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Posts: 7
| I am new to musky fishing and mainly fish rivers. The problem is that I do not yet own a boat and was wondering if it's possible to have success from the shore. I also have good musky lakes around my house and was wondering about lake fishing from the shore as well. Thanks. By the way, where do most of you guys buy your lures? Thanks again. |
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Posts: 477
Location: Iowa | I haven't fished rivers a whole lot, but would think you could do very well fishing from shore. I would try to fish up-river. Position yourself below what you want to fish and cast above it, working the bait with the current or across it. Fish usually face upstream, letting the current bring the forage to them. Also, if the depth and currents allow, don't be afraid to wade into position so you can work an area from different angles. I'm sure there are some river guys out here who will know a lot more about it than I do. On a lake, I would try to work the points I could access from shore, and look for submerged weeds you could cast to and across from shore. Also any steep breaks from the shoreline. Where there is a will, there is a way. As far as where to buy lures, well that's an endless list, but here are a few in no particular order. TackleFirst should be up and running sometime, Pastika's, Rollie & Helen's, Thorne Bros., Reeds, Jackson Lures, Smokey's Musky Shop, Gander Mountain, Cabela's, also, check the buy-sell-trade forums on the muskie boards, many good deals to be had there. Look around on the musky boards, lots of info out here to be had, Good Luck!! |
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Posts: 2361
| Lots of muskies are caught from lakes and rivers from the shore. If you see people casting areas on the lake that you can get access to cast from shore you have excellent opportunites to catch fish. Also in lakes presentations from shore can be somewhat unusual for resident fish and may actually help you catch one, due to its novelty(they never saw it before). Rivers are good too but you better be a good caster, hard to get your baits off of wood.
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I have waded for muskies many times, usually going into the water about waist deep. You will have good opportunities to catch muskies. Be careful in the rivers, wading, though. |
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| lynn,
Absolutely. That avatar of mine is from a river from shore! Get a map for the water you fish. Look for pools and deep holes and current breaks and eddys, the deepest water usually attracts some of the bigger fish in shallow rivers and lakes too. But weeds and timber and rocks can hold a key to your success so learn the structure and current. If there are no maps for your river/lake, reading the water can be key. Look for current changes and things breaking up the flow.
I love wading rivers especially. Fish upstream so your debris doesn't alert/spook them. Try spoons in the current with a trailer. I really like musky sized Johnson's from shore because they're pretty weedless and have good flutter in the current. Try Pastika's in Hayward. Great people and good selection of things for musky. A spoon, bucktail, crank bait and a jerkbait or glider will cover most conditions. And, I'd add a Hawg Wobbler in black because it's so versatile. Slow retrieve or even NO retrieve in the current... deadly! |
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Posts: 572
Location: Williamstown, WV | Rivers are all I fish. Right after ice out, fish every mouth of every feeder creek in the river system. I fish most of the mouths of these creeks by shore. also look for the holes, below current areas. as far as baits go, I mainly use a handful of baits for rivers, but my go to bait is an ac shiner. http://www.acshiners.com get the 00 model. good luck this season.
shawn |
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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | Lynn, I fished from shore on the streams of WV for years. Caught a lot of fish that way. The biggest problem you will encounter is that muskie lures are not cheap, and you will lose them shore fishing. |
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Posts: 1046
| It is also extremely hard to land a fish safely for both the fish and fisherman(woman) unless you carry a big net! |
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| I used to fish from shore in college in the lakes down in Ky. I had very good success. I would usually fish the marinas and any changes in depths I could find. |
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| An old southern proverb I found in an oatmeal cookie once states that "fishin' from de sho' don't mean yer po'...I hold tightly to that mental literature, and it has served hundreds of thousands on bank fisher peeps well over the years...just remember to cast TOWARDS the water; another oatmeal cookie proverb reveals that if you "cast to da woods, you lose all yer goods", which explains why the majority of shrubbery growing 'round the waterways here are decorated like a Christmas tree... |
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Posts: 3926
| I believe all said above, you can surely catch fish from shore. But get a boat as quick as you can and you'll never go back to shore fishing. Shore fising is "Tangulation station" and you're just so limited. Start small if on a budget, even a cheap canoe or a 12'er alum with an ancient motor. Work your way up from there.
