Newbie "HOOKED" - Now help me catch a muskie!
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balapickerel
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OOOOOOOOO!
sorry, the print is small, i guess i misread it
sorry, the print is small, i guess i misread it
balapickerel
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ok, well then, just be kind and ignore my ignorance
disspatcher
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Hey daspin...congrats on the waterfront. Scugog is a great lake to fish.
Muskie fishing is a thrill no doubt. But there is alot to learn.
First thing I noticed you mention was fishing within the regs. You said it didnt matter what you caught becasue they always go back. Well yes and no. The MTR doesnt care if you C & R. Just follow the regs or they will fine you for the most part. They are there for a reason. One small example...You really shouldnt be pulling an over protective and out of season Bass off the nest. When you do, take a quick pic,and release it all sounds good but in the meantime the nest is wiped clean from preditors. Just little things like that contribute to the well being of the lakes stock.
Anyway back to the Muskie....
Catching Muskie on Lake Scugog is not as hard as it sounds,,,its a fantastic Lake!
Go to your local bait shop and pick up a Green and/or Chartruse "Erie Deerie"and a container of worms.
With 20 lb+ test line and a good leader, Tie on the Erie Deerie and Tip it with a Fat Worm!
One reason for the heavey test line is :the faster you can bring in the fish the less time it will take to release her...less recovery time is needed...if you let a fish play out the fight, it just may not regain its full strength and go belly up)
Now..slowly..troll around the outside (and over top) of the weed beds..look for the cabbage looking stuff....about a 2 km speed is good..now throw out your line about 20ft behind the boat ..in the prop wash....and hang on!! My last outing on Scugog landed me 3 40"+ ski's in 45 minutes!!
Now as far as handling....ALWAYS hold a muskie..(as well as most fish really) horizontal!
You wouldnt like being lifted by the head or the lip from a hook would you?
Oh and...
Try not to lift a muskie by the gill plate bad bad bad...easy to damage her....there is so much to learn Im trying to cram in here .lol
If you are targeting Muskie hard this year Id invest in a Muskie Cradle...Makes for a real easy C&R and keeps the fish in the water...But if you have to take her out of the water, then try and make it back asap. You should always have a pair of needle nose plyers for hook removal...
Now the release....the most important part....
Some say it is ok to Topedo the muskie head first into the water and it should revive her,,,,Im not a big fan but to each his own I guess.
I usually hold onto her tail and work her back and forth in front of you...moving the water in out of the gill pates...hang onto the fish till you fell the strength come back..sometimes may take up to 20 minuites..
FYI>>.You can tell how beaten up or tired a muskie gets by the color of her fins....when they are really punched the fins will turn blood red....this color goes away after a relaxing recovery.
There is lots to know and learn, I hope some of these tips helped.
If ya need some more let me know lol
my 2 cents.
Disspatcher
Muskie fishing is a thrill no doubt. But there is alot to learn.
First thing I noticed you mention was fishing within the regs. You said it didnt matter what you caught becasue they always go back. Well yes and no. The MTR doesnt care if you C & R. Just follow the regs or they will fine you for the most part. They are there for a reason. One small example...You really shouldnt be pulling an over protective and out of season Bass off the nest. When you do, take a quick pic,and release it all sounds good but in the meantime the nest is wiped clean from preditors. Just little things like that contribute to the well being of the lakes stock.
Anyway back to the Muskie....
Catching Muskie on Lake Scugog is not as hard as it sounds,,,its a fantastic Lake!
Go to your local bait shop and pick up a Green and/or Chartruse "Erie Deerie"and a container of worms.
With 20 lb+ test line and a good leader, Tie on the Erie Deerie and Tip it with a Fat Worm!
One reason for the heavey test line is :the faster you can bring in the fish the less time it will take to release her...less recovery time is needed...if you let a fish play out the fight, it just may not regain its full strength and go belly up)
Now..slowly..troll around the outside (and over top) of the weed beds..look for the cabbage looking stuff....about a 2 km speed is good..now throw out your line about 20ft behind the boat ..in the prop wash....and hang on!! My last outing on Scugog landed me 3 40"+ ski's in 45 minutes!!
Now as far as handling....ALWAYS hold a muskie..(as well as most fish really) horizontal!
You wouldnt like being lifted by the head or the lip from a hook would you?
Oh and...
Try not to lift a muskie by the gill plate bad bad bad...easy to damage her....there is so much to learn Im trying to cram in here .lol
If you are targeting Muskie hard this year Id invest in a Muskie Cradle...Makes for a real easy C&R and keeps the fish in the water...But if you have to take her out of the water, then try and make it back asap. You should always have a pair of needle nose plyers for hook removal...
Now the release....the most important part....
