From what I have heard Leech has a pretty good jig/minnow bite. Fishing pressure on Leech could quite possibly double this year because of the current state on Mille Lacs. Winnie as well. Good luck.

Not sure if anyone will notice when a total of 4 cars drive away at the same time. I got a rod from cabela’s a couple weeks ago- not a place I buy much from but once in a great while you can find a deal.

Ben, you don’t get it. I know that the problem is with the young of the year walleye not surviving. That is obvious. If you know anything about Mille Lacs, there is no shortage food in the lake currently. The young of the year walleye were being eaten because there was a crash in the baitfish population. Now with the lake having a ton of tiny perch in the lake we don’t have to worrry about the young of the year walleye being targeted as food as much. Now we still need those bigger 20″ walleyes in the lake to spawn for at least a few years to start up the population of younger fish. While the baitfish population is still high we count on those bigger fish to spawn.

This is my last post here on this. Sorry for those of you who don’t get anything that I have addresed in my last few posts. Keep on doing what you always have whatever that might be- even if your goal is to catch and release as many fish as possible in deep water with warm water surface temperatures with 150 feet of line out and reeling in a fish while the boat is moving 2-4 mph. Good luck, no more replys from me on this. You get it or you don’t.

Guys, I mean no disrepect, but I don’t agree with your opinions on open water trolling in the heat of the summer. I guess we will agree to disagree. 150 feet of line out isn’t a lot of line out? Huh? Live bait fishing doesn’t kill fish…fishermen kill fish. We need to educate fishermen to set the hook right away….reel in slow….handle the fish with care in a timely manner….good releases etc. Apparently we need to educate fishermen on fishing in deep water when the apparent goal is to not keep any fish. Why are you catch and release fishing in deep water period? And add in warm water temps and tons of line out? So in order to get little fish we need healthy spawners. Those 20″ers aren’t going to lay eggs? Better kill em because there’s too many large fish…right.

I have a much different perspective on open water trolling in the heat of the summer than you guys. Obviously you guys are emotionally attached to that method of fishing because you enjoy to do it and it catches fish- I get it. The problem is that you guys are long line trolling in deep water during warm water periods of the summer. You say you try to reel in slow- well ok- but you have 150 feet of line out? That’s a long fight in deep water during an already high stress time period due to warm water at the surface. Also, I know how many of you open water summer trollers don’t stop the boat while reeling in a fish. So now, you are dragging the fish while the boat is still trolling (got to get that double right) while you have a 150 feet of line out. Can you say prolonged fight in deep water in the heat of the summer? And to the live bait vs open water trolling debate. Live bait fishing at least you don’t have a ton of line out so you are not fighting fish to exhaustion. Set the hook right away, reel it in slow, much better than long lining cranks in the hot deep. But personally, I choose to not fish deep during warm water months unless I plan on keeping every fish I catch.

I think we all need to take a look in the mirror and ask ourselves what can I do to make this a better fishery. One of them being the method in which you fish. Are you going to open water troll in the heat of the summer on a lake that is on the brink of collapse? I sure hope not. It doesn’t do anybody any good to sit here and point fingers at the DNR or at the native american community. We have no control over their decision making, but we do have control over our own conservation practices.

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Sharpening my spears now!!

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The line forms behind me!

I can hardly wait.

Before anybody wants to hang me…..yes, I can tell the difference tween a ski and a pike. I am looking for a hawg….. A 25#+ pike. They are in there and it is nice to FINALLY have a crack at them. There are not going to be piles of skis swimming around with tine marks…..,

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I don’t have a problem with spearing as long as the smaller pike are targeted. What I do have a problem with is the spearers who go out everytime looking for a big pike and let the hammer handles swim away. Spearing the biggest fish in the system will only make the current Mille Lacs situation worse because then we are left with a bunch of hammer handle pike which feed heavily on young of year walleye.

Personally, I don’t understand why someone would want to stab a big pike…no sport in that. Catch it with a hook and line and enjoy the fight! Release it so the next person has a chance to enjoy the thrill of catching a big pike. Just my 2 cents.

So Brad, do you still plan on yanking numbers of walleyes from the deep in the summer? Just because they appear to “swim away just fine” doesn’t mean they live. Just saying and there are a lot of guys like you doing it.

That fish is a tank. I don’t doubt that it might be a 48″. I caught and released a legit 46″ pike in the summer of 2008. My buddy caught and released a 42.5″ in the winter of 2009. Kind of sad to see these pigs being kept. Guys should be keeping their limits of the hammer handle pike and releasing the big fish. The hammer handle pike are in huge numbers right now and they do much more damage to the fishery.

