longest fight with a muskie

[Shoot2Kill]

makes me want to scream and punch my fishing partner! So be careful coming with me!

Noted...haha, that's funny. I have yet to have that happen but I know without a doubt I'd have the same reaction!

[Shoot2Kill]

That being said, there's nothing out there like a muskie strike!

Without a doubt - that is how I got so hooked on them.

This may be off the original topic, but piggybacks off what Shawn said about the "strike".

A friend of mine booked a guided muskie trip on Mille Lacs this summer and the guy he had going with him bailed at the last minute so I jumped on the chance just to fish that lake. Long story short, the guide was far from impressive although he said he's been around for decades...his "guiding" style was far from what I expected. Anyway....he said that the muskies on that lake just "tap" the lure...very light strikes...and being though we were relatively new to muskie fishing yet we both had fish under our belts for comparison I found that hard to believe. Every fish I've caught this summer has absolutely hammered the bait...nothing "light" about the strike whatsoever. The guide was very adamant that muskies do not hit hard and that we should set the hook on every little bump we feel...weeds, etc.

I know how I feel about that, but what are the thoughts on that? Anyone else feel similar? I guess some baits might allow for a lighter strike, but how does a muskie "lightly" strike a DCG which is what the guide has us throwing all night when he kept making his point over and over.

He also said that muskies will never eat or follow a bait with weeds on it....another point of his that I've proven wrong mulitple times already.

[Capt. Quicksteel]

Nine out of ten muskies hit so hard you almost drop the rod. But number ten comes up behind the lure and you just feel weight or a change in the action. SET THE HOOK!

[Musky Buck]

Shoot2kill, sounds like the same guy I went with out there years ago. Complete [PoorWordUsage]. Major waste of money and if there were "guide police" he'd be arrested. I've forgot more about muskie fishing then he'll ever know. I cut my trip short and said I gotta go, I couldn't take no more. When I hopped in his boat he handed me a 5ft. rod, a factory reconditioned reel, and a lure he said he's never tried before. I asked him how many fish he's boated that summer, we went August 21st, and he said well none but said it's been a great summer for follows, had over 50 the other day. Then he said there goes one and I saw about a 2 lb pike cruising away, I said I've had enough, I had to cut my losses and get out of dodge ASAP.

[Shawn Kellett]

S2K, when you're throwing blades at night a lot of time the fish would come up from behind them and collapse the blades. All you'd feel would be the blades stop turning and the back hook bumping the back of the muskies throat. I had a strike yesterday where the rod just got heavy, no "thump". What some friends and I have found is that the more pressured the fish the lighter the average bite seems to be. There could be other factors involved like fish activity or what not, but it was an interesting observation that several of us have seen.

[Shoot2Kill]

S2K, when you're throwing blades at night a lot of time the fish would come up from behind them and collapse the blades. All you'd feel would be the blades stop turning and the back hook bumping the back of the muskies throat. I had a strike yesterday where the rod just got heavy, no "thump". What some friends and I have found is that the more pressured the fish the lighter the average bite seems to be. There could be other factors involved like fish activity or what not, but it was an interesting observation that several of us have seen.

Very good to know Shawn - it makes sense!

[ole matty]

For fish that strike lightly, you can tell the difference between light strike and if lures got ahold of weeds. 2 fish I caught mayb 30 yards apart, week apart. One smashed so dang hard other one strike so lightly that I tho there was annoyin, stupid, retard pike on end of my line till I felt the weight and it never fought at all When I got fish in net Its took me awhile to figure out that fish ate entire dcg and it was bended half with blades dangles out of mouth.. It swam away fine after that. Most of fish I lost this summer strike really hard.

As for longest fight, shortest was probably 30 sec on that fish that ate entire dcg and longest probably a min.

[Snag]

I've had a few 10-15 minute battles through the ice which ended with my line breaking both times.

[bronzeback]

I caught a pair of mid to high 30's fish one night this summer and neither of them smashed the bait. I caught them both boatside pitch black, which does make it a somewhat different situation, but on both of those fish all I felt was extra weight so I set the hook. I guess in my experience the daytime figure 8 fish don't "feel" like they smash the bait, but that's because you're able to watch them take it and you're prepared for the feeling of the strike.

The fish I mentioned earlier in this thread that hit halfway back on my cast literally put me on my knees though. Heck of a hit.

[goblueM]

the 52 i caught boatside this year almost pulled me overboard on the first run... had to brace on the gunwhale. I'd say the fight only lasted 2-3 minutes, but it felt like an eternity.

caught a 46 on 10lb test off a dock, that took about 8 minutes. people always think it takes forever, but most of those fights are pretty short

[Zelmsdawg]

Quote:

the 52 i caught boatside this year almost pulled me overboard on the first run...

Sounds like you need to hit the weightroom...

Zelmsdawg

[-Marc V-]

I've had a musky lightly tap tap tap the lure during the day. I didn't think it was a 'ski. Felt the tapping, and just looked back to see what was going on. Saw the whites of the muskies mouth opening and closing. The fish backed off from the lure for a minute, then sped up again as it came boat side. Turned into the 8, and it just barely bit down on the back hook. Just enough to get hooked...

Wouldn't have imagined a musky tapping on a lure like that - almost like a walleye would tap on a jig and minnow.

Longest fight otherwise is probably a minute or two...nothing short of a rush though - every time!

[lindy rig]

Not sure what you guys will think about this, but it's the truth.

We were walleye fishing late last summer on Leech lake and a musky hit while trolling cranks. I had 6lb mono on a med-light walleye rod. Right after the initial hit, it jumped out of the water. Then proceeded to rip the drag. She buried herself in a cabbage bed and was stuck there for a good portion of the fight time. I switched sides of the boat probably a dozen times. My buddy was using the kicker motor in reverse to keep up as it was choppy too. I fought the fish for well over an hour. (we confirmed the time with his GPS when we marked it) It measured 45 inches and we got a good release.

[SJMyers32]

I was out on a local lake earlier this year and watched this guy fight this one for what seemed to be 45 minutes time estimated. Had to ask after the catch what took so long and they mentioned 10 pound test and they were walleye fishing. Took a few buddies to the spot walleye fishing and got skunked. They next day they went to the same spot and caught what I think to be the same fish. Funny thing was the fish had a three pound northern stuck in its gullet and still hit his lindy rig and chub. What the former buddy doesnt understand is that assuming it was the same fish someone let it go two days before for him to catch it. I hate to post pics of others without their permission but I dont know these folks. I

[StillwaterAaron]

I can weigh in on this one....... On Friday I hooked into a Muskie with 10 pound flouro line and I know how far I can take that line and rod since it is my redhorse and carp setup. With no good landing net fishing from shore it took less that 5 minutes to get this fish in and she was tired. One big thing is just making their head turn and not allow them to be in control! That goes with any fish.

45 inch 19 girth 10 pound test (flouro Berkley Transition)

[JimBuck]

Is that a river muskie aaron? I love the bronze coloration on the back. Nice fish.

[StillwaterAaron]

St Croix Ski!

One thing I wanted to add about length of a fight. Larry Dahlberg knows his stuff and he gave the tip to put your line on a scale to see how hard you are really pulling. You will be surprised how little pressure is put on the fish even when you think you are pushing the line.

[lindy rig]

Pretty big difference between 10lb and 6lb test

Also a difference in muskie behavior / endurance in cold water and warm water.

Nice fish

[50inchpig]

touche, walleye guy, touche - do they ever stop fighting when the water is this cold? fun to watch those slow mo headshakes and the raw power when they bulldawg for the depths

[Shoot2Kill]

Great looking fish!