Some say it is ok to Topedo the muskie head first into the water and it should revive her,,,,Im not a big fan but to each his own I guess.
I usually hold onto her tail and work her back and forth in front of you...moving the water in out of the gill pates...hang onto the fish till you fell the strength come back..sometimes may take up to 20 minuites..
FYI>>.You can tell how beaten up or tired a muskie gets by the color of her fins....when they are really punched the fins will turn blood red....this color goes away after a relaxing recovery.
There is lots to know and learn, I hope some of these tips helped.
If ya need some more let me know lol
my 2 cents.
Disspatcher
reefrunner
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the board!
Scogog, or "the Bog" as it is sometimes called, is a weedy, shallow lake, and as you mention, chalk full of weeds. All the weed makes it difficult to locate structure musky's relate to, therefore, fish the weeds like they were structure. Look for different species of weeds and fish the lines in between, say tall grass to cabbage, etc. In this type of situation I tend to fish a good ol' hairpin style spinner bait...a great lure for pullin' through the weeds with not alot of hook ups. Sunny days I'll go with a white/chartreuse pattern with silver blades and overcast days i'll switch to black and orange with copper blades, preferaby colorado blades..."the round ones" lol.
Scugog can also get very windy and wavy at times. On days like those, fish the shore where the beach is getting beat up by waves, the current is bringing in the bait fish. Basically, you want to tune in to the food chain of the apex predator in the lake so locate its forage and imitate.
Other than that, handling methods have been well stated in the above threads but I do not wish to take away from its importance. A large musky can be maybe 20-25 years old, it would be a shame to kill it for a 3 minute fight. Try not to overplay the beast. A good net is key, try not to keep the fish out of the water, hold the big girl horizontal for photos and release just as dispatcher said. I don't rock the fish back and forth but hold the fish by the tail with the face into the wind, the moving water is enough to revive her.
Good luck and let us know how you do!
reefrunner
Scogog, or "the Bog" as it is sometimes called, is a weedy, shallow lake, and as you mention, chalk full of weeds. All the weed makes it difficult to locate structure musky's relate to, therefore, fish the weeds like they were structure. Look for different species of weeds and fish the lines in between, say tall grass to cabbage, etc. In this type of situation I tend to fish a good ol' hairpin style spinner bait...a great lure for pullin' through the weeds with not alot of hook ups. Sunny days I'll go with a white/chartreuse pattern with silver blades and overcast days i'll switch to black and orange with copper blades, preferaby colorado blades..."the round ones" lol.
Scugog can also get very windy and wavy at times. On days like those, fish the shore where the beach is getting beat up by waves, the current is bringing in the bait fish. Basically, you want to tune in to the food chain of the apex predator in the lake so locate its forage and imitate.
Other than that, handling methods have been well stated in the above threads but I do not wish to take away from its importance. A large musky can be maybe 20-25 years old, it would be a shame to kill it for a 3 minute fight. Try not to overplay the beast. A good net is key, try not to keep the fish out of the water, hold the big girl horizontal for photos and release just as dispatcher said. I don't rock the fish back and forth but hold the fish by the tail with the face into the wind, the moving water is enough to revive her.
Good luck and let us know how you do!
reefrunner
That is fantastic Info guys!!! Exactly the type of stuff I was looking for and helps alot.
You make a great points about pulling out fish that are out of season regardless of C&R.. Thing is, I'm not intentionally trying to pull a bass out of the lake.. I'm using a walleye double worm harness and trying to fish for walleye, but seems the Bass like it too.. How can I prevent Bass from taking it when they are not in season?
And great point about how I hold the fish.. Like in the pic, I am holding it by the line vertically with a hook in its mouth. I will start handling them horizontally right from now on!! I really don't want to hurt the fish. Hell, yesterday I threw my minnows that I bought into the lake along the shore because my 5 year old daughter made me feel bad about using them for bait. She said, "what about their families"? What about their mommy and daddy? HAHAHA.. So yeah, while it feels great to reel in a fish, I just wanna put her back in the lake with no damage so thanks for pointing that out!
Also, I'm so glad you told me about this recover thing.. I would have simply Thrown in back in the water and thats it..
Couple questions:
1. This Erie Deerie lure. I googled and seems there are different kinds. Can you attach a pic of the type I should use?
2. Does this recovery thing thing apply to all fish? holding them in the water?
You make a great points about pulling out fish that are out of season regardless of C&R.. Thing is, I'm not intentionally trying to pull a bass out of the lake.. I'm using a walleye double worm harness and trying to fish for walleye, but seems the Bass like it too.. How can I prevent Bass from taking it when they are not in season?
