Advice for locating musky in Lake St. Clair

[moemoe]

On Georgian Bay, if the area is full of gar, usually I move and try and find another area to fish, never seem to be other species hanging with them

[mistaredone]

Last fall on LSC I boated 4 big fish with gar jumping all around the boat. I thought I'd snag one for sure burning an in line spinner.

[Wagoneer]

So I made a few last minute purchases. Picked up some 18" 130# fluoro leaders, some hook cutters, a third rod holder and another solid body perch coloured musky lure (my buddy just had good luck with them last week). I also picked up my dads down rigging rod/reels and his giant net. Any other last minute suggestions?

 

Forecast looks like nothing but calm overcast weather, should be good for fishing!

[mike rousseau]

Great job beefing up...

[OhioFisherman]

On Georgian Bay, if the area is full of gar, usually I move and try and find another area to fish, never seem to be other species hanging with them

 

 

I had the same experience on the G/B, once the gar moved in everything else seemed to move out. It seems odd because they really can't eat too big of another species of fish.

[Wagoneer]

Forgot to do a follow up trip report!

 

Had some bad luck with weather and storms but the first day was excellent. Nice calm day and mostly overcast with some sunny moments. I went straight out from mitchell's bay about 10km out until we got to 12ft of water and trolled east/west back and forth for a couple hours. I hit a weenie little musky (it was barely bigger than my lure) as soon I started trolling on a butcktail only a couple feet below the surface and then nothing for about an hour. Then I hit the second one on my 8" solid body perch coloured shad about 8' down. But again, nothing to write home about, barely over 20" and super skinny. Just goes to show even the tiny musky have big appetites! Then just before heading in I got a HUGE strike, drag went like crazy, again on the perch coloured shad. I thought for sure I had a huge musky on. Turned out to my surprise to be a monster smallmouth! I've never had a smallmouth hit such a large lure at such high trolling speeds. I guess this was one of those monster suspended smallmouth that people are always after.

 

The next few days were super windy and rainy and we just basically stayed close to shore and fished the shallows for bass. The wind brought in so many weeds into the bay that was pretty much our only option. Overall a good trip to gain some experience musky trolling and I'm going to try and plan a few day trips this fall and hopefully hit some monsters. I recently bought a 20hp engine so getting to the good spots will be a LOT faster than before.

 

Here's the smallmouth, the only fish to brag about for the weekend.

 

[Pigeontroller]

Nice Bass!

 

You travelled 10km out into LSC with that little egg beater?

[Wagoneer]

Nice Bass!

 

You travelled 10km out into LSC with that little egg beater?

Oh yeah. I go out further and jig for lakers in Erie

 

That's one of the main reasons why I upgraded to a 20hp. I really loved my little 4 stroke DF6, but I've been caught out in storms in Erie where I wish I could have gotten in faster.

[mistaredone]

Nice smalie

[BillM]

 

 

I had the same experience on the G/B, once the gar moved in everything else seemed to move out. It seems odd because they really can't eat too big of another species of fish.

 

I think this might have to do with water temp more then anything else. Those things love when the water is like bath water.

[LeXXington]

My best advice to finding musky in St Clair is -- Spinning reel, 12lb drifting with a Erie Deary for walleye

 

Water out of Mitchells was 74F last week, cooler than normal