The fish in Wisconsin are literally everywhere. We did have the best luck in the eddies in the rapids or just below the rapids. The smallie was prob 16". Didn't get a pic if it but it was a pretty chunky fish.
I just got my new 9' 8wt. and a decent selection of appropriate flies.
Now the big question is where to go first? Anyone throw me somewhere in Lancaster area or close surrounding area.
Any info. is greatly appreciated.
Look at warm water stocking list in the PAFBC site. You'll have to go back a couple yrs. like 10. These thing grow slow. Musky guys are really right lipped so do as much investigation ya can. Then just throw and throw again. Keep your flys swimming. Alotta guys talk about fish for musky waiting for prime time. If your waiting for prime conditions and "picking your spots" to go your in for a long wait. There are a tell tail "good" times fall, full moon & high water is awesome. But ya gotta get out chase these fish down and make it happen. Don't just talk "do".
JVenezia wrote:
I just got my new 9' 8wt. and a decent selection of appropriate flies.
Now the big question is where to go first? Anyone throw me somewhere in Lancaster area or close surrounding area.
Any info. is greatly appreciated.
Anywhere in the Susquehanna River from Holtwood Dam upriver.
To find particular spots you'll need to pay your dues and put in your time. With some time on the water you'll get a feel for different parts of the river and what constitutes good muskie habitat. As Paco said, check the PFBC website warm water stocking list and just get out there and fish!
I'd say you can look back about 3-4 years on the stocking list as a typical river muskie in PA reaches 30" in about 4 years. Waters that have not been stocked in the last decade are much less likely to have a good population of these fish in my experience. The Susky has been stocked for decades and continues to get a good number of fingerlings.
JVenizia I use 40 lb flouro for my leader. Usually somewhere between 3.5' and 4' with a loop big enough to pass the large hooks through. I then tie 12-18 inches of 80lb flouro to my fly with a non slip mono loop and at the end either tie another non slip know or a perfection loop. Then I can switch out flies faster and you use a lot less 80lb in the long run which is a plus when its $25 for 25 yards. IF i'm doing a lot of wade fishing I will also tie in a short piece of 25 lb mono to my fly line and then blood knot that to the 40lb so if I get hung up I can break off at the leader and dont' break the fly line since the breaking strength of even heavier lines is only 30lbs.
I tangled with my first musky the other day on the Susquehanna around TMI. He came from the depths and charged my white Double Peanut. After a short tangle, he was off as I didn't get a good hook set. My heart was racing and it was incredible. I really have to work on my strip set as these aren't trout and you can't just lift the rod tip to set. I will be back!
That's awesome! That has got to be a real adrenaline rush. I know you said you were going to put in your time this fall targeting muskies. Glad you managed to get into one. Keep at it!
Thanks DC. I'd like to find one on the 'Stoga as well. I know they're there; there's just so much water to cover! I'm really optimistic that they have their 'feed bag' on during the fall.
wgmiller that is the hardest thing to do in musky fishing remember to strip set. The first thing we were taught as kids fishing was as soon as you felt something to set the hook. You really gotta hit these guys with the strip set at least once if not 2-3 times before hammering them with the rod.
