Susky River Rat

I always used a Dremel tool. Even use it for my bass stuff now. I honestly highly doubt it’s the box/lure on lure that dulls them enough to risk losing a fish. Hardened metal on plastic isn’t like hardened metal on rock. Ask your self how many times you were snagged bumped something popped it loose but didn’t sharpen your hooks? I bet most people do not sharpen their hooks after that. I am guilty as charged too. However when I musky fished any bump on a lure from bottom, wood etc they got sharpened when I was done with the retrieve. I do think the rubber band is an awesome idea for organization.

Before my boat I fished out of a canoe with a trolling motor. Now it was a tiller not a pedal so I didn’t have to paddle but did not have constant control. I didn’t change anything just let it ride out. For the swinging around the anchor rope issue a drift sock may help with that. I know some catfish guys who only drop one anchor in the bow and use a drift sock to keep them straight. I have never personally tried it though. It may only work with a consistent wind or current.

My question is what did you learn from the guide? That is some value that you can’t always put into a cost.

If we get ice I’ll be on the hard water. If not I’ll try to get on the water if I can. Other wise I’ll just find stupid stuff to keep myself busy. I do try to work as much overtime as I can sign up for as well. Once the weather breaks though I won’t be signing up.

Musky are wishy washy fish. They generally just head shake. Don’t run to far if you she the right tackle but they are very explosive. Most musky guys do their best to keep them from becoming airborne. Rod down maybe even the tip in the water. A musky airborne generally means a lost one. I’ve had mid 40s come right in the net and I’ve had mid 40s head-shake like a dog with a rope toy. I love musky fishing but, personally I think smallies are the better fighting fish. There is just a lot of folklore around musky.

Don’t you guys do this to me lol

Smallies fight better. River smallies fight even harder. I was fishing a big slack water pool in the river. Not on spot lock it was that slack. I hooked something and thought for sure the way it pulled and ran it was a carp I snagged in the tail by accident. Ended up being a 4lber. This revived my wanting to fish for bass again over other species. Fighting a strong smallie in current is darn right some of the most fun you can ever have.

This is what happens when I read stuff here

There are some great points and food for thought in here. I will be trying some stuff to see if it applies to my water. One of the things I do is rip ned rigs. I will let it fall to the bottom then give two huge rips. Like I’m setting the hook and they owe me money.

I run a Yamaha 60/40 jet. My personal opinion is they are the better motor. I was in a stripped down hull version of the same boat I have and they come with mercs. I was not impressed. I do not know how he had his boat weighed though which becomes extremely crucial with jets.

I don’t lake fish often. I do however catch smallies mixed right in the same areas as large mouth. Like others have stated smallies do tend to eat off the bottom a little more. Don’t over think it too much as far as brown vs green. I don’t have much experience fishing West Virginia other than stonewall Jackson. Although I would like to hit up the upper Potomac sometime.

I used to troll for musky a lot. You never know what you’ll find in the abyss

This is exactly why I started this. I don’t think it is wrong if you are catching fish. Unless it’s an unethical way of doing it. It isn’t a debate it’s just to see what others do that go completely against the “normal wisdom”

So this is more just to spark conversation. I also don’t want it to get on the extreme side of things like throwing a 6oz lure on a 1/2 max rod. If you are catching fish consistently but, maybe are using 20lb line instead of 10lb is it wrong? If you work a certain bait differently then is most commonly done is that wrong? What do you do that may be against the conventional way of thinking?

I had broken a legend tournament musky rod 3 years in a row like clock work. All on casts. I did ship mine back they sent me new ones no questions really asked. Although one time it did take me 3-4 months to get back. I called them and they had seem to lost my claim. I stopped using their musky rods but use their premier spinning rods for bass yet.

Since I mainly fish non tidal I live and die by the river gauges. It takes lots of time to learn where is good at one river level. I know in my river it can be middle of winter ice flowing down it. At a certain height everything will still push shallow.

I have a mustang MIT 100. It doesn’t matter what you have if you don’t wear it!

@Blue Raider Bob that place is no secret. It is the susky south of Harrisburg. You should see it in summer pool. More rock then water.

Air temp was around 52-54 here. We had a few unseasonably warm days. The water temps on the susky have been between 37-40.

Looks like you guys had a blast! I wish it was that warm here in December! I love putting people on fish.

Winter time the fishing is always slower. The fish are slower so you need to be as well. Don’t ever expect to go out and crush it in the winter. 46-55 is our spring/fall water temps. Last time was out water temp was 37-40. One of the reason river fishing is very popular in winter is the fish are more active. They have to be they are in current.

I sleep the best when there is something on tv I want to be watching

I am 95% spinning. I feel I have the most confident and control of it. I would also say that is the ratio for most people around here. I do like my casting set up for WTD top waters, hard jerk baits, harder pulling cranks and spinner baits. So generally something with a harder pull wether it be the motion I am putting in on it or the lure drag in the water.