How was your season?

[ole matty]

How did summer of 2010 treat you?

How many did you Boated?

Any first?

Personal best?

Learn anything new?

What to work on for next year?

I ll start off. This is my best season on sizewise. Even thought I didn't catch as many as most of hardcore muskies does. I Boated 6. Lost maybe 5-8 seen 80s-100s muskies Avg size was almost 41" broke my personal best twice. 45.5" then 46" the following weekend. Boated my first sucker fish and went 3 for 4 in 2 weekend. I learned that I think too much.

Once I relax and have fun I seen and Boated more. Go figure....

I still need to work on my boat control, figure 8, and reading hot follow.

[10,000 Casts]

We had a great fall. 2 personal bests for myself, a nice 50 and then a 52.75x26. We improved our trolling patterns and presentations and I learned how to fish Mille Lacs in late fall. I also spent a ton of time and caught a few skis fishing with suckers.

This winter I am learning how to make inline spinners and traveling to the Chicago Muskie show and then the MN show.

Next year I want to get out more in June and July and actually boat a decent # a fish early season..

Congrats on your PBs Matty!

[Nick Kuhn]

My year started off hot, boating fish early and often. Then I went skunked for August (for the 3rd consecutive year), and didn't boat another fish until the last weekend in September. Also had a pike put a hook in my finger and that was pretty much the end of the season for me.

Overall though 10 fish boated, only 2 lost.

New PB at 47" (only my 4th season, and 3rd full season)

Follows were way down, I had far more strikes than follows.

All 10 fish were caught on just 3 different baits, 2 of which are variations of the same bait.

Found some new lakes that appear to have a lot of potential.

Tried the new Gander Tournament GSX rod. I like it except somehow on windy days the line gets in the hook keeper on the cast, and it'll shred 80lb line. Also the cork isn't all that durable. Having Thorne Bros change the hook keeper (though a piece of tape worked well to finish the season) and rear cork this winter. Otherwise backbone-wise the rod is great.

Also added side imaging before the season. You really can't use it to pick up a fish but it works wonders for following a weedline.

Goals for 2011 are already in.

15 fish

50"

My first topwater fish

At least 1 Leech Lake fish (did all my muskie fishing in Wisconsin this year).

Have a year where I don't ruin any lures by casting them into rocks, docks, bridge piers, etc...

[Esox_Magnum]

Placed 2nd in a tourney, finished top 10 for the trail series. Numbers were down but avereage over 40. Fewer fish seen and many fishless days. First full season on my Tackle Industries rods and far less fish lost over past years. Toros on 2nd season still going. Got more days on the water due to new to me boat. New finder/GPS, HDS rocks. Got my first and 2nd topwater fish 3 hours apart helping my team finish 2nd in a tourney, love the weagle now. Took 4-5 new guys out and now have more fishing buddies. Got humbled on V again but learning. Finished 1st in our chapters open division finaly.

For 2011, finaly break 50". Catch at least 1 on V, catch one at night, fish with some new and old friends more, try a few new waters. boat 30 fish.

[jkahler]

I caught 21 from 30" to 47", The 47" was my biggest WI strain. It was my best season number wise, but the sizes were down from last year.

Caught 2 on the opener which made it my best opening day. June was brutal and I had 2 weeks of vacation to fish (rained every day but 1). July was awesome, August was tough, September I could do no wrong and boated a personal best of 8 fish in a week and then my boat motor broke. Caught 3 on the fig 8.

Had a 6 fish day in a friends boat which was super fun, and also caught my first fish on a (dead, ha!) sucker this fall.

Learned to keep my mind open to spots that I previously wrote off.

Lots of equipment failures (reels and motor) which made things frustrating. Overall a challenging year. I didn't have half as many follows as I did last season.

[delmuts]

Although i didn't catch any fish this season, i had a fun year! Got my eyes opened to the fact that i have some decent musky water close to me, and learned more about equipment. I also love my T.I. rods! Hopefully plan on doing some serious testing of the okuma reels to go with them this next year.

Esox "Got my first and 2nd topwater fish 3 hours apart helping my team finish 2nd in a tourney, love the weagle now. Took 4-5 new guys out and now have more fishing buddies."

I was one of those guys! You have a partner any time you need one! As far as helping your team?? You were the team, i was the netman! I had a Blast!!

Right now i'm saving for a new locator with GPS and SI. Then plan on adding one more T.I. rod with a okuma reel to my collection along with a few lures.

I also added a Weagle to my box after fishing with you, and i throw it alot! I just can't get the image of that first fish coming out of the water after yours and finally getting hooked on her third try. Then watching the "SHOW" with your second fish coming out of the ater after your lure as it hung from the rod and you flying up in the air and still hooking it!OMG!! Still brings tears to my eyes!!

Yep! I had a good year!

