Fish the same spots at night.
Or if you have to fish during the day try to do it during dark/cloudy conditions. Another great trigger is speed, burning hair will force those fish to [censored] or get off the pot. Smaller baits, faster speeds.
Yeah, that’s a real nice Pike! 
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Broken Back & All!! I WILL BE THERE!!!
I’ve been fishin Franks Tourny since the hats were pink. LOLGood Luck To all who fish it. And Be safe. Doug
Odds Don’t get much better for winning a new rig!!!
Wow! Broken back and still going fishing..I hope you win the boat.
Don’t worry, with Shawn as the chapter’s president there is a good chance the hats will be pink again this year! 
Hey Kellett, the boat’s mine this year!
For anyone on the fence or who hasn’t fished this tourney, this year is the year! That boat is the cat’s azz. Plus the tourney is just a fun time anyway you look at.
Shawn, Bring your drinking boots this year and something to clean up your truck. It’s my personal mission to get the bald man throwing up drunk this year. 
Put your thumb behind the top single hook and push down and pull up on the head of the bait giving it a slight upward bend. This will give the bait a different fall rate and it will jet to the side a bit. Not really a way to work a Dawg wrong but I’ve caught at least 95% of my fish being very aggressive with the bait…lot’s of pops and jerks while reeling it in at a pretty good clip. I’ve had a lot of follows using just a straight retrieve but the more erratic the better for me. Remember to upgrade the hooks and split rings on new ones.
September/October
Muskies feed up…run a crank 20 feet down and how deep did that fish come from? Pull that fish from a comfortable temp, fight it to the boat, F#$k around with it in the net, measure it and pick it up for a picture so that you can post it on the internet so everyone thinks you’re great, put it back in the 81* surface water with low dissolved oxygen levels, Dick around some more trying to get an accurate measurement so Bob and Dan believe you…might have a floater?
Water hits 80 and I chase Smallies, hell after the first two weeks in June I’m lucky if I pick up a Musky rod til Sept. except for a LOTW trip. Mille Lacs will not get hot enough to be dangerous IMO, too big a body of water and it blows way too hard out there. I just hate that pond in the summer unless I’m Walleye/Smallie fishing. For Muskies, idiot fishing if you ask me…go to the north end and cast a double ten in the dark with the other fifty boats, catch a fish…”wow! I’m good at this Muskie thing..I should be sponsored and fish tournaments”…HAHAHAHA think again.
As for the “that fish isn’t what it is because you don’t have an accurate measurement” thing, well you’re not in a tournament so who cares? If you think it was that big than it was to you and who cares what others say? I don’t carry a camera or a measuring stick anymore, a big fish is a big fish.
I do like the pick a neutral lake and fish against each other deal…I might be in on that 
Two years ago was a hot summer with very high water temps. I’m sure the high water temps and less disolved oxygen in the upper water column probably caused some of it…guys trolling deep during periods of extreme heat will kill’em (saw a lot of that on White Bear that year), not sure if there is any netting going on out on Lobster? On Cass Lake I’ve seen lots of dead muskies sitting on the bottom in shallow water along with tons of Pike and Bass right where they gill net…sucks.
Why not just step on it’s head and yank out the hook?
Total rookie style
Wow Bob, nice PIG!
Good work.
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I have been looking at those too the other day when I was at thornes, the only thing holding me back is I have a few of these “VIRGIN” lures that ran me 15-25 bucks a pop, if you know what I mean. Plus I have really been concentrating on only working with gliding jerks, new thing for ’07, helps with the unconventional habit of buying lures. Topwater jerk/crank are easier on the arms, good for the occasional break. But I might have fork up a few bucks for a one or two of those, they are tad bit shorter with good weight and the 3trebs are a plus.
Reason why I walked the dog in that spot is there is an weed channel right in casting reach which seems like the ultimate ambush spot between two shallow tips. Hard to throw anything that submerges due to weed growth but in that particular spot there is almost a open highway. Only noticed this due to ripping off weeds on the trolling motor and getting drifted into the weed patches a while back. Most ski guys never really go right into the weeds, unlike them bass guys. But them ski’s sure like the presentation of some thing wobbling side to side coming from shallow to over deep water and back shallow.
