# Help with first muskie



## rg6365 (Feb 16, 2009)

Looking for someone in my area ,with some experience or like myself with very little , ,looking to catch some pike and muskie this spring .lake county ,geauga county ..


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## Eastside Al (Apr 25, 2010)

Go to lake which has one or the other. Shore fishing or boat?
Are you planning to cast or troll if you have a boat.
How far are you willing to travel?


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## 25asnyder (Dec 10, 2016)

I’m very interested in this subject also thanks for any information


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## Legend killer (Apr 20, 2011)

Please get the necessary equipment such as the proper net and release tools.


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## rg6365 (Feb 16, 2009)

Eastside Al said:


> Go to lake which has one or the other. Shore fishing or boat?
> Are you planning to cast or troll if you have a boat.
> How far are you willing to travel?





Eastside Al said:


> Go to lake which has one or the other. Shore fishing or boat?
> Are you planning to cast or troll if you have a boat.
> How far are you willing to travel?


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## rg6365 (Feb 16, 2009)

Was planning on going to west branch with my canoe and cyahogariver in kent from shore


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

IMO you would be beter fishing from shore at West Branch than fishing from a canoe. A 50" Musky will give you a ride and be darn hard to handle out of a canoe. Fish the dam area.


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## brettmansdorf (Apr 5, 2013)

In the VERY simplest of terms....
Muskie - west branch - troll 9-12" plug at about 2-4 feet (depth) and run the shoreline / points (if that means bringing a mate to paddle - so be it - or get a lil' trolling motor).

Milton - launch off of point view rd - and head south - troll the channel leading from launch all the way towards the dam (Berlin) - with LARGE SPINNER - 6-8" - on leader and GOOD bearing swivel. 

Ideally bait casting - but can be done on LARGE spinning. Heavier rod (as you will be using heavy line) but not a piece of rebar.

Its said - 2000 casts for a hit (better ratio here in OH - more & smaller fish). Trolling is like casting - only lazier - and if you're not used to the size/weight of the lures - casting will kill you.

If your canoe is old fashioned man power - its NOT likely to work at the lakes for Muskie. If you can add a motor (electric or gas) then good... If not - pike in the cuyahoga...

Northerns are MUCH easier... You can fish the Cuyahoga in Portage county just about anywhere or just go to Cuyahoga fall - above the dam (old power house) or upstream by boarder with stow/monroe falls). Downsteam in the cascade valley park. Get yourself an old pflueger weedless spoon (about 2") and cast to hearts content. Smaller (7mm) daredevils work well - as do some larger spinners...

When you catch one - either species - if its over 28" - BE CAREFUL.- for both you and the fish. READ up on how to handle them - NOTHING pisses me off more than some old timer grabbing them in the eyes - morons!!! Every time I see that I am tempted to accidentally have my flare kit fall open and fire in their direction...

GOOD LUCK.

If you catch the Muskie bug - lookout... It becomes a way of life not a sport... Be forewarned - if you are married - your wife will be like "WHY why why - do you spend all that time and money to catch a couple"... Back when I was heavily infected with the bug - Was at Milton - hooked seven in a day boated 5 in my lil' 12' boat - was ridiculously proud - when I got home - my neighbor had returned from Moggy with a dozen or so slabs - and my (ex) girlfriend at the time simply said - "at least he is providing for his family - what are we gonna eat - the pictures?" (YES - I took her to McDonalds and left her there)...

Due to days like those (comments) and days of throwing till your arm falls off... You become emotionally dead - the scarecrow - but deep deep deep inside beats a heart of will just waiting for that next bronzeback... 

Its a disease - with NO cure - and you have officially been warned...


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## TheShoreman (Sep 17, 2015)

Dicks sells a “Ranger” net big enough for big game fish it’s 35 bucks. I don’t know actual spots but grand river has them. Upstream of Harpersfield dam is a known spot. I suggest reading about the habitat of Muskie and looking for those conditions on that River.


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## ldrjay (Apr 2, 2009)

If your in geauga pike are in your back yard. No need to travel far for them. Catch them year round in the couple resivoirs in the county. The hoga river flows thru Burton now is the time till who knows when to catch them there. Walking and canoe access there.


