# Best/Most memorable fish of 2007



## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

As the season is coming to a close (Besides you crazy people who troll in 20 degree weather), I am always anxious because the Chicago Musky Show is in Janurary.


----------



## Pike (Apr 7, 2004)

Sounds like you had a great year. I spent a couple days fishing with my sister this summer and we had one great day. She refused to hold her fish, but we had six hook-ups nd landed four. Her fish was actually a little bigger than mine, both were just shy of 50 inches. It was a great day to spend with her and an awesome memory. I will try and post pics later, I am having trouble doing it right now.

Pike


----------



## ncraft150 (Apr 5, 2004)

I don't fish for them, but I had one over 40" at West Branch during a bass tourny. He hit right at the boat and just about pulled me in. It scares you half to death when your not expecting it!


----------



## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

well this has to my best pike this year only goin to 30 inchs lol i was fishing in canada and me and my dad were throwing spinerbait and i just missed a good 36 incher right at the boat and move about a hundred yards down and saw thes small brush pile and i cast my spiner and soon as i was lifting it out of the water i saw it come right and smack it it was so cool i ripped up and hooked it good we also video taped this one it was going crazy jumping out of the water and every thing once i brought it up i was sacking like a leaf this is the biggest pick i have ever caught but let me tell you i have had so huge one on later that day i saw one of the bigest pikes ever grab my dad spinner right at the boat and my dad didnt even set the hook he just watch it in ahh then it droped his bait and swam away


----------



## fugarwi7 (Sep 20, 2006)

Besides all the salmon and walleye, my most memorable was a PB 15# Northern.


----------



## EE (Apr 13, 2004)

That's a sweet looking pike, great picture!


----------



## fffffish (Apr 6, 2004)

This was my best year ever not in numbers but I got my 2 biggest fish this year a 49 incher and 5 weeks later a 51.5 that went 47 lbs both from West Branch. And that crazy person you see out there trolling in 20deg weather will probably be me.


----------



## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

My best fishing moment this year was when my 3yr old son and I went to the trout derby across from waterworks park. My gf was with us also. After my son hooked her in the hair I cast with some Berkely powerbait and wam he reeled in his first fish he actually brought to shore. A nice 15" rainbow trout. My girl got pictures of him reeling it in, beaching it, and then as we were holding it. Got those pics blown up and they hang in my living room!!!!! My best fish was a 37" pike from the hoga'. Got him on a swimbait. The pic is on the 3rd page of my photo gallery! I also caught 13 more pike over 33" on the hoga this summer. If I get that 30+ steelie though that would be the #2.


----------



## SummersOff (Feb 11, 2007)

This was my only musky of the year so I'm kind of limited, but here she is.



The most memorable fish while musky fishing would probably be this walleye caught on the same Believer as the musky above by my dad (timbr):




It am always amazed at what a fish will try and eat.


----------



## jshbuckeye (Feb 27, 2005)

When ya catch something like the walleye on that size bait it makes ya wonder if they had plans on eating the hole thing or just the tenders? I have seen shad and other fish that looks like they have had there back sides sawed offf or a fairly fresh fish with his midsection gone. Heres my only one of the yr here is the memorable one my partner caught 42 and absalutely destroyed a J-13


----------



## BuckeyeTom (Apr 6, 2004)

Not a great numbers or big fish year for me, but here is my best of 2007(I'm still fishing though) along with a 30 incher that I caught yesterday. Enjoyed the post here! Good fishing to everyone in 2008!!!


----------



## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

Wow....gentleman, some nice fish to say the least. A 40+ pounder from WB? That is fantastic! Also, that nice photo of the northern down below posted by fugarwi7 looks as though there was something trying to eat it! There's a perfect bite mark! (either pike or muskie)


----------



## fugarwi7 (Sep 20, 2006)

MuskieJim said:


> Wow....gentleman, some nice fish to say the least. A 40+ pounder from WB? That is fantastic! Also, that nice photo of the northern down below posted by fugarwi7 looks as though there was something trying to eat it! There's a perfect bite mark! (either pike or muskie)


Thanks...there are a lot of nice fish catches here...congrats to all! As for the bite mark comment, no bite marks...that is a piece of weed stuck on her, also some hanging from the tail...the guy who took the picture didn't notice it and neither did I...wish I had rinsed it off first, but wanted to get her back in the water ASAP.

EE: Hi Erik...thanks...maybe some day I can form a group from central Ohio and we can all go up to the cabin and try for some of these guys! BTW, how is your cleaning table coming along?


----------



## luredaddy (May 25, 2004)

It was a great year at West Branch. My most memorable catch occurred on 6/22. I was trolling the point at Goose Island and had a SAVAGE strike from a large fish, but no hookup. I trolled to the other side of Goose and caught a 32" Musky in a few minutes. Of course I trolled back over the spot where I had the initial encounter, and the rod goes off. I knew the fish was small, but all of a sudden line peeled off the reel. You will see by the picture, that the LARGE Musky attacked the 28" Musky I had hooked. You cannot troll a bait that is too big! Hopefully, he or she will be there next year.
John


----------



## BuckeyeTom (Apr 6, 2004)

I told David(fishingohio) I was gonna post this for him,lol. We were chasing trout yesterday, when he got this chain pickeral on a roostertail. He had never caught a pike/muskie. Might just be enough to get him out muskie hunting,lol.


