Metro Muskies

[The Grebe]

I got my first intentional muskie on an artifical last night and a Tiger Muskie at that! I got a couple on suckers years ago and one accidentally, but I've never got one when they were the target.....until tonight!

My son and I went out and threw some baits, on a metro lake for a couple of hours last evening and "Ba-da-bing!" The fish was'nt a monster, 32-34 inches, but a Muskie none the less! It hit in about 8 feet of water.

The fish hit an odd bait that I had picked up earlier in the season from JR's tackle, a little $4.00 beauty that looks like a cross between a Suick and a Lazy Ike?

After landing and getting a few pictures of the little Tiger, we set it free to fight another day, but small as it was, it was a load to handle!

I'm wondering how the he11 someone would deal with one of them monsters like were caught on Mille Lacs a couple weeks ago? I mean, it would be like having a frigging alligator in the boat with you?

I do believe that it definately takes a while to gain some big fish experience before one can comfortably deal with those biggies, whereby the fisherman, and/or the fish, does not get hurt!

Night fishing for those brutes? Huh! Huge hooks and teeth and sharp gill plates and all the other things that could go wrong...I won't be giving that a try anytime soon!

Sure was fun catching that bugger! And get this...when we came in, there is this guy on shore, cranking for all he's worth on a little lightweight rod, walking backwards up the bank...he has a big fish on and you could'nt tell who was more played out? We landed the fish for him, a 34 inch pike on a purple plastic worm...wheres the justice? This guy was exhausted and shaking like a leaf, it was cool, it was a good night!

We got a couple of digitals before he let it go, I got his email address so I could send him the pics and I hav'nt heard from him yet? His name is Jon...if you are an FM'er

gimme a holler.

[Random guy]

Sounds like you have got the sickness now. Congrats on the fish!

[The Grebe]

Jon...It came gradually, the sickness I mean. It started a couple of summers ago when my one son got a big old Muskie out of Minnetonka.

I went out to JR's today on the way in from a job and got another weird $4.00 lure and a couple of stiff leaders (Fix)....my spinnerbaits kept getting tangled up with the flexible leaders, even undone the snap a couple of times, had to check it before every cast....he11, I had a hard time undoing it with my fingers?

Moving along, you know Jon, when someone like my sons and myself, come down with the Muskie sickness, seeing multiple pictures of you holding up those monsters, only makes it worse!

We had another Muskie with a head about a foot wide, rise up next to the boat last night and bump my sons shallow diver, with the top of it's head, did'nt hit it, just bumped it...startled the bejeebers out of him, I thought he was going over board!

As thin as my son is, that big muskie might have made a pass at him, had he gone in! "Oh joy, thats the biggest Smelt I've ever seen, yummy!" I plan to get back after them this week-end....hope I have more to post?

[delmuts]

don't feel bad about the guy with the big northern. i was fishing french last sunday morning. saw a guy casting from his dock. FISH ON !! after the fourth jump it came off. when i got up to the guy i told him he had his fun for the day. he was unhappy it got off. get this! he was using something that looked like a muskie sized jitter bug lure that his daughter had found on shore, he was casting it on a spincast outfit!

[MSRiverdog]

That proves it, he doesn't deserve to live on a lake.

[Random guy]

Grebe, Sounds like your boys are right behind you in the chase for musky,GREAT! I seen a bumber sticker by Cave Run Ketucky that said- "kids that musky fish don't have time to mug little old ladies" To the point I thought.

It will never end, the jelousy that is. You mentioned seeing my pics with big fish, my biggest is 53". I see pictures of guys like Chad Cain, Steve Jonesi, Greg Thomas, Al Maas, Jim Murphy, Dick Pearson and think dang they have caught multiple 50+ and it just fuels the fire to get back on the water.

I really don't think a cure will ever surface for the sickness.

My last wife's parting words where "you should just shack up with a musky" So it can get that bad and it is oh so sweet.

[ptkane]

I bought a "muskie boat" withing one month after catching my first muskie. Couldn't afford it - bought it anyway.

[CALVINIST]

Grebe,

My wife came home from work the other day with a couple digital pictures of her co-worker holding a 34" pike...his name is Jon Daniels! Small world! I don't think he is an FM'er, but told her to tell him about the forums. That was kind of you to take the pics...now he has a record of that big 'ol nort. All I can say is "cool" . Grebe, congrats on your 1st "intentional" muskie. They sure are fun. I'll be out quite a bit this week going after those big toothies.

Good luck,

[The Grebe]

Calvinist...Yes, it is a small world sometimes and Jon is definately the dude that got the Pike! I'm trying to talk some people into going out for Muskies again, but they keep stonewalling me....might have to give it a rip on my own?

[CALVINIST]

You can come out with me sometime...my boat is kinda small, but 2 can muskie fish without too many imbedded hooks in flesh. And if you come with me, I got all the lures we need . I know a few good spots on Tonka. It would probably have to be after next weekend though, as this one is already filled up, I think.

[The Grebe]

Calvinist...And to think I just went out to FleetFarm and Walmart and spent $45.00 more on lures, cheez, I could have taken you up on your offer and filled my pockets and socks and stuff with your lures!

