A Call to all GBay Musky Hunters

[muskymike]

Hey guys, I need some help. I have been fishing for Musky for a few years now. I have read countless books, Magazines, forums, websites, and videos and spent a considerable amount of hours on the water trying and learning.

 

I have the Kawartha's Musky figured out well enough to go out and boat a few when I go for a day or a week.

 

Georgian Bay, well not so much. The fish behave completely different from inland lakes and I am struggling. I have tried shallow, deep, weeds, rocks, combinations, open water casting and trolling, different speeds, lures, sizes, times of day, moon phases, day times highs and lows and just keep getting stumped on the big water.

 

I fish Severn Sound often, Midland, Penetang, Port Severn, Honey Harbor and will take the boat north on the water as far as I need to.

 

So I am throwing out a call for help. Just some insight on Georgian Bay that I seem to be missing. If anyone would PM me to discuss and talk about technique I would be greatful. I have no problem discussing what, when and where I have been fishing. Like I said, Kawartha's, not a problem, Georgian Bay, fun disappointment.

 

Either way, I am going to keep putting the hours on the water and I am going to keep working, as I know my time will come on the Bay.

 

Thanks for any help.

[2 tone z71]

Mike I started fishing Skis last spring on the bay ,I trolled for 2 weeks without snaggin a weed ,then one magical evening I got my first ski a 50 inch female and I was hooked,next couple of days had a few more on but never boated,again a few weeks of evening fishing went by and bamm a few more boated,I tell ya its as you know frustrating,we wrote down times winds day temps moon phase trying to get a pattern going ,now we got plans to hit the outter shoals next weekend I belive if all goes well trying different areas,different ideas,I say keep pounding the water and your time on the bay will come ,good luck in my boat we always troll one bait on the surface one diver

Edited August 4, 2008 by North East Shark

[PAZE]

I know some of the best musky anglers on the bay, and the get beat up alot so dont feel so bad, just keep at it, this is where the 10,000 cast theory comes in. Put in your time it will come.

Edited August 4, 2008 by PAZE

[Guest gbfisher]

Keep at it!.................................

There are fish at ever place you mentioned. The only thing different about Georgian Bay Musky is that they have more water to swin in!!

[Musky or Specks]

The most important thing about fishing Musky is consecutive days. A day here and a day there is going to be hit and miss. You need to be on the water for a bunch of days in a row to insure that your fishing when the fish are at their most active.

[tonka-toy]

I know what your talking about brother,been at it on the bay for about six years.What ruined us was luckily tying into a tanker on our very first trip,this fish would have eaten anything we had pulled out of the kawarhas the pervious ten years.We didn't land that fish ,but it was enough to keep us heading back up every chance we got.We've been lucky enough to land alot of respectable fish and a few huge ones.We usually fish the bays and inlets and trolling close to structure seems to work best,if we have a"blow-up" or" knock-off",we try returning to cast those fish on a peak(moon,sun or weather change). Best advice I heard was to slow down for the big ones,this went against alot of things I had read,but has really worked for us.Still slow fishing and we'll go trips between fish but the memories of those giants keeps us plugging away again and again.When it gets too much we make a trip to the kawarhas and have a little fun.

[tdotfisherman]

This past weekend on Georgian Bay I had a giant Musky follow my lure back to the boat when I was out Pike fishing in a back bay with lots of weeds. The monster was holding in a weed pocket. On one side of the pocket were lilly pads, and on the other side of the pocket were reeds. The pocket it was holding in was about 5 by 3 feet. At the time the water was flat calm, and the sun was out. I was only using 17 pound test, on a medium-heavy setup, so I'm actually glad it turned away at boat side, because I didn't want to lose my lure/rod in the process..

 

Try talking up local guides, tackle-shop owners, or lodge owners around Georgian Bay for some of the local Musky information.. and good luck!

[solopaddler]

Not too much to add, but...

Georgian Bay is best fished by trolling.

If you havn't tried it yet troll with lead core or wire line, especially this time of year.

Pump your rod forward quickly before dropping it back every once in a while, that seems to trigger fish.

[muskymike]

Thanks for all of the advice guys. Seems like i have been doing most of the stuff I should, just not catching the breaks. I am going to keep on plugging, putting in the hours and hopefully my luck will change.

 

FOr the time being I will post the scenery pictures and the largemouth that for some reason keep hitting lures the size of them if not bigger. I had a 3 lb hit a Super Cowgirl on saturday and it hit it Hard.

[mikeh]

I fish the Severn Sound area 3 or 4 times a year. There is an area I troll that is 20 feet deep with a few drop offs and underwater humps that produces fish, although I am still trying to catch the big one.

 

I recommend casting around shoals , I have found some fish in 8 feet of water off some shoals in that area.

[BillM]

Mike, you realize that when we go out, I'll get bit by the monster right?

[camillj]

And dont forget the figure 8 ... in fact in GBay you can just drift and figure 8 .... youd be amazed at the big girls hanging out in your boat's shadow ... I raised the same big girl about 5 times before she finally got bored and swam off ... the thing about GB is they have lots of water and lots of food ... but its not just about the catchin ... as soon as you see just one of those MONSTERS ... you're good for another year

[Pigeontroller]

Why not attend a meeting of your local Muskies Canada Chapter? Some of the most experienced Muskie anglers in Ontario are members, buy one of them a beer at a meeting, you never know what they might tell you...

[viper]

Fish the outer shoals off river mouths. Some hot spots include the btm of French and Bad rivers where it empties into Geo Bay, definately trolling

[muskymike]

I fish the Severn Sound area 3 or 4 times a year. There is an area I troll that is 20 feet deep with a few drop offs and underwater humps that produces fish, although I am still trying to catch the big one.

 

I recommend casting around shoals , I have found some fish in 8 feet of water off some shoals in that area.

 

Have tried this, with no luck, but will continue to work my butt off until I see results.

 

 

Mike, you realize that when we go out, I'll get bit by the monster right?

 

If thats the case Bill, we will go out as a pair, and I will come back solo hhahahaha joking, as long as one of us gets it, it doesnt matter to me. its about catching them, not about my personal catches, although that would be nice.

 

And dont forget the figure 8 ... in fact in GBay you can just drift and figure 8 .... youd be amazed at the big girls hanging out in your boat's shadow ... I raised the same big girl about 5 times before she finally got bored and swam off ... the thing about GB is they have lots of water and lots of food ... but its not just about the catchin ... as soon as you see just one of those MONSTERS ... you're good for another year

 

I dont remember the last time I made a cast without a figure 8

 

Why not attend a meeting of your local Muskies Canada Chapter? Some of the most experienced Muskie anglers in Ontario are members, buy one of them a beer at a meeting, you never know what they might tell you...

 

Dax, I told you I would sign up a while ago, and I have not yet. I am going to, I assure you that. You will see me soon enough at one of the meetings, maybe October.