Nice show and really impressive crappies! Just one question on the measuring of the fish. It looked like you guys were measuring them with the mouth stretched open and not with the mouth closed. This is what I have found to make at least a 3/4″ to an 1″ difference. I have measured a lot of big crappies on a board, and I have a lot of respect for an legitimate 15″ crappie measured with the mouth closed all the way. Regardless, they are very nice fish…good job.

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woulda, coulda, shoulda…. Had the largest ski on that I have stuck since I got my PB 30 years ago…. Pretty hard to get a measurement on this one

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Not sure if you were targeting muskie or not, but if you were, do yourself a favor and buy quality leaders. I only use stealth tackle leaders…never had a failure. Never skimp on the important stuff guys: line, leaders, release tools. etc.

Guys- Many fish that die after release don’t stay afloat. Many, many fish sink to the bottom when they die. I have seen this many times, and have talked to others who have to using under water cameras.

Pulling fish from deep water in the heat of the summer is horrible for the fish, any species. Hooking mortality is FAR from a scam.

Wow those are amazing fish! Congrats! You have an amazing fishery there…I wouldn’t tell anyone about where you got those.

Side note: If you are looking to get a 16″, I would start releasing those big 14″ and 15″ perch. I would keep 9″-12″ to eat.

That Abu Garcia C4 is not a very versatile musky reel. I would probably only use a C4 as a topwater reel if I currently had one. I owned a C4 about 6 years ago and it didn’t even make it through a whole fishing season…I sold it to someone that used it for parts.

Abu Revo Toro is a good all around musky reel and they can take a beating. The Toro is the only reel I haven’t been able to break YET. Rods, there are many good ones. Tackle Industries makes some good rods at a reasonable price and they are good rods for someone new to the sport.

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Great bumper sticker!

I just hope you are not putting a target on your truck at the boat access for thieves.

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I was thinking the same thing. While I agree with your message, I would be worried about someone messing with my vehicle.

I wish everyone who just started muskie fishing would be as smart as you and get the right info. before they start tossing baits.

Do yourself a favor and get good release tools the first time. Buying crappy release tools the first time will just cost you more money in the long run as you will soon find out that you need better ones.

A Knipex (cutters) is a must for every muskie fisherman. Safe for the fish and the fisherman. Look around, you can find some pretty good deals in that $30-$40 range.

Get a good quality net. Don’t buy a cheap crappy one. Just because a net looks big enough to put a muskie in, does not mean it will work. Frabill and Beckman make a few pretty good ones…get the treated/coated mesh, tangle free…there are a lot of nets out there that look like they would work, but are junk. My bro has an older Frabill muskie net that is worthless…the fish get tangled so bad in the netting that it is a headache to even use….it now sits in the girage and will never be used again.

Long pliers is a must as well. I keep a couple on me just in case.

Bump boards are nice if you feel the need to measure your fish. Laying fish on the carpet of the boat is not good for the fish as it removes the protective slime off the fish. Just wet the board before you use to not remove too much protective slime off the fish.

Make sure you have quality line and leaders. I use 80-100 lb. test. Stealth Leaders.

And one of the most important tips for a beginner to the sport, is to learn how to correctly grab a fish for a picture. When I take people new to the muskie game out I try hard to catch a fish that day so I can teach them this grip. I see many guys who have been fishing for them for a few years and still don’t know how to hold a fish.

Your thumb should be placed underneath the mouth below the jaw bone, while your other 4 fingers are placed in the gill area towards the jaw bone (do not put your fingers in the actual gills) Make a fist, hold on tight. After I learned this grip I have never dropped a fish using it. Then obviously support the weight in the belly area with your other hand.

Good luck and thanks for taking the time to ask questions before you get on the water.

Stop in at Thorne Bros. some time if you need additional help.

I think you started this thread after seeing the pic of the 55″ in the general discussion forum that was kept. Just so you know, they tried to release the fish, but it would not swim away. I think he is doing the right thing by mounting it since the fish died.

As for me, I have released every muskie I have ever caught up to 53.5″. They will always be released in my boat unless for some reason the fish does not swim away.

Nice fish! Glad to see you had some luck!

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Wow, congrats on that monster pike! Definitely a fish worthy of a replica.

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Baby Mallard I pose this question to you. When you catch a big fish how do you lift the fish out of the net?? Are you going to tell me that you DO NOT lift the fish by the gil plate THEN support the belly?? If so I can assure you from handling thousands of big fish this is a very very good way to rip your hands off with a big fish. That is FACT. Furthermore this is when most guys will in turn drop the fish on her head inside the boat which TRULY does damage to the fish and is NOT just an opinion from some anglers or some doing research MAINLY on large Muskies OVER 25lbs.

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I was hoping you would keep an open mind and not be offended by my previous post. Sorry, my intentions were not to offend you. I was just suggesting a way to hold a big fish for photos that is better for the overall health of the fish.

