The season has begun! It was one of the better openers I have been a part of. My best friend Jack Gavin and myself fished hard for 3 days on 2 different lakes, and were able to have success on both lakes. When fishing in June, it can sometimes be a struggle to find the fish and figure out how they will react. It takes time, and putting in the 14-16 hour sessions is what it takes sometimes, and for us, that's what it took. We found fish in your typical early season patterns. Smaller baits and skinny water seemed to work best. One thing we notice is that the bigger females were still hanging around and very accessible. Despite somewhat tougher fishing conditions, we had some really good chances at some nice fish, however we did not connect on some of those! Whether it was topwater style baits, bucktails, or jerkbaits, they all found playing time on the end of our lines this weekend. I obviously need to be a little careful about giving out exact colors, sizes, depths and all that good stuff just in case anyone is actually reading this! Feel free to reach out to me if you have specific questions. We ended up catching 5 muskies this weekend, with 2 being over the magical 50 inch mark! Here are a few photos, I am excited to get the season underway. Check back throughout this season for photos, videos and much more.
The 2014 Minnesota Walleye opener has come and gone. It was a great time with great people. I found myself with good buddy Jack Gavin and his dad up at their cabin on the big pond. We had a blast. The lake to me seemed like it was lacking the typical opening day crowds. Also, the weather was unbelievable, I have never seen the lake so calm for 2 straight days. Talking with some folks at the launch and some other buddies on the lake, the bite seemed to be down. For us, that was NOT the case. We really were able to dial in the big Walleyes once we found where and how they wanted to eat. It was nothing out of the ordinary, throw a shiner on a jig and pitch it up and work it down off the break was the ticket. Caught fish anywhere from 8-16 feet for the most part. It seemed like the people trolling around with lindy rigs were not getting the number of bites that we did. After 2 days, I think we had somewhere around 35 Walleyes caught that measured over 20 inches, and we were lucky enough to catch a couple in the tiny slot limit for a meal! Check out the pictures below, some real nice ones!
Now we wait a few weeks for the Minnesota Muskie Opener! Waiting for the ice to melt. That is the name of the game. As we approach the final weeks for this ice to be completely off, the anticipation is at an all time high. I have been busy getting everything ready for the upcoming Muskie season. Doing the small things like remaking bucktails, fixing and cleaning reels, and other various things. I want to make sure everything is ready to rock by June! Also, I have been out a few times on the rivers that surround the Minneapolis area. I'm not a huge Walleye guy, but I do enjoy fishing for them when I can. A few photos below show you what I have been up to the last few weeks. Also, keep your eye out for the next issue of MuskyHunter Magazine (June/July issue) I will have a cool early season article published!
The last couple of weeks I have been lucky enough to get up to the lake a few times. The fishing for us has been really good. We have been able to put together a few nice outings with some really big fish. I love targeting big pike through the ice, it is a thrill! We catch most of our fish using strategically placed tip-ups with both live minnows and occasionally dead bait as well. As far as how deep we like to set up in, it all depends. Weather your fishing weed edged, islands, points or a shoreline break, each day seems to be different. One thing we have noticed is if you’re not getting any action, to adjust where your bait sits in the water column. As a day moves on, weather and the pressure it brings changes. This will affect where bait, and predators swim in the water column. Don’t be afraid to switch things up and try your live or dead bait near the bottom, or even just underneath the ice. Pay attention to when you start getting bites, and adjust your other set-ups to match! We had a unique situation happen during the Super Bowl a few weeks ago. If you notice the 2 photos below, it is the same fish! Jack landed it first around 9 A.M. Then as we were packing up to head home around noon, the last flag went off and it was the same fish! This fish ate 2 GIANT minnows in a 3 hour span at two different holes about 80 yards apart. I guess catch and release does work! ;) -Notice the nub on the tail This past weekend we really got into the big fish. I can’t believe how fat the pike are this year. It’s great to see a healthy population throughout the lake. The fish below were caught in to different areas of the lake on similar type structure. We found a really cool pattern on day 1 and gave it a chance on day 2 on a different side of the lake but tried to mimic the pattern, it paid off! The best tip I can give someone is to pay attention to weather changes and also pay attention to what the fish tell you. When you do find success, ask yourself why? Why did that fish bite? Really go in depth with everything it took to catch that fish. For us, I ask myself questions about these things: Type of bait, size of bait, depth of bait, overall depth, weather patterns/changes, moon phase, type of structure, distance from structure, proximity to deep water, as well as many others. Being able to duplicate patterns for winter time pike are key! Overall, it has been a great year for the big pike. It’s not Muskie fishing, but it’s the closest thing I can do during the off season! Some really nice healthy fish across the board. Especially the one I was lucky enough to land below!