[Castinski]

Had a fun year for sure! It was only my third full season and I tried to challenge myself to get out of my "comfort zone" and throw things other than just bucktails. I probably ended up at around 40 fish, which was a bit lower than last season. I am lucky to be able to be on the water at least a few times/week throughout the season. Rubber was the biggest thing I added to my arsenal, both jigging and ripping all different styles of rubber baits. I ended the season feeling somewhat confident throwing blades, rubber, glides, and dive/rise baits. Big fish of the year was 49.5" and lost three giants. Lost two in September about a week apart (almost sure it was the same fish) over 53". Still don't know what I could of done differently there. Lost another over 52" in October that was in the net, sort of. My wife is still trying to make that one up to me. I can gaurauntee she won't botch another net job after that one

So I guess I have a few big fish to haunt my dreams this winter.

[Scoot]

I had a great year! I fished less than I have in a decade, I muskie fished less than I ever have, but I caught enough muskies, caught a couple nice ones and learned a little in the process.

Most importantly, I helped my five year old son reel in his first three muskies. He caught all three of them in a 45 minute window and he thought it was really cool. So did I!

[Shoot2Kill]

For my second year of chasing muskies I can’t complain one bit.

Boated 11, lost 4 – best of the year for me was a 48 x 22 piggy…super fat fish, my PB is a 51, but overall this fish is by far my biggest.

Had some firsts too –

1st trolling fish on a Krave

1st fish on a bull dawg – black/orange pounder

1st fish on a Red October 10” monster tube

1st fish on a sucker

1st time my boat had a 3 fish day

Highlights –

-Put a good friend of mine who had never fished muskies before on his first fish back in June – he boated a nice and fat 40” fish on the figure 8 after 11 hours of fishing! That same night I also experienced my first actual “window”. Had crazy boatside action for about 45 minutes around 11:00 at night right before a storm rolled in - the fish went bananas! Had 5 boat side hook ups in 45 minutes along one break but boated only 1.

-Watching a fellow FM’er here boat a fish on his home made SM ending a pretty long dry spell – his reaction was awesome! Haha.

-Taking a friend with that didn’t fish hardly all year sucker fishing and he stuck his only 2 fish of the year…those fish ended up being the biggest in my boat all year – a beautiful flawless 49, and a fat HOG of a 53 a few days later. By the way – sucker fishing is AWESOME!

-Caught a fish on a new lake – on that lake I caught the same fish twice, 6 days apart!

Things I want for next year –

-Boat a FRECKIN’ fish on Sugar Lake! Dang I hate the fish in that lake!

-Topwater fish

-Get a fish on another new lake

-Not think so hard about what I’m “not” doing right, and just fish!

[50inchpig]

started off good with my wife getting a good fish on LCO for wisconsin opener, i got 3 and lost one a week later on MN opener including a PB and the rest of June was awesome. caught a lot of fish on cranks this year after not having used them very much in past years.

lost 7 or 8 in a row going into july, including the same fish twice in one night, finally stuck a couple more then had to stop fishing for 5 weeks due to water temps. learned to fish flatheads during that time though and that was a blast.

got an opportunity to buy a Ranger mid season and took advantage of it, fishing out of my dream boat now. took it up to vermillion and caught the smallest fish of the year, go figure, but had a great trip up there with friends.

finally got another one out of the tuffy, debo - after a long cold day.

watched the MN musky program take a step forward with the long range plan and stocking proposals, lots of work to be done yet.

watched a huge fish stick it's head out of the water and scarf down a sucker like jaws, did not catch said fish, that sucked, but had a good fall, good average length for the year and only fell a couple short of last years total.

got to net some nice fish for friends too but didn't get as many new people or old friends out on the water as i would have liked. tough conditions on my favorite lake for most of the fall and basically letting a buddies PB swim out of the net in june before we could get a measurement or pic were the low points. no catostrophic equipment or boat problems though. it was a good year.

[guidemane]

I had one of my best seasons as a Muskie guide this year. My clients and I averaged

better than a fish a day for the summer. I had a customer boat a 54X26 in late September that went about 49lbs. I personally boated 32 fish, despite not fishing all that much. We had several multi fish days and was able to get several first time muskie anglers on their first Muskie. My goals for next year are just to live long enough to go fishing again. When you get to be my age you'll understand what I mean.

"Ace"

[mainbutter]

I didn't achieve my goal of boating a musky in a canoe this year, sure is so much tougher to hit all the spots you want. Maybe next year I'll try suckers on a quickstrike rig if I can't boat any by late fall.

To be fair, I also spent 95% of my time chasing other species.

However I didn't get skunked on the year! I did boat one mid 30s fish during an outing in my friend's boat

[cbrooks]

I did alright. Caught around 25 fish. Got my biggest of the year 51 ". Took my most productive month off(August) because of water temperature. So I went up to the Northwest angle a couple times in that month.

My goal next year is to catch a 52 " or bigger fish and to learn how to troll in the open water. Might need a guide to show me that one. Good luck next year.

[Gekhang]

i actually started musky fishing on accident while fishing for largemouths. landed my first and largest of the year. a very nice colored 40 inch tiger ate my bass spinnerbait. i was hooked from there on. caught a 32 the following weekend. lost like a 30-34 and ended my season with a 37. cant wait for next season!

[john skarie]

Had a very good year.

