T-Billy

2 for 3 today. Numbers 90 and 91 in the bag. 35.5" and 37.5" Number 92 shook off as I was trying to slide the net under it. Grrr... I also raised five other fish. Only two more days to fish, and still nine fish away from the century mark. Ain't looking good for the home team. 😂 I'll be riding around in a crude tanker for the next five days wish'n I was fish'n. This working for a living crap really cramps my style. 😁

I honestly don't know. 70 ish rods. 50 ish reels. Another new muskie rod will be here tomorrow.

10 more hours of grind'n, one more fish. Another 37" from the same bay I caught yesterday's. This is my first top water musky, and oh what a bite it was. Shortly after first light, I eased into the back of the bay, rolling a double 8 over the submerged milfoil bed, but no takers. It was cloudy and slick calm, so I fished my way back out by crawling my new Muskie Train, Wake Shad over top the weeds at a snails pace. As I was approaching the outside edge of the weeds, this joker came rocketing up and absolutely exploded on the bait about 20' from me. Just about startled the crap outta me. 😂 I see this bait getting lots of early morning action as long as they're using the shallow weeds. I ended up getting seven more follows, one on blades and six on cranks, but couldn't get one to commit. I get another crack at 'em tomorrow, then back to work for five days.

Double 10's on a 9'6" XXH in the dark, so about 3.5 hrs of that. Mostly double 8's on a 9' H after daylight, but also spent about an hour ripping a regular medussa over milfoil on the XXH. My forearms feel like they got run over by a truck, and my back feels like I got kicked between the shoulder blades by a mule. 🤣

Nope. I'm not a fan of the heat, but I just adjust my fishing schedule accordingly. I got started at 02:00 and finished up at 11.45 today. I am ready for some rain and some cooler nights though. That'll get the fish moving shallow, and up into the creek arms in big numbers.

Another one fish day. This pace ain't gonna get me to 100. I only have four more days to fish before August 10th, and still need a dozen fish. I need a good gully washer to get the creeks flowing dirty. I had six fish follow into the 8 today. No takers. This purty 37" rocketed up out of a hole in the milfoil and smoked my double 8 mid retrieve. Awesome bite, awesome fight. It was quite the acrobat.

Looks like a little slice of Heaven to me Katie. Enjoy your trip. I'm looking forward to the report.

Mine's a 7 speed also, but had I initially bought it for froggin or flippin I'd have got an 8 speed. I bought it to be a dedicated chatterbait reel, but it's currently on my 7'11" XH flippin stick. It also pulled duty on a MH muskie rod for awhile last year pulling smaller muskie cranks. The BB1 is an outstanding reel that excels at a lot of things.

I'm gonna vote Lew's BB1 Pro 8 speed. Casts a mile, smooth, rugged, 20# drag. Everything I'd want in a frog reel. Mine has become my favorite pitching reel as well, beating out my Super Duty's, Pro SP's, and Zillion HD's for this technique.

Slow day today. Slick calm, mostly sunny, and clear water. This chunky 34.75" smoked my spinner in the 8 early on, then I only managed three follows the rest of the day.

I think the delayed mortality due to water temp deal gets blown out of proportion, at least when it comes to shallow fish. Pulling them up out of deep water in the summer is definitely a bad idea though. Most folks have gotten pretty good with proper handling these days, and the big nets available to us are a great thing for both anglers and fish. The little lake I fish most gets hammered all summer long and I don't see many floaters.

77 before the sun got on it this morning, down a couple degrees from last week. I haven't had any issues with releasing them in warm water, but I don't pull 'em out of deep water this time of year.

Long, lean 44" today. I also lost a high 30's and had four follows. This fish didn't have much belly, but it was thick across the back and has a big head. Kinda makes me think it's a big male. Time's running out on me to achieve my goal of 100 ski's over 30" in my first full year of chasing them. I only have six more days to fish before August 10th, and I'm currently 14 fish short. I need to go on a tear.

^THIS^ Happy to hear Lynn's home. I hope things are going well. You two are in my prayers every day brother.

Catching is the most exhilarating part. Successfully putting the puzzle together is the most satisfying part.

Me thinks you underestimate yourself. Just keep all the steady pressure on 'em you can muster with that 766. You'll do better than you think. 😉

If the Lord blesses me with a long enough life, there will come a day when I'll have to put the musky rods down also. Father time catches up with all of us eventually.

I'm not gonna say I won't do it, because when it comes to muskie, that seems to be a guarantee that I will. 😂 I said... I'm not gonna hurt myself throwing double 10's. I do. I said... No way I'm throwing pounders. I do, but not often. That's just brutal for an old fat guy like me. I used to think chucking an A-rig all day was tough. Ha!!! That's child's play compared to big blades and big rubber.

I had an awesome morning. 34.5" - 37" - 38" - 42.5". I got to watch 'em all eat. All four came on blades in less than 4' of water. The 38 was especially fun. I was waking a double #8 through a channel in the pads, and this joker blows up on the bait but misses. It comes right back up on it, nose on the bait, but I can't trigger it. I made several speed and direction changes, but it just kept following, nose right on the bait. So... last ditch effort, I stick the rod tip in the water and start burning that spinner as fast as I can, and just rip it into the 8 full force. I came through the first turn hard, then slowed up and hung it just under the surface on the outside of the turn. That fish came absolutely unglued on it. WWWWWWHAT A RUSH!!! 😂 One more day of fishcation left. I hope they're chewing this well again tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Tom!!!

I started throwing rubber baits for muskie this year, Bulldawgs, Medussa's, Assault Eels, etc. Nothing fun about it, just pain....... until you get bit that is. POW!!! They hit those baits like a freight train. They've been productive enough for me to endure throwing them for a few hours each day. That's all I got. Still throwing the same 'ol bass baits. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Search BFS.

I could get by quite happily with a chatterbait, a beaver type bait, and a black 'Ol Monster all summer long.