# Musky at the reefs?



## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

I'm going to oak harbor for the weekend to try jigging and trolling for eyes. My main passion is musky, so im bringing some gear. I'm going to try anyway but anybody accidentally hook one? I think its the perfect place on erie!


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## luredaddy (May 25, 2004)

I will be watching for your follow up report. I would think jigging a big Gotcha bait, may yield big walleyes and a better chance for a Musky. John


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

luredaddy said:


> I will be watching for your follow up report. I would think jigging a big Gotcha bait, may yield big walleyes and a better chance for a Musky. John





luredaddy said:


> I will be watching for your follow up report. I would think jigging a big Gotcha bait, may yield big walleyes and a better chance for a Musky. John


Im there for 4 days I'll give it hell and report back. Thats if the walleye cooperate.


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

Every year there are random reports of a Ski here or there. Not sure that anyone targets them. They all seem to be the right place at the right time.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

My guess is nobody that targets them is going to say a word. They are in st clair and Detroit river which is really close.


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

monte39 said:


> My guess is nobody that targets them is going to say a word. They are in st clair and Detroit river which is really close.


I wouldn’t necessarily call that really close to the reefs


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

Morrowtucky Mike said:


> I wouldn’t necessarily call that really close to the reefs


Yeah not real close but fish swim distances and there is a ton of food literally. Some may have made there way down and set up residence. They used to commercially fish them out of maumee and the western basin. So Im saying there is a chance. Anyway if I dont get any I tried and satisfied my curiosity.


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## 3goldens (Jul 13, 2012)

We have caught several over the years between Crane Creek and Reno Beach. It is usually later into summer. No reef like structures down that way not sure why they are there.


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

Sure there are musky in Erie, but certainly anyone would agree there are way way more in Clair and the river. I dont know why but I'm sure the ski's do. It is strange how their density ends at Erie.


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## DUCKHEAD (Apr 28, 2007)

I was with a friend who caught a 36in musky in march in the reef area. We were using swedish pimples for walleye. Very surprise when he caught it.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

I was bass fishing between S. Bass and middle bass a couple years ago, happened to look down beside the boat and seen a huge musky, it had a keeper walleye in its mouth sideways, I bet if a guy would target them around the Islands they are there. I always thought musky got real shallow in the spring.


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## island troller (Nov 14, 2007)

I lost a very big one on Clinton Reef last year. I have fished for them on Lake St Clair and can recognize a big musky. Had him at the boat several times but being rough and fishing solo he came off before I could land him. He did however destroy my walleye net. He may still be lurking that reef.


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## Krt1911 (Mar 30, 2014)

I have caught them trolling around Catawba. Nothing consistent, but they are around


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Needle in a haystack, yes they are out there but if you want to catch musky fish inland or Cair, OR Michigan waters of Erie higher concentration of theme in MI waters due to proximity of the River. Tracking studies show they do come down and travel through Erie but again, needle in a haystack.


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## Pike (Apr 7, 2004)

Here is a recent tracking study of muskies that the State of Michigan did on St. Clair and the Detroit river. It shows muskies moving in and out of Lake Erie. It is amazing how far some of the fish are traveling. 









Muskie Tagging Study Update


Hello Muskie enthusiasts. I wanted to provide an update about the Muskie telemetry study occurring in the St. Clair-Detroit River system. This project was initiated in 2016 and has tagged over 140 Muskies to date with acoustic tags. The first scientific article using this data has just been...




www.michigan-sportsman.com


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

My 0.02... Muskie are originally a river fish, and I think they like current..alot.
St. Clair changes over every....3 days? so plenty of flow going on.
I just had a follow last night, and saw a mid 40" fish spawning... Good stuff!


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

BaddFish said:


> My 0.02... Muskie are originally a river fish, and I think they like current..alot.
> St. Clair changes over every....3 days? so plenty of flow going on.
> I just had a follow last night, and saw a mid 40" fish spawning... Good stuff!



On average Clair replaces it's water in 7 days. Largest freshwater delta in the world.


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## FishOhioQuest (Jul 10, 2020)

I remember as a kid staying up at turtle creek marina seeing several pictures of them in the office. The one was caught out by west sister island. I have also heard of a couple smaller ones being caught through the ice back when we had ice up there. I personally had either a pike or musky on that rolled and cut my line in front of Bessie when I was a kid too.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

Never tried for musky. Next year we're staying longer definitely going to make one day just musky day.


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## landin hawgs (Jan 27, 2008)

Just curious why someone would spend time for musky on erie when lake st claire,a world class musky fishery, is a few hours away? Unless you want to cast 10000 times, it is the "fish of 10000 casts? To each his own, just sayin


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

landin hawgs said:


> Just curious why someone would spend time for musky on erie when lake st claire,a world class musky fishery, is a few hours away? Unless you want to cast 10000 times, it is the "fish of 10000 casts? To each his own, just sayin


Exactly, all the stocked lakes in Ohio have very good catch rates as well, Clair is a big lake and not as easy as it seems but can be extremely rewarding


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## Bass knuckles (Sep 23, 2014)

Kinda like fishing for eyes at nimi, maybe it’s the hunt he’s looking for.. I know I’ve tried for eyes at nimi for years w only 1 to show for


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## Pike (Apr 7, 2004)

Part of muskie fishing is the "hunt". While I am not going to try it, mostly because if I go to Erie I will be fishing for walleyes, it would be kind of cool to target muskies and catch one there.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

Exactly what I was thinking. I dont have high hopes but how cool would it be to actually catch one or two.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

I live 20 minutes from west branch fish it every weekend from ice off to ice up. I wanted to try something different while I was in that area. If I dont get one oh well at least I tried. I've been skunked plenty of time at west branch and thats arguably the best lake in ohio.


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## Kenlow1 (Jul 14, 2012)

Yeah, St.Clair or even Chautaqua would give a better chance for a muskie


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

I don't want a better chance. I want to try for a unicorn. Simple as that.


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## Earthworms (Dec 15, 2014)

monte39 said:


> I don't want a better chance. I want to try for a unicorn. Simple as that.


I totally get your thought pattern, I enjoy the challenge, I