When Walleyes aren't biting, why not try for Muskie?

[mhouge]

Yesterday (10/30) was the last day of fishing for me this year. I hit lake Waconia (MN). Maybe the walleye bite would improve in the Twin Cities metro area during the fall.

It did not.

Plus, they pulled the access docks out. So the fall fishermen had to launch/load old-school, wading into the 53 degree water.

Please note, lake Waconia is pretty well known for fall Muskies.

I went to the local bait shop before fishing...all their fatheads were dead, there was about 1/4 scoop of crappie minnows left (very small). The employee said the bait guy didn't make it there last week. But they had sucker minnows. She gave them to me 1/2 price as she felt bad. So I walked out with a bunch of big a$$ sucker minnows (5"-6") and a handful of small crappie minnows for $5.

I spent the better part of the day staring at my fish finder, jigging, and pulling a lindy rig.

Around 4pm, I gave up for walleyes. I suggested to my wife (she doesn't fish, but loves hanging out in the boat), just for the fun of it, let's see if we can catch a Muskie with these big a$$ sucker minnows.

I grabbed my spinning rod (with 10 lb braided), added a 12" steel leader, then attached a decent sized octopus hook to the end with a 5-6" sucker minnow on it.

We trolled around the lake Waconia island as I casted with my 7' walleye rod. Again, I was just pissing around.

Then, I came across a hole right next to the island. I commented to my wife, "that's crazy, we're 25 feet from the shoreline, yet it's 20' down."

So, I casted to almost the shoreline...knowing there were a bunch of weeds. I let the big a$$ sucker minnow slowly sink into the weeds (the minnow was swimming around, not dead). I started to jerk it a bit, thinking this was the last cast before calling it a year.

Then, the last jerk snagged weeds...so I thought. So I started reeling in to clear the weeds from the hook (like we all do). Except, about 20-25 feet from the boat, my line started going sideways. It went under my boat, around it; I had to suddenly loosen my drag as I had a runner.

I slowly tired this guy out over 4-5 minutes. He was not too interested in coming near our boat. With my wife using our big walleye net (very small for a Muskie), she was able to scoop him in.

I did my best to unhook and release this guy quickly (after measuring), he swam away no worse from the wear (I had hooked him on the side of his lip).

I just want to say, a 39" Muskie was intense to land. Mad props to fellow fishermen catching the big ones.

Ironically, I caught a fish of "ten thousand casts" with 20 casts...yet I only caught two walleyes in southern MN this summer.

I'm adding a picture for proof...let's just say I looked like a special needs guy - water on my glasses (I could barely see), glasses falling down on my nose, and generally, just blown away.

[Yellowfin123]

"special needs guy" good one.. nice job on the fish

[kswalleyer]

Originally Posted by mhouge

Yesterday (10/30) was the last day of fishing for me this year. I hit lake Waconia (MN). Maybe the walleye bite would improve in the Twin Cities metro area during the fall.

It did not.

Plus, they pulled the access docks out. So the fall fishermen had to launch/load old-school, wading into the 53 degree water.

Please note, lake Waconia is pretty well known for fall Muskies.

I went to the local bait shop before fishing...all their fatheads were dead, there was about 1/4 scoop of crappie minnows left (very small). The employee said the bait guy didn't make it there last week. But they had sucker minnows. She gave them to me 1/2 price as she felt bad. So I walked out with a bunch of big a$$ sucker minnows (5"-6") and a handful of small crappie minnows for $5.

I spent the better part of the day staring at my fish finder, jigging, and pulling a lindy rig.

Around 4pm, I gave up for walleyes. I suggested to my wife (she doesn't fish, but loves hanging out in the boat), just for the fun of it, let's see if we can catch a Muskie with these big a$$ sucker minnows.

I grabbed my spinning rod (with 10 lb braided), added a 12" steel leader, then attached a decent sized octopus hook to the end with a 5-6" sucker minnow on it.

We trolled around the lake Waconia island as I casted with my 7' walleye rod. Again, I was just pissing around.

Then, I came across a hole right next to the island. I commented to my wife, "that's crazy, we're 25 feet from the shoreline, yet it's 20' down."

So, I casted to almost the shoreline...knowing there were a bunch of weeds. I let the big a$$ sucker minnow slowly sink into the weeds (the minnow was swimming around, not dead). I started to jerk it a bit, thinking this was the last cast before calling it a year.