What a cold winter it has been up here in Minnesota. We have been out fishing through the ice here and there. Most recently, my buddy Jack and I headed up to his place on Mille Lacs. We were targeting big pike. We had two days to fish and we has some success with two totally different styles to catch them. The first day we fished a cabbage bowl that still had some weeds standing up. We knew there were perch and other baitfish in the area so we set up there for a full day. We had some action, but it was slower overall. The one thing about fishing with tip-ups and large 10+ inch minnows is that it seems you are fishing for one big fish versus a bunch of small or medium size fish. Here is one fish we got in the cabbage bowl. It gave a good fight and it looks like it is eating well! The next day we fished totally different. With a lake that is as large and versatile like Mille Lacs, there is more than one way, or style to catch them. On day 2, we set up on a deeper break that had rocks. We had tip-ups down in over 20 feet of water. We had some close calls, and one big fish that took down a 13 inch minnow that we lost. But a few minutes later we were able to get another good one through the hole! We also had a bonus Walleye eat a large minnow on a quick-strike rig as we were taking down our set up for the night. I like using the hand crafted quick-strike rigs from WaterBeast Tackle. http://www.waterbeasttackle.com/rigs_41.html They are a fluro carbon quick-strike rig that come in a few different styles and sizes. Here is some more pics from day 2: This winter I have been lucky enough to help out one of the more talented Muskie bait makers in the industry. I have been helping Duff Thury of SuperNatural. Some of the baits that you may recognize are the Headlocks and Matlocks. They are in my opinion the most productive trolling bait on the market. Each one is handmade and goes through at least 8 different steps before they are ready to go! The action of these baits are second to none, they "walk" or "hunt" to the side during the action, they do not swim in a straight line. Like a normal baitfish (Cisco, Perch, Walleye, Whitefish, ect.) they do not swim in a straight line. These baits have the most realistic live action that you will find. Its basically three baits in one based on the fact you can go down to three different depth styles that are adjustable on the lip. They are a one of kind bait and some of the fish being caught on these baits are insane! They are hard to come buy, but Thorne Brothers normally have them in stock. I have been helping Duff speed up the process so there are more for everyone to enjoy. Get your hands on one, trust me! The video above shows perfectly the action!! Check out the baits here: http://www.thornebros.com/shop/pc/Supernatural-c508.htm The 2013 Muskie season has officially ended. What a great year it was for my friends and myself. Anytime you reach your goals, it is a success. We had MANY great trips, with a few personal bests being broken. This year one of my goals was to expand my horizons and try and develop new patterns, and try new areas. In the past, I was very one sided and would fish the same spots all year long. Granted that has worked wonders in the past, this year I was able to broaden my knowledge and find cool new patterns and spots to fish. I love being out on the Muskie waters and help people catch fish, weather its me netting the fish, or giving a few tips to a few buddies who are going on a trip to hopefully change their luck for the better. This year a lot of big fish hit the net for us. Multiple 50+ inchers, including 3 over 54" for our close group of friends. Building info, developing patterns, and comparing results to the past has greatly helped for the success of this past season. We now have to battle through the winter and wait for June to arrive! Cant wait to start next season! This past weekend, we tested out the fresh ice up at the cabin. Fishing was good for the most part ads we got into a bunch of Walleyes. Jigging, and tip-ups worked well for us. We got a 28 inch beast after dark which was the highlight. We caught fish anywhere from 9-25 feet of water. They were spread out for us, but would make that classic evening run into the shallows to feed. We were ready! The ice conditions seem good for this time of year. We had about 4-5 inches up on vermilion. Normally I a m a big Pike guy. I love chasing the big pike and it is something that I feel is a real challenge Look for some big pike pictures this year....hopefully :) With that said, it is hard to ignore early ice Walleye fishing. I look forward to a good ice season and will share reports and photos as we go! Good luck! Here are some late fall Muskie pics, and some early Ice pics! Early Ice!
