HOW WAS OPENING DAY???

[bassNspear]

Lets here the stories boys and girls!!

[Musky_Madness]

Opening day was pretty quiet. I was up on Shamineau with my pops and he had one follow right around 1pm today on a Pacemaker. That was it. I had a nice bass attack my Cowgirl but I think I was so gun shy that I set the hook right out of its mouth! Probably head to Miltona tomorrow.

[Dkoy]

Landing was packed. Went out casting with no luck. Tried every bay and reef on the lake with no luck. Didn't see much happening either. Around 12 clock were called it in and but decided to troll along the breaks back to the ramp and a ski decided to take my brothers xrap jumbo perch. He struggled a bit and went crazy at boatside tossing out his lure. Was not hooked good. Ski looked good but still on the small side, high 30's to low 40's. Made it home just before the down pour.

Talked to a few guys at the ramp and a group had one mid 40's in early. Others were skunked, one guy had a nice follow early also.

[Blaineski]

I must have been on the same lake as Dkoy. In addition, I was basically on the same schedule. Made it out later than intended at 6:00, threw just about every lure in my box, trolled a few more, and a whole lot of nada. Talked to one party who had a follow earlier on but it was a small fish. Made it off right before the monsoon.

Nobody seemed to be setting the world on fire, especially me.

As a bonus, I managed to bend the shaft on my trolling motor--it came unstowed at 40Mph, Sweet.

[74mph]

Opener didnt set any records for us but it sure was fun. Started out by hitting a 40+ fish on a jointed believer. Got the fish up to the boat for some time and my net man decided to catch the lure rather than the fish, the hooks popped out and the net did a great job of catching the lure. I guess thats why its called fishing. Sure would have loved to CPR that fish. About half hour later my net man felt a hit with nothing ending up on the other end. We looked out that way to cast back to the spot in in amazment we saw a near 50 inch fish rise to the surface with a 10+ pound CARP sideways in its mouth!!! It was probably the most amazing thing I have ever seen fishing and I still cant believe I saw that. It was just like the classic Giant pike eating the small pike picture. We were in such amazment that we didnt get a picture but it was a site to see. Overall no fish in the boat but a very memorable opener!

[MNBIGBEAR]

Gave it a shot on Vermilion opening day. Had two nice fish chase a doc lure with one making a small effort to slap at it boatside but no hook ups. Didn't see alot of people on the lake which was somewhat suprising. Pouring rain in the afternoon had me eating BBQ Ribs at the Vermilion Club instead of casting baits. Gonna give it another shot tomorrow though.

[DUCKJ]

working the night shift all weekend so didnt get to fish as much as I would have liked. Did fish for 3 hrs on Sat with only 5 bass to show for it. No musky fallows. Took my youngest out this morning and stuck a 30 incher. Highlite of he day was when she got her first fallow ever. Should have seen the smile on her face. PRICELESS!

Duck

[cjac]

Saw lots of fish, found them stacked up on sand areas along a weed flat adjacent to the weed wall. By sand areas, I mean areas the size of the driveway, or a channel like a bowling alley, not north end Mille Lacs sand by any means. Passive fish, still recovering from the looks of their sides. Several lazy follows, but no takers. Could only stay out for a few hours, still recovering from the "Knife".

Funny thing...........I look over the side at something that caught my eye. It was the back half of a muskie, about a foot below the surface. I lean over to see what's up, and she's staring at my trolling motor prop (not on), but just hanging there. Upper 30 inch fish I'd guess, and after 10 seconds or so she drifts off. Kinda like drafting a semi I guess...........crazy fish!

Chris

[Ray Mysterio]

Fished out on Alex.

Caught some fat pike and a few nice bass. Had about 6 follows. Only one fished opened it's mouth but never touched the bait. Largest follow might have been low 40's.

I did catch what I thought was a small pike but when he shook the bait boatside - he had real defined bars. Could this be a Tiger?

Mysteio

[JRedig]

I went up to a friends cabin on Leech. It was raining/bad news most of Saturday, but we got out right at sundown for a few casts. Only got mosquito bites....

Sunday was on and off with wind/rain/sun/clouds. Water temps started in the high 62's and got up to 65 by late afternoon. I had quite a few follows, couple strikes, and two hook ups that resulted in tossed lures. One of the hook ups was a large fish, two GIANT headshakes that suprised the heck out of me. But on the third shake, tossed the lure out of it's mouth. I think I need to get a good hook sharpener!

Threw everything in my box at one point or another, had follows/hook ups/strikes on large 5 o'diamonds daredevils, bulldawgs, and reef hogs. Wish I had something in the boat, but not a bad opener in my book. We saw maybe 5 other boats out there in 9-10 hours on the lake, it was real quiet.

