# muskie



## bailey86 (Mar 13, 2011)

the state let a few muskie loose in a small lake near me to eat the shad. so what do i need to catch these critters and the limit to keep them is 48in minnium hahaha i say they dont want enyone throwing them in the skillet


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## LonLB (Mar 13, 2011)

bailey86 said:


> the state let a few muskie loose in a small lake near me to eat the shad. so what do i need to catch these critters and the limit to keep them is 48in minnium hahaha i say they dont want enyone throwing them in the skillet




Muskies are EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY susceptible to exploitation. ALL fish must go back.
They just don't have, and can't support a high number of adult fish per acre.
IF they are spawning fish, the chances of spawning fish producing adult fish is low enough that ZERO fish should be kept.

All Musky size limits should be 50" with a maximum bag limit of 1 fish per season. In some cases, STRICTLY catch and release should be the regulation.


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## Jim (Mar 14, 2011)

Here in Mass we have the Sudbury River. It is full (and has been)full of Bass and Pike.....Big Pike too. I honestly think they co exist. Muskie *in my opinion* need stricter controls.

Same day...... in the fall of 2008


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## LonLB (Mar 14, 2011)

Jim said:


> Here in Mass we have the Sudbury River. It is full (and has been)full of Bass and Pike.....Big Pike too. I honestly think they co exist. Muskie *in my opinion* need stricter controls.
> 
> Same day...... in the fall of 2008




Jim, I know my post was kind of "soap boxy". I also noticed you put "in my opinion" in bold.....
But, truth is there is science and research that backs up that Muskies, do need tighter regulations.

One other thing that uninformed always ignore, is the fact that Musky fishing, by it's very nature has the ability to bring in lots of $$ to a local economy.


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## bailey86 (Mar 14, 2011)

i was just wondering what type of lure is best. No one has ever caught one that i know of out of there. and i wasn't planing on eatin it.


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## po1 (Mar 14, 2011)

You can have a lot of fun catching muskies, I know I do. I catch them all the time in the 30" to 36" range while fishing for bass with rapala DT 7 thru DT 20 in the baby bass and shad colors. If I haven't picked up a bass on my initial cast I'll start doing figure 8's with my lure all the way up to the boat. I've had many strikes within a few feet of the boat. A lot of times a muskie will follow your lure for awhile and when you start that figure 8 off it will prompt a strike from the muskie. The other simple lure I use is the 10"double cowgirl (a big line-sprinner) anything with black, blue, and purple works good here in central ill. You might want to invest in a larger net then most people use while bass fishing. Anything over 35" can be a handfull to get in the boat for a picture. A muskie will always give you a fight to remember.


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## richg99 (Mar 14, 2011)

Buy a couple of #5 Mepps in-line spinners and you will have a good shot at one. Rich


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## FishyItch (Mar 20, 2011)

^ +1

Mepps #5's are great for muskie and pike, but they're small enough you don't need special gear to throw them. Plus they're good for big bass too. They might be a little undersized if you're going for a 50 incher, but they're perfect if you're just looking to hook into one of those stocked fish you mentioned.


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## pelagicbldr (Apr 12, 2011)

Muskie will eat all kinds of artificial baits. Large spinners are good in the apring, with large 24-28" live 3# suckers for bait in the late fall. This 43# pig ate a black suick glide bait last october, at 50-1/2"


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## Jim (Apr 12, 2011)

Wow! Nice fish! :beer:


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## gmoney (Apr 12, 2011)

Big Muskie love big baits. Casting very big spinners, jerk baits, and big soft plastics work. You can also troll with big crank baits. Some links for some lures are below.

https://www.basspro.com/Suick-Red-Hot-Thriller™-Jerkbaits/product/77974/-1055636

https://www.basspro.com/Mepps®-Musky-Marabou-Inline-Spinnerbaits/product/71117/-1099545

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Soft-Baits/Rigged-Plastic-Swimbaits|/pc/104793480/c/104772780/sc/103996980/Musky-Innovations8482-Pounder/703438.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Ffishing-soft-baits-rigged-plastic-swimbaits%2F_%2FN-1100343%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_103996980%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253Bcat104793480%253Bcat104772780&WTz_l=SBC%3Bcat104793480%3Bcat104772780%3Bcat103996980


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## AroostookAngler (Apr 21, 2011)

I use Red October's 7.5" ninja tube and 10" monster tube. They seem to last and hold up well to the abuse. Here is the link. https://redoctoberbaits.com/


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## pelagicbldr (Apr 21, 2011)

This fish came 24 hours after the 43# fish. Same time different lake, same beat up black suick. Last moon phase of October is for Musky fishing!


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## pelagicbldr (Apr 21, 2011)

This fish was also 34# from yet another lake caught on a 3# live sucker in 40' water.

Notice all these fish were taken out of my Landau Tin Boat!!


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## richg99 (Apr 21, 2011)

Where are you at ....and what part of the country/world do you fish for those monsters? I'm impressed.... Rich


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## pelagicbldr (Apr 21, 2011)

I'm almost into Wisconsin, about 50 miles NW of Chicago. We do most of our serious musky fishing in the Hayward,Wisconsin are. The three fish above all came from three different lakes within 20 miles of each other. Over 20 yeras of practice before I'm starting to understand how to think like one. Thanks for the compliment. Any time you can get out of the tree stand for a week of hardcore casting, look me up, I got spots!!


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## richg99 (Apr 21, 2011)

pela...I spend summers in Fox Lake, IL. Any time you want to chase muskies, during the week, let me know. I won't get up there until June 1, though. 

Have you tried Okauchee; Oconomowoc or Pewaukee yet?? Rich


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## pelagicbldr (Apr 22, 2011)

Cool! I'm in Wonder Lake so I know the chain. Yes on Pewakee but not the others. Have you fished silver lake just n of wilmot? Good sixe skie' there also. The chain fish are long and skinny being more a river fish. Lots of boat traffic on the chain as you know in the summer. I'll look you up after you arrive.


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## richg99 (Apr 22, 2011)

re Silver Lake....I keep my "Northern boat"--16 ft Carolina Skiff---- on Silver, in the water, and ready to go at a moment's notice. I fish Silver three or four mornings a week. Rich


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## pelagicbldr (Apr 22, 2011)

no way...to small of a world. From Texas to my backyard. will be good to share notes.


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