I have been slacking on posting reports! Water temps are cooling as we move closer to fall. This is the time of year when those feeding windows shorten, but can become more furious when they do come around. This September has been pretty good as far as fishing action for us. We haven't had any trips or extended weekends, jut a few days here and there. As far as a pattern, it really depended on which lake I was fishing. Still catching fish on Bucktails, Top Water, Rubber, and some dive and rise action. Something new for us as been experimenting on some of the Tiger Muskie lakes around the metro area. It is fun to throw a change-up and try for Tigers every now and then if its realistic. It is setting up to be a good October, hopefully we are able to find enough time to get out and chase some of these fall giants. Good luck! Here are some September Muskies. A side note: The lucky Cheese Curdz hat continues to have action every time it is worn. Tiger Muskies are a rush! Below are some nice pure strains. Also, want to give a shout out to good friend Ryan McMahon who runs one of the best guide services in the metro area. The fish pictured below was caught with him. We had a good time out on the lake despite tough fishing conditions. He is a good guy, and great angler. If you want to learn the metro area lakes....starting with him is a great first step! Check out his website here --------->>>>>> http://twincitiesmusky.com/
I headed up to the cabin for a fast power trip. We had tough weather conditions, very little wind and no clouds. With that said, the fishing was still favorable. We picked our windows and the fish we did end up catching were during the "key" times. Even with tough conditions, we were moving fish throughout the day. The fish for us moved off their typical set-ups and hung around what I call the secondary spots. It's not easy catching fish on a short trip. Doing some homework on when your primary windows are is the first step. For the quick day and a half trip, we were lucky to land 2 quality fish. Patience was important, I always try to tell people that If you fish a full day (10+ hours) the Muskie gods seem to always send you a good chance. Weather its a bite, or a hot follow, putting in your time will normally give someone in the boat a chance at a fish. The fall is sneaking closer and closer, the fish will soon follow suit and be putting on the feedbag. Good luck in your neck of the woods, here are some photos from the trip.
Every year I try and take a little extra time in August to put some serious hours in on the lake. I like the idea of being on the lake when the July "bite" has calmed down and most people are gearing up for fall. Its a good time around the new moon, its dark, and its quite. This year I headed up with good buddy Andy Hamm and his friend Peter. Us 3 fished HARD for 4 days. we put in 14 hour days searching for fish. We had no problem finding the fish, they were shallow, deep, and everywhere in between. Getting them to bite was going to be the issue. We had to put our heads together and go back to fish we have seen at certain times. The most important things we found was around the moons. The majors and minors of each day gave us that "window" of opportunity. Also, the night bite seemed to pick up, we were able to go back on a few fish after dark and get them to eat knowing that they were there. Being positive and having the right attitude was so important. We had seen 16 fish follow and not have one in the boat, but being persistent and confident put some of those fish into the net for us. We saw fish on all types of lures small to big, no real pattern, more of a timing thing for us! The biggest tip I can hand out is to pay attention to your key windows, and don't leave fish to find fish! We ended up with 7 muskies, 2 of them over the 50" mark. Here are a few of the pictures.
Well, it happened again. We went up north for the standard 4th of July trip. Most time was spent with the family doing boat rides, watching fire works, and just relaxing with family and friends. We were however able to sneak out in the early mornings while everyone else was asleep. We defiantly had up and down action. With the late spring, the fish still seemed to be scattered all over the lake at various depths. Water temps are getting closer to the low to mid 70 degree range and once that plateaus out, the mid summer bite will be in full effect. With that said, we had some awesome action. BIG rubber was the ticket for us, they love chasing and eating big Bulldawgs and Medussas. We did however loose a bunch, we ended up going 3 for 9. One monster did hit the net for us! I was lucky enough to land a 54x24 inch Giant. It ate a Pounder Bulldawg boatside, it was a sight I will never forget. Just to have the chance to see a fish of this size let alone hold it for a picture is unreal. This fish is the reason why I get minimal sleep each night thinking about my attack on how to catch them. After everything was said and done after the release, I just had to sit down and reflect for a while and enjoy a victory Mountain Dew! Ben pictured with a nice one below! I also was able to stick this nice mid 40 inch fish!
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