Time to fish round the cities and then up to vermillion in two weeks. Great to be able to fish again!

[minnesotamusky]

We just got back from Mantrap. Dad got a 35.5" right away on Saturday morning. Had about 15 follows on Saturday. Sunday my brother got a 36" right at sundown. Had around 10 follows. Today we just had a few follows. My brother had two muskies follow his bait all the way to the boat. Never seen that before. Kind of cool. Other then the rain on Saturday, it was a pretty good opener. Can't wait to get out again.

[CaptainMusky]

Quote:

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Funny thing...........I look over the side at something that caught my eye. It was the back half of a muskie, about a foot below the surface. I lean over to see what's up, and she's staring at my trolling motor prop (not on), but just hanging there. Upper 30 inch fish I'd guess, and after 10 seconds or so she drifts off. Kinda like drafting a semi I guess...........crazy fish!

Chris

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I had a similar thing happen a couple years ago. I had a fish follow up to the boat on a retrieve. I figure eighted a few times and lost sight of the fish. I pulled the lure from the water and suddenly the trolling motor, which was still on, had a big jolt like I had hit bottom or something (in ten feet of water). I look over the side of the boat and see the tail of a musky as it swims away. I have no idea if it was injured or not from its futile attempt to devour my trolling motor, but I still laugh about it to this day.

Opener was slow for us. I had two follows on a chatterbait and my buddy had a couple follows as well, but nothing very interested. The weather had the fish pretty messed up.

[MuskieMojoTackle]

Fish were going good for me. I just couldn't connect.

Contacted 4 active fish in 3 hours Saturday night. Hooked and lost one on a prototype I'm playing with...

Had two more try to eat and one prett interested follow that I couldnt convert.

Not a bad start to the season for just a few hours work. Got the blood pumping for sure.

[CaptainMusky]

Quote:

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Fish were going good for me. I just couldn't connect.

Contacted 4 active fish in 3 hours Saturday night. Hooked and lost one on a prototype I'm playing with...

Had two more try to eat and one prett interested follow that I couldnt convert.

Not a bad start to the season for just a few hours work. Got the blood pumping for sure.

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Sounds like you needs some R&D on the hook location/type, etc. I would be willing to be a guinea pig for you.

[MuskieMojoTackle]

Quote:

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Quote:

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Fish were going good for me. I just couldn't connect.

Contacted 4 active fish in 3 hours Saturday night. Hooked and lost one on a prototype I'm playing with...

Had two more try to eat and one prett interested follow that I couldnt convert.

Not a bad start to the season for just a few hours work. Got the blood pumping for sure.

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Sounds like you needs some R&D on the hook location/type, etc. I would be willing to be a guinea pig for you.

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Though this fish was lost due to human error (read "I'm an idi0t"), the hook setup is being tweaked.

[Dkoy]

Got to be careful. Was out yesterday chasing ski's, accept only caught northerns. I did have a very nice hit, reached down quick to grab the faithful jerkbait on the other rod for round two except somehow I hooked my stupid middle finger instead. I only felt a pinch and looked down, gosh, did it bleed. Dang hooks were too sharp. PS: Next time look at where to grab the rod and bring band aids.

[binsfeldnick]

Opener turned out to be decent for me. Missed one right at the boat early on saturday. Then after a break from the rain had a follow soon as I got back out. Bout 4:00 landed a 46"er and ended the day with one more follow. Can't complain should have had 2 fish by myself.

[Random guy]

First musky opener I have missed in many years. I was guiding but what a day. 124 walleye, crappies mixed in and seven pike three of those over 40". Maybe I should skip musky opener more often...of course I never got to fish, just run the net and watch poeple fish.

[bassNspear]

Wow Jon. Sounds like you had a great weekend. I beat you were having fun.

[Phunnyfarm]

My brother was reeling in a 15" bass this past Saturday afternoon, and about 8 feet before he got it in, a 40"+ muskie came flying out of a weed patch and almost inhaled it! 2 cranks on the reel later, it let go, barrel rolled to show us its belly, and then swam away. The bass had gills stripped off behind it's head and under its chin, and its dorsal fin was ripped to shreds. It will go down as one of the coolest things we have ever seen...ever!

[Muskie_Man]

Opening weekend was awsome Boated 4 muskies nothing big three 41 inchers and a mid thirty, My buddy ( in a different boat) boated a 41.5 incher!! And they all were at night, All within 15 time window everynight. I bagged two within ten minutes!!

I Think this means I'm done for the year!!