I have caught my fair share of big fish over the years and have learned a thing or two while doing it. I treat other species of fish with the same respect as a muskie. A 25 lb. northern is quite a bit bigger than the average sized muskie caught.

I wish we did not live so far away from each other, I would have no problem with showing you how I grab the fish. A friend/guide showed me how to properly hold a big fish to prevent doing damage to the fish from simply taking a pic. You are right, I do use one hand in the gill area to grab the fish. It is very important where that hand is to ensure a secure grip. I keep my thumb outside of the gill and just underneath its jaw area, and then make a fist. Once I get a secure grip on the fish, I slowly raise the fish upward and when I can reach the stomach area of the fish with my other (left) hand I secure the belly of the fish so that the weight is distributed. I can easily get a grip on the belly of the fish before the fish is lifted all the way out of the water. I have also seen other guys lift and then lean back to disperse some of the weight of the fish on the side of the boat, and then they grab the fish by the belly. I try to hold the fish in a horizontal position as much as possible. I have not dropped a fish with this grip since I started using it a few years ago. I have lifted fish up to 45 lbs. using this grip and hope to use it on a bigger one this season.

Whatever you choose to do is up to you. It does not make you a better fisherman whether or not you choose to go horizontal or vertical. Although I have not met you in person, I can tell from the many threads you have on here that you are an accomplished fisherman/guide. And since you have stated on many of your threads the importance of catch and release, I really didn’t think you would be offended by someone pointing this out.

Wow, congrats on that monster pike! Definitely a fish worthy of a replica.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but you might want to have one hand supporting the belly (weight) of the fish. Holding a heavy fish with all the weight on its gill can do some serious damage to the fish. You seem to be concerned about the health of the fish you are releasing, otherwise I wouldn’t say anything. Again, I hope you don’t mind me pointing this out. Congrats on the fish and good luck.

I’m pretty sure you guys both have it wrong. My understanding after last year is that your fishing partner for the tourney CAN be your witness. No reason to haul a fish around the lake looking for a witness when you have your fishing partner standing right next to you. If you fish the tourney solo, well, then you will have to go looking for a witness.

You guys are not the only ones confused by this rule. I know many people who fish the tourney who thought they had to go looking for a witness too. Quite a few fish were killed on a certain lake last year during this metro tourney as a result of bad fish handling. I would contact Paul Hartman directly for specific questions related to the tourney. I personally don’t fish the tourney, not into tournament fishing. Just have some friends who fish it and that was my understanding from what they told me. Hopefully the rules will be explained better this year. Good luck.

Nice fish! Just curious if you are measuring your fish with the mouth closed or open as it does make a big difference?

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personally I feel its more rewarding to see the fish swim away healthy. catching is half the battle and making a quick, ethical, and safe release is the fun part! knowing you won the battle and it can be done another day! many of these fish are caught several times a year

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Yep! Many of these 50″+ fish are caught several times a year, probably at least once a month on heavily fished waters…a couple times a week is not uncommon either. To legally keep one is your personal choice, but remember you are taking memories away from the next lucky angler who will potentially catch that fish another day. Releasing a fish is only providing more memories for the next angler…not to mention the fish will continue to grow. 50 inches is really not all that rare anymore based on the fact that catch and release is practiced by every ethical good muskie fisherman. 53″ is the new 50″…that is until people feel the need to kill one. Catch and release allows a fish to grow to its maximum size…a fish at 50″ is far from its maximum growth.

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He’s sorry all right…sorry he got caught and sorry he lost many millions in endorsements!GO PHIL!!!

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This is exactly how I feel about this. I don’t see how someone can be sorry for making the same bad decisions over and over and over again. It’s not like he made a bad decision 1, 2, 3, 4 times. He made the same bad decisions repeatedly. If fame is such a hard thing to deal with while being married, then don’t be married. Pretty simple.

Nice job on the gills. There is definitely a skill involved to get the bulls. Crappies are easy to catch compared to big gills. Are these Rainy Lake gills? Don’t need to the know the lake if it’s not Rainy, I’ve just never seen you post anything about sunfish on Rainy. Best fishing is yet to come!

I pray for their safe return home.

Is it just coincidence that a lot of male college students go missing in this general area of the mid-west?

Congrats on a great fish, Tim!! Really nice looking fish. Catfish eh?

I was in Gander Mountain in St. Cloud a couple days ago and everything in there seemed pretty normal. I would think there business has had a little boost here since Sportsmans Warehouse is now gone. I visit Gander, Scheels, and FF about equal amount times. The one thing I do like about Gander is I can usually get in there and out very quickly as it usually isn’t real busy.

I really like black/white photos. Editing photos can be fun!

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I recognize a few of those baits, Tim. I know you will put them to good use. You will not catch any small fish on those baits that’s for sure! Good luck!