thursday 11/15

[John Pensyl]

Got a late start by my normal standards and fished from 730 until 130 or so. Moved 2 mid 40s fish with the pounder and had another 45 or so follw a tube below the boat for a solid minute. She just swam behind it watching it, couldn't even get her to react. Had a solid 47-48 inch shovel headed fish chase a toothy to the surface in the east river, biggest fish I've seen on that side to date. She left my legs shaking and really got me frustrated. That was it for the day, 4 follows, all Niagara beasts and all being pricks. Cullen never moved a fish, but after yesterdays fish I don't think he minded. This weather blows.

6 days straight at work and then going all out musky mode for 8 days the 22nd to the 29th. If I happen to overdose on musky will someone please be nice enough to flip me over so I don't suffocate on my own vomit?

[John Pensyl]

That theory seems a lot more plausible than the "none of these fish leave the river" theory. I'm sure there are resident skiis that never bother leaving the river but there have to be plenty of roamers that come fall and spawning time they call the Niagara home. Lets crack open that conservation fund and strap some GPS units to these fish!!!

[John Pensyl]

We're willing to sponser 3 fish in Georgian bay we should do 30 on our own waters. Count me in for $50 and a ticket to every event next year if it'll go toward GPS muskies with lasers!!!!

[Josh Ketry]

These fish no doubt move around. Maybe they move to the lake or maybe to deeper or more oxygenated parts of the river.... but they move for sure.

There are certain spots that - like clock work - are great certain times of the year - year after year. And then other times these spots are like the Dead Sea.

I think the "typical" spots around where the river splits (on both sides of strawberry/triangle) account for most of the NMA fish catches precisely for 2 reasons:

1) They are the areas most heavily fished
2) They are intersecting areas of migration routes (with good structure near deep water)

One thing to note: Big fish have been caught in all months in our river. The St Lawrence telemetry study showed that about half the fish there moved out into Lake Ontario while about half the fish stayed in current.

Also, it seems apparent that sometimes these fish move shallow, and sometime they hold on deep structure. There are a few periods per year where abandoning jigging or deep trolling for casting or short line trolling is simply more productive.

That being said .....the only way to really find out the intricacies of the truth is to get a telemetry study of our own. I got $5 on it (or $50). =) Who's in?

[John Pensyl]

Tell the truth, u know muskies with lasers sound amazing. They'd never miss if they were laser guided!!

[Scott McKee]

I may sound like an idiot, but I like the fact we don't know where the bigger fish disappear to.  In fact I think it may be better for the health of the fishery if no one does.

[Tony Scime]

About 10 or 15 years ago we sat down with a Buff State scientist who does telemetry studies world-wide. A study with which you had a boat following the fish would cost about $30,000 (then). He suggested a less expensive alternative: place a receiver near the peace bridge. It would record every transmitter fitted fish which crossed the line. It think that would have been around $10,000 or so. I think the higher costs involve paying the students to follow/find the fish. 

[Tony Scime]

Fish do move. In the Adrian study a 48 netted/tagged near Motor Island was recaught off of Staley's (by bass anglers). Also, a large Harbor fish was re-caught off of 18 mile creek (if I remember correctly, it was way down there).

[Scott McKee]

A 47.5" was caught in BH2 in June 2002 and was recaptured off Sturgeon Point a little more than four months later.

[John Pensyl]

Still no high 40's but Cullen just boated another 50, this time in the west river. Big girls are here.