I dead drifted a 9" pink-and-white musky fly around a mid-current boulder...and that fat little piggie came up and ate it.

Big smallies surprise musky fisherman very frequently. Gotta  love it. Congrats.

Absolute football ? Color on that fish is really unique too!

My gosh that is one beautiful smallmouth the color is so unique what a hog nice going I’m jealous 

Beautiful fish

Nice!!

That thing is a tank.  Huge tail on that fish.

Fatty! ?

 

Q… regarding a topic of prior discussion.  Was that fish played out before landing?  There’s been a suggestion that smallies May get darker when played to exhaustion.  

This smallie’s color is very normal for northern Wisconsin (especially for older fish). The rivers over there have rootbeer color from tannins and smallies are much darker. 

Bringing in a smallie like this on a 10wt fly rod would be quicker than on a medium spinning rod. 

Amazing looking fish!

 

There’s a few rivers I fish where the smallies tend to be that color. They aren’t quite so fat or long though…….

1 hour ago, The Baron said:

Fatty! ?

 

Q… regarding a topic of prior discussion.  Was that fish played out before landing?  There’s been a suggestion that smallies May get darker when played to exhaustion.  

Not long.

2 - 3 minutes, max.

 

 

 

 

Just a nudge over 40", exact same tactics, except gear instead of flies, because I was fishing with a gear guy, and the two don't mix well.

Guess who wont be posting pics of any recent catches?

 

This guy.

Im jealous

On 10/5/2021 at 7:38 PM, Further North said:

 

 

 

 

I dead drifted a 9" pink-and-white musky fly around a mid-current boulder...and that fat little piggie came up and ate it.

Nice fish! Love northern WI! Did u happen to get a weight on it? It looks massive for a river!

4 minutes ago, JWall14 said:

Nice fish! Love northern WI! Did u happen to get a weight on it? It looks massive for a river!

I haven't weighed a fish in years.  I barely take any pictures these days.

Awesome. I was just up in NW WI last weekend. Didn't get any smallies quite that big tho. 

16 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

Awesome. I was just up in NW WI last weekend. Didn't get any smallies quite that big tho. 

I picked up its twin last Wednesday, about a half hour after the musky.

 

25 minutes ago, Further North said:

I picked up its twin last Wednesday, about a half hour after the musky.

 

Not sure which part of NW WI you're from. But my buddy just moved up near Park Falls. Do you know how the fishing is on Butternut Lake by any chance? Supposed to be smallies in there, but' he's had no luck so far and rarely sees anybody fishing out there.

13 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

Not sure which part of NW WI you're from. But my buddy just moved up near Park Falls. Do you know how the fishing is on Butternut Lake by any chance? Supposed to be smallies in there, but' he's had no luck so far and rarely sees anybody fishing out there.

I'm a bit south and west of there and have not fished that lake yet.

I took a look at it, and it's connected to the Flambeau River by a feeder creek...so it's got to have smallies in it.

The DNR web page ( https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/lakepages/LakeDetail.aspx?wbic=692400) says:

 

Quote

 

Fish

• Smallmouth Bass (Abundant)
• Walleye (Abundant)
• Panfish (Common)
• Northern Pike (Present)

 

...and since it's connected to the Flambeau, I'll bet a dollar there's muskies in there as well.

If he's just moved up there, there's a chance the smallies have already moved into their fall pattern.

23 minutes ago, Further North said:

I'm a bit south and west of there and have not fished that lake yet.

I took a look at it, and it's connected to the Flambeau River by a feeder creek...so it's got to have smallies in it.

The DNR web page ( https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/lakepages/LakeDetail.aspx?wbic=692400) says:

 

...and since it's connected to the Flambeau, I'll bet a dollar there's muskies in there as well.

If he's just moved up there, there's a chance the smallies have already moved into their fall pattern.

That's what we were thinking as well. It HAS to have smallies and skis. H moved up there last summer, so he's put some time in there. He has caught one smaller musky and bunch of pike.

 

Regarding the DNR site, I don't put much stock into that. Pewaukee Lake is a popular smallie lake here in south/SE WI. Yet their site only lists musky, panfish, largemouth, pike and walleye. 

1 hour ago, NorthernBasser said:

Regarding the DNR site, I don't put much stock into that. Pewaukee Lake is a popular smallie lake here in south/SE WI. Yet their site only lists musky, panfish, largemouth, pike and walleye. 

I tend to agree...but their info is based on shocking surveys, so has to be semi-accurate...perhaps not updated often enough.

2 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

That's what we were thinking as well. It HAS to have smallies and skis. H moved up there last summer, so he's put some time in there. He has caught one smaller musky and bunch of pike.

 

Regarding the DNR site, I don't put much stock into that. Pewaukee Lake is a popular smallie lake here in south/SE WI. Yet their site only lists musky, panfish, largemouth, pike and walleye. 

Turns out I had the wrong Butternut Lake.

This is the correct one: https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/lakepages/lakedetail.aspx?wbic=2283300

 

Which shows...

Fish

• Musky (Abundant)
• Walleye (Abundant)
• Panfish (Common)
• Largemouth Bass (Present)
• Smallmouth Bass (Present)
• Northern Pike (Present)
• Sturgeon (Present)

...in WI, I usually take "Present" to mean, "They're there, but best not to target them."

There is another Butternut Lake about 80 miles East of Park Falls that is a fantastic smallmouth lake.

On 10/9/2021 at 11:25 PM, HaydenS said:

WTH is that?

19 hours ago, slonezp said:

WTH is that?

A chunk like the one Further North caught.