Musky Hunting

[JoshS]

When I can’t get out fishing for a few weeks, I crave it bad. I always get the need to fish stronger then few other needs in life, but it’s strongest during time off and coming off a good trip. I’ve been itching to get back out but seeing how my anticipation will have to wait a bit longer, and inspired by some of the reports recently, I thought I’d talk some fishing and share some fishing tails...

 

Despite the heavy boat traffic, the fish were biting August long weekend. Saturday was our best day, with 11 in the boat and 7 over 40in. Once we figured out what they wanted most, we both switched to similar baits and got bites consistently. Two separate back-to-back big fish moments happened Saturday, which is rare for musky. The first big fish in the boat is exciting... But when the second happens right after, we loose it… Mayhem followed by large screams and the hardest high-fives you can possibly do. It never gets old!

 

We didn’t make it out first light, in fact we didn’t launch before 8:30 all weekend! But the fish were feeding around the moon, which always blows my mind when moonrise is early afternoon on a busy long weekend on a busy lake, middle of summer. We started getting bites around 11 am and it slowed down around 3ish, with the exception that day being a 46 and a 42 incher bagged an hour before sunset back-to-back for my partner and I, the fish situated merely 20 yards apart. Most of the fish came on blade baits, and one came on a depthraider.

 

Over 40's of the day:

 

 

 

 

Biggest was 46in:

 

 

 

 

 

 

All fish kicked off nice. Water temps were around mid 70s most weekend.

 

 

Sunday was a late start for us, and a day of major heartbreak...as was the Sunday the prior week to this trip. Backtrack to the previous Sunday: I had three big bites end of day, two of which I ended up loosing. All fish were off the same big spot, off the same bait. I ended up landing a 40 or so incher, loosing a bigger girl on a massive jump, and not seeing the third. We worked hard for big fish that day and the reward of three bites after the long day followed by loosing two was tough to stomach. All the following workweek I thought about how I need to get back there…

Fast-forward to the August long weekend: I did get back out there. Got on the same spot and around moonrise (1:45ish that day I think), just as a storm looked like it was rolling by a few lakes over. Everything looked very prime and hopes were high. I positioned the boat to cast the outside point of the spot first… nothing. We worked the front edge and inside the spot, still nothing. That’s a good 20 mins or so on the spot with no show. As I turn the boat to get us on the back edge, I make a bomb cast in that direction, and three twitches or so into my cast I finally get bit. I laid into the hookset and the fish cleared the water. It was a big fish and possibly one of the same lost fish as the previous weekend, but no way to know for sure. After a 30 second or so tussle, the fish unbuttoned! I cursed then laughed, another lost fish on this bait and fishing spot. All those lost fish were on glide-style baits. Man do I have a tough time pinning them well on those!

 

What happened right after was crazy: After I loose my big fish, literally right after, and keeping with the theme from the day before of back-to-back fish, my fishing buddy casting out of the back of the boat, burning a buck below the surface, whispers… “one’s on it, big fish.” He then yells at the top of his lungs, “There he is!!! Massive Fish! Net! Net!!” We both watched this fish inhale his bait 10 feet behind the boat. This was most likely a different big fish, it looked around 5 or so inches longer then mine. I grabbed the net quickly as the fish head shook hard back of the boat. Then it went under the boat and deep for a second… and that was the last we saw of it. Somehow, someway, this fish became unbuttoned too, and on a blade bait. This was a massive fish and one of the biggest we’ve seen on these lakes in 6 or so years of many hours targeting musky here. We both had a great look at it. My friend proclaims it was 50+, which I agreed to. Pretty much the upper echelon on the lakes we fish. He had a hard time moving on from that, to say the least, we both did! We ended the day with a few fish, but nothing over 40in pic worthy, and lost the two biggest girls hooked. End of day, we went back to some follows we had early on, but they were nowhere to be found. It’s those lost monsters that you remember the most!

 

The Monday we had some work to do around his place, so we started late, mid afternoon. We opted to fish the same lake as we did on Sunday, but give our spots a rest learn some new areas. It was noticeably slower, however we managed a few fish, the biggest being my buddy’s chunky 42incher.

 

 

Musky are crazy. It’s insane how the moon affects them at times, and how sometimes it doesn’t seem to make a difference. It’s interesting how they turn on/off, how they will smack gliders when you think the bucktail bite will be hot, how they’ll only bite blades or plastics some days, or how some days they just disappear all together. Some days they’ll eat anything it seems. We basically go out there throwing everything we think will work until we see what they want, if they want anything at all.

 

We’ve had some good days last few years but have never seen them eat like they did on the Saturday, on busy long weekend, mid day with a hundred boats buzzing around at all times. Some days it’s a grind out there however, which most musky anglers can probably attest too. The year thus far has been decent, think we boated more last year by this time, but the quality is higher this year. Maybe we are changing habits and concentrating on more big fish areas, or could be luck or a bit of both. We did have 3 days early July this year with only one respectable fish between the two of us, which took a toll on the confidence a bit back then. But that changed recently as the past weekends out there we got back into them.

 

We are contemplating some new waters this fall like St. Clair. I’ve never fished it. Last summer we spent 4days on Gbay to test some new waters… in the 4 days there we mustered only a follow HAHA. That’s Gbay I guess. Might check that out again too this fall.

 

It’s gonna be a few weeks or so until I can get back on the trolling motor. After a good weekend, I always get the itch badly to get back out! Gotta get through the dog days of August, then it’s my favourite time of year!!

Edited August 14, 2014 by JoshS

[captpierre]

You guys are dialed in big time.

 

Are we talking the Larry?

[Propwash]

11 in a day with 7 over 40 amazing! New water is always a challenge. I've put lots of time on Gbay with nothing to show but some pikes. That's until i started trolling for walters and got a mid 40s but a fatty lol. Good read and some nice shootin'! Prop

[JoshS]

I wish.... stuck in the kawartha's area until I graduate.

 

I'm looking into boat storage by St. Clair for this fall to avoid towing there every weekend. Want to get on some big fish waters...

[JoshS]

Usually if you get a bunch in a day on these waters it accounts for a lot of dinks. It was nice to get the majority over 40 that day. I give it up to the moon stirring it up. I wasn't even a new or full moon period either. I'll never understand it LOL

[landry]

Nice job Josh!!!!!

Solid Kawartha fish and good numbers.

The big ones like to come off for me too:(

Landry

[misfish]

Your getting all them big,ns cuz Lew has stopped fishing for them there.

 

That,s some nice fish there.

[Handlebarz]

Very nice report congrats on a killer weekend and thanks for sharing with us who have not been out much

[Rich Clemens]

That's an awesome week-end anyone would love. Congrats.

[Nipfisher]

A day (weekend) to remember for sure.

[Regan Thompson]

Kawarthas are literally a fish farm! no doubt! As far as numbers go (not size have you), not sure there is place on earth that can compare.

[Moosebunk]

That's some gnarly good lake ski fishing times right there Josh. Well done on that mile of muskies over the gunnel.