Muskie Fishing

[Ted Calcaterra]

When is the optimal time to start muskie fishing? Any reports if the outlook is good for 2011?

[snagged in outlet 3]

Hi Ted

Probably was heating up until the big rain and cool down. I think if it warms up at all in the next few weeks it will be on. I usually stop by the bait shop on my way home or out, but I haven't been in while.

I'll make a point to get by and see what they've heard. Although the muskie fisherman are pretty tight lipped.

I don not believe they are renting boats yet though.

BTW, you can't bring you own.

Pete

[T Hood]

When the boats can come out, I plan on giving it a go with big inline spinners, swim baits, and buck tails. I hope these "southern fish" follow the similar patterns as back up north.

If you've caught one out at Lake 35, please reply and let us know bait and conditions when you caught it. Mostly, I've found they like to prowl around weed beds and are attracted to quite a bit of vibration, noise, and color. The forage in Michigan is mostly smelt and perch. What do they eat here? Shad? Please advise.

[Geoff]

I fished it early last year and didnt have much luck. But, I need to make a couple more casts before i get to the nomimal 1000 cast mark to get one to look at your lure. I was trying to convince them on a fly rod, with some big butt streamer patterns i tied, they move awesome in the water, i'd like to eat a muskie would eat one, if not atleast i'll catch some big bass. i think once the water gets into the 57-70 degree range im going to work on getting out there some more

[jim laing]

Ted,

We haven't talked in a while...

Jim

[PAT92B]

Ive fished that lake for over ten years its by far my favorite but latly i cant stand the crowds. I still get out there on week days. Ive caught 5 muskies since they were stocked the first one i had no idea what it was i didnt know they were stocked at the time then another a few weeks later both were stocking size. A few years later i caught two a week apart in the middle of october both were large fish didnt measure no pics both awaome fight. This past spring i caught one on a shaky head worm another stocking size fish. The other 4 fish were all caught on rattle trap lures while bass fishing ive tried large muskie lures no luck. This past spring i fish pomme de terr in hopes of catching a muskie no luck on large lures but caught two while flipping a jig for bass. Tips dont try to catch the muskie go for the nice bass fishing and get suprized

[Ted Calcaterra]

Tried musky on the fly yesterday. It was brutally windy. Caught and saw nothing. Musky 1 Flyfisherman 0

[K4muskies]

Fall is the ultimate prime time for muskie fishing. In Fall you get the perfect opportunity to land a true monster. But unfortinalty lake 35 is not an ideal place to expect such success. I am an experienced muskie angler and I have fished muskie waters in Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota for years, I was never interested in MO muskies since there are not many lakes in MO that have fair amount of muskies in it. From what I have seen Lake 35 has a pretty good muskie habitat a mix of weeds, shallow/deep water, and in some areas submerged timber.

I have spent over 35 hours fishing for muskies last week (5hr-Tue, 4hr-Thur, 14hr-Fri, 12.5hr-Sat) that is more time spent fishing then I did that week at work. I have caught absolutely NOTHING. Sometimes if we don't catch fish we almost every time see or move some fish, but at lake 35 I have not seen a muskie or for that matter moved it. Very little people have been fishing last week, which is a good thing. I have covered every square inch of water those 4 days, I have tried small baits, medium sized baits, large baits, I have tried fishing topwater, shallow, mid-depth, deep, tried 30 different lure types from bucktails, spinnerbaits to shallow invaders, and depth raiders... NOTHING, not even a follow. On Saturday I was able to catch a small largeemouth bass on one of my spinerbaits. The Water temps were averaging 70F on Tue and 68F on Sat.

Something tells me that there is a very small amount of smaller muskies in that lake, which might be the problem why I haven't seen anything. Usually Smaller muskies are boat shy and are confused by our baits that we throw. This is why you always see muskie fisherman land muskies that are 40+ inches most of the time. I have never caught a muskie that was below 36 inches. Unlike their cousins Northern Pike, small pike is not afraid to attack a larger lure but bigger pike is more careful. This is the opposite in muskie fishing, big fish will come to the boat side following the lure but smaller fish will almost 98% turn back.

I will give it a few more trips this year, in a previous forum in 2009 someone from the DNR has posted that during that year in spring when they put out nets they caught 20 fish that were 40-44inch range. Im not sure if those fish are still there since I have seen a lot of people take Bass home and Im sure if they would have hooked on to some muskies that size those would be automatically taken home.

Does anyone know if the DNR is still stocking this lake? Or does anyone know what is the percentage of this fish being taken home for dinner? I would suggest not to take it since it doesn't taste very good and because it has a fair amount of mercury in them, they are better of in the water then they are in the kitchen!!!!

I will post more results once I get out there this week

[T Hood]

I was out on Saturday and saw a 36" Muskie in 3' of water. He had a crankbait hanging out of his mouth. I'm guessing that an unsuspecting bass angler found his crank "removed" our toothy friend. He spooked easily and took off. The fish are in there, it's just finding them. With 35 so low, I thought I'd see more.

I hit the bottom with a Syclops and a big spinner. No luck.

I'd be very curious to know if the stocking program is still going on.

[K4muskies]

That is good to hear that fish is in there, If that muskie don't get that crank bait off anytime soon it might die depending on how its hooked. If it cant hunt and eat it may be in big trouble.

I have not spent a whole lot of time on Saturday fishing the flats southwest, I will give it a shot some more with large bucktails over the weeds soon enough... At this time of the year the fish should have moved in shallow again after a hot summer so we will see if I get on a fish anytime soon.