Best Time For The Family Tradition?

[leoyaus]

Hello all,

I'm a new member just signed up. 50 y.o., fishing all my life. Live in Chicago area.

 

I have a 10 y.o. son who is my fishing partner. He's a good boy and fishes hard with little complaining when the weather is too cold/hot, action is slow etc. - he's a worker for his catch.

 

We fish locally (within a couple of hours) on day trips usually. But, as of this year, we started a new family tradition (got Mom's permission) to go on an annual week-long REAL FISHING TRIP! We've already chosen a lake (6000 acre, 110' max depth, walleye, smallie, pike, muskie, laker, whitefish, perch) near Lac Seul, NNW of Dryden. So, the place is settled. We're focusing on this body of water and intend to learn it well.

 

We eat fish, but not tons of it, and prefer eating smaller species, particularly smallies and perch. We're able to satisfy our take-home requirements usually in the first day, or with just a few hours of shoreline work later in the week if our main work hits some slow action. We get our daily meal in like manner.

 

Our preferences would be to spend a half-day to a full day deep-trolling or jigging for lakers. We dedicate sunsets to targeting walleye. So, the vast remainder of the time is spent in targeting muskie and pike. Most of this time is spent trolling, but we also pound shorelines, bars, and islands.

 

This year, we fished late July since the boy plays Little League baseball and his team made playoffs. We got burned by a cold front that went through the day of our arrival, so we had a week of bright sun, no clouds, still water, hot weather, and fairly slow action. I got a couple of small (30-34") muskies, but the boy got a nice 10#, 36" pike.

 

The boy is willing to miss a game or two this coming year in order to get on the water at a better (earlier?) time. School Spring Break (last week of March) is too early to come up? Last day of school is June 7. Walleye, bass, and pike season open 3rd Saturday of May? Muskies 3rd Saturday of June? School starts again right after labor day, so the best Fall fishing is missed?

 

I know there is year-to-year variance, but generally... what week would you folks recommend for my boy to have a better chance at some nice Esox? In your opinion, if we did the 3rd/4th week of June as opposed to the last week of July, would we be better off?

 

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[pameladallaire]

I just wanted to say Hello and welcome you to this great board. I'm sure some of the Musky guys or gals can help you out.

 

Pam

[Raf]

welcome to the board.

 

my suggestion for muskies is the new moon period in august. if your quarry is large pike, ice out.

[fishindevil]

welcome to OFC,well for my preference i like the last week in june better than the end of july for pike & walleye,and the weather is not as scorching hot like it is at the end of july,talk to the musky guys and they will let you know...cheers

[Blake]

Bass opens the last Saturday in June so I would recommend coming for the opener. Walleye and muskie are also both open at this time. This would give you alot of species to fish for. Look at Mississipi Lake near Ottawa, or even Pigeon Lake near Peterborough.