Saturday 11/10 an all day event

[John Pensyl]

Spent 90% of the day throwing a pounder bulldawg or a deep obp toothy, needless to say I'm smoked. 

I learned a few things today..  First off if your going to throw a pounder in the fall expect to move some big fish.  Had 3 follows with that bait today and all 3 looked to be 45+,  inchers.  Also, have your release tools ready and be prepared to do surgery on the musky that inhales it.  I had a 43-45 inch fish put the whole 15 inch pounder down its throat and I was so nervous I was going to kill the fish, I have no pictures, no proof, except my and cullens word it happened and the memory of her ripping drag at the boat and the blood down her side as I went through her gillplate with my knipex trying to reach the rear hook of the bulldawg she put down her gullet.  When we finally freed her I lowered the net and off she went right to the bottom which I honestly didn't expect to happen.  I've never shook so bad from a fish in my life, thought she was a goner for sure. 

The next thing I learned is that if the fish want stickbaits ripped at mach 3, feed them to them!  Don't try and force feed them tubes and waste time.  Have both guys snap on a stickbait and rip that thing through the water snapping it with everything you have.  We did 8 fish today, we would of probably done even more if we would have just given up on jigging.  I ended up with 3 fish on a obp deep toothy and the one on the pounder.  Cullen added 2 on shallow toothy including a beautiful thick 45 from the middle of the west river in un13, one on a deep toothy and 1 on a firetiger ernie.  All from 18+ fow in the middle of the river casting to every boil we could see. 

All 3 of my fish came on deep boat side maneuvers as I saw the deep follows early in the gin clear water, accelerated the bait keeping it deep along the boatside and slamming back against their bodies after watching them devour poor mr. toothy.  I almost added our 9th fish just before dark with the longest figure 8 ive ever had but the fish just wouldnt go..   You know how hard it is to drag a deep toothy in a huge circle after huge circle, arms extended trying to speed it up the whole time while the fish just follows effortlessly behind it laughing the whole time?  That fish was sent to wear me out!!!

Last thing I learned is for all you fluorocarbon guys out there like myself that are now switching to solid steel because you don't want to get bit off like someone I know did last month.  124lb steel has a bit of a learning curve, keep a close eye on it and change it often, its cheap, change it all the time, why not?  We had a bit of a scare today when Cullens line went limp after feeling what felt like a hit.  The leader snapped halfway up the haywire twist.  We both sat there in fear hoping to see the toothy float to the top and not see a huge fish jump out of the water with a bait in its face.  Luckily it floated up, lesson learned.  Examine that leader like you would your hook points and CHANGE IT OFTEN!

If you can find time hit the water, big fish are finally here.  Snap on a big bait and put a slob in the net.

[Josh Ketry]

Great report. 

I had a fish last week swallow a bait pretty good. It was just a double single hook rig on a tube, but it got her way back in the gullet.   I felt pretty nervous about it and when I went to use the jaw spreader she shook and they went flying overboard.

Luckily I had one of those tooth proof gloves in the boat and I was able to stick my hand deep in her mouth and cut the hooks.  She clamped down a bit on my hand and I must say those gloves work nice.  Saved the fish. 

[Scott McKee]

John makes a very good point with steel leaders. They are not bulletproof. Any kink in wire weakens it severely. Change your leader if it kinks even a bit. 124 is for pike and dinky lures like Baby D's and L'il Ernie's; I've been using 278 and 324 all season on anything larger. Muskies are not leader shy and if they are so what. Nice day boys. Relish it.

[John Jarosz]

Josh...I've been wanting to buy a good pair of gloves.  Which brand do you use?  I checked out the Lindy's Fish Handling glove.  Any good?   I ended up in Dunkirk's emergency room a few yrs. ago when an 8# mushroom anch was dropped, took a Rapala along with it & drove it right into my finger (Cassadaga L.).  Couldn't cast anymore after that, so we trolled.  It was too nice a Fall day to go home & stay inside.

Josh Ketry said:

Great report. 

I had a fish last week swallow a bait pretty good. It was just a double single hook rig on a tube, but it got her way back in the gullet.   I felt pretty nervous about it and when I went to use the jaw spreader she shook and they went flying overboard.

Luckily I had one of those tooth proof gloves in the boat and I was able to stick my hand deep in her mouth and cut the hooks.  She clamped down a bit on my hand and I must say those gloves work nice.  Saved the fish. 

[Capt. Larry D. Jones]

I can get Lindy Fish Handling Gloves for the NMA if they want to sell them to the membership

Capt. Larry