And great point about how I hold the fish.. Like in the pic, I am holding it by the line vertically with a hook in its mouth. I will start handling them horizontally right from now on!! I really don't want to hurt the fish. Hell, yesterday I threw my minnows that I bought into the lake along the shore because my 5 year old daughter made me feel bad about using them for bait. She said, "what about their families"? What about their mommy and daddy? HAHAHA.. So yeah, while it feels great to reel in a fish, I just wanna put her back in the lake with no damage so thanks for pointing that out!
Also, I'm so glad you told me about this recover thing.. I would have simply Thrown in back in the water and thats it..
Couple questions:
1. This Erie Deerie lure. I googled and seems there are different kinds. Can you attach a pic of the type I should use?
2. Does this recovery thing thing apply to all fish? holding them in the water?
disspatcher
Moderator
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- Sep 18, 2006
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There is no way you are going to stop catching an accidental OOS (out of Season) fish.
Just a quick release is required. Now, that being said...if the ministry catches you pitching big Buck Tail Spinners (usually used for Muskie) and you tell him you are trying to catch a catfish..then he may have something to say lol..
But a bait like a worm harness or an Erie Deerie...yes anything will hit it!
Any color of Erie Deerie will work,,,just with my experiance the green worked best on that day...get a few colors and try them out.
The secret is keeping the lure in the prop wash...they go crazy for it..its also alot easier than chucking a heavy bait all day long!
As far as reviving other fish..for the most part Muskie & Pike need a wee bit of help getting energy back..a strong grip on the tail till you feel the muscles/strength working again is always needed. Bass for some reason are pretty hardy and go back easily...on the other hand, if Im out drifting a run of river for Steelhead, I always revive the chromie before letting her loose....
Just a quick release is required. Now, that being said...if the ministry catches you pitching big Buck Tail Spinners (usually used for Muskie) and you tell him you are trying to catch a catfish..then he may have something to say lol..
But a bait like a worm harness or an Erie Deerie...yes anything will hit it!
Any color of Erie Deerie will work,,,just with my experiance the green worked best on that day...get a few colors and try them out.
The secret is keeping the lure in the prop wash...they go crazy for it..its also alot easier than chucking a heavy bait all day long!
As far as reviving other fish..for the most part Muskie & Pike need a wee bit of help getting energy back..a strong grip on the tail till you feel the muscles/strength working again is always needed. Bass for some reason are pretty hardy and go back easily...on the other hand, if Im out drifting a run of river for Steelhead, I always revive the chromie before letting her loose....
disspatcher
Moderator
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Actually I think I have a pic I can dig up,...this was a few years back so No Report Sorry...
Marcusthemusky
New Member
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- May 11, 2009
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I used to fish Scugog quite a bit. The most successful outings I've had were trolling big spinnerbaits, or Muskystalkers on the outside weed edge. If you have a sonar unit with GPS, buy a navionics map chip and just stick to the first breakline. Keep your lines short. Its pretty hard to troll to fast, but very easy to troll too slow for Musky in Scugog. An easy way to gauge speed is drop a shallow crankbait like a stalker beside the boat on a short line, and start speeding up. There will come a point where the lure stops its normal cadence and starts to go crazy before blowing out. That's your optimal trolling speed for that lure. Now just let out 10-20 feet of line and you're off to the races. As for Spinnerbaits, just let out enough line at the same speed to keep it under water...this may vary from bait to bait. I would suggest the spinnerbait on the inside and crankbait on the outside.
My biggest Musky from Scugog was 46.5 inches. and I've had many multiple fish days using this method.
The action can be hot there, but if you're looking for a trophy, look somewhere else.
good luck.
My biggest Musky from Scugog was 46.5 inches. and I've had many multiple fish days using this method.
The action can be hot there, but if you're looking for a trophy, look somewhere else.
good luck.
frozenfire
Moderator
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- Sep 19, 2006
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Great info here!
Any tips on casting for muskie as I'm in a canoe?
I hear lots of good things about the river on east side.
Any tips on casting for muskie as I'm in a canoe?
I hear lots of good things about the river on east side.
disspatcher
Moderator
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Always wear your PFD!
Id wouldnt be using the words tip and canoe in the same sentance
Id wouldnt be using the words tip and canoe in the same sentance
Thanks Marcus.. Will give your tips a shot!
This weekend I actually have a couple buds coming over and we are gonna go out for walleye... I'd love for all of us to have a great day, but being inexperienced I don't know much about that either, so hopefully we can land a few and make it fun.
If I catch anything, I'll post some pics
This weekend I actually have a couple buds coming over and we are gonna go out for walleye... I'd love for all of us to have a great day, but being inexperienced I don't know much about that either, so hopefully we can land a few and make it fun.
If I catch anything, I'll post some pics
