Musky Fishing and the Internet

[DTro]

I just read that HB! What a great fish, story and pics.

I never would have got the full effect without it posted on the internet as is.

[urban cowboy]

I don't see anything wrong with posting helpful information on this forum. Obviously you wouldn't mention your favorite honey hole or some of the moderate to smaller sized lakes that you like to fish but everyone knows Mille Lacs and Vermilion are trophy lakes. No secrets there man. If someone reports catching 5 fish and moving 25 fish in a weekend on one of these lakes it shouldn't come as a huge surprise.

[Shoot2Kill]

Hi Tim -

Not trying to beat a dead horse further but there is a great story in which a young man relates a story and photos of the fish of a lifetime - names the lake and the lure.

Gotta be honest, I think its a great story - the kind of thing that makes this whole internet message board thing pretty cool. Going back to your original post though, I'm sure there are some people on the lake who cringed when they read it. Not sure if this really helped, but I think it goes with your original post - great stories are fun to read but I wouldn't plan a trip based on what I read here or anywhere.

-erik

Yep, that story was awesome and the kid deserves every bit of congrats he gets for writing it the way he did.

At the top of the Muskies 1st general discussion forum look at how many large fish measurments are being posted from Vermillion...maybe Mille Lacs will be empty for a couple weeks???? haha

[john skarie]

So let's look at this question in another way. We as fishermen may or may not like how hyping up a hot bite can crowd a lake.

But how is it affecting the fishery that is being put into spotlight??

How many anglers are going to be running up to Big V to get in on the big fish bite? How will that increase in pressure and the "drive" to catch a big fish affect the fishery? Especially with the hot temps we've been having?

To be blunt about it, how many fish will die that wouldn't have if the anglers didn't run and put the pics on the internet THE DAY THEY CATCH THEM?? (why not wait a couple of weeks until the bite subsides??)

There is a lot more to what the internet can do to a lake than just make it a crowded place to fish.

JS

[Nick Kuhn]

The bite usually subsides before the fisherman who caught them even leaves the water.

And they've done a study on CPRed fish, they generally move from an area if they get caught, even if it was there home water for a long time before that. So even if you can pinpoint where someone caught a nice fish; that particular fish will be long gone by the time anyone else get's there.

You are far better off trying to locate your own big fish than you are trying to chase ones that others have found.

[urban cowboy]

Even if I report but more generalize when I do it, they seem to see that I didn't post the lake, so they just leave it be. Again, seems to be something the average guy does, which is cool.

Darn average guys.

Gosh, stop posting that there are 55 inch muskie in some of the most well know muskie lakes in North America. Just call them lake X like they do on that muskie first HSOforum. When you call it lake X no one has a clue.

[Quackaddict9]

except for the Vermillion giant!

[urban cowboy]

except for the Vermillion giant!

Thats what I am getting at...

Posting that fish on Muskie First shouldnt effect someones outlook on Vermilion unless they have been living in a cave for the past 10 years. That goes for multiple throphy lakes in MN. Internet or no internet, most anglers have there trips planned to lakes like these far in advance of articles like this. No matter if you post your catch on the internet or tell ten friends, the word is out. There will always be new anglers chasing the dream and fishing what use to be your best milk run spots.

[john skarie]

If you don't think seeing several reports of multiple big big catches on the internet, with anglers talking about how the "big girls are biting" won't immediately draw more anglers to Big V than you haven't been muskie fishing for very long.

Everbody knows what lake has big fish. The internet also tells them when those fish are active and when the lake is a dead sea.

Talk to people who go to Big V over the next two-three weeks. It will be very crowded, guarantee it.

JS

[brad coin]

I just talked to a guide who everybody or 90% of the people on this board know,told him about the big fish pics on muskie first all the 'hits or views' and be prepared for an onslaught this weekend to vermilion,,,he said "Brad,,,their already here"!! he went on to say that him and his client were on a small spot the client hooked into a fish,, got very excited,,,they landed it,, unhooked,,couple pics,,and when they went to start casting 7 boats had moved in because they saw and heard the ruckus,,the guide said "Brad we could not cast in any direction without hitting a boat",,,,so If you head up to V make sure you fight your fish on the QT or you WILL have company,,,,make no mistake about it internet reports of a hot bite DO bring em in lots of musky guys self employed that can just drop things and chase that bite,,,

[urban cowboy]

Yes, even though big fish are consistently caught all summer and fall, Vermilion will still see more boats then usual. Everyone wants to catch the fish of a life time. I don't blame them. That's why we do what we do.

[urban cowboy]

I just talked to a guide who everybody or 90% of the people on this board know,told him about the big fish pics on muskie first all the 'hits or views' and be prepared for an onslaught this weekend to vermilion,,,he said "Brad,,,their already here"!! he went on to say that him and his client were on a small spot the client hooked into a fish,, got very excited,,,they landed it,, unhooked,,couple pics,,and when they went to start casting 7 boats had moved in because they saw and heard the ruckus,,the guide said "Brad we could not cast in any direction without hitting a boat",,,,so If you head up to V make sure you fight your fish on the QT or you WILL have company,,,,make no mistake about it internet reports of a hot bite DO bring em in lots of musky guys self employed that can just drop things and chase that bite,,,

Wow. I have been on Vermilion a number of times and have never seen anything like that. I wonder what spot that is? I think I am going to head up tomorrow.

[Musky Buck]

Sounds like ice fishing or trophy buck hunting. A stand or a hut or a musky boat on every 1/2 acre. It has been crazy watching the pressure build over the years, my first outing for musky took place in 1986 and I've been hooked ever since so I've seen the change and I finally understand this thread, when my favorite lake gets press if I feel it will have a higher than normal pressure on it I go to lake B or C. I caught 4 fish the other day, had 5 followers, caught a 40, 44, just over 54 and a 39, do I feel that lake has a hot bite no,it did then in that 1 hour window and I happened to be on the right spot(s) at the right "time", next day same conditions etc. we had 1 follow no strikes same mix of baits, that's fishing and that's what everyone needs to keep in mind, keep in front of your mind what's truly important in life, remember many of us have your favorite spot GPSed as well and just when you think it might not happen "bang", 1 last thing be careful, almost took a 250 horse ranger head on, the dude was as he told me reading his gps and not watching the lake at nearly 70mph apology accepted, forgive and forget.

[Esox_Magnum]

My trip to V was booked in March,so it will be again next year....

[smeese]

Wish I could fish 80+ hours a week Sweet!

[brad coin]

if you fish an offshore reef, hump,etc on V,,,you will see people drive up within say 50ft of you and you see them make the finger push 'waypoint' then scoot off,,we must have seen that 20 times in a 4 day trip last year,,,

[Nick Kuhn]

A little food for thought I came across in a report. By sampling different lakes each year, directed effort is going to vary wildly year to year (based on the popularity of the lakes sampled). Yet notice regardless of the effort, regardless of the weather for that particular year, regardless of the quality of the lakes sampled, the actual catch rate stays remarkably stable. What this tells me is that musky fishing is always tough for the long run, and our mind is merely looking for excuses as to why it's tough, rather than just accepting that musky fishing usually results in a butt kicking.

Note how the catch rate is stable at just under 1 fish for every 25 hours of fishing.