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Posts: 390
| Since it is winternet and also why not, how many fish(es) would you need to catch in a day to feel equal one 45" musky in the net?
walleye?
bass?
pike?
any others? |
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Posts: 1664
| 1 40+ inch Pike works pretty well for me. |
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Posts: 1209
| 100 16"+ walleyes
250 bass
1 pike over 43"
1 Zander in 25 days lol |
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Posts: 32784
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | 1 crappie like this for any muskie I have ever caught. Any pike over 30". Any bass over 20". Any walleye over 25".
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Posts: 2274
Location: Chisholm, MN | There is not 1 freshwater fish that I’d like to catch more than a muskie. |
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Posts: 157
Location: West Central WI | 50 bass wouldn't come close to one muskie. You can't compare any numbers of other fish to the satisfaction I get from one good muskie. |
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Posts: 20178
Location: oswego, il | Any gamefish that is good size. I value them all. Two years ago this March I netted a 50lb flathead for my buddy who was casting a shad wrap. The day before I caught a 27" walleye. I value the pike over 30" I've caught even big panfish, salmon and trout on lake michigan. I think I am doing myself a big favor by not narrowing my fishing focus to just one fish let alone just one way to fish for them. |
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Posts: 2274
Location: Chisholm, MN | ToddM - 2/13/2021 8:23 PM
Any gamefish that is good size. I value them all. Two years ago this March I netted a 50lb flathead for my buddy who was casting a shad wrap. The day before I caught a 27" walleye. I value the pike over 30" I've caught even big panfish, salmon and trout on lake michigan. I think I am doing myself a big favor by not narrowing my fishing focus to just one fish let alone just one way to fish for them.
I value all fish, but I’ve caught most of them and a lot of big ones. 42.5” pike, big bass, 30+” walleyes, steelhead, lake trout, crappies, bluegills, sturgeon. They were all fun at the time. After all that, the only ones that excite me are muskies. |
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Posts: 8716
| It's hard to compare due to the excitement of actually seeing the muskie eat your lure, but my biggest fish of other species were nothing to shake a stuck at:
Walleye: 29.5" and 30", a few minutes apart, both on the surface
SMB: 20.5"
LMB: 21.5"
Crappie: 17" - I honestly had no idea they could get that big. Had I known at the time, I might not have eaten it...
Pike: 41"
I'd get a replica of all of those if I thought there was no chance of beating those numbers.
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Posts: 20178
Location: oswego, il | Here are some. Could not go back and edit my previous post. The bass is 21.5, walleye is 27, catfish is 47.5 and the weight formula is 50.4lbs and the gps pic is the right of that fish.
Edited by ToddM 2/13/2021 10:36 PM
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Posts: 1197
Location: Walker, MN | ^That Flathead would do it for me ^ |
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Posts: 1969
| When I’m targeting muskie, most other things that you catch accidentally don’t excite me much..I remember one day we caught 4 pike between 42-45” on a muskie trip and at the time it felt like a failure because we wanted skies...but I fish for a lot of species, it’s the hunt, I want to catch what I’m targeting...a day of big pike or wipers on the fly, big catfish, certainly a couple of 100+ pound sturgeon (I’d like to do that again).. is more fun than one 45” muskie...I’ve caught quite a few that size that don’t even get a picture....but 52”+ muskies I wouldn’t trade those days for anything freshwater, it’s just a different adrenaline rush vs. other big fish... especially 17” crappies  |
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Posts: 374
| I fish Green Bay alot. Nothing compares to 1 musky but ... a 32" walleye, 40" northern and a 5lb smallie would all come close |
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Posts: 32784
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | IAJustin - 2/14/2021 8:54 AM
When I’m targeting muskie, most other things that you catch accidentally don’t excite me much..I remember one day we caught 4 pike between 42-45” on a muskie trip and at the time it felt like a failure because we wanted skies...but I fish for a lot of species, it’s the hunt, I want to catch what I’m targeting...a day of big pike or wipers on the fly, big catfish, certainly a couple of 100+ pound sturgeon (I’d like to do that again).. is more fun than one 45” muskie...I’ve caught quite a few that size that don’t even get a picture....but 52”+ muskies I wouldn’t trade those days for anything freshwater, it’s just a different adrenaline rush vs. other big fish... especially 17” crappies :)
Equivalency. A 17" crappie locally is a unicorn. So is a 53" plus muskie. Now that I have caught both locally I'll freely admit that finding and catching 'the one' of the biggest slabs in any lake is just as difficult (actually, some years harder) as busting the low 50's muskie fishing. I don't fish for kind of one big fish anymore, I fish for many. Got my big muskie years ago, and probably will not get one any bigger, so I muskie fish for fun now, which means (for me) it's totally OK not to catch one. That used to bother me. I wouldn't 'trade' my big muskie days either, but I was fishing them then, and fishing crappies when the 3.5 pounder came.
