I am thinking about taking a trip next year to fish for Muskie! The idea of catching one of those big, toothy critters on a plug has me daydreaming! Anybody ever fish for them? I was in a bait and tackle shop upstate New York near 1000 Islands and they had a mount of one that I can't get out of my head!
Your going to look out of place fishing for muskie standing on a rock with a wetsuit on.
Originally Posted by Flaptail
"Throw plugs like we do that will cause them to suffer humility. Pogies make any fisherman look good when bass are around. Bait is easy."
One of the major lakes in Worcester has them. I have been day dreaming about catching one for a while now. Most seem to come from under the ice though.
I been reading up....looking for one of the major fisheries. Vermont maybe (Lake Champlain), more likely the 1000 Island region in New York state.....St Lawrence River! They grow them big there! No hardwater for me.....swimming plugs and topwater!
Location: I live in the Villiage of Hyannis in the Town of Barnstable in the Commonwealth of MA
Posts: 2,795
Larry,
There are Tiger Muskie here in Ma shich are a hybrid of a Northern Pike and a Muskellunge. Thy were stocked on at least three occasions thorughout the state. I used to fish for them and they are very togh to catch...I have caught 6 over literally close to a hundred days of trying.
I like you, was once bitten by the bug to catch a "real" musky on a plug. It is uncanny how similar high end Musky plugs are to high end Striper Plugs. Musky Plugs even go for more money. I took a charter on the St LAwrence over 15 years ago. The guide was honest about Musky fishgin. We had one take on a trolled plug and that was all. The guide called int an average day. Multiple fish days are rare. One fish days are very good. I know the fishery ahd both declined and then rebounded but it has been a few years since I have paid much attention. Look for a high liner guide if you are going to plan a one day thing. I think I remember the honest guide we found telling us it would be normal to expect one fish in three days of charters.
Good Luck
"It is impossible to complain and to achieve at the same time"--Basic Patrick (on a good day)
I was lucky, I grew up in upstate NY, and we had the great chazy river, which was known to hold a few muskies, I caught a tiger musky when I was about 14 with a sunfish as bait. Nothing serious only about 10lbs or so, but It was pretty cool.
My grandfather was a legendary musky guy in Western PA....his backyard was the Alleghany River where he fished pretty much every day of his life. He wrote articles in the paper, the whole nine yards. If you want musky, they're in there or at least were when I was a kid....haven't been back to fish there in 20 years. I got a couple nice ones in the 35 inch range when I was a teenager, but never whacked one of the absolute monsters.
I've got a bunch of sweet pictures at home somewhere of my grandfather holding 50+ inch muskies in newspaper shots from the 50s.
He taught me to fish.....great guy, fantastic fisherman.
I am thinking about taking a trip next year to fish for Muskie! The idea of catching one of those big, toothy critters on a plug has me daydreaming! Anybody ever fish for them? I was in a bait and tackle shop upstate New York near 1000 Islands and they had a mount of one that I can't get out of my head!
Spy Pond in Arlington is stocked with tigers. They can be found in the side that abutts route 2.
(The other side/half of the pond is pretty much a wasteland from goose pollution. The "good" side has resident swans that chase the geese out whenever they venture over.)
Food Chain Fishing sounds right. That Lake in Worcester is Lake Quinsigamond and I've seen a giant that was caught by a guy trout fishing. He was soaking Powerbait had a rainbow on and then the Monster ate the trout. Landed it on a small Rod with six lb test.
Larry, forgot about this last night but my brother and his friends go up to Northern Maine into the Allagash to fish the Fort Kent Muskie Tournament. http://www.fortkent-muskie.com/index.html They seam to have no problem catching Muskies up there and besides the few logging roads it is as remote as it comes. I will find the pic of last years catch.
Larry - Fished for the tigers in Northern NJ with a guide once - we each had a couple of tigers hit big, big spinners ... tough fish and it was awesome ....
... but why not look a bit farther north up into Ontario? Maybe they don't have the Muskies up there or over in Northern Wisconsin or that area, that is well known musky water over there ... there was a musky tournament up there last week ... could lend some insight if you do a little research ...
