Toothy Critter Success Thread

[TD55]

If that musky was just under the surface and you dropped a line on him they are just like any other fish they are going to spook. I would stick to the intermediate line. I don't use a floating line at all even for topwater. I doubt a floating line would have made any difference in this situation. I personally would not throw a 3-4 inch fly for musky but you could try it. I like the bigger stuff 10-12 inches. Its a lot easier for a musky to pick up a 10 inch fly with a big profile than a 3-4 inch fly with a small profile. The more vibration the fly makes in the water the better. Musky feed more off their lateral line and sensory pores than visually I believe. Now that doesn't mean they won't eat smaller prey. They are bipolar or something they could sit somewhere for hours with a million fish swim by and not give a crap but just one time one of those fish will look at them the wrong way and they go postal haha. It could be a 4 inch bluegill or a 20 inch sucker. They are a tough fish to pattern and really the only thing you can do is fish where you believe or know they are and throw a bunch of different flies and colors and usually at some point they go "postal" and smash your fly. Keep at it and it will happen.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I shook the stink off this morning & raised 3 different muskys. Landing 1 that pummled a "hand over hand" strip. I'm glad I switched to gama's. Nothing like tying a fly the night before a outing & stroking 1 within the 1st 10 casts.The 1st hook set wasnt the best but drove it home on the second one.

I had another 1 in the forties swipe at my fly 2x. Then we played hide and seek for a hr. She'd fallow every color change.I was a good morning, the actio quit when the sun got over head.

 

[Fishidiot]

Nice purebred Paco!

You know it's a big fly when you see the tips out the back of the gill plate. 🙂

This guy look like he got clunked on the head back in the day.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

The fly is a tandem tyed on a 7/0 Owner aki in the back and a Gama 130 6/0 in the front. The fly was actually outside the fishes mouth and it was just laying on it. It was a "nasty" looking musky, teeth missin and some cuts.

 

[jay348]

And Paco scores! Does look a little beat up, but great fish regardless. Cool fly too.

Hoping to try out a new spot sat morning myself...fingers are crossed.

 

[djmyers]

Paco, when you are tying your tandems. How much gap are you putting between the two hooks? And are you using beadalon to attach the two or what are you using?

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

The loop sz is limited by the hook eye and the lenght of material you have to cover the joint. Too small of hook eye it will hang up if it rides up or down on the loop. It will get hung and not hinge. think of a jointed rapela.

 

[djmyers]

Good recommendations. Thanks

What do you use to connect the two hooks? is Beadalon strong enough for these dudes?

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I go over kill on the wire. I figure the time and quality materials (some wich are hard to find) I'm not gonna chance it to a wire thats not designed for fishing.
I'm not saying Beadlon woulnt work, i just have no experience with it. There are alotts coated wire brands. You want 1 stiff enuff to keep its shape and would kink under the stress of the fish and snaggs. And keep hooks in line.

 

[TD55]

Got out Sunday on the Allegheny. Was looking for musky but ended up getting a 30" pike on the 5th cast and then nothing the rest of the day. I did get a follow from what I'm 99% sure was a monster pike about mid 40's. Followed once then vanished. A buddy of mine was fishing for musky with gear and landed a monster walleye. Taped right at 30". The walleye at a 12" musky lure. The walleye will be in our belly soon.

 

[Swattie87]

Don't catch a ton of these guys during my local WW stream fishing, and I'm not really targeting them, but one or two a season seem to turn up. This was the biggest one I've ever caught...I have a tough time eyeballing them in terms of length due to their long, slender shape, but somewhere in the 16-18" range. Just about chewed through the 10lb mono tippet before I landed him.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Ok i dont have any pics but....I had 1 of the best mornings you could have with out landing a musky. I had 1 on right off the bat. Working my streamer deep. I felt the weight the head shake and then line went slack. I had a couple of fallows after that. I came back to the spot i hooked up about mid morning and it was like some turned on a light switch. I had a fish that Im pretty sure was the biggest musky I ve ever seen. (prob high 40s) boil behind my fly about 10ft away from me. Then 1 worked 1 on a half assed figure 8 and a couple of other fallows from mid 30's fish. No other takers but it was a great day.

 

[plombardo]

I final landed something this year. I know now NEVER EVER FORGET TO CHANGE DRIECTION at the end of your retrieve. figure 8 or whatever.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

The muskys and the hot weather are not cooperating. The near hundred deg temps got the toothies lazy... Hopefully this week the fish will take it easier on me.

 

[Fishidiot]

Yeah - I played around with a nice musky in the mid 30s a couple days ago be he showed no interest in my flies. I'm not sure about upper temp ranges and muskies. They're very aggressive in the summer.... but I suspect we're above their preferred temp ranges with most of the big rivers now up in the mid to upper 80s during the afternoon. In Maryland, they're very proud (and justifiably so) of the great new musky fishery in the Potomac River. However, when temps get up like they are now, the state fisheries biologists recommend that people refrain from targeting muskies until the water cools a bit. I've never heard this suggested by the PFBC.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I think its a combination of the low water levels high water temps. Plus there a very unperdictable fish. You can fish for musky and not think there isnt a fish in a 100 miles. Then the "switch" flips and there behind your fly or lure every cast. Anybody that has spent time chasing 'em with gear or a fly has seen this. Its useally weather or change in water temp. But a simple chop on the water can do it.

 

[Fishidiot]

Yep. Back in my days chasing muskies on lakes with conventional gear.....the best conditions were an approaching cold front after a period of warm, stable, muggy weather. Those approaching clouds and some wind to put a chop on the water were encouraging conditions. When the bullrushes were bent over I always held on tight and figure eighted after every cast.
I think this is generally true on rivers too (definitely a rising water level) to turn 'em on.

Sometimes these fish just go on rampages, for no known reason, that produce memorable days of fishing. Perhaps the best known of these was a couple days in 1955 on Leech Lake in MN when dozens of muskies were caught (and almost all killed). Here in PA, in a single week in June 1982 there was a musky rampage on Raystown Lake and five fish over thirty pounds were boated and a bunch in the 20+ pound class. Musky guys in that area are still talking about that week on Raystown. Personally, I've never witnessed anything like these events.....
But someday. 🙂

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

The best night I seen was mid July last year. Bilg, TD55 & I fished for 4 hrs after work 1 night. Bilg hooked up on 2 had to arms length. TD55 hooked up with 1 and a bonus 2 ft walleye. I caught a 42 purebred and a walleye back to back casts. It was on a full moon too. They were on full tilt boogy that night.

 

[Fredrick]

BUMP* Any news guys ?

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Td55 and I are heading to Wis. next week. I hopin the fall bite is started by then.