Toothy Critter Success Thread

[PACOFRANSICO]

Leaders keep it simple. I go a strait piece of 40 pound floro about 40 inches worth and then the 80 pound bite gaurd. All togther about 4 feet maybe 4.5 feet Long.

 

[Crotalus]

I have tried a few different combos of fluorocarbon, braid and wire.

do you use any type of shock tippet? at 40lb and 80lbs arent you risking your line if you get snagged and cant get the fly back?

 

[midnightangler]

@Crotalus - my rod broke also (10 wt echo) about an hour after I landed this musky. I was pissed because I saw two mid-40s fish the week before with my wife. I kept fishing but it was hard to cast more than 40-50 feet. Talk about a broomstick -- try casting with a 10 weight that is missing the whole top section.

I've been giving serious thought to a better rod, meaning something that is in fewer pieces. I gave up on four-piece rods for all other streamer fishing (trout and smallmouth). A two-piece rod is a far superior instrument if you want to throw big flies. It's getting hard to find 2-piece rods but they are usually a steal and they out-perform the 4-piece rods by a really wide margin. I don't know how people tolerate rods that come apart a handful of times during a day of fishing.

Even better: G Loomis has one piece rods in the NRX line and the crosscurrent line. This would be my ideal streamer rod. I'd have to leave it in the Kayak to transport it, but in the long run I think this would be better. I prefer to be inconvenienced when I'm not on the water, as opposed to while I'm fishing.

For the lines I use 18"-24" of 80-LB seaguar fluorocarbon as a shock tippet and 25 lb. leader that is 3-4" long. You definitely need to have a break point to save your fly line.

 

[Crotalus]

I blame myself for my rod breaking, I had line tangled around the end and was trying to get it untangled while sitting in a kayak. I had a decent bend in the end section and when I reached to work the line over the very end the top guide and last inch of rod snapped off in my hand. Stupid move on my part, I cant fault Echo for that one.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Midnight there are specific rods made now for pike and musky and big Predatory fish. And everyone I've got my hands on are great rods. Beulah, sage, redington, Greys and even echo. And there all 4 piece. If ya wax your ferrules and even electrical tape em you don't have to worry. All tens are not created equil I know I've own a couple of em. I don't think that there's a two piece and a handful of 1 piece rods ( hardy sinytrex) that are in the ball park performance wise. When you start talking 400 + grn lines and 12 inches of fly.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Crotalus I use a break point on my type 7 setup. On my type 3 or intermediate (topwater) I almost never do. I have had pop a couple nail knots because of being snagged. If you don't coat your nail knot that's were it comes apart or were 1 of the loop knots are. I'm just trying to prefect everything less knots less chances of Mr Murphy rearing his ugly head. On a figure 8 take with a ft of line out the tip top ya want a smooth transition for leader to fly line.

If ya boat fish lakes no need for a break point.

 

[tyeager]

a musky on the fly is impressive but until one gets pulled in by a fly fisherman in a jetta I guess the toyota corolla on Moldy Chum will always be one up

 

[Crawdad31]

Well...I have to say unfortunately, this isn't going to be about how awesome my musky afternoon was today....it was rough..no follows..only saw one musky and he wasn't eating, he was a low to mid 30's..the reason why I am posting this is because I was working a log jam on a bridge piling in the middle of the stream. and I am two hand stripping a black and purple double beuford..out from underneath the log a smallie comes and absolutely crushes my fly...keep in mind this smallmouth just hammered and i mean hammered AN 11in FLY!!! It was epic and my biggest smallmouth this year and on the fly...she stole the day

 

[wgmiller]

And that would be called an 'incidental catch'! :-D

 

[midnightangler]

I caught a 10 in bass on one of my musky flies. The fly was bigger than the bass. I could barely even feel the strike, my fly just started swimming around funny.

When we fish for musky, we could probably use 30 inch flies. There is no doubt in my mind that they would try to eat them.

 

[ebroesicke]

in the St. Lawrence river I have seen 26- 30" pike with big bite marks......yikes. that would be fun to cast.

 

[TLoomis]

In 20 years when we're using synthetic materials for hooks we'll be casting 3 foot flies that weigh as much as a single. It's the future....man

:lol:

 

[Fishidiot]

ebroesicke wrote:
in the St. Lawrence river I have seen 26- 30" pike with big bite marks......yikes. that would be fun to cast.

There was a reliable story (included photos) of a hooked, 33" muskie in the Susquehanna River about 15 years ago that was attacked and mauled by a much larger muskie as it was being reeled in by an angler. The smaller muskie, although cut up, was landed and released. The fisherman was a veteran muskie guy and he estimated the bigger fish to be about 55 inches. Although he returned many times, he never saw the biggie again.

You're gonna need a bigger boat......and a bigger fly! :lol:

 

[TD55]

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been really busy with work and a move. Have done some fishing picking up some pike and musky. With the new boat have done a lot more rowing than fishing but I enjoy that as well. Just got back from Wisconsin Monday night fishing with Brad Bohen again. We did really well. I caught 3 musky 35" 38" and 40". I also caught a pike about 30-32" and a toad of a walleye that was about 26". Even caught a decent smallmouth for the Northwoods Slam. A guy that went with me caught 2 musky both around 34-35" he also missed on right before I caught the 40" fish that would have crapped mine out. Here are some pics of the trip.

Early morning sunrise on the Flambeau River

The meat.

Lunch break

30-32" Pike

26" Walleye

35" musky

38" musky

40" musky

Phil with his 34-35" musky

 

[jay348]

^sweetness^

Looks like an awesome trip there!

 

[Crotalus]

Great pics!!!

 

[TD55]

Forgot this one. Love this shot

 

[pro4mance]

Sooooo jealous, nice trip and pics

 

[TD55]

It was an awesome trip. The Walleye, pike, 2 of my musky and both of phils were all on the 1st day. The 2nd day it got really windy and tough fishing had one follow to the boat and peel off then we had a suicide pike that ate my fly 4 times and Phil's 4 times but we couldn't get a hook into it. It was probably only 18-20". The 2nd day right away Phil missed the big one and I caught that other musky and I missed one more and also had a couple follows. I look forward to this trip every year and already can't wait for next year.

 

[Fishidiot]

Excellent! Love the pics.

It looks, from what I can see, that the guys in WI focus on some faster water when targeting muskies. Were you seeing fish in current or even riffles......or in slack side eddies (or all)?

Was the smallie as big as the fly?