Baits? Rollie and Helen's on line, Gander Mountain if they are close and stock for muskie nuts. You won't need many baits to get started, but you'll need a zillion once you are addicted to the sport. |
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Posts: 73
Location: Hazard KY | I started muskie fishin from the shore then moved to a boat, but I still love going down to the river and cast a few. My biggest fish 52.5 X 26 I got her while fishing from the shore with a suick.
Everyone else is right you lose a lot of lures.
Good Fishin
Chris Haley
www.kentuckymuskiecom
Here's a Pic from 2 weeks ago
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 51nf.jpg (20KB - 85 downloads)
51nf.jpg (20KB - 73 downloads)
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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | I got a canoe for $30 from the local city mission. Actually works great for the streams, and is relatively stable and made for fishing. We use a 12' jon boat also. It will save some baits, and let you cover a lot more water. Just keep your eyes peeled for a good deal. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | No. you can't fish muskies from shore. |
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Posts: 1
| Hi,
I have fished musky from shore or dock the last four years. The last two years i have been successful. Last year, in a 35 day period, 12 half/days i caught 6 fish 40in. or better, topped by a 41 1/2in. tiger and a 47in. spotted. I have an article I put together. I can't get anyone to publish it or to i know how to enter on my site (just new to Musky first). I have emailed my article to Muskyfirst. Maybe they can send it to you. If I had your address I would send also. You need a musky buctail rod to cast over the drop-off either using arificial or suckers. Also cast by downed trees by the shore line even if its only a foot deep! The deep drop off in the fall is your best bet, sometimes the biggest fish of the year is yours for the catching without much competition. My article is Musky From City Shores. |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | Lynn, If you plan on casting upstream, the way the fish will be facing, you might want a high speed reel. I was casting on a river yesterday and thought of your post. The current was pretty swift in places and I was glad I had my Abu C-4 along with its 6.2 : 1 Ratio. Burning a lure upstream took some cranking, I switched to a bulldawg that didn't pull so hard. I could even leave the dawg still in the current and the tail was going nuts. |
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Posts: 724
Location: Southern W.Va. | Don't believe Reef Hog, I was on the LOTW outing last year and caught 4 from the shore of the island that we were staying on, i even before Mikie could get his clothes unpacked, all on a 9" Sledge.
Mauser |
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Posts: 466
Location: Pittsburgh, PA | hey lynn, i river fish from shore exclusively and do very well. never tried shore fishing on a lake. what state are you fishing in? my top 2 baits are a glider and bucktail. i usually get my baits online at rollie and helens or thorne bros. www.muskyshop.com, www.thornebros.com |
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Posts: 7
| Mr. Pike, I am from West. PA. I've been fishing the Allegeheny River. I plan on going to Lake Arthur some time next week.
Fishing down stream is very difficult. I just got a new Abu Garcia 6600C5 reel and it is sweet. The river is really muddy but I went out casted a few times to try it. Hopefully this will help with fishing down stream. I'm up to 6 lures and a new rod and reel. I'm still waiting for my first follow, but it is addicting. Thanks for the replies. |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | Somone help me out here. I cast on rivers almost always UP stream or across and up. I think it is the old trout fishing habits and mindset. Small spinners and rapalas coming downstream fast into the vision of the trout presented a small window of opportunity. The strikes were hard and fast. The fish didn't have time to look over the offering and decide it didn't look natural. I can see that maybe in very muddy water the lure coming upstream slow would give the fish more time to find it. hmmm |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Trust me, it just is not productive. Really a waste of time. |
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Posts: 425
Location: Elkhart, IN | Hey Lynn, keep at it and it'll happen. I've caught them from shore, and a great time is early morning and in the evening especially at this time of year. Just keep working at it and you can catch them from shore.
Lobi, I have to agree with you I thought the same thing also. I've always cast upstream or across. |
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