Then, the last jerk snagged weeds...so I thought. So I started reeling in to clear the weeds from the hook (like we all do). Except, about 20-25 feet from the boat, my line started going sideways. It went under my boat, around it; I had to suddenly loosen my drag as I had a runner.

I slowly tired this guy out over 4-5 minutes. He was not too interested in coming near our boat. With my wife using our big walleye net (very small for a Muskie), she was able to scoop him in.

I did my best to unhook and release this guy quickly (after measuring), he swam away no worse from the wear (I had hooked him on the side of his lip).

I just want to say, a 39" Muskie was intense to land. Mad props to fellow fishermen catching the big ones.

Ironically, I caught a fish of "ten thousand casts" with 20 casts...yet I only caught two walleyes in southern MN this summer.

I'm adding a picture for proof...let's just say I looked like a special needs guy - water on my glasses (I could barely see), glasses falling down on my nose, and generally, just blown away.

Im a multi-speies guy so totally get it. Had a walleye trip this year get tough (June 1 it turned super hot, set a record at 103, sunny and dead calm)on Lake Oahe turn into a fantastic small mouth bite. You got lucky on 20 casts-great!!

[REW]

One really good reason not to fish for Muskies is because there are no Muskies in the body of water on which I am fishing.

[kswalleyer]

Originally Posted by REW

One really good reason not to fish for Muskies is because there are no Muskies in the body of water on which I am fishing.

thats a good one!

[Gary Korsgaden]

Walleye success this time of year can be feast or famine..was the case past several days three lakes tough fishing. Few fish no pattern. All changed yesterday, went deep to the mud transition trolling horizontal crankbaits just above the mud/hard bottom change.

What works is covering a lot of surface area fish are scattered and using baits that will trigger strikes, bucktails, jigging and scatter raps.

Why the transition from hard to mud, walleyes are seeking baitfish (perch) that are feeding on insects in the mud.

To answer the basic question why i don't fish muskies...we are fish eaters and I enjoy the hunt walleyes provides

[waldowillie]

Quite a few of the resort lakes I fish for walleye on are better muskie lakes than walleye lakes. Over the course of a week's stay I probably catch an avg. of 2 legal muskies targeting walleye and the muskie guys that fish for the week will sometimes get skunked or at best net maybe 4 legals per man. I'm fishing 10lb. line or less and 1/2 the time the muskie looses the battle.

There is not a big advantage to targeting the muskie when the walleye bite slows; usuallyl it means a muskie has moved into the area (and me being stubborn) she's usually in my livewell within 24 hours getting a free recuperation ride to be released away from my walleye spots.

[Mojo1269]

I'm going to be that guy...sorry...

Do all of us that target muskies a favor and do not go after them without the proper equipment, this includes large net, hook cutters, pliers etc.... Those fish are in there and other metro lakes due to the time, money and efforts of many anglers and attempting to catch therm deliberately without the proper gear is a huge sign of disrespect to all those that have worked so hard to make the program work as well as it does.... If you tie into one by accident its totally different story but its hugely irresponsible to target them without the proper gear....

[waldowillie]

Please don't be that guy. Most walleye fisherman are not ignorant. Being a walleye fisherman for over half a century the proper equipment is in my boat for the safety of your musky as I target walleye with jigs, crawlers, minnows, leeches and cranks. I am often the first and last person on and off a resort lake and I will average 2 legals a week targeting walleye. Walleye crankbaits are also getting expensive. Sorry, I'm not your guy. I have my walleye spots, a license, and if your musky hits my walleye bait so be it. Sometimes it's a smallie and sometimes it's a northern but you'll learn to never know what might hit. Be kind to my 7 LB walleye when she hits your Suick.

[Mojo1269]

Originally Posted by waldowillie

Please don't be that guy. Most walleye fisherman are not ignorant. Being a walleye fisherman for over half a century the proper equipment is in my boat for the safety of your musky as I target walleye with jigs, crawlers, minnows, leeches and cranks. \

This is the difference between you and the OP. You are prepared, the OP is not. You are not targeting musky and still have the necessary tools, the OP is targeting them and does not. Huge difference.... I will always politely and firmly be "that guy" when needed to help protect the hard work of Hugh Becker, Jack Burns and the many others that gave us the gifts we have today....