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## rg6365 (Feb 16, 2009)

Eastside Al said:


> Go to lake which has one or the other. Shore fishing or boat?
> Are you planning to cast or troll if you have a boat.
> How far are you willing to travel?


Hi I have a canoe with a electric motor ,I'm willing to drive a hour


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## gumbygold (Apr 9, 2013)

Join your local Muskies Inc. and learn from the guys who have done it for years.


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## brettmansdorf (Apr 5, 2013)

ldrjay said:


> If your in geauga pike are in your back yard. No need to travel far for them. Catch them year round in the couple resivoirs in the county. The hoga river flows thru Burton now is the time till who knows when to catch them there. Walking and canoe access there.


GOOD ADVICE - start close to home and on Pike - then if you are gungho - move towards the mystical muskie...

NOTE: WE (I am MOST certainly including myself in the 'we') as fisherman tend to jump in head first - and "PREPARE" too much. In that, rather than trying it out much - we charge out and "PREPARE" to be the very best at chasing whatever that chosen target is...

Example - I've got at least three exceptional setups for chrome (steelheads). Been doing it since LONG before OHIO had any real fish. I've aged - priorities have changed - child present - gone is the collection of boats and the time to do it all... SO, I wheel and deal like a corrupt politician and plan a day on the river - swapping all kinds of honey-do's and such - and my intention is to answer the tall tale I've heard of this CenterPinning - and WOW - I think - lets throw aside the thousands in equipment I have now - and jump on this... 

Fortunately - I got caught up with something at work - otherwise I would have gone out and purchased a full setup the week or two before my 'planned' reemergence onto the steelheadin' scene... In the end - I got busy with work and failed to spend the $600 or so I planned - then I got pulled out of town and didn't go fishing at all... 

Moral of the story - I would have (had I had my way) charged (no pun) head first and bought at least $600 of gear (that number could have EASILY grown - and truthfully - ALWAYS does) - for which I wouldn't have even used it.

Do I still want to try Pinning - YEP - but more importantly - I'd just like to get out there - even if its with a pair of boots and an ole' zebec 202 (yeah right)...


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## chrisrf815 (Jul 6, 2014)

Casting from the west branch during march and april is probably your best bet at landing a muskie. Cast out a perch pattern crankbait and you should be set.


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## chrisrf815 (Jul 6, 2014)

chrisrf815 said:


> Casting from the west branch during march and april is probably your best bet at landing a muskie. Cast out a perch pattern crankbait and you should be set.


West branch dam


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## undertaker (Jan 20, 2013)

Join Muskies Inc, try not to get carried away buying tackle to start. Good net, long pliers, and enjoy


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## brettmansdorf (Apr 5, 2013)

undertaker said:


> Join Muskies Inc, try not to get carried away buying tackle to start. Good net, long pliers, and enjoy


UNDERTAKER - come on - I think Mogadore bait and tackle's stock just dropped 20 points in the market. Someone might be eating SPAM tonight for dinner instead of T-Bones because of those types of underhanded comments suggesting to limit BUYING.... 

Are you related to my wife?



Three things Saint Peter will let me know (before he hits the down button on the elevator)...
1) Professional wrestling is REAL - and the fish that got away - wasn't that big...
2) Bass really do not differentiate between colors - your 22,181 rubber worms in 3,412 patterns / colors - all do the same thing.
3) There IS a little guy that tangles everything - and he doesn't like you.


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## undertaker (Jan 20, 2013)

I was just trying to let him know to start fishing for them you don't have to get everything at once. Just get the basics to start


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## brettmansdorf (Apr 5, 2013)

undertaker said:


> I was just trying to let him know to start fishing for them you don't have to get everything at once. Just get the basics to start


I am certainly not suggesting you are incorrect - just notating the obvious relationship you and my wife share...

Belief that a fisherman who fishes is fulfilled - which is NOT even close to the true.

If I go out and catch a 10lb walleye on a string tied to a tree branch with a simple hook (made from bone or whatever)... I've certainly accomplished dinner - and even a notable in the books of history (moronic luck attaches 10lb walleye to forest gump's rod).... In the end - NO ONE WILL BELIEVE IT... 

