Ice Muskie

[saxmatt]

I've hit the ice for muskie around 10 times this season and have landed 3 fish so far. It's been a slow year with lots of waiting around for nothing but it's worth it on days like today when I actually see a fish. I went muskie and pike fishing 5 times in the past week and all I got was 1 pickerel but today I landed my first muskie on a jigging rod. I wasn't actually jigging, I had a small sucker on and hung the rod off my sled. Pretty cool getting one on the rod! The other 2 muskie I caught this year were both on live suckers. Both pure strains were 32" and the tiger was 37".

[Gatto1227]

Nice lookin fish. Looks fun

Nice ones Matt!!!...Fish ON!!!

[Mikey topaz]

Get em matt!! Nice bro!

[FASTEDDIE29]

That's a healthy looking Ski. Great fun and awesome catch on the jigging rod. Good stuff Matt!!!

[gnuisance]

you sir, are the man. Does the cold water make them sluggish? Its hard to imagine fighting a decent muskie on that tiny rod.

[saxmatt]

They are sluggish in cold water. Pike are the most active, pure strains are the least active, tigers in the middle. I had 50lb power pro and a 60lb floro leader so when I felt it was small I just cranked the drag down and horsed it in. Had it on the ice in maybe 30 seconds. No need to play and tire out a fish that size, the quicker you land them and get them back down the hole the better.

[stevejordan]

Originally Posted by saxmatt

They are sluggish in cold water. Pike are the most active, pure strains are the least active, tigers in the middle. I had 50lb power pro and a 60lb floro leader so when I felt it was small I just cranked the drag down and horsed it in. Had it on the ice in maybe 30 seconds. No need to play and tire out a fish that size, the quicker you land them and get them back down the hole the better.

is 20lb flouro not enough for muskie? im going musky fishing for my first time monday and i rigged up with 20 lb... not thick enough?

[saxmatt]

For pike and muskie through the ice go with steel, titanium or at least 50lb floro. Mono is too soft and braid has terrible abrasion resistance and will cut your hand. 20lb floro is too light, I've seen cut offs with 60 and 80, but not that often. I've had more flags and fish since I started using floro and to me the occasional cut off is worth the extra flags. You can get away with 20 when you're fishing rod and reel because with lures you can set the hook immediately and the bait usually isn't back in their mouths. With bait on tipups by the time you get to the flag the fish usually has the bait deep in their mouth or throat and when you set the hook and fight the fish your leader will rake over their teeth. Even 60 and 80 gets nicked up, I retie when I catch a fish and see the leader is nicked up.

[stevejordan]

cool thanks man