# Does Caesar Creek have one hiding?



## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

Monster fish in WV!



https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/wild-and-wonderful-west-virginia-angler-breaks-another-record-with-trophy-muskie-saturday/article_e4645eb8-aa34-11ec-909b-733705557dc0.html


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## Troy Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

Sure it's possible, but it's probably one of those fish that stays out in open water except to spawn.


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## burnsj5 (Jan 30, 2014)

It has 50" fish I don't see why it wouldn't have a few freak fish in there. I completely agree with Troy though it's living in open water around endless schools of shad and has probably never seen a lure.


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## cincinnati (May 24, 2004)

They don't get big by grabbing everything that swims past.


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## sjwano (Sep 13, 2018)

This may sound like a dumb question.....when I pull one in, I'm always worried about getting it back in the water so quickly that I rush through pictures and measurements. I assume if you get a true giant like this, you'd have to keep it in the water for 30-60 minutes by the boat while ODNR or local authorities come out to record it (if you think you have a record fish)? How would you handle this situation while trying to keep the fish alive? Or do most record fish perish in the process anyway? Thanks


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## burnsj5 (Jan 30, 2014)

sjwano said:


> This may sound like a dumb question.....when I pull one in, I'm always worried about getting it back in the water so quickly that I rush through pictures and measurements. I assume if you get a true giant like this, you'd have to keep it in the water for 30-60 minutes by the boat while ODNR or local authorities come out to record it (if you think you have a record fish)? How would you handle this situation while trying to keep the fish alive? Or do most record fish perish in the process anyway? Thanks


The fish would have to perish for an Ohio record. I quit trying to get pics or measurements if it looks under 40" Mostly laziness on my behalf and not worth messing with it. These fish are non-reproducing in our waterways. Keeping a record fish isn't going to make a significant difference. Trying to be respectful of the smaller fish is more important since those are the ones we want to grow and be caught again by someone to enjoy.


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## cincinnati (May 24, 2004)

A big net is your friend! My unqualified assumption is that if a fish dies, while resting in your net, it would surely die while being passed around out of the water.


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## sjwano (Sep 13, 2018)

cincinnati said:


> A big net is your friend! My unqualified assumption is that if a fish dies, while resting in your net, it would surely die while being passed around out of the water.


Agreed. I'm set with a bigger net from the boat, but have managed to wrangle a few on the kayak and the net options are a little more limited. I'll say there's nothing like having one that close in person!


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

My livewell is 50" but would be hard pressed to handle a 55" fish of that girth. Even with oxygenators and G-juice. I think the answer depends on how long it would take a DNR rep to come out to the lake for measurements. Right now, the water is cold enough but in the warmer months, anything over a few minutes may be harmful to the fish.


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## Troy Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

I guess if I really wanted to record a record fish and keep it alive I would already have a list of contacts and procedures for whatever was needed for the location I was fishing. My personal opinion is it is all too much trouble and lost fishing time to report a possible record fish, alive or dead and I would never spend the money for taxidermy anyway. So catch, measure, maybe picture, release and record on the MAL.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

imho records die in Ohio. or cpr pics measurements etc....a record muskie wont make ya any money......now a record Buck????


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

By the way i witnessed a 50 in cc Tom Dees caught it


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

go to st clair 50s are a common catch


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

Troy Dave said:


> I guess if I really wanted to record a record fish and keep it alive I would already have a list of contacts and procedures for whatever was needed for the location I was fishing. My personal opinion is it is all too much trouble and lost fishing time to report a possible record fish, alive or dead and I would never spend the money for taxidermy anyway. So catch, measure, maybe picture, release and record on the MAL.


I listened to the Musky Road Rules Podcast and they interviewed the guy who caught it. Took a couple of hours to get someone from the DNR to come measure and weigh it. Also, the DNR scale was overdue for calibration so they had to transport it to a nearby certified scale. Still, they managed to release it back into the river (below the Burnsville dam) where it was caught.


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## NightcrawlerNick (Jun 7, 2019)

Fished about 5 hours on Sunday. No luck and it was cold. Tried some trolling and casting in the north end. Still looking for my first…


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

They’re there. Spring can be tough and cold fronts are no help. Look for the warmest water…usually south facing shallow flats. The water temps are coming up so they are looking to spawn soon.