Sounds interesting, hey, how big is your boat? I finally talked my one son into taking a half day on Thursday and we are going to give it a shot....but that does'nt mean that I have to turn down your invitation! Now you are talking the week-end of October 1st. right?

Boy, that is long range planning from what I usually do! I've had offers to go fishing with a few of the other fellas on this site, but because of business constraints, I just could'nt commit. If the weather turns sour during the week, we are committed to fullfilling our obligations on the week-end and it could mean both Sat. and Sun.

Because I have been doing it for so long, I'am more of an 11th hour guy, doing spur of the moment short hops, and most of the time, planning fishing trips the day before!

My one fishing partner operates Eagle Tree Service and his schedule is something like mine and it works out good for both of us, but alas, he loaded his clam and took off for Mississippi, working in the wake of the hurricane. He won't be back until late ice perching.

Just the same, give me a heads up about mid week and I will know more about what I'am doing, I'd like to go, just don't want to botch up anybodies free time, with a possible cancelled engagement.

Update...In my exuberance, I forgot...Oct. 1st. is my nephews wedding...gotta make that one. How late in the season do you fish for muskies?

[CALVINIST]

My boat is 16'. Got a 35 horse on, so it gets around ok. I fish skis till about mid-october, then I switch over to walleyes, and river fishing this year. I'll give you a buzz sometime, eh? This morning on Tonka I lost a 45"+ class fish boatside ! Had it on for about 2 minutes, and got a good look at her before she decided to hit the road...it was the kind of fish that will turn a man to jello in a hurry !

[The Grebe]

Cal...Yes, please do, it sounds like fun. I run a 16' with a 25 hp and I like it...small enough where I won't get crazy on the throttle and hurt myself, big enough to get me where I'm going in plenty of time!

For sure stay in touch, especially if you have any days off during the week, or get the opportunity to cut out early. I check this site 2-3 times a day.

[CALVINIST]

okey dokey .

[RobertELee]

Hey DELMUTS that guy you were talking to was my uncle. You are right that reel is a piece of junk I didn't know he was using that stuff until last week when I was down there. Im gonna get him some good stuff for christmas. Get this, when I was down there he was casting off the dock, on one of his casts a muskie stuck its head out of the water about 10 feet behind the lure. It just sat there for about 10 seconds (probably watching us) and then lowered and swam away, really cool!

[delmuts]

i couldn't believe it when i got up close to him!! no wonder he couldn't keep it hooked up very long. i don't think he could have gotten much of a hook set. the rig looked a little lite ! i'll give him credit though! he is persistant !! i think a new out fit would be a great gift idea for him !!

[The Grebe]

Cal...Good thing we did'nt have something planned for this past week-end! That storm kicked our butts here in B.C.! I wound up cutting trees from 3:00 a.m. Thursday morning, until yesterday, when my back finally said, "Son, if you don't know when to say when, I'll do it for you!" Got some of the neighbors squared away, got the tree off our house and was working on # 6 when the back mutinied!

We finally got our power back about an hour ago...can't even begin to imagine what those poor folks down south went and are still going through?

Hope to be able to walk right in a day or two and throw muskie plugs by the comming week-end, but with something like this no guarentees...so again, had we set something up, I would have to be scratching!

[CALVINIST]

Grebe,

You guys did get pounded by weather on that end. Travelled along that stretch into White Bear on saturday and saw a bunch of downed trees and twisted limbs.

No doubt that chuckin' the big stuff is hard on the body and back if you're not careful. Thursday and friday I spent both days casting ALOT! I wouldn't mind going out this saturday morning, but isn't the PMTT event going on at that time? I would want to avoid that, even though I caught a 43" ski during the last event, and I wasn't even involved in the tourney. Probably end up fishing for pannies on Sarah come saturday/sunday, or hitting the 'ssippi river for a mixed bag. I'll keep in touch...hopefully we'll get out soon...I have a spot in mind that is particularly productive for ski's.

[CALVINIST]

Grebe,

I guess the PMTT isn't till saturday the 15th, so if you want to get out this saturday morning before sunrise and fish for a few hours, I'm game.

[The Grebe]

Cal...I'm game to...I think this back thing will be okay, now I just have to see what time that wedding is and if I will have enough time to do the fishing AND the wedding stuff? I'll let you know in plenty of time. -D-

[CALVINIST]

If we go, in all probability we would be off the water by about 10am. Maybe that will work well with your wedding plans, eh? You mind getting out there at the very crack of dawn? Got topwaters we could pitch.

[CALVINIST]

Also...

I don't know if you have been following the metro section under the title "50 inch muskie caught...", but some fm'ers are arranging to muskie fish saturday morning. I asked Buzzsaw if he would mind if we (you and I) hooked up with him sat.am, and he says "absolutely fine". He has an awesome rig that has about 2x times the square footage as my rig, and can handle 3 people with room to spare. Whatever the case, we'll have you back in time for your wedding duties if you decide to go.

[The Grebe]

Nah, it ain't gonna happen, wife has other plans for me prior to the wedding...oh well, life goes on! You and Buzz have a blast catch some biggies and let the rest of us know about it! -D-

[CALVINIST]

Heck Grebe, that's ok. We'll get ya out sooner or later, slayin' log muskies. Maybe next wweekend?