nelly

http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2006349154917499845 Test Pic-1 (muskie head after filleting)

Hello everyone. My friend's wife just e-mail me the pics of the muskie on pigeon lake from the labour day weekend. I would like to post it but do not know how. I am NOT good on the computer and do not have a digal cameral or a scanner to do it. If anyone out there would like to help me and don't mind, I will e-mail you the pics 4-5. Just PM me. Thanks alot!

The Musky and The Squirrel by Don Jordan Muskies are the baddest things that swim in fresh water. Muskies aren't afraid to tackle prey larger than they can swallow, and they will attack human swimmers. Humans report musky bites in Wisconsin about once a year, and lots of muskellunge attacks never get reported. You just hear about them. Most people never see the victims or experience a musky bite in person. Other critters have more to worry about as a fishing buddy from Freedom, Indiana, Dennis Knoy, and I discovered during one fall musky fishing trip. There are a few oak trees on Boy Scout Island, and their acorns are of course great squirrel attractors. It's not unusual to see a gray squirrel working an overhanging oak tree where they often drop acorns into the lake. They make small splashes. You've probably heard the sound--kind of like a nice bluegill striking some surface-riding insect. A gray squirrel that had been rustling the leaves on the forest floor had gradually worked its way to the edge of the cut-away bank. Acorns were dropping from an overhanging oak. Most hit the water, but some hit the stumps and stayed there. The squirrel had spotted this untouched hoard of acorns. He made a few nervous paces, and even ran out on a log trying to reach them, but they were just out of reach. This was a determined squirrel, and any bird feeder can tell you there's no way to deter a determined squirrel. Afraid the rodent might spook our fish, we remained still in the water, hoping the critter would stuff its cheeks and depart. It didn't. It sat there on its haunches munching acorns, and that decision was its undoing. The stump's top was only an inch or two above the water, and we saw the musky before the squirrel did. As Knoy and I watched, a big hump appeared on the surface about five feet from the squirrel's stump. Anyone who's ever seen a musky trail a lure near the surface has seen this wave the fish makes as it swims just under the surface. This one made an unusually large hump, and it moved fast. The fish was on the stump in an blink of the eye. It leapt from the water, grabbed the squirrel and disappeared on the other side of the stump. "Did you see that?" we asked each other simultaneously. Just as we spoke, the squirrel suddenly popped to the top and swam like crazy toward the cut-away bank. The musky hit it again, but only got its tail. The squirrel reached the bank and was clawing up it when the musky tried again, this time stripping all the fur off the bushy tail. But the squirrel held fast and clawed its way desparately up the bank to safety. "Jesus, that's a monster," I told Knoy. "And I don't have a thing that looks like a squirrel in my tackle box." Neither did Knoy. I tied on a big Mepps Musky Killer with a gray squirrel tail treble hook dressing while Knoy opted for a big white buzz bait. When the canoe got to within 20 yards, we started casting. We beat the water to a froth, dropping lures over the entire area where we'd seen the squirrel attacked. No follows, no rolls, no strikes. This was a big musky and had no doubt been suckered by angling tricks many times during its life. It wasn't buying our presentations, and after about 30 minutes we gave up and headed on down the shoreline, chattering about what we'd seen. "I've never seen anthing like that, have you?" asked Knoy. "Nope. Never. That's one to tell the grandchildren, for sure," I replied. "That squirrel was one lucky dude, eh?" "No kidding. Bet he doesn't go near the water again anytime soon," said Knoy. We had gone about 100 yards past the site of the incident and were chuckling about the poor squirrel's bare, pink tail when the crashing and thrashing started again. "He's back! Let's try one more time," I whispered to Knoy, excited once again about a chance at this trophy-sized monster. I turned the canoe and headed back to the stumps. This time as we approached, we could see the musky leaping around the squirrel's stump. When we closed to within about 20 feet, we could see what the fish was up to. The fish wasn't leaping after another meal, it was clearing the water just enough to reach the top of the stump where it opened its mouth and dropped a mouthful of acorns. Neither of us could believe what we were seeing, but we watched the fish make several more trips, repeating the process until there was a visible pile of acorns atop its squirrel trap. Stunned, we made a few half-hearted casts, but we never saw that fish again. It was after fresh meat and knew how to get it.

