Tough Musky!!

[Esox]

Nice. Was she holding on bolders? Or, is that a place out of the current where there was a weed bed? The reason I'm asking is, I'm trying to find out what river fish do as the summer progresses.

[Jigwiggler]

It was a large slow current area with a gravel bottom.  The fish was hanging right on a sharp drop off from 2 to 8 fow.  Threw into the shallows and when the bait crossed the break WHAM!!  The thing that keyed me in on the area was the abundance of large suckers I saw swimming around.  The river I fish does not have the large amount of small baitfish that it usually does (2 years of high muddy water levels affected the spawn I believe).  Because of this, the fish are keyed in on much larger baits than normal for this time year.

[Esox]

That's pretty much where you would expect them to be. Suckers are always a good clue too. Suckers...A.K.A. Esox candy.  The state is considering restarting the stocking program on the Missisqoui river here in VT. The river has a small natural population of muskie now and a large population of white and red horse suckers. I think they will know in a year or so if they will start the program. I know I have my fingers crossed.

How have the water temps been where you are? Around here it's been so cold, the temps are lower then normal. We might have a cance of some early ice if this keeps up. 

[Jigwiggler]

Water temps have been running in the low to mid 70's.   The higher water temps are making for some very acrobatic fish, especially the smaller ones.  I caught a 36" fish last week that completely cleared the water 4 times!!!  What a show! 

[Trophy Hunter639]

Man does that ever sound like a blast do you get into numbers of fish or is it truly the fish of 10 000 casts?

[Jigwiggler]

Man does that ever sound like a blast do you get into numbers of fish or is it truly the fish of 10 000 casts?

Lately I have only been able to fish for and hour or so before work in the morning.  In the last month I'm running 45% for boating a fish per trip.  100% for sightings, follows and missed fish combined.  They can be very elusive to even the best, but especially to beginners.  Believe me, I am far from being a pro on the subject but have been doing quite well lately.  Once you have an intimate knowledge of the waters you are fishing and an understanding of the species habits it becomes much easier.  They can be a fish of 10,000 random casts or a fish of 1 well placed cast with the right presentation.  Last week I went to a spot I thought would be holding some fish, nailed a 36"er on the 3rd cast.  2 days later my father returned to the same spot and boated a 39" fish on his first cast.  If you happen to catch one on an active feed just about anything you can put in front of him will work.  With the exception of the fish I started this thread about. 

[Jigwiggler]

First it was low water, now it's high water.  The river I fish is near flood stage and has been at a raised level for some time now making most fishing impossible.  Game off until water levels receed. 

[adkman]

Check out http://www.fishdoctorcharters.com 
Capt. Ernie Lantange has some information on fishing muskies on the St. Lawrence River along with some impressive pics.

[TJ Bauer]

I tell you what I have fished for muskies my hole life and to get the big one you have to always be watching very close if you get one to follow remember what exactly you were doing at the time (weather working the bait fast or slow just twitching the bait or pulling it fast and hard) what time of day and what type of weather. If you can remember this do the exact same retrieve over and over agian. Because if you got a follow you were doing what they wanted. it my not be a normal pattern but it was what the fish liked. try to stick to the same lure for a long period of time even a hole day and just try different retrieves untill you find one they like. from what I have found the lure does not matter that much the retrieve matters the most.      TJ Bauer