Sounds like a great spot, keep it under your hat and it should produce all season for you. Sounds like it could be a good spot for a spinnerbait also. I can’t wait to get out fishing, only have been out once so far for a half day. Two follows from cookie cutter mid-forties fish that
I couldn’t get to eat. Have been stuck in “Honey do hell” all week but It’s on next week 
Have a great season CJB!
Gary,
I get what you’re saying I just do things differently, not better, just different than you. You should stick with whatever works for you, getting used to something and settling in on a tactic is important. I feel alot of it is based on experience, newbies are always way more amped up and jerky. After enough topwater experiences everyone settles down and they start catching more fish on top. It probably helps that I’m a bit more sluggish on the hook set too. Fish do miss more on topwaters, that I’ll agree on. I don’t throw “walk the dog” much because of that and if I do it’s a Weagle worked at a snails pace,big slow bait that’s real easy for them to target. Most of my topwater action is on prop baits, straight trackers that don’t dart around so that they are easy for them to find and hit. That’s the same reason I don’t like gliders, if I can get a fish to commit the last thing I want is a bait that I feel the action makes it hard for a fish to hit and that hooks poorly. Now that’s my experience, I know gliders catch tons of fish and I know guys that love them…just not for me. Most importantly I almost always change out the hooks on my topwater to 7/0 Eagle Claw 774’s, “T” them or shrink tube them if need be and make sure they are razor sharpe. I’ve noticed a huge increase in keeping fish pinned on topwater since I changed to the 774’s after Brett at Thornes suggested it.
Yeah those “walk the dog” baits aren’t the best hookers. Might want to try one of these, they have wide gap hooks and three trebles instead of the common two. Better hooking walk the dogs for sure.
http://www.thornebros.com/muskie/baits/topwater/topwater_muskymojo.html
Might I also suggest that, if the fish are blowing up all over your topwater to switch to a bucktail and burn it under the surface. Then you’ll have a much better hooking bait. I’m not really sure what Gary is getting at but I think he’s saying to NOT look at or around your topwater bait? Interesting theory if that’s what he’s saying, not one I would suggest, not being in tune with everything going on to do with your fishing is never a good practice especially when Muskie fishing. I would always want to know if I have a fish following my bait so that I can react with a speed or direction change to trigger a strike or if the fish swipes at it and misses I can see what direction he went for a cast back.
Never set the hook on what you see, set it on what you feel.See the fish strike, see the water splash but feel weight and then let’em have it.
Hope that helps
I don’t own a rod shorter than 7’6″ and that one is my jerk/WTD rod. I have one being built that is 9′ that I’m putting a 7000 on for throwing double #10’s. I’ve found the longer rods have increased my catches in fish that hit at the boat (rod takes the impact and gives you that extra second to free spool) and when you get hit way out at the end of the cast especially with topwater when the fish is thrashing on the surface. The longer rods/w a high speed reel help pick up line and give you a bit of control to maybe turn the fishes head when it’s coming at you and get it back under the surface so it doesn’t throw the bait. Just what works for me.
For sure the girthiest fish I’ve seen out of that puddle. Again, nice one for sure.
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Here is Dan’s 50 from Forest
HOLY SHNIT!!! That’s out of Forest???
I’ve used to fish that lake all the time years ago but never even got a look at anything like that. Very nice.
I’ve got a 1500yd spool of 100# Power Pro that i’ll sell for $75
I fish it often and should let you know if you head to the Lou be very careful of hazards if you’re on the upper river. Water levels are lower than last year and last year was low…$2500 in motor repairs low and I know my way around there fairly well. Bring a jon boat or if you’re in a big boat fish south of Boy Scout. Might want to try trolling the lower river near the bay….intimidating for sure but I’ve heard rumors.
Musky Candy and Eagle Tails
I would also say don’t give up on LCO or Grindstone…you said big fish lakes right? Most big fish lakes in WI aren’t numbers lakes. I would also say look towards the Cisco lakes in the Minoqua/Eagle River area as well as the Manitowish Chain. Again, not class A water but that’s not what you’re looking for.
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this post is dominated by the 3 of you so i figured i would just post something to add some variety to your bantering back and forth. if anyone needs a net man this week, let me know…haven’t chased muskies exclusively yet this year and am getting a little anxious.
I might need a net man some night, I’ll let you know but you’ll have to be sworn into a death cult that will need to know you entire family tree so that if you talk we can track you down. 
