Top Tiger Muskie Lakes?

[Musky Buck]

Used to catch some on Big Mantrap, for whatever reason 1 week we went 4 times and boated 3 tigers in the mix of purestrain, just random ones I guess and nothing over 36".

[mrklean]

jakesbuds if you wouldnt mind shoot me an email with that info. krenkly20 at hotmail dot com

[mrklean]

i have never fished for tigers, i know they are smaller but how different do you guys fish for them compared to regular skies?

[pinkfloyd4ever]

i have never fished for tigers, i know they are smaller but how different do you guys fish for them compared to regular skies?

Ya Dwight get the tips and lets go hammer them some time.

Not to hijack but you gonna fish the musky opener dwight? If so where?

[Jakesbuds]

jakesbuds if you wouldnt mind shoot me an email with that info. krenkly20 at hotmail dot com

You got mail!

[mrklean]

Thanks jakes, the drawing was pretty good haha i at least know what your talking about.

Pink, i havent muskie fished in awhile, got some of the gear at my parents place my dad and i did a little back in the days when i still lived at home but he hasnt touched it in a long time and i really wanna start back up. Im more then ready to hit some early mornings if you want to when the season starts up.

[Jakesbuds]

I knew you would get a kick out of it lol. Good Luck when you go for em guys! Also, if you want another decent Muskie lake, Eagle in Maple Grove just off 169 is also a fairly decent muskie lake. Not sure about Tigers in there though but I have seen some pigs in there.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

Dwight, we are gonna have to get a tour from jakesbud here! I have fished Eagle countless times with only one to show for it about a 30 incher, a couple follows and that is it. Last summer and fall I was there at least twice a week, probably ran into Jakesbud for all I know. Live just down the road from Eagle.

[Jakesbuds]

pink, I've caught many and seen ever more right out of the landing to the right on the outskirts of the weed line in the summer. Also, on the outside of the inlet to Pike towards that little reed pile on the left I've smacked a few. I seem to catch quite a few muskies while Bass fishing and way less when actually fishing for them lol. I've probably caught the most muskies on little plastics than anything else to be honest. I had a pig almost smash my brother in laws camera out there this winter too. Easily 40+

[mrklean]

pink, he sent me a homemade map that should help us out nicely

[brad coin]

Well we had the dnr at our MI meeting and they presented some of thier Ideas and projections for the tiger fisherie they passed out a handout that detailed their Ideas unfortunitly I dont have the means to scan it, however heres some of the main points

lakes they are looking to discontinue because of issues like Northern pike population,water quality,forage base has switched,winterkill history,etc

Eagle in carver county

Pierson

wasserman

Bush

Weaver

Island in Ramsey county

silver

Lakes their looking to continue with

Crystal in Dakota county

Orchard

Bryant

Crystal in Hennepin

Nokomis

Johanna

Phalen

Cedar in Scott county

Elmo

Gervais increased stocking

Clear ib=ncreased stocking

lakes that will be converted to purestrain/leech lake

Cahoun

Isles

Cedar in Minneapolis

the lakes that remain has managed tiger muskie (TME) which will be 9 total will be more frequently stocked

in the past it was every 3rd year (1/3) and instead be stocked every other year (1/2)

Gervais they are looking at going to 2 fingerlings per acre from 1 fingerling per acre

Clear lake,,the same scale has Gervais

these proposals are "NOT" a done deal or are about to happen overnite the DNR just wanted to inform us of their ideas and are also seeking public input.so if one of your fav lakes is on the discontinued list you should think about giving them some feedback. Im guessing you can get a copy of the handout they gave us by calling the "east" metro fisheries office that is who presented it to us

[JRedig]

I would LOVE to see Phalen go to pure strains. Such a deep clear lake and there is a good forage base from my experience out there. Not to mention the motor restrictions which means it's always an enjoyable outing.

[mrklean]

NOOOO not weaver, thats gonna be my newe place to go

[pinkfloyd4ever]

Jakes- that's funny, I fish those areas, I probably just need to go smaller. The one I caught out there was straight out from the landing to the opposite side of the lake, there is some big houses and then a HUGE house, straight out from there.

Dwight- we'll still try weaver and if not, eagle is right down the road

[mrklean]

that sounds good to me, my guess is they wont stop doing that stuff for another year or two so there should be plenty of tigers in there for us

[Jakesbuds]

On that map on the right side where the deeper weeds are I've caught quite a few on regular size spinnerbaits. I'm sure if you threw some bigger than normal ones you would have a good chance as well. I just feel bad when I see guys throwing huge baits for hours and we catch them on smaller baits lol. Sometimes bigger isnt better. Also guys Sugar Lake towards Monticello has HUGE muskies.

[50inchpig]

LOL, Sugar Lake - the Monticello Musky Mecca. Fishing that lake makes me want to hurt myself.

Brad - Thanks for the info, very good ideas that will improve an already great metro fishery and preserve some good Tiger waters.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I just feel bad when I see guys throwing huge baits for hours and we catch them on smaller baits lol. Sometimes bigger isnt better. Also guys Sugar Lake towards Monticello has HUGE muskies.

yup thats me, throwing out as big as I got LOL.

[brad coin]

People seem intrested in Weaver here are the reasons the DNR sites for discontinue of stocking,managing for tigers

1-Moderate to high NOP numbers

2-no TME sampled during ice-out netting in '03 and '04

3-low pressure

4- water quality issues

5-CO reports low catches of TME

Something that we should push for is an early opener for tigers on the 9 lakes that will still be managed for tigers they would open the same sat has walleye and pike,,,,"Why not" Tigers are sterile you would not be interfering with spawning,,Tigers on average live 7 years so you would be getting more mileage and use out of them,,,you could make it mandatory release on all tigers until general muskie opener,,I know I would like to get out and have a go at them instead of walleye and pike fishing or spending money on a wisc license to get out early. You would only make this available on the 9 lakes managaed specificly for tigers the 9 lakes may get a little crowded but after general muskie opener the pressure would all leave!!! people wouldnt be able to go out on Minnetonka and Mile lacs and claim,,'Ahhhhh Im fishin Tigers" it would have to be allowed just on the designated 9 lakes.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

Wow, I guess I just learned something, Tigers are sterile?

I love the early tiger opening idea though

[mrklean]

thats a pretty good idea i like that one

[mn_bowhunter]

Tigers are not completely sterile. They were originally thought to be. Males are usually sterile, but females can produce viable offspring. They usually have a lower fecundity than muskies or pike on their own. They can reproduce with pike or muskies. Similar situations would be a saugeye and walleye reproducing.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

Interesting, thanks