8 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I'll be back out there after church tomorrow, in a 42 degree rain, grinding away. 

 

^This^ is why Tim is the man. 

 

8 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Surface temp was 39 this morning and the bite's really getting tough, but I've been around fish, and getting follows.

 

Anyone who has fished for muskies understands that seeing a fish counts as partial success. And anyone who's had a musky glare at them inches from their boat understands why musky fishers are driven to keep fishing.

Arctic muck boots, striker ice suit, insulated rubber gloves, fur hat, I'll be comfy.

You're right about the muskie addiction. Crazy acrobatics in warm water, violent strikes in the 8, then the mayhem that ensues at boatside... The struggle it sometimes is just to get bit, the letdown of having big ones get away, the exhilaration of landing a giant...They're in a league of their own in fresh water.

I agree with everything you wrote, Tim, and I enjoyed my years of addiction. There is nothing like the jolt of a musky hitting your figure-8, which leaves about 24" of line between you and the greenest of muskies.

 

What I loved most about muskies was their utter fearlessness. I once hooked and lost a musky in my canoe and I just sat there trembling and panting, with my surface lure dangling about a foot above the water. Well, the hooked and then unhooked musky wanted round two and it was near vertical in the water, preparing to launch itself at a my lure. So, I dropped my lure onto the water and it was on like Kong again. 

 

26 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

then the mayhem that ensues at boatside...

 

I know ^this^ well.

 

27 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Arctic muck boots, striker ice suit, insulated rubber gloves, fur hat, I'll be comfy.

 

Tim, it is NEVER just "fur hat." It's "THE fur hat."

Last trip out I left the house with a smile on my face.Full of confidence as I had been catching them pretty good.When I arrived at the creek there was a heavy frost.Blue sky,clear low water from recent drought conditions.I began to paddle upstream to my "secret spot".Second cast I had one pick up my worm and run at me.I missed him.I thought to myself its gonna be great.4 hours later I hadn't had another bite lol.Pride cometh before the fall.My arms were wearing down from paddling upstream against the wind.I was becoming desperate as I had never been skunked at this location.I downsized baits to zman bug.Another hour of fishing and finally pulled a 3 pounder from some rocks narrowly avoiding the skunk.I was happy to have him but I left more humble than I came.

 

5 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

Anyone who has fished for muskies understands that seeing a fish counts as partial success.

 

I can confirm this, which is why I almost exclusively cast for them with artificial lures rather than trolling or sitting there with a sucker.  It's referred to "a visual" here when you see one and that is a successful outing in the muskie realm.

@Creek Pirate: Gosh, that's a pretty fish.

 

Yep, @gimruis, there are six stages of musky fishing:

 

Saw one.

One hit.

Hooked one.

Caught one.

40-incher.

50-incher!

Only got a couple small ones after the rain and late lunch (catfish and crappie) with friends. Attempts at more fresh crappie were unsuccessful.  Saw eagles and loons everywhere tho, i think we’ve learned from the neighbors there’s an eagle nest up in the trees behind our house on a farm. Last two days one flew over our roof and the neighbors and you hear them chirp everyday at sunrise 

 

For me right now, this thread is a little like diving by a crash on the highway. I don't wanna look, but since I'm here I might as well just see what happened

 

I'm losing my mind already, and it's been less than a month since I last wet a line. But knowing I gotta wait almost 4 is driving me up a wall

Local shop finally started carrying owner flashy swimmers. Wanted to try one out. 

21 minutes ago, 928JLH said:

Local shop finally started carrying owner flashy swimmers. Wanted to try one out. 

I'd say it worked! Nice fish

 

Those Owner Flashy Swimmers are my #1 mid-column lure. It was Tim who taught me that I could chuck them into pretty much all slop and he's right. I leave the hook tip exposed and still rarely catch weeds, but I catch a lot of bass on them. Heck, I've even twitched them over lily pads like a frog and caught bass. And they're great in open water too. 

Latest report from Upper Red Lake, MN!  lol

 

 

Went to my favorite numbers pond . Cold front came through and we have windy conditions and cloudless sky  .Got 7 in an hour or so. 5 on super flukes, and 2 on the speed worm.

You know it's winter time when you're catching twofers on jerking sticks 😁 

 

@AlabamaSpothunter awesome man. Well done. Do most of your doubles come during winter? I remember last winter you were nailing doubles and triples on the A rig. 

Thanks brother!  Yeah I can't remember ever catching a two/threefer outside of the Fall/Winter.     Down here as the water cools it seems everything starts to group up closer and closer together.   A month ago I was seeing big schools of bait in a particular area, whereas now it's just a carpet of bait in those same areas.      

   

@AlabamaSpothunter, nicely done!!

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

You know it's winter time when you're catching twofers on jerking sticks 😁 

 

On 12/16/2023 at 5:54 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Tough sledding on this side of the mtn for me as well today @Woody B. I narrowly avoided skunk but I did get one and lost another boatside. My buddy got a nice one in his tracker right after I left the honey hole, haha. Took a friend up to a dam to fish shallow swift current with his fly rod after that and it just wasn’t happening . Got some cool photos tho, saw loons and eagles and even witnessed two loons in flight

 

 

 

 

and before it all began the sunrise was nice from the deck 

TnRiver46, you totally live in Paradise. This is what I expect to see if'in St. Peter lets me through!

Bob, to be frank, if you're not passing through the Pearly Gates, then no one is. 

 

@TnRiver46: You have borrowed our loons for the winter. Take GOOD CARE of them and don't forget to return them come spring. Thank you. 

Bob, you're already in Heaven.....having a tractor, acreage, and a pond is about as close to heaven as we can get on earth.    Not to mention you live in one of the best states to live in.    

 

That said TnRiver46 has his own piece of heaven figured out quite nicely.  I'd be happy with either one.  

57 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

TnRiver46, you totally live in Paradise. This is what I expect to see if'in St. Peter lets me through!

Come on over let’s fish 

Bob's Heaven on Earth was Bob-built. 

 

4 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Come on over let’s fish 

 

You should do it, Bob. Mr. 46 fishes with so many other anglers, which tells me that he's a good egg. And all those 20" and 21" smallies tells me he's a good stick too.

I’ve been meaning to go on over and fish with Mr. River. One of these days if I’m allowed over I will make it happen!

Sounds to me like we just need to have a big ole fish a thon