@ed if I quit trying. I too use the saying of "I'll quit fishing for them the day I'm let down by a small fish". I love em all. On the matter of catching a 50 on a 'premier lake', I wouldn't be upset with a big girl on Clair or elsewhere, but in agreeance with others, it would feel dang good to get one out of the home waters. |
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| Agree, nothing like home.
I have been fishing a major fishing system (Bay of GB) for 15 years and believe it or not never caught a 50". I have landed 5 fish over 49 and many over 48 but no 50". I recently moved very near St Clair and if I catch a 50 here it will be bittersweet but it will not stop me from trying.
Sometimes I feel like the buckless yooper!
Edited by bbeaupre 7/14/2017 3:13 PM
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| My personal opinion is that a 50 is equally satisfying no matter where you catch it. Catching a muskie that big is not easy no matter where you are. I have never caught a 50 in my state (Illinois) although I have seen a couple that were close to that size. I have been lucky enough to catch a few 50 inchers in Minnesota over the years.
If I ever catch a 50 in Illinois I don't think I will feel any more satisfied by that catch than I was with the 50 inchers I have caught in Minnesota. Although maybe I would have a different opinion if it actually happens someday. |
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Location: MN | IMO, saying a 50 in Canada doesn't count is like saying a 50 caught at moonrise doesn't count. Managing your resources, including choosing where and when you fish, is just part of game. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | in your own boat, on a spot you found and/or learned to control and in a situation you prepared for and then converted when it presented itself. |
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| A fish is a fish...30"...40"... 52"...not much difference...all fun but not so much significance after a bunch... |
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Location: Southwest Pa | I agree. Own boat. Familiar lake. Casting. Period. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I'll take one with a good friend like Herbie any day. Have over 30 on my own, stopped counting a very long time ago, and remember one with my son Keith, one with my son Brian, and one with Herbie the best. After 49 years chasing them (20 of those guiding them), one starts to realize the good memories count more than testosterone count driven stuff that drove me in the past used to.
Make lots of those good memories. Remember that if you only fish your area, you know how to do only that if you have it figured out to a degree. Go to water you have never fished and try it there. What if your system doesn't work? Learn that. Move to next water. And so on. Can you catch them 24/7, all open season, given conditions?
A 50 is no different than a 45. It just happened to be there and hit. Did you know it was there, and find it because you were looking specifically for big fish?
And so on.
Trick is to find and eventually catch one the top end fish in any one lake and be able to do that, given the time, pretty much anywhere.... and repeat. That is a really good Muskie angler. Rivers, lakes, combinations, all classes of lakes wherever Muskies swim.
And that guy will still get beat.
Only rule I know is for sure is to catch a fifty plus, one needs to fish where there are some. I searched out that water, chose a variety to hit knowing I had limited time on this rock, and am completely satisfied with the challenge and results. That is absolutely all that matters to me. Now I am trying the same thing with other kinds of fish, and find some are actually harder to master.
My strongest memory muskie fishing is Keith on the back deck and me on the front figure 8ing two absolute monsters at the same time off the NE corner pocket in 2' of water by Anderson Island on the Goon. Neither one ended up in the boat, and that was just fine and still is.
Anyone who thinks they have it figured out because they catch a 50 (or more than 30 of 'em), or don't have it figured out because they didn't, needs more time on the water. |
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Posts: 100
| ToddM - 7/14/2017 1:10 PM
A few weeks ago i was up north and there was a rumor or a 57 caught on big arb. I didn't buy it.
I heard of a large fish caught there a couple weeks ago, but around 54 inches.
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Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Iwrush - 7/14/2017 7:04 PM
I agree. Own boat. Familiar lake. Casting. Period.
Better tell Herbeck, Spence, and Gelb their big trolling fish don't count...
Trolling must be "cheating" too I presume...
Edited by Musky Brian 7/14/2017 9:18 PM
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Location: oswego, il | The only thing that matters is what it means to the angler who caught it. The rest is not relevant.
Edited by ToddM 7/15/2017 11:34 AM
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Location: St. Lawrence River | ToddM - 7/15/2017 12:33 PM
The only thing that matters is what it means to the angler who caught it. The rest is not relevant.
This, for sure. Trophy is in the eye of the beholder.. |
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Location: oswego, il | JakeStCroixSkis - 7/15/2017 11:37 AM
ToddM - 7/15/2017 12:33 PM
The only thing that matters is what it means to the angler who caught it. The rest is not relevant.
This, for sure. Trophy is in the eye of the beholder..
As are the circumstancss for which it was caught. |
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Location: Almond, WI | sworrall - 7/14/2017 8:04 PM
Anyone who thinks they have it figured out because they catch a 50 (or more than 30 of 'em), or don't have it figured out because they didn't, needs more time on the water.
That's about as true as it gets. |
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| Whoa Wait...you guys dont pull baits away from sub 50's? |
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| Your perspective changes over time. I was so hell bent on catching a 50 that I was actually mad when my biggest fish measured 49.5". Like the half inch really made a difference? Sure, I'd like to catch a bigger one. I probably will one day. But the memories that stick out are the laughs and the stupid stuff that happens. Like fishing when it was raining so hard my half empty beer filled to the top with rain. Or the day we stumbled on a bunch of dink pike and stayed there for an hour laughing our heads off because we were catching them on every cast and not one of them was over 14". Or the night we both hooked a fish at the same time and had no idea who was going to net what or how and then realized we left the net on the dock. I caught a fat 4 footer that ate about 20 feet from the boat, fought like a wet sock, came unhooked in the net and was back in the water in all of about 30 seconds. One of my better fish, but catching that fish was about as exciting as catching a rock. Had a 40"er whack a jackpot right in front of me after missing it 4 different times in the same cast. Now THAT was fun. I think a lot of guys would be better off putting the ruler down and trying to remember what it's like fishing because fishing is fun. |
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| Schultz345 - 7/14/2017 2:15 PM
Personally I wouldn't feel I accomplished anything if I hired a guide on a big lake and caught a big fish.
For me to feel accomplished I need to find that spot, find that fish, and catch it.
Same for me 100% |
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Location: Contrarian Island | yes, catching fish is fun EA, but so it catching 50+ inchers, my perspective has changed over time as well where I once didn't care about smaller fish, I now think they are all fun back to when I was a rookie, but there is nothing like seeing a big shovel head 50+ tickling the back of your bucktail as you go into the 8....that perspective will never change! |
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Posts: 280
| My personal best is a 53" Mn fish. I fished a few Mn lakes for over twenty years with one of my very best friends and caught some nice fish over those years. My friend was killed on his job almost 8 years ago. Since then I haven't fished much for muskies. Fact is that most of my enjoyment in musky fishing came from the good times I had fishing with my friend. The fish, if any, were a bonus.
I would gladly give up all the muskies I've caught in the past and all I might catch in the future just to be able to fish with that friend as we did in the past.
Yes, we both wanted to break 50"s. We both did but it doesn't matter much now that he's gone.
Enjoy the friendship's, camaraderie and the sight's, sounds and the smells while they are still here. |
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