Achieved a long time goal of catching a 50"er on a topwater. That had eluded me for years, several 49"ers in the past but not the Five-O.

Also had a 4 fish day on topwaters which is my best so far.

Netted the biggest fish I've ever witnessed caught this fall. It was over 45 lbs.

JS

[kyleharty]

Spent my fishing time over the summer chasing pike with muskie gear; had a great season for pike with 4 40's and many between 38"-40".

Started chasing ski's again once the water cooled, 2nd fall muskie fishing (mostly from shore) and got 2, 41" and around 40"; lost 1 and missed 1 more strike. Found some new to me waters and spots, and getting a better feel for working lures and what I'm comfortable and confident with and hopefully starting to figure out a thing or two about the fish as well!

Since the season closed, I've made a few spinners for the first time (I like the way they turned out!) and just built a new tackle box out of a two level tool box.

Next year I'm hoping to get out muskie fishing a little more earlier in the season and keep learning.

[bisonthunder]

I had one of "those seasons". No fish for me, but everyone around me caught fish. Still had a great time on the water and learned alot. Biggest lesson learned was don't loan out your best bait to friends... they will catch fish on it... Just ask 10K on his 1st 50 incher.

[10,000 Casts]

Quote:

Biggest lesson learned was don't loan out your best bait to friends... they will catch fish on it... Just ask 10K on his 1st 50 incher.

You saw the twinkle in my eye the first time that I ever saw that bait on June 6 in Alex! I had been planning on stealing that one and sticking a big fish in front of you all summer!!! I knew that one was going to be a winner! Don't worry, the Muskie Gods will pay you back some day.. And if you only knew how much joy that 50 has given me, 8 years in the making, I guess I owe you a steak dinner.

[bisonthunder]

I will hold u to that steak dinner on our Chicago adventure...

[HugoBox]

Fish-wise this was a terrible year. I never got in a groove.

I didn't catch many.

I didn't see many.

Heck, I didn't even lose many.

I did get to net a 50 for a good friend though which was definitely the highlight of the year.

I know that some success I have in 2009 screwed me up this year, even though I thought I was trying new stuff this year, I know that I fished some spots with some lures at certain times waiting on fish to "wake up" because it worked the previous year. I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday but I can remember wind direction, water depth and temp, as well as proximity to structure on most fish caught, I think that Rain Man like memory screwed with me a bit this year, keeping me on or near some of those spots even if the conditions didn't warrant it. I guess the good news is that next year I won't have so many memories from 2010 fish that will mess with me!!

[Musky Buck]

Beyond good, averaged more than 1 fish a trip, can't complain plus the 54.5 " beast and winterized the boat August 15th so excellent year. Some year I'll get to fish after August 15th, but coaching football that ends it, there's no time as a coach, father, you get the drift.

[cjac]

I had very low expectations for 2010 as I was coming off a double fusion back operation. A one year recovery time table (just realized tomorrow is the 1 year anniversary of the op) as told to me by the surgeon was not far off, it really limited my ability to fish effectively for more than a couple hours at best. I was pretty much limited to light, smaller, and low resistance baits. My results met my low expectations......I sucked.

Still, I had fun and learned from my situation that fishing effectively and being physically and mentally prepared is a huge component of success. I blew a lot of fish I should have converted simply because I wasn't on my "A" game. Some of the blown fish were embarrassing to be honest....

Did a little catfishing during the hot water temp window and some sturgeon fishing this Fall, which was a blast. I can say I've caught a 61x28, wrong species mind you, but still a bad azz fish! I now have a comparative point of reference for any future giant Esocids.

Had a really fun trip to Vermilion with a great bunch of guys, looking forward to that trip next year when I'm better prepared for it physically.

One quick step up onto the Soap Box....take care of your back and don't ignore pain; pain is designed by nature to tell ya something is wrong, and I have medical bills and Xrays and MRI results to prove it...lots of 'em.

Regards, Chris

[cbrooks]

Hopefully you will make a full recovery by next fishing season Cjac.

I notice alot of you guys went catfishing during the water temps. I forgot to mention I went up to selkirk during that time. I will definatly make that trip again when the water temperature gets too hot. I might have to try some sturgeon fishing as well.

[cjac]

Thanks for the well wishes.....much appreciated.

Without divulging too much info, it's pretty easy for a muskie angler to expand one's fishing opportunities with a few bucks invested in terminal tackle in comparison to a new muskie lure, or two, or ten.

Fun stuff all over the state......

Chris

[nater]

I boated 9 fish on the year, broke my personal best twice, and had 2 two fish days fishing by myself. June was great to me, I had 4 fish by the end of the month but mid summer was slow and early fall things started clicking again. Still didn't get a fat late fall fish but it will happen next year.

I was able to get out a decent amount and fish with some new and old friends as well as having the opportunity to net nice fish for the new friends. Probably my best memories were the two fish day I got a 45 and 47, getting one on a homemade bucktail, and the T-bone strike boatside on a sucker.

Overall an awesome season in MN. I'm really hopeful that we have the opportunity to stock new lakes this coming year so this sport will continue to grow!