<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>James Conklyn wrote:</div>
Apparently Mn. fish are different than Wi. fish. My son went out Sunday morning for 4 hours and boated a 39 1/2 and a 43. It was a calm, sunny, warm day. Fished a shallow mud flat (3-4 ft) and caught both on a top water.No, not really. Just because the conditions are not ideal doesn’t mean guaranteed failure. It just makes it tougher. Props to your son.
Ask any relatively serious muskie angler and they will tell you that hot, sunny, and flat is about the worst conditions that exist.
The point of my post is that there are no hard rules as to when to try. A few years ago, late July, mid day, flat calm, temp in upper 80s, I caught a 48 1/2. The following year, similar conditions I boated a 49. Both times it was the only action of a long day, but well worth the sweat! You never know when lightning strikes.
I can’t get on the water that early. The marina is closed until 8 o’clock and by the time the boat is gassed up and ready it’s at least 8 thirty. Add in time to get to the fishing ground and it’s past 9 o’clock.
I am changing marinas. Next one is right at the spot I want to explore and I will wait for a rainy forecast to book my boat.
What kind of structure were the fish close to?
No idea, wasn’t with him.
One thing to keep in mind when fishing Muskies this time of the year, the warm water temps is a big factor on a successful release of the fish and its survival after release. This time of the year its important to land the fish as quick as possible, remove the hooks as fast as possible, and take a few quick pictures as quick as possible to give that fish as much a chance to survive to fight again as possible. Barbless hooks would really help with the hook removable part for sure.
Sorry James, I meant the muskies you caught in the dog days of July. I want to learn about musky fishing. I learned a great deal about structure fishing and used to write a column in Ontario Out of Doors magazine about that subject, and I learned to read a map well enough to find fish from it. However, the lake I am fishing now, the rules don’t seem to apply. The only explanation I can find for my lack of success is that I am fishing when the fish are not active. I am always on the water at the same time because of marina operating hours and it’s just been my luck that I have never been fishing during a change of weather i.e. falling barometer and incoming storm. Thanks for your patience.
One thing to keep in mind when fishing Muskies this time of the year, the warm water temps is a big factor on a successful release of the fish and its survival after release.
Yes, absolutely. 80 degrees is the thresh hold. Data backs it up too.
For this specific reason I am not muskie fishing until there is a drop in water temps. The good news is that may happen as soon as next week as the current heat wave looks to end this weekend.
Hope it ends with a good rainstorm!!
This is from the book Tony Rizzo wrote, “Secrets of a Muskie Guide” pg 102. “I was working around the resort one day when I didn’t have a guiding job. It didn’t look like a good day for muskies anyway. It was bright and there wasn’t a ripple on the water. After supper, I decided to try some night fishing and asked one of my resort guests if he wanted to come along. We were on the water about 7:00 pm …Just when complete darkness fell over the lake, my guest had a strike…I’m sure that the bright, calm day had slowed the daytime fishing and put the muskies on a night feed. We were back to the resort by 10pm with our limit of two keeper muskies. ” At the end of the book he says “The muskie is one fish that is hard to catch, whether you are rich or poor. It makes fools out of professional muskie fishermen as well as novices. It treats us all the same and with little respect” (pg 167, Tony Rizzo).
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