... but again, look farther north ... might find some nice remote camps with little pressure - fly in and no one but you and the other few camp members fishing the local lakes ... and up to Whale River in ultra northern ontario ... not sure about muskies but big norther pike and big lake trout that hit flies and other lures.
Just more info to confuse you further, but don't skimp on a trip like this ... do it right.
"It was the blackest night! There was no moon in sight! (You know the stars ain't shinnin cause the sky's too tight) "
Look up Capt John Oravec out of Oak Orchard NY. He is a premier musky guy and relo's his operation to the 1000 Islands in Late Fall and lives big muskies. Last time I saw him I gave him some giant bottle plugs and other saltwater wood that he modified to catch these giants. He is good but hard to book because he is so good
You could also try for some big Northern Pike. A lot of those northern waters that have muskies also have pike in them. From what I have seen you can catch decent numbers of those. I haven't caught a pike yet, but they also look like a blast to catch.
I actually saw a little tiger muskie caught in your neck of the woods back in the late 80's in a trout stream. We were fishing for brook trout and my mother pulled out this fish that we had never seen before. Have no idea how it got in there.
I hope to someday get up to one of those Canadian fish camps and do some pike fishing.
I fish for pickerel all the time and they are a blast. Got out and caught 1/2 a dozen and a few bass last night. All on light tackle. I have lake near me that is loaded with them.
In my teenage years, we fequently camped along a river that had good Musky fishing.
My strategy was to catch some Fall Fish or Suckers and live line them with a 5/0 hook in the nose and 36" wire leader. I would use a 4 oz weight to slow them down and swim, not cast, the bait to where I wanted it. After that it's a waiting game, but at least you're not casting your arm off and you can fish more than one rod at a time. My main competition on the river used to buy trout from a hatchery - they worked well. Fishing was so fast and furious that sometimes I used an open bail and an alarm. When it went off, whomever heard it would come find me.
Casting for Musky is crazy. If you do that, make sure to bring some low expectations. I've read of guys doing ok by trolling deep water in the summer.
I'm certainly no Musky expert - just telling you what I did.
Champlain and 1000 Islands are two of the most productive natural musky fisheries in the northeast. There were several 38+ lb fish caught and released on Champ last year, with two over 42+ lbs. One came out of Otter Creek, which is on the Vermont side. There is a guide/lure mfr Radke out of Clayton who holds more world records than anyone else, he's a good one to reach out to if you're thinking about a trip to the 1000 Islands. Lake Chautauqua is another solid Musky lake, but that's all the way up in northeast NY. We were just there for bass tournament, and my partner caught a 20lbr on his first cast with a 3/4oz black/blue jig/craw. Always happens. The times you don't want to catch them, you do. If you want better action with topwater, reaction baits, look to go in spring or fall when they're in the shallows. They'll start to move to the deeper drops in search of cooler water in the summer. Very similar to large northerns. I would probably look at Champlain or 1000 Islands, that way you have some variety(Pike, Smallmouth, largemouth, etc) if the bite isn't on. There are also some god quality lakes in PA, but haven't been out there.
Thanks Fats and welcome to S-B! Champlain and 1000 Islands are tops on my list! I got a friend who lives upstate NY about 40 minutes from 1000 Islands......thats probably the spot I will choose!
Those are probably your best bet. I head up to the Northwest Terr every ice-out for trophy northerns, and there's nothing better. That video from Dad F brings back memories. Can't tell you how many times we've caught fish in the 12-18lb class where a 25lb+ wil come up and crush them. About 30% of all the fish we catch up there are scared from larger fish. Champlain is a big body of water, so you'll want to do your research before heading up. I hope you have a boat, since boat rentals are few and far between on the lake. Insurance is too high for the marina's and Gander Mnt in Platts just discontinued their boat rentals. That only lasted three years. My best Musky on both Champ and 1000 Islands has been 15 and 17lbs. Both during bass tourney's. Both on chart/white spinnerbaits. I love both pike and musky in the spring. We'll throw 9" Fin S Jerk Baits, buzz baits, big plugs, spinnerbaits, as well as on the fly. Gotta love watching the water start to wake behind the bait, then comes the turn...
I've got some great video if I can figure out how to load and get the time.
Good luck.
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