It's on (First Muskie 04)

[Esox]

2004 is officially underway. Fished a couple of hours yesterday and managed a 35.5 inch muskie, trolled over some deep humps in about 20-25'. Trolled a Triple D perch color. No photo this time, in my hast to get going the camera was left on the cabinets in the garage. Not a great place for taking pics. It has a permanent spot in the hatch now.

[Number24]

Thats great Esox. Comgrats.


Looking forward to seeing some photos of your muskies.

[JonS]

http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

[PoddyMullet]

I'd appreciate a photo of the next Muskie. How do they cook up?

[NH Explorer]

Good show Esox, been many years since i caught a Muskie. Watch those teeth. I remember one, as a kid out fishing with my Grandad. It followed the lure in and as he lifted the lure from the water the Muskie jumped. Landed right in the open tackle box with lures flying all over the place. My Grandad said a few words I hadn't heard before.

Got out last Saturday for a while. Ice out had just been the Sunday previous. Didn't mark many fish but picked up two little Yellow Perch. On my way back to the beach I padled through a couple of coves and one of them was only about 3 to 4 feet deep with about 10º warmer water temp. Put on a litlle top water Rapala and nos sooner had it hit the water than a Large Mouth was all over it. Was about 4 lbs. got one more that size before I headed in.

Congrats on the Muskie......Roger

[Esox]

Thanks Guys,

Poddy, they taste pretty much like a northern pike, although I have only eaten them a couple of times. they are really just sport fish, it takes them too long to get big. we think 35-39" as an ok one, 40- 45" as a nice one, 46-50" as a big one and over 50 the real trophies.

roger- oh yeah, muskies are notorious for following lures and hitting them right at the boat. That is where the famous figure 8 comes in, when you retrieve your lure a lot of guys always figure 8 at the boat to try to entice a follower, This is virtually impossible in a yak but you can sweep the lure along the yak in an L which some guys use from boats anyway, this is one of the modifications you need to make in the yak, another that I have decided to do is go barbless, makes getting hooks out much easier which is a huge issue if you are alone in the yak and trying to control one of these brutes. They are very fun fish who just destroy tackle and lures.

Also glad to hear the ice is out and you are getting out.