Or I’ll swap you for a river trip for some wader Muskies That sounds like a blast.
Yeah sorry Gary..I haven’t gotten around to sending out the pic. I’ve been fishing, fish are snapping up north.
Lots of big fish being caught
Metro is slow if you don’t fish the right times. Though the big one came at 2pm on a HOT blue bird day. A couple mid forties that week also during the midday.
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Got to love a 30lber!!!!
Nice job Jason!
Got a pic?
Sorry to hear of the loss Kooty………It sure is a heart-breaker when you loose big fish! I’m still moping about that hog we lost last fall when you and I were in the boat….
Sorry Gary, soul fisherman buddy. I stopped posting pics of fish on the net, I’ll leave the glory to others. If you want to see it I’ll email it to you, with a photoshop background of course 
Yep fish are moving,put a few in the boat yesterday including a 30#er.
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Hey Jason;
Have you had much success out there yet this year??? I’m truly struggling on my milk run…..The fish just don’t seem to be in the same pattern for me. I’m having a heck of a time just raising fish.I know that I haven’t been out there on “ideal weather” conditions, but dang……I’m sucking!
Yeah, it’s been a tougher year on that lake so far. Many sticks that are better than I are not catching fish on that lake yet. We’ve got a few in the boat but nothin compared to previous years. Fish deep for now is all I can say. Cooler temps coming this week might move them up..sounds like it already has if you guys are seeing fish in the shallows. I haven’t been out there for a week now, I will get back at it this week.
Not trying to start a fight but I guess I would question the etiquette of a guide taking money for something he doesn’t really know.I would save your reputation as a guide and tell him you’re a Musky guide and not a crappie guide. I hear about that all the time with Musky guides that take on Walleye trips and vise versa, not only does the client lose by wasting their hard earned bucks on a guide that isn’t what they’re looking for but the guide who may be a great other species guide ends up with less of a name.
Just my $.02
Great lake, like Gary said tons of good stuff to fish. I would personally stay the hell away from Grays Bay landing but I’m not as social as Gary.
One thing you might want to think about with Tonka is Milfoil..it’s everywhere and if you’re fishing during the day light hours remember a milfoil wall will create a shade line and Bass and Muskies will use that shade. Be aware of the sun and where you’re fishing is the best quick tip I can give you. Oh and I heard that they were catching fish Bass/Muskies on the rock piles in 25-30′..get a good map to find those spots
I fish Tonka often and know a few things about it…more when it comes to Muskies and on weekends my fishing schedule on that lake has become nocturnal.
Good luck and have fun.
Oh, one other thing…the fishing gloves idea isn’t a bad one but I might suggest spending that $50 on a Knipex hook cutter instead. That and an 11″ needle nose pliers that will keep your hands far enough away from the fish to be safe. You’ll want a quality hook cutters for cutting hooks out of badly hooked fish but more importantly for cutting them out of yourself. Like I said I got stuck the other night when a buddy set the hook and his mag dawg came back at the boat 100 MPH and buried into my forearm and stomach…Trust me the quality hook cutters was the difference between being able to stay on the water after that and putting the screws to some fish or a trip to the emergency room.
No real pros to a cradle IMHO. First you have to ask yourself if you ever fish alone? How are you going to cradle the fish by yourself? Get the big net (Frabill Big Kahuna or Beckman Mag Musky)
Also, if you have a buddy along and is maning the cradle for you great..but as you’re leading that fish into the net with a 3oz jerkbait with three razor sharpe trebles on it think about where he is…face down by the cradle..if that fish shakes and that bait flies that guy might get hurt bad. It does hurt, I got a 7X hook through my arm night fishing a few days ago..no fun. Go with the BIG net.
Not to mention you should be working the fish in the net with the net in the water (can’t do that with a cradle) forget what you see on In-Fisherman with Jimmy hoisting the fish in a cradle into the boat and dropping it on the floor…not good for the fish or the fishery.
Hope that helps some.
-So I jump ship in Hong Kong and make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I’m a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald… striking. So, I’m on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one – big hitter, the Lama – long, into a ten-thousand foot crevasse, right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga… gunga, gunga-galunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he’s gonna stiff me. And I say, “Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.” And he says, “Oh, uh, there won’t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.” So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.
-License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit – ever. They’re like the Viet Cong – Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that’s all she wrote.
-Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
