06-18-2007, 10:05 PM
Hey all,
Went to Pineview and Willard again on Saturday. Those Tiger Muskies are kicking my butt this year. Last year I caught at least one every time I went, this year I've gone 5 times and have yet to catch one! Just the wrong place at the wrong time I guess.
Here is my report and some pics that I sent out to my buddies via email today...
By the way, if anyone knows what Muskie repellent I am using this year, please tell me. I use SafeGuard soap. Maybe thats it...
Randy
[size 2]
Fishing report for Saturday 6/16/07.
Since I still haven't caught a Tiger Muskie this year, I decided to give it another shot. I launched alone at 5:30 a.m. at the Pineview boat ramp and drove out to the middle fork area. Calm conditions, 70 degree water temp, air temp about 60 to 65 degrees. A slight "steam" coming off the water in some places. No wind and no water skiers.
I had 3 poles rigged. One, my heavy pole, with a 6 inch J-13 jointed Rapala (primary Tiger Muskie rig), a medium pole with a chartruese spinner bait, and another medim pole with a watermelon Senko. Over the next 4 hours I pitched my arm off with all 3 poles. Aside from hundreds of little perch nibbles, which I was not interested in, I only had 2 action sequences. I was in a small cove with submerged brush on the east side of the middle fork. I pitched the Senko and let it drop. I don't know what kind of fish it was that took it, but it was either a Tiger Muskie or a Big Smallmouth or Largemouth Bass. (Yes, there are Largemouth in Pineview) I only fought it for a few seconds, and my pole really was doubled over. It got off as it went under the boat and all I got was a glimpse of green and white body right before it got off. The Senko was almost torn off the hook, so I think that it never had the hook itself in its mouth, just wouldn't let go of the worm. I couldn't count it, since I didn't really have control of it. I really don't know what it was, other than I know it wasn't a carp.
The next action sequence, was about an hour later, and I was pitching the big Rapala. I had a hard hit and then the fish started taking out line. I tightened up my drag and started reeling it in. It was pulling my little 14' aluminum boat around! After quite a few minutes, I finally got it to the surface...it was the fabled Golden Tiger Muskie!...or in other words, a big old ugly carp. Some people refer to these as "Bugle Mouth Bass". I refer to them as a Carp. I had snagged it in its belly and it was not happy. It was somewhere between 24 and 30 inches long, and I had a hard time getting the lure out of its belly. By the time I got the hook out of it, I was soaked. I had to wait a long time before it settled down enough for me to take a picture of it! The scales on this thing were prehistoric. In the picture of the lure, there is one of the scales hanging from one of the hooks. The lure is about 6 1/2 inches long, so compare that to the size of the fish. It was huge!
After getting shellacked at Pineview, I drove over to Willard and trolled around between the island and the west dike. I caught a 21" Wiper on a ratl-trap, and 2 Wallyes on a Walleye(small) lure and a shad deep diver. The picture of the pelican was a lot closer at first, but my camera wouldn't turn on. He let me troll within 5 feet of him and just looked at me as I idled by!
See pics.[/size]
[signature]
Went to Pineview and Willard again on Saturday. Those Tiger Muskies are kicking my butt this year. Last year I caught at least one every time I went, this year I've gone 5 times and have yet to catch one! Just the wrong place at the wrong time I guess.
Here is my report and some pics that I sent out to my buddies via email today...
By the way, if anyone knows what Muskie repellent I am using this year, please tell me. I use SafeGuard soap. Maybe thats it...
Randy
[size 2]
Fishing report for Saturday 6/16/07.
Since I still haven't caught a Tiger Muskie this year, I decided to give it another shot. I launched alone at 5:30 a.m. at the Pineview boat ramp and drove out to the middle fork area. Calm conditions, 70 degree water temp, air temp about 60 to 65 degrees. A slight "steam" coming off the water in some places. No wind and no water skiers.
I had 3 poles rigged. One, my heavy pole, with a 6 inch J-13 jointed Rapala (primary Tiger Muskie rig), a medium pole with a chartruese spinner bait, and another medim pole with a watermelon Senko. Over the next 4 hours I pitched my arm off with all 3 poles. Aside from hundreds of little perch nibbles, which I was not interested in, I only had 2 action sequences. I was in a small cove with submerged brush on the east side of the middle fork. I pitched the Senko and let it drop. I don't know what kind of fish it was that took it, but it was either a Tiger Muskie or a Big Smallmouth or Largemouth Bass. (Yes, there are Largemouth in Pineview) I only fought it for a few seconds, and my pole really was doubled over. It got off as it went under the boat and all I got was a glimpse of green and white body right before it got off. The Senko was almost torn off the hook, so I think that it never had the hook itself in its mouth, just wouldn't let go of the worm. I couldn't count it, since I didn't really have control of it. I really don't know what it was, other than I know it wasn't a carp.
The next action sequence, was about an hour later, and I was pitching the big Rapala. I had a hard hit and then the fish started taking out line. I tightened up my drag and started reeling it in. It was pulling my little 14' aluminum boat around! After quite a few minutes, I finally got it to the surface...it was the fabled Golden Tiger Muskie!...or in other words, a big old ugly carp. Some people refer to these as "Bugle Mouth Bass". I refer to them as a Carp. I had snagged it in its belly and it was not happy. It was somewhere between 24 and 30 inches long, and I had a hard time getting the lure out of its belly. By the time I got the hook out of it, I was soaked. I had to wait a long time before it settled down enough for me to take a picture of it! The scales on this thing were prehistoric. In the picture of the lure, there is one of the scales hanging from one of the hooks. The lure is about 6 1/2 inches long, so compare that to the size of the fish. It was huge!
After getting shellacked at Pineview, I drove over to Willard and trolled around between the island and the west dike. I caught a 21" Wiper on a ratl-trap, and 2 Wallyes on a Walleye(small) lure and a shad deep diver. The picture of the pelican was a lot closer at first, but my camera wouldn't turn on. He let me troll within 5 feet of him and just looked at me as I idled by!
See pics.[/size]
[signature]
I used to N.ot have E.nough T.ime O.ff to go fishing. Then I retired. Now I have less time than I had before. Sheesh.