Thanks for all the replys. First of all I want to tell you folks that we are NOT muskie fisherman at all. We were targeting bass and we were fishing difference areas and not just one main spot. The test line that we were using was mainly 15-20lb braided. As I mention from before, it was the largest muskie that did not survive. Our scale only goes up to 15 lbs and it read it as OFF the scale. We are guessing that it was 20 lbs and around 40" making it easily a legal size. I will try and get those photo when my friends come back from the cottage next week. Some of you are wonder what the muskie taste like? Not much of a fish eater myself but I do have to admit that it was pretty good. I thought it would have more of a game taste but didn't. Taste much better than pike since the meat was more firm. We fillet it like a pike and cut it into cube and fry it with cajun spice. There was plenty to go around for everyone. I am not telling you folks to keep your muskie for the frying pan OR telling you to release your muskie. That is your choice to make. I thought at the time since it was a legal size, it was best not to spoil it. On a positive note for all the non-muskie fisherman, I think we save the life of aleast of 100 other fish (bass, walleye, crappie etc.) during a course of one season.

My friend's wife has the picture on digital but they are still at the cottage for the whole week on vacation. The muskie were caught in the late morning 10 am and in the mid afternoon 3:30. Three on Saturday and two on Sunday.

Just a heads up from the weekend fishing. Between the three of us fishing for two days, the final count was 2 walleyes 12"-13", 2 slab crappie 12", 12-15 lm bass from 1-2 lbs, 5 muskie landed and the largest was aleast 20 lbs. We were fishing the north part of the lake, which would be the upper 1/3 of pigeon. Most of the fish were caught on strike king 1/2 oz white spinnerblades. Team 3, sorry to say that I was the only guy who did not land a muskie and could not contribue inches for the team. On a sad note, the largest muskie did not survive. We did try to revive it for aleast the next 30 minutes but it kept turning on it side and floated away each time. We did not what it to spoil and kept it for a fish fry back at the cottage. This is our first and only time we ate muskie. I know afew of you guys are going to be upset but what would you have done? On a happy note, all the other fish were release expect for the the slab crappie.

Kevin, you can still launch from Kawartha Park. When you are on the main dirt road coming in, you can park on the oppsite side just before you make the right turn for Kawartha Park. It is near a mail box or newpaper box. Make sure you park it back far enough and in an angle. Also lock your trailer to be on the safe side. You can also try Clearview Resort at Youngs Point on Southbeach Rd. Ask for Brain or Rita and park your trailer on the road.

Great report and thanks for all the help Puckhead. Go team 3 go! Nice looking eye and sorry about your pike.

Give yourself a pat on the back. Thanks for keeping us updated.

I was fishing for crappie on the tri-lakes main on pigeon and buckhorn about a week ago. Nothing really big but lots of dinks in one bay. Are they still in by any chance or have they left? The bigger ones were from pigeon.

That was some amazing report and pics there MTP. Never have fish for walleye on soft water in the BOQ, must give it a shot one day. Mike, is the walleye fishing that much better in Ontario than Quebec?

Thanks for the report Shawn and nice looking pics.

Can you get peameal bacon out of this wild boar?

Got to give credit were it's do. Thanks for trying for team 3 Kevin. Was the lake near the town that starts with an A?

Good for you Bernie, glad to hear someone is on the walleye. This was my first year in also 20 years that I was skunk for walleye on the openner weekend. Had too many brown pop. I did stop by B.J. Tackle in Bewdley on rice lake and there was a company fishing derby. They weight in 54 walleye by the 2pm deadline. Average size were 4lbs and the largest was around 8.5 lbs.

My condolenses to you and your family. That was a great tribute to your brother Lew.

Fish 2 hours for walleye during the night time on stony and nothing. Then in the afternoon we went for a boat ride and found a bay with crappies. Small area but did manage to get a 12" crappie and some dinks. One was over the nest I think?

Unscrew it counter clockwise. If you find it hard, then try using a pilar or visegrip. When it is finally remove, replace it with one of those plastic plug. You will need to know the size and then get one of those drain that has holes to catch the loose hair.

Nice to hear about the happy ending and good on your part Rick!

For all the hog hunters out there. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070429/ap_en_...9a_.EMYDhdsaMYA

Fishindevil, did your buddys get any pics of your catch? Currently we have a 10.5" perch and could use a 13-15"crappie for more points in the panfish cat. Good to hear that you had a decent weekend as I struggle on the lake. It will get better as you mention with more warm weather. Thanks for the update and post. So, how was the new boat? Must be nice and sweet.

Nice looking decent slabs. Hopefully I will be able to find some this spring.

Barnie, I think we need aleast another week or two before we hit the school. The water level was down about 6" to a foot I think. The water was clear with no fresh green weeds or lilly pads. They must be in the deeper water for now. I was using plastic and no live bait.

Yeah X-rap, 21 more points for the good guy's.

Caught only 5 and 2 were keeper size, back in the water for another day. It was nice to finally get out and it also force me to find new spots. Not to worry, timing is everything after you know some locations. I was just to lazy to go to certain spots due to the distance. My other friends did well as they caught them in the deeper water. Did anyone else fish on these two lakes this weekend?