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Posts: 7
Location: Missoula, MT | Hi Everyone, I don't post much, but love reading through all the great posts on here. I haul my boat out to MN every year for a week (from western MT) of muskie fishing bliss, the last two years I've taken a buddy of mine and once again we've had long conversations about elk hunting vs muskie fishing. We find ourselves comparing the two quite a bit (mostly when we talk about the luck needed on top of being in the right place at the right time). In light of our lifelong elk hunting, we think everything relates back to elk, so we're trying to figure out muskies in those terms. I'm hoping that someone on the list knows a bit about both and can give us an opinion.So here comes the question, and below I'm just talking about normal people, not the guides who put out 300+ days on the water or celebrities who can "buy" a hunt virtually guaranteed of a world class elk.If one is a solid elk hunter, and gets an elk every few years, that person would most likely harvest a 300 class bull in their lifetime. If that same person has a little luck, it wouldn't be surprising for them to harvest a 320 class bull in their lifetime. Now getting more extreme, if someone draws a special tag in a great unit (probably once in a lifetime chance), it wouldn't be crazy to think they might get a 350 class bull.So we're trying to convey for ourselves, what a 300 class elk is to muskies (is that 40 inches??), what a 320 class elk is (is that 48 inches??), and then lastly a 350 bull (would that be the elusive 50 inch mark?) Obviously the big difference in elk vs muskie is that if you get an elk, you're done for the year, so there is that aspect.
And a bit about our trip last week. It was the most amazing week we've ever had, we caught lots of fish (pike to keep us entertained), but we caught 7 muskies, most didn't measure and got back in right away, but we did measure a 40", 44" and the fish of our lifetime a 48". We have concluded that the feeling one gets when holding the tail of a big fish boatside, as you feel that fish tense up and it's ready to go, gives you the chills that are one of the best feelings ever that this world has to offer.
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Posts: 1971
| Tough question as you can only kill or catch what is in the area or lake...A 300" bull is probably equal to a 52" muskie,...both will happen multiple times in a lifetime if you hunt/ fish the right area's enough and know your quarry. 350" is more like a 55" ...Its imperative that they are actually there to have a chance.. Just my opinion |
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Posts: 1192
| I'm a Muskie fishermen from Colorado and I do own guns and have a hunters safety card but when it comes down to it I'm 99.9 percent fishermen and .00001 hunter. Shot a Pheasant once and have been on Elk hunts. My Grandpa shot a 6X6 Elk once in 1963 and it's perfect and mounted. I guess he heard a gun shot then something running his way he jumped off the trial and his big Elk ran by. And he shot it. Someone else shot and missed (complete stranger) and the Elk ran his way kinda dumb luck! A generation ago my relatives had friends that had a ranch between a non hunting area and a lake and they cleaned up. The Elk hunt I went on was kinda bush league, We just drove around looking for Elk! Not legal and a low percentage deal. The next week one cousin and I went back and we hunted a big area that blow downs. (the area got hit by high winds and blow all the trees over in big mess) We climbed thru the mess and saw lots of tracks but no Elk. Most guys I know who do good go during bow season. Years ago 44 year man from Minnesota shot his kid in the fog (heard a noise and shot) Then during the investigation it was found that they had gone over the border into Wyoming (from Colorado) his was in the paper and years later I met a fellow at work who was camped next to them. He gave up gun hunting after that and started bow hunting. Now he shots bigger bulls with his bow then he ever did with a gun. Another thing is guides will heard Elk off public land to private land for there clients. |
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Posts: 8719
| It all depends on where you fish. In 10 trips to Eagle Lake, I've probably 20 encounters with fish in the 50+ class. Of those 13 were the same fish that never would open its mouth. That leaves 7. One ate and swam right at the boat, nothing I could do. One nipped the tinsel off my bait and kept right on going. One I just plain wiffed on the hookset, and the last one came unpinned as I was trying to turn her and get her in the net. The other 4 just followed and never made a turn...
It's a matter of time on that lake.
I've probably fished 200 days in Northern Wisconsin and I can honestly say I've seen one fish that could have been 50.
In all the rest of the time fishing Southern WI, IL, IN, and KY, there was one fish that followed that I'd give 46" - 48" judging by the size of the head, and that's it.
So it's just like Elk hunting - you aren't gonna shoot one where they ain't... |
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Posts: 306
| I’ve done a lot of both. Shot bulls in 5 States and BC. Also caught a number of nice fish in many of the premier waters they inhabit. In the premier waters of today,i’d agree with IaJustin. Think he’s about right.
Esoxaddict is also right,all dependant on where U fish.
IMO where U are fishing,a 48 would be a 280,50 a 300,52 a 350 and a 55 a Booner with 1 maybe 2 caught a year.
Keep after it. |
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Posts: 32
| So funny to see this. I too am always comparing muskies with elk hunting. They are so similar. And I always think that most guys who love musky fishing would feel the same about chasing elk.
I grew up hunting where you live, but it was the fly fishing scene that you know quite well. My first musky trip was in my 20’s and I tied up some over-sized Deceivers for my 8 weight. Musky flies didn’t even exist at the time. After moving several fish on the flies I finally landed one and have been hooked on both sports ever since.
I now elk hunt on public land in CO, self-guided. And I musky fish the same number of days on A2 resort water in northern WI. Comparing these two specific trips:
- I see a bull in archery season about as frequently as I land a musky
- Landing a sub 40 inch fish is about as common as seeing a non-shooter bull (spike or rag horn)
- Seeing a true 50” is roughly as common as seeing a 360”, roughly a 1 in 100 proposition in each of these places
- My PB musky is 47” and bull is 325 or so, nothing too huge yet on either front although I’ve bagged good numbers of both
- i see a 50” and a 350” both as reasonable possibilities each time I go, and have seen both on my outings. Just need to close the deal.
- There’s more upside on the bulls, I’ve seen 350 - 385” where a 50” musky is a top-out fish on that water
Enjoy your hunts!
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Posts: 330
Location: SE Wisc | Colorado OTC 2nd rifle bull measuring 300” = 55” Muskie in premier waters/50” Muskie in Wi inland lakes
Utah limited entry bull measuring 350”= 50” Muskie in premier waters/45” in Wi inland lakes
You see where I’m going with this….
It might make more sense to just compare muskies with the area you hunt for elk and the size bulls you typically see there, rather than try to generalize it all…. to many variations |
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