Musky Country Report

[jbird]

I fished 3 days up north on "The Great Musky Hunt" ran by Pat Ehlers out of Milwaukee, WI.


We floated three days on different stretches and had all kindsa craziness.
Day one saw a lightning storm of epic proportions that drove most everyone off the water and taking cover. 35mph winds for good measure. The fishing was tough to say the least. Day one landed one musky of 34" between 8 anglers. Included in the mix were several respectable pike, some bruiser smallies and one 5# walleye.

Day 2 saw dark, cold, drizzly weather. Another tough day with only 2 muskies to hand. A big 43" fish and another in the 30's

Day 3, most decided to either bag it or do a short float. I fished a full day with another angler that agreed to stay. This was a day I wont soon forget. I moved 6 muskies and a couple were of proportions beyond belief! Only one fish touched my fly and that was it. But the heart stopping sight of seeing these thing tracking the fly cannot be described in my limited vocabulary. The second fish I moved on the third day was so big, it took me a couple seconds to wrap my brain around what I was seeing. As I stripped my fly (which is about the equivelent of fishing a wet sock) out of a deep hole in front of a dam, what appeared behind it had to be a log. A dead head, tree stump... It emmerged in ultra slow motion from the dark in a vertical position behind the monster fly. When it came into full view I heard my guide gasp, then in a sort of excited, terrified, whisper, shouts, "BIG SLOW FIGURE EIGHT!!! BIG SLOW FIGURE EIGHT!!! I followed orders and as I did so, this thing became visible in its full glory. It appeared to have only one eye and was trying to track my fly. In so doing the fish showed its bahemoth size right in front of our unbelieving eyes. Part of me wanted to drop my rod and curl up in the bottom of the boat. But this was The Great Musky Hunt and this was indeed a musky of legendary proportions. The beast disapeared as slowly as he appeared. Back down to Hades I suppose. The fish was so far over 50" I cant even venture a guess. Its girth was disgusting.

The day went on with several other heart stopping moments including two more fish exceeding 50" and a few others in the 40's.

I did not hook a single fish this day, but I rest assured I will never forget it. All the pictures you see and stories you hear just cannot prepare you for these fish.

I will be back next year. And the fish of this trip will be fresh in my mind, I cannot wait to feel that buzz again!

The water
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_7817_zps8396f774.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_7817_zps8396f774.jpg.html)

Ready to float with fishing partner Jim Williams
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_7810_zps6210fdcb.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_7810_zps6210fdcb.jpg.html)

Hmmm. decisions, descisions
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_7830_zpsf6017d56.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_7830_zpsf6017d56.jpg.html)

Some incidental catches
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_7820_zps44ac4b55.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_7820_zps44ac4b55.jpg.html)

There still afew smallies in the system
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_7823_zpse4211860.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_7823_zpse4211860.jpg.html)

Everything grows big here!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_7826_zps18e0cb7a.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_7826_zps18e0cb7a.jpg.html)

[Darian]

What a great trip you had!! Since a lot of people up there fish Muskies, they must be addictive. Your description of the fishing is really exciting. Almost like saltwater fly fishing. I watch an occasional video on fly fishing for them and always get a kick out of the reactions of anglers trying to make them strike using the figure 8 move. Must be tough trying to keep from being pulled out of the boat if a big one strikes.... ;)

BTW, those Smallies are really fatties. Thanks for sharing your experience.... :cool:

[Larry S]

Jay,
Neat report. The smallies get a bit harder to take the fly as the temps drops; so I've been told. I've dredged
some nice ones out of deeper holes with a swung bugger in Fishigan streams this time of year.
Best to you and the family,
Larry S

[Mark Kranhold]

Nice report Jay! Those are some outstanding smallies.. Can you say chunky-cold-medina!:eek:

[Dragking]

Jay,

I was up fishing for muskies in the Boulder Junction area two weeks ago, and we had very similar results with nicer weather. I think we landed 6 muskies from Fri-Mon (nothing huge, most in the mid-to-high 30s (inches) range. We also got into some obscenely fat smallies while musky fishing. We moved a couple of really big muskies, but nothing over 50.

One of my buddies from the trip is headed back up in a couple weeks. I'll let you know if he hooks anything noteworthy.