So how's everyone making out with musky this year?

[Dontcryformejanhrdina]

Is everyone else finding the musky fishing to be slow so far this year? I spent Sat until noon on Sunday in the Trent with only a pike to show for it, I changed waters on Monday and saw a lot of action catching 7 pike, had a ton more hits/near misses (including what would have been easily my PB best pike that had to have been pushing 40") and I raised 2 musky that were having no part of the figure 8. Then Wednesday it was tough with just 1 small pike nipping at my bucktail, and today in a new water that I've heard great things about it was more pike, 3 light hits/bumps and 2 follows, but no musky spotted.

 

 

Is it normal for musky to be a little slow in June? Are they still recovering from the spawn? The pike seem on and much more aggresive, even under tough conditions (no wind, no clouds, hot) like it has been the last 2 days.

[Andrew Grant]

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Edited January 30, 2014 by XxX

[Handlebarz]

If your getting the follows but no takers change up that through back lure. Differs style of lure color or sometimes just speed will make them following fish commit. Check the moon phase and target them same spots during prime time.

 

Don't forget to check out the Handlebarz musky thread post a pic from one of your days out to be entered into my giveaway for 4 Handlebarz just for talking about your opener

[Gregoire]

I know it was slow last weekend. It seemed like there was a very narrow time when they were active, and the rest of the time was just spent washing lures. I would just keep pounding spots where you know there are fish. If you know there are fish they will bite eventually.

[Rich Nelson]

I have been out 3 times as well with nothing to show for it. This time of year is usually great. The big cold front before the opener definately didnt help. Keep puttinin the hours, and they will bite.

[landry]

I have been out 3 times as well with nothing to show for it. This time of year is usually great. The big cold front before the opener definately didnt help. Keep puttinin the hours, and they will bite.

 

If it is slow a jerkbait is a great choice. I find the stop and tease action moves fish better than bucktails when things are slow.

I always start with a fast moving lure and move to a jerkbait if it doesn't feel like it's happening.

that's my one two punch.

I like rubber a lot but I have a few go to hard jerkbaits that produce

Landry

[beagle dad]

GUYS NEED TO GO AFTER WALLEYE.....CATCH MUSKY EVERY TRIP THIS YR LOOKING FOR WALLEYE...STURGEON SEEMS FULL OF THEM,,BUCKTAIL JIGS ANYTHING FROM 3-8 FT OF WATER

[northernpike56]

I have never caught a musky in my life but have had a close call with one in sturgeon as well. he bit me off as he coming to the boat.

Edited June 8, 2012 by northernpike56

[Old Man]

You're obviously fishing in the the wrong spot. Muskies are no problem out here.

[MuskieWannabe]

I made it out on the opener and saw 5 muskies before catching the 6th one, 42.5". I found them all on a weed flat that was around 5 feet deep not too far from shore in the main area of the lake. On Tuesday I went casting from shore and had a nice one follow me right to the shorebank but would not bite. I just got back from another lunchtime shore fish and landed a little 30" musky, again followed right to shore but I got him on a modified figure 8 from shore...too funny. A few of the fish I have seen have followed topraiders and a couple on inline spinners. I would suggest finding a nice weedbed in the 5-8 foot range with some 15 foot deep water nearby and cast your tacklebox until you find something.

 

Good luck out there!

[cowanjo]

I know it was slow last weekend. It seemed like there was a very narrow time when they were active, and the rest of the time was just spent washing lures. I would just keep pounding spots where you know there are fish. If you know there are fish they will bite eventually.

Wasnt that bad maybe you should accept gifts from the back of the boat!musky has been tough three on a weekend no complaints from my team

[ecmilley]

wish someone would catch the neverending supply I seem to be getting on sturgeon this year average 3 per outing so far this year bit off around 6 times as well i would love to think they were 10lb eyes bt really fish the edges in 7-12 ft of water the stinky things are everywhere

[Gregoire]

Wasnt that bad maybe you should accept gifts from the back of the boat!musky has been tough three on a weekend no complaints from my team

 

Thanks for the reminder...I feel shame.

[scugpg]

One so far fished all day with muskie gear notta...not even 30 seconds in the water after i switch to crawler harness for walleye and I get one

[houski]

I found it slow last weekend too. We had 6 follows, and one taker, on the troll (small 37"ish). The fish seemed to be deeper than usual last weekend on the Kawartha's. We raised fish out of 15 fow+, but they wouldn't eat. A few dandies too.

 

I got out solo last night for a couple hours on Balsam. Only saw one fish, but it ended up in the net. Got her on twin 10's over wind pounded rocks in 5 fow. Let's hope G Bay opener next week provides good weather, and cooperative 'skis!

[Handlebarz]

Nice to see the reports coming in I hope tomorrow morning I can get out a buddy will be in from Sudbury if his wife is nice we will get out.

[Pigeontroller]

Two in my boat on opening weekend. A small one and a high 30's...Both from Pigeion Lake.

[Rizzo]

We spent a couple of days at Pigeon this week and it was S L O W in my opinion. Thunderstorms both days we were there made conditions pretty tough for us. Managed a small one and one 38.5". Both came in 5 f.o.w., had not luck anywhere deeper although we did try

[Dontcryformejanhrdina]

I had what looked like a pretty good one blow up on my bucktail yesterday and the back end of her came out of the water. Hard to judge the length but she was really thick. Tried going back later to see if I could get her to hit a couple of times but never saw it again. Then it was just more pike (8 or so) nipping at bucktails, no solid hits. No other lure is even getting follows right now. Back at her today, then headed to Haliburton tomorrow.

Edited June 9, 2012 by Dontcryformejanhrdina

[Gregoire]

Good luck. If they are interested but not taking try changing up colours or retrieve speed.

[danc]

wish someone would catch the neverending supply I seem to be getting on sturgeon this year average 3 per outing so far this year bit off around 6 times as well i would love to think they were 10lb eyes bt really fish the edges in 7-12 ft of water the stinky things are everywhere

 

Lol. There's no Musky in my neck of the woods but this sounds just like my opinion of Pike.

[outllaw]

we did ok on st clair saturday morn. 5 for 6 muskies. all fish were hi in the water column on woodies... minnee shads and the new georgie jointed.natural bass patterns at 4.1 mph.

[Andrew Grant]

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Edited January 30, 2014 by XxX

[JoshS]

We did ok last weekend. I managed 5 out of 6 in the boat but only 1 in the 40s. Took a lot of time off Saturday to do some stuff around my friends cottage and take a drive to grab my boat in the afternoon which cut into the time out on opening day unfortunately but fished all daylight hours Sunday. Fished through some decent rains all weekend but all fish came in the calm before the storm. My friend threw bucktails quite a bit but spinnerbaits were getting more action and the bulldawg took the two biggest fish. My firsts on the bulldawg! It was strange, I threw it on and had a lot of confidence in it for some reason, and it's a bait that you need confidence in if you've ever seen one, which kept me from switching baits for around 45 mins, and it then took two fish 15 mins apart. Now it's all I can think about haha! I had to take a weekend off fishing but I'll be out there next week and can't wait.

[Fisherpete]

Just came back from 8 days of ski hunting - ended up with 16 in the boat for the trip, along with many, many incidental catches of other species - some memorable. I will have a report up in a day or two. Overall it was a better trip than last year for numbers - and a few really nice ones... stay tuned

 

ps On the lake that we fished, weed growth and water temps are a few weeks ahead of last years pace - summer patterns were already working for me...