OPTION 2: If I go out and I research and I browse and I look really really hard at all the lures to choose from... I whittle down my choices to a couple form the hundreds displayed.. I purchase with the intent of that lure is my CHOSEN tool for a SPECIFIC SITUATION - I leave the store - READY FOR BATTLE... 

I then put into the rotation said lure at some point in the near future (yeah, probably year or two) and I UTILIZE said lure because of a deductive reasoning when I analyze the environmental and physical elements of my foray's realm - in my effort to land a lunker walleye (you know - for the purpose of the story - ANYTHING attached to the lure - and longer than the lure)... 

My sense of accomplishment in the first story PAILS in comparison to the second. Its NOT the fish - its the way you played the game - and in the last story - I WON. Remember the saying - not whether you win or loose... 

Now as the time continuum factor of fishing stories kicks in - the growth rate on the second fish and the trying circumstances of choosing said lure for that specific cast - the Story's value above the first will only multiply (exponentially)... 

Let me walk you down that road... Now past the 10 year mark - the story has matured - keep in mind my car wasn't working that day - so I had to pull the trailer, by hand, through 4 feet of snow, uphill - BOTH WAYS....

There I was - cool breeze - .50 cal machine gun firing around me - but I was laser focused on my task - the waves were 8' breakers - and in-between teary eyed focusing form the crashing waves in my face - I chose the 11cm rapala in gold - I fought the elements to tie it on - and then almost broke my rod on the casts follow thru as it hit a huge wall of water before it crashed over the boat (again) - conditions were not for the faint at heart!!! As if the water was on the beast's side and had a mind of its own - wave after wave furiously crashing into my vessel and trying to sink me - but to no avail I survived - and that cast - "THE CAST" - I sacrificed my body - near life and limb for that cast which landed perfectly... A quick jerk and a few twitches - and my foe fell almost instantly - as my meticulous attention to the presentation subdued the monster from the depths into a hypnotic attack!!! Being a conservationist - I didn't want to risk the monster's well-being - so a quick measurement (think it was like 16X29 but don't remember exactly) and I released in between crashing waves to insure the species will survive yet another day to do battle...

See what I mean - the tackle has much more to do with the man and ultimately the story than the fish!!! I will add (forgot too above) that the 'Beast' did straighten and tear most of the hooks on the lure - rendering it useless - and I think the one part which slipped down its giant gullet (would fit a man's head) was already partially digested... I, of course, retired said plug, as it had done more than anyone could have possibly asked of it...

That was a windy day on the north end of east reservoir - and the walleye was about 1.5 lbs... BUT THE BEAST GREW - as did the conditions... The .50 cal might have been a kid on the 2nd to the point home firing a pellet gun and so on... Like most fishing stories - the truth tends to lie in the bait (the rapala never grows or changes colors or shapes) - and not much else... However, in paying homage to it all - I'm pretty sure I bought another rapala (at least in the story I did).

Had I skipped buying several plugs - then I KNOW I would NEVER have caught that Yatch-swallowing monster!!!

Moral of the story - DO NOT UNDERSELL the equipment and certainly not what the equipment does for the memory... I might have EVERY rapala size shape and color - but its the ONE I chose (how and why) that made all the difference...

BTW - hope everyone has boots on - and high ones at that...


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## Raider16 (Oct 19, 2016)

Orr...You could contact a guide such as Aaron Pratt (churning waters guide service & baits). Without purchasing anything you will get an education on most of the basics of musky fishing such as presentation, location, boat control, gear (nets, pliers, grippers etc) and handling these beasts. And he will put you on fish. After your experience you can figure out how much, if any, you would like to invest in musky/pike fishing.


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## Bulldawg (Dec 3, 2007)

Thanks for the recommendation Mike ! If you are serious about musky fishing look me up on facebook and check out my bait co and guide service page . If anything interests you just shoot me a message !
The learning curve with musky fishing can be brutal , like everyone else is saying do your research before any of this . Having the proper gear to proper release tools is very important also . 
Aaron


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