It isn't just the fish itself that gets me going, it's setting a goal, figuring out how to make it happen and getting it done. There's a ton of crappie anglers out there, but the cream rises quickly to the top and those who are really good at the sport attract as much attention in that much larger community as the top muskie guys do in ours. Ego has a lot to do with most fishemen doing what they do, including me. |
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Posts: 1969
| I’m with ya Steve about setting goals...I enjoy the hunt no matter what the species, spend quite a few days the last 5 years with ultralights, 1/16 oz jigs and a kayak, and get some darn big crappies off the beaten path...for me the lows are lower and the highs are higher when the goal is big muskies |
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Posts: 246
| sworrall - 2/14/2021 12:09 PM
It isn't just the fish itself that gets me going, it's setting a goal, figuring out how to make it happen and getting it done. There's a ton of crappie anglers out there, but the cream rises quickly to the top and those who are really good at the sport attract as much attention in that much larger community as the top muskie guys do in ours. Ego has a lot to do with most fishemen doing what they do, including me.
That's where I've come to now. Last year I set a goal to learn one of my walleye lakes better to consistently hit the #'s everyday I go and for the most part I did. I learned a couple new things(locations and techniques) and they worked. As the year went on and I talked to other anglers and the local bait shop owner, barely any of the other anglers fish the lake the way I started to last year.
I'm going to take this same approach with muskies this year and see what happens.
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Posts: 790
Location: North Central IL USA | I get excited about anything that pulls on my rod! |
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Posts: 516
Location: WI | Just putting the boat in the water these days is the equivalent of catching a 45” Muskie for me. |
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Posts: 357
| Its odd how we as humans classify stuff...in my small brain i consider musky between 38-47" all the same now. I am still more than happy to get one of those per day. Will always be thrilled to catch one.
For all the other fish it comes down to putting together a plan and executing that plan for me. If i do that then i am also thrilled with the day. I have been fortunate to catch large sizes of most species i fish for so a PB type fish would just be icing.
I am better now at just going out and fishing for what is biting. If i see a school of walleyes or bass off of a drop off while musky fishing, im probably trying to catch them now, where in the past id have been very singular focused. |
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| Never thought of it this way. I just look at it as, did I have fun? One of the best days I had last year had nothing to do with musky. Early in May my son and his wife brought our new grandson up for a visit. Both of them were teaching virtually and even had groceries delivered so they would feel safe in visiting. My son and I went out to look for crappies in the shallow water. We ended up catching a releasing dozens of crappies and nice sized gills. I often fish the area for crappie in the spring with jig and minnow. He wanted to try worms for gills. To my surprise, he caught a bunch of big gills. Bobbers and panfish. We had a blast. We both were laughing and giving each other grief when we caught a little one. Reminded me of when we would go camping when he was three or four years old and catch blue gills from shore. He laughed the same way back then. Kept enough for a fish fry that night, then a campfire with an adult beveridge. |
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Posts: 535
Location: deephaven mn | its not about numbers for me, used to target walleyes but i'd rather catch a 20 pound fish than a 2 pound fish.
45" Muskie buzz lasts about a week. 50" Muskie buzz lasts a lifetime. Same can be said about any other species if its a true trophy fish 30"+ walleye 16"+ crappie 12" sunfish 200 pound tarpon ect. all good and gets adrenalin flowing !!!!
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Posts: 284
Location: Eagan, MN | It’s an interesting question and everyone’s answer will be different. Besides a musky, I’ve only had one other fish that made my knees knock. I caught a 22 lb (est), 33 inch brown trout fishing with JLong while using an ultralight rod and 2” jerk bait in skinny ultraclear water. I’d say that experience was equal to any experience that I’ve had catching large muskies. That includes a 57 inch long musky I caught and released. While they didn’t make my knees knock at the time of the catch like a big musky, I feel just as much satisfaction - the buzz if you will - over some very special fish of other species. I lucked out and caught two 17” inch pre-spawn crappies only 45 minutes apart a couple springs ago. That remains one of my greatest fishing accomplishments and a source of great internal pride. I feel that same buzz about the 10 pound largemouth I caught on Lake Fork using a buzzbait...and the 30 1/2 inch walleye I caught off my dock...and the various 5+ pound smallmouth caught over the years. What’s funny is I never intentionally target pike and have caught many large ones - a couple that were about 45 inches - but feel no pride in that accomplishment...though probably should. Same with bluegills. I just don’t place as much value on those species as some others. Strange what the human mind can do! |
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Posts: 309
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | ^ Agree with above sentiments. Seeing the bulge of a topwater follow or a fish tailing behind a bait is what does it for me - it is kind of like being in the bear woods unarmed in a sense, gives me that feeling of danger (and being alive) when transposed with that lure. When I actually catch a muskie I am elated but the hit wears off fairly quick. I do love catching big fish of any species really, but muskies are more challenging than almost everything else and their following fearlessness makes them pretty unique.