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## NightcrawlerNick (Jun 7, 2019)

MuskyFan said:


> They’re there. Spring can be tough and cold fronts are no help. Look for the warmest water…usually south facing shallow flats. The water temps are coming up so they are looking to spawn soon.


Thanks! Yeah it was a pretty brutal cold front that came through last weekend. The water temp was around 44/45 - I think it dropped a degree or so with the front.


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## NightcrawlerNick (Jun 7, 2019)

Went out again yesterday, no luck. Water temp was around 45 out on the main lake, and I was able to find water up to around 50 deg in some spots. Focused on those warmer areas, casting bucktails, paddle-tail swimbait and even a hellhound.


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## burnsj5 (Jan 30, 2014)

NightcrawlerNick said:


> Went out again yesterday, no luck. Water temp was around 45 out on the main lake, and I was able to find water up to around 50 deg in some spots. Focused on those warmer areas, casting bucktails, paddle-tail swimbait and even a hellhound.


Throw glides and twitch baits. Cover as much shore as you can. Don't worry about water temps unless you're fishing flats or shallows specifically waiting for the sun to come up and warm that water up. If something looks good over it twice with both baits.


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

Saturday was cold and a bit windy. Still nice to be on the water. Water temps mid-40s. Tossed glide baits and a few jigs. Didn’t see anything. Some of the coves have so many baitfish my graphs showed them as the bottom. Will hit it again after our brief snow this weekend.


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## sjwano (Sep 13, 2018)

The shad and crappie schools I was marking were tremendous. North pool across from the campground was pushing 50 degree water on Sunday. Very dirty clarity, no takers.


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## NightcrawlerNick (Jun 7, 2019)

burnsj5 said:


> Throw glides and twitch baits. Cover as much shore as you can. Don't worry about water temps unless you're fishing flats or shallows specifically waiting for the sun to come up and warm that water up. If something looks good over it twice with both baits.


Snags have been killing me when trying to cast in tight to shore structure with lures like that. I snag and then have to troll directly to the structure to release it, guaranteeing a spook. Trying to stay far enough away to avoid spooking them but that obviously makes for longer casts and targeting structure more difficult without snagging. Any tips, aside from improving my casting accuracy (I am trying, haha)? How close do you typically try to get your casts to structure (primarily laydowns)?


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## burnsj5 (Jan 30, 2014)

NightcrawlerNick said:


> Snags have been killing me when trying to cast in tight to shore structure with lures like that. I snag and then have to troll directly to the structure to release it, guaranteeing a spook. Trying to stay far enough away to avoid spooking them but that obviously makes for longer casts and targeting structure more difficult without snagging. Any tips, aside from improving my casting accuracy (I am trying, haha)? How close do you typically try to get your casts to structure (primarily laydowns)?


I cast right next to shore and right on top of lay downs. CC has steep breaks on shore lines so a lot of time beginning of cast needs to be right at the shore or your lure won't be there in their face on the break, they wait in lay downs to ambush so it helps to cast right in the trees. Bouyant baits can back out of snags sometimes, glides don't go very deep so you can usually stay above cover that snags. Just have to get used to the baits youre using but you probably will get snagged still especially with dirty water not knowing what's underneath. If I get snagged I'll leave it and cast another bait or if someone else is in the boat let them work around it before I blow it out getting my bait but sometimes theres nothing you can do and you just have to get in there to get your bait back.


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## NightcrawlerNick (Jun 7, 2019)

burnsj5 said:


> I cast right next to shore and right on top of lay downs. CC has steep breaks on shore lines so a lot of time beginning of cast needs to be right at the shore or your lure won't be there in their face on the break, they wait in lay downs to ambush so it helps to cast right in the trees. Bouyant baits can back out of snags sometimes, glides don't go very deep so you can usually stay above cover that snags. Just have to get used to the baits youre using but you probably will get snagged still especially with dirty water not knowing what's underneath. If I get snagged I'll leave it and cast another bait or if someone else is in the boat let them work around it before I blow it out getting my bait but sometimes theres nothing you can do and you just have to get in there to get your bait back.


Makes sense, thanks man!


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## NightcrawlerNick (Jun 7, 2019)

Awesome feeling to get my first out of Caesar Creek yesterday! Small (~18”) but my new PB and a catch to build from. This little guy swam away strong after making my day!


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