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My first muskie!


frozen-fire

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Well... after all the rain we had, it felt really good to finally get out and fish.

We actually decided to do some exploring this time, but couldn't locate a suitable launch without having to get wet.

With the last hour or so of sunlight we had left, we decide to head back to the good old spot and drift around in the wind.

 

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We drift from the docks heading east and 2nd cast using 6 lb mono and a black single colorado spinnerbait, I get a good hit only to realize it's a decent crappie. I was expecting walleye.

 

4th cast... I barely even started to retrieve when something slams the lure hard and starts taking off. I'm thinking I have my PB largemouth beat with this one (my big one was caught in the same area last year ~6lbs).

 

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It gets closer and I realize it's a muskie! It makes a couple leaps out of the water doing 360's and I'm literally shaking from the rush.

The fight was probably only about 5 minutes or so, but seemed like forever, with all the long runs it was doing.

Finally got it to the canoe and it was a super clean fish and not so skinny like a few I've seen pulled out.

Release was simple...Took off like a bullet leaving me soaked.

 

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We continue drifting along and I soon get another solid hit on the spinnerbait.

Turns out to be a pretty decent walleye (my biggest this year... I know...pretty sad)

 

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We soon find ourselves in a nice calm bay loaded with lily pads... I take my baitcast setup with 30lb braid and tie on a spro topwater frog and soon get some nice hits.

I was able to land a couple smallish sized largies...nothing huge.

There was a BIG blow up, but I got over-excited and set the hook too soon and lost it. <_<

 

The sun set, and the mosquitoes chased us back to the dock where we packed up and called it a night.

Took the eye and a few crappie home for dinner :)

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Congrats! I'd say that was a great day on the water.

 

Say bye bye to the 6lb test... next comes the telephone pole and 80lb braid! And the bank account will continue to suffer long after that...

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Yeah, nice fish!

 

Canoe is pretty cool too! Those high seats make me think it would be top heavy and very wobbly? Correct me if I am wrong!

 

Nope...the added swiveling fold-up seats are only about 5 inches higher than the webbed seats. The sportspal is the most stable canoe I've been in. Super wide and flat. I've never had to worry about wobble or tipping...

 

This a__hole in a rental with his family (daughters and wife) blew by me full throttle even though they were only like 20-30 feet from me in a no wake zone. He was making quick zig-zagging turns trying to scare his family into screaming. loser. I slowed down and steered the bow towards the incoming wake (first experience with waves of this magnitude -- did I do the right thing?) and the canoe held up fine... was just bumpy :thumbsup_anim:

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great pics

 

How was the canoe ride while fighting that muskie... musta been a reel rush :w00t:

 

i have been looking at those Sportspal canoes and never thought about putting a chair in it. Is it tippy ?

 

thanks

splashhopper

 

Yes, the ride was a reel rush :clapping:

 

Post #12 will answer your question.

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It seems like jedi's ex-ride is giving you some good luck :D! Congrats on your first muskie, I still need to get mine.

 

You did the right thing with the wake, can't really do much other than ride it with the bow perpendicular to it. Just ride over it nice and slow and don't speed up.

 

edit: i guess i was wrong ... see izaakwalton's post below.

Edited by Victor
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Frozen Fire,

Nice first Muskie..Must of been a rush getting him to boat side. How did you manage to calm him down and remove the bait...Awile ago there was some question here as to how to handle a hooked muskie at boat side without the assistance of a cradle or muskie net.Would be nice if you told us how you did it for all the rest of the muskie to be fisherman....

 

Thanx,

Bud

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Frozen Fire,

Nice first Muskie..Must of been a rush getting him to boat side. How did you manage to calm him down and remove the bait...Awile ago there was some question here as to how to handle a hooked muskie at boat side without the assistance of a cradle or muskie net.Would be nice if you told us how you did it for all the rest of the muskie to be fisherman....

 

Thanx,

Bud

 

I had to tire out the fish first. I kept trying to bring it to the boat, but it kept taking off. Eventually it will tire out and will come to the side of the boat. At this point, I will touch the fish on the head...may seem weird..but I put my hand on it's head and it will tell me if it's ready or not to come aboard. Once it doesn't take off after I touch it, I grab the fish by the gill plate (DO NOT TOUCH THE ACTUAL GILL RAKES AS THE FISH NEED THESE TO TRANSFER OXYGEN FROM WATER INTO BLOODSTREAM...damage to this part of any fish is mostly fatal). I then lift the head of the fish out of the water and remove the lure. Once lure is gone, support the belly, lift fish out of water, take pictures and put back in water, cradle it until it gains enough energy and shoots off.

 

I've taken 2 other muskies larger than this one out of the water this way. One two years ago with a friend and one my dad caught while crappie fishing earlier this year.

For smaller sized muskie such as the one I caught...I don't see a big problem...but if I ever encounter a 50"+ ...it might be different haha...would probably have to go to shore and beach the fish to avoid tipping over in the middle of the lake!

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You did the right thing with the wake, can't really do much other than ride it with the bow perpendicular to it. Just ride over it nice and slow and don't speed up.

 

As a basic boating rule, it's best to approach wakes by having your boat on a 45-degee angle to the wake, not perpendicular.

 

Nice fish.

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How much would one pay for a canoe like that??

 

If you're looking at brand new, I was quoted about $1300 for the one I have right now.

 

Used ones do come up for sale at more reasonable prices, but not often... and they usually get snatched up quickly.

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I had to tire out the fish first. I kept trying to bring it to the boat, but it kept taking off. Eventually it will tire out and will come to the side of the boat. At this point, I will touch the fish on the head...may seem weird..but I put my hand on it's head and it will tell me if it's ready or not to come aboard. Once it doesn't take off after I touch it, I grab the fish by the gill plate (DO NOT TOUCH THE ACTUAL GILL RAKES AS THE FISH NEED THESE TO TRANSFER OXYGEN FROM WATER INTO BLOODSTREAM...damage to this part of any fish is mostly fatal). I then lift the head of the fish out of the water and remove the lure. Once lure is gone, support the belly, lift fish out of water, take pictures and put back in water, cradle it until it gains enough energy and shoots off.

 

I've taken 2 other muskies larger than this one out of the water this way. One two years ago with a friend and one my dad caught while crappie fishing earlier this year.

For smaller sized muskie such as the one I caught...I don't see a big problem...but if I ever encounter a 50"+ ...it might be different haha...would probably have to go to shore and beach the fish to avoid tipping over in the middle of the lake!

 

 

You are the fish whisperer! :clapping:

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