----------



## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

By the looks of that muskie's tail on Luredaddy's post, that muskie your friend caught on the rootertail looks as though it would've been JUST RIGHT size for that muskie. Haha. Congrats on the catch!

And luredaddy, I fish WB a lot as well, and we caught over ten fish this year (which is a lot because we only went maybe 20 times total). When we were casting topwaters at night in Jay Lake, a HUGE muskie stole a three pound bass right off my line! Not only that, when we shined the light toward the bank, the fish was literally laying in the shallows with the bass sideways in her mouth. She then violently started shaking the bass, trying to turn it in her mouth, then disappeared. Crazy experience to say the least.


----------



## BITE-ME (Sep 5, 2005)

Spent a good amount of time this year on the water chasing skis. Spent two weekends on the Detroit River, a couple at Clear Fork, but mostly on my home waters of Caesar Creek. We had a major algae bloom on Caesar this year which cut water visibilty down to less than 1' at times and spoiled the prime time for chasing skis. On a positive note, I think the muskie density at Caesars is increasing nicely, the resivoir is starting to produce some trophy caliber fish, I found some good new spots on the resivoir and I caught a new personal best at Caesar this Spring.


48" Caesar Muskie


48" Muskie Girth Shot

Wish I could have gotten some better photos, but my fishing partner was a little challenged with the technology of my digital camera... ugh. However my best memory of the season probably would be putting my uncle on his first two muskie in the same afternoon. I don't know how many times I have taken a non muskie fisherman out with me, to introduce them to the sport, only to end up getting :S. I think I might have been more thrilled than my uncle. Shown below is the better of the two fish we caught :T that day.


43" Caesar Muskie

Muskie Jim - Hope to see you out on the Detroit River again for the opener in 2008. I need to pick your brain about wading for muskies after seeing all those nice fish you posted this summer.

Later,
George


----------



## joe01 (Apr 16, 2004)

my 40incher with my brother on salt fork, jay74 cheers


----------



## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

My most memorable experience for 2007 came at West Branch this year. 

I was casting a spot that has been productive for me over the years. It was late in the evening and windy, and it was hard to control the boat, but I kept at it, trying a variety of different baits until I thought I had exhausted all ideas.

The boat began to drift away from the spot and the light was falling as the sun had already set. I was going to hang it up, but thought of one more bait that I hadn't tried. 

I fired up the trolling motor and pushed the boat back to that "spot on the spot" within the bed of weeds near a drop off. I pulled out the one jerkbait that I had not tried. It was one that had yet to produce anything for me since I carved it and painted it in my basement last winter.

I whipped it into the hole in the weed edge with an overhand cast and jerked it three times and the water exploded. He actually came out of the water and arced downward onto the bait during the strike. It was a great fight and he managed, with a single flip of his tail, to soak me during the netting process and that gave me a good laugh. 

It was nearly dark by the time I released him and it all made me smile as I slowly made my way back to the ramp through the darkness of that mid-September evening.. 

That fish had been in the area of that spot the entire time and had watched and waited as I tried bait after bait. When he saw the one he wanted, he creamed it! A whole afternoon and evening of fishing with no results...and that "one more cast" made all the difference.

Musky fishing is a great chess match and it seems that at times you have be both lucky and stubborn to make something happen.


----------



## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

BITE-ME, we will definately be up in the Detroit River again for opening day. After running into you guys last year, we ended up catching three skiis later in the evening in the same spot where your buddy did. I purchased a few Bondy Baits for jigging up some muskies, so we'll see if they work as good as everyone says! 

Anytime you want to come up to Cleveland and wade for muskies in the river, let me know! I'll take you to the good spots!


----------



## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

I had a pretty good first year as I caught about 10 ski, a nice pike, and a large wiper. Biggest ski was 40.4" but the most memorable was the one that got away. The third time I had her to the boat I locked the boga grip on the bottom jaw. This fish was 50+ and exploded. Ripped the boga from my hand and went back down to the bottom. I got her back up and tried to grab under her gill plate with my shaking hand. She exploded again, threw my lure about 15' and swam away. The next day I went to GM and bought the largest Frabill they have. lol Like Luredaddy said, hopefully next year she will be there.


----------



## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Good thread. It was a tough year for me this year. I didn't get out as often as I had hoped. My most mermorable moment was at Alum in early July when I had a HUGE fish that snapped the clip of a 50# leader. Oh how I wish I could have that one to do over again!

CG


----------



## esoxhunter (Apr 7, 2004)

Due to issues with my boat motor, this was my worst year ever. I haven't been out since June. I went 1 for 2 this year...both the same day fishing with BITE-ME on the river up north. [taking vaca this year for it B-M]


----------



## big_b16 (Oct 17, 2004)

I'll have to say my most memorable moment of said vacation was my son's first muskie while casting...on a top raider nonetheless. I posted the topic originally in the out-of-state reports...see it here: http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=76725
I enjoyed every one, even lost one the final morning that pulled and looked larger than the rest, would have been over 50" but I mistakenly had my drag too tight. I'm not that well versed in fighting fish that big, I usually tried to horse the fish in to minimize stress to the fish...and me. I think I should have played the big one longer. The hooks pulled out after a few minutes of fighting, I couldn't pull line off with my hand afterward, kept cranking down the drag because the fish was pulling it off at will.


----------



## seapro (Sep 25, 2007)

Two that stick out for me this year.

13 year old nephew fishing with me at Clearfork throwing a very small crappie lure and catching a 28" muskie. It's all he wants to fish for now.  

A 44" at Clearfork that cleared the water three times. The first time, another muskie almost identical in size jumped with her! My rod goes off - I grab it - and two muskies come out of the water at the same time. Couldn't get my brain around what was happening at first. 
Had my radio on and Patience by GNR was on. Had been longer then usual between hook ups and I was thinking, this is a pretty appropriate song for this kind of fishing, when bang.


----------



## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

Kayaking with good friend on GMR on a very hot August day. We both caught some nice smallmouth, I got a 30" Pike, then on way home we stopped at a pond and absolutely killed the largemouth. No personal best, but was a really solid multi species day. Days like this are what keeps me going back for more! Thanks to everyone who shared some great pictures on this thread and congratulations on some great fish.

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=27266&ppuser=8756

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=27265&ppuser=8756

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=27301&ppuser=8756


----------



## Bub (Jan 5, 2008)

I was fishing a spinnerbait along a weed edge in about 12 feet of water. I let the bait sink to the bottom and snapped the rod tip up and paused letting the big Colorado blade helicopter down. I felt nothing, just seen a slight "tick" of the line. I stepped back and drove the rod tip toward 12 o'clock, but it only made it to 10 before hitting a brick wall. The line instantly moved vertical and up and before I could even think about dropping the rod tip the fish cleared the water like a tarpon. The spinnerbait let loose and rocketed back crushing me in the crotch. I buckled and nearly fell out of the boat. I knew I wasn't hooked because the bait hit the floor of the boat, but the pain following made me wonder if it hadn't passed clear through me! I dropped the rod and hit the deck. I scanned the shoreline through blurry eyes hoping no one had witnessed what just happened. I was able to regain sight and some of my ego within 10 minutes. It wasn't a huge fish, maybe mid-30's, but it was my most memorable! I later pondered about marketing a "muskie cup!"


----------



## seapro (Sep 25, 2007)

Bub -- LMAO !!!!

And here I thought I was the only one that had those kinds of things constantly happening to me while fishing!!!


----------



## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Bub said:


> I was fishing a spinnerbait along a weed edge in about 12 feet of water. I let the bait sink to the bottom and snapped the rod tip up and paused letting the big Colorado blade helicopter down. I felt nothing, just seen a slight "tick" of the line. I stepped back and drove the rod tip toward 12 o'clock, but it only made it to 10 before hitting a brick wall. The line instantly moved vertical and up and before I could even think about dropping the rod tip the fish cleared the water like a tarpon. The spinnerbait let loose and rocketed back crushing me in the crotch. I buckled and nearly fell out of the boat. I knew I wasn't hooked because the bait hit the floor of the boat, but the pain following made me wonder if it hadn't passed clear through me! I dropped the rod and hit the deck. I scanned the shoreline through blurry eyes hoping no one had witnessed what just happened. I was able to regain sight and some of my ego within 10 minutes. It wasn't a huge fish, maybe mid-30's, but it was my most memorable! I later pondered about marketing a "muskie cup!"


'

Haha, she threw it back at ya and scored a direct hit! lol That's one of the better stories I have heard this year. Those mid 30's fish can be really something. In 2006, I caught a nice 34" or so ski at Alum, I got her to the boat and my uncle netter her, then she hung the bait ont the net and jumped clean out of it and waived good bye. My uncel just said, "so I guess that one was a quick release!" 

CG


----------



## Muskyman (Jan 30, 2005)

I had one jump and shake her head and send my Bulldawg back at my head at what seemed about 100 MPH. I hit the deck and heard it fly by my head.


----------



## seapro (Sep 25, 2007)

I was wearing shorts one day and had one jump and let lose of the lure which shot back and stuck very well to my leg. After alot of work and blood, finally got all the hooks out!! 
When it happened, I just looked down at my leg and went "GREAT" !! Didn't really hurt at first (adrenaline from the hook up I guess) but trying to get two good sizes hooks out, hurt like (*&#[email protected]^) !!


----------



## Bub (Jan 5, 2008)

Yeah, that situation could have been a lot worse. Thinking about wearing a good pair of safety glasses when I don't have sun glasses on.


----------