I will say that bouncing pool to pool for Atlantic Salmon on Cape Breton pretty cool and close second (would do again as soon as I can) and chasing marlin in Cabo/Huatulco also has that hunt/chase aspect that make you want to get out and do it again even when things don't go your way.
I do love catching everything though and a lot of it now is who you are with and where you are at when you are doing it rather than size of fish.
Anyone fish for Inconnu? That's one predator would like to chase some day.
Edited by Angling Oracle 2/15/2021 1:38 PM
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| Just wondering, no one on the thread mentioned sturgeon. With the spearing season starting this past weekend on the Winnebago system, anyone do that and value it more than musky? DNR estimated 4,500 shanties out for the weekend. |
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Posts: 34
| Can't release those lol. Musky eggs are a bit off too |
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Posts: 165
| If im strictly Muskie fishing I dont think any fish for me would make up for not catching a Muskie. However I love to get out with my Dad a couple times a year and put him on Walleye. Its equally as exciting to me if you can find the Walleye.
I also love getting out with my Son and chasing some Smallmouth. Watching him catch 4 and 5 pound fish is again equally as satisfying to getting a Muskie in the net.
When Im Muskie fishing for me its all about finding the Muskie. I just dont get the same satisfaction from catching other species if Im strictly Muskie fishing. Caught some pretty big Bass, Pike and Walleye Muskie fishing and for me its always a buzzkill when I realize its not what I wanted to be. |
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Posts: 1197
Location: Walker, MN | For me it's:
1) Putting my kids on a good fish or two of any species
2) Putting clients on muskies
3) Personal muskie catches
Nothing comes close at this point in time to my kids' and clients' catches. I would like to catch a true 50# er and maybe an Arapiema some day. There was a long period of time where my personal catches outweighed any relationship or responsibility. |
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Posts: 2274
Location: Chisholm, MN | North of 8 - 2/15/2021 4:27 PM
Just wondering, no one on the thread mentioned sturgeon. With the spearing season starting this past weekend on the Winnebago system, anyone do that and value it more than musky? DNR estimated 4,500 shanties out for the weekend.
I mentioned them. They are a very interesting species and obviously are fun to catch. But just a totally different attitude. The spearing thing really confuses me. In Minnesota they are very protected. You can kill some but it’s not popular at all. I think sturgeon spearing is barbaric. |
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Posts: 32784
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Some people think that muskie fishing is 'barbaric'. Others feel that way about deer hunting. Fortunately, those who practice the sport know what the overall benefits are.
Sturgeon spearing on Winnebago is a long-standing established tradition and is strictly regulated by the DNR. I bet there isn't one couple, family, or group of guys on Winnebago this week too concerned about anyone else's opinion, either yours or mine.
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/sturgeon/documents/bruch-winnebago-mgmt.... |
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| The sturgeon spearing on the Winnebago system is more related to deer hunting than to traditional fishing. It is highly regulated. It has a nominal 16 day season but that can be cut to just a few days if the quota is reached. The quota consists of predetermined number of fish, with mature females, immature females and males all counted individually by DNR personnel. The fees for licenses go back into sturgeon management, building spawning areas many miles away from where spearing takes place. The Winnebago lake sturgeon population is the largest in the world and its come back is considered one of the greatest successes in natural resource management. I have never speared but have spent many hours checking out the fish where they spawn upriver, walking on pathways paid for by the license fees. This year the DNR added huge boulders along a half mile section of the Wolf west of New London to better protect the eggs from predators. Contractors donated a lot of heavy equipment time to the project. If it works out, I will again go there to check out the fish when they spawn.
Spearing is controversial, no doubt. But, there is also no doubt that the sturgeon's story in Wisconsin would be much different without all the effort put in by the guys who spear, over the decades, to insure this ancient fish thrives. They have been the driving force to protect the resource.
One of the cool things that happens every spring when they are spawning in the river is the small army of retired wardens, fisheries people, law enforcement who volunteer to spend nights on the river, concealed in the bushes watching for poachers and staying in contact with the active duty wardens, deputies. A lot of hours in crap conditions, protecting the fish. Some of these guys are well into their seventies and are out laying in the bushes in March and April in the cold night air with a pair of binoculars and a radio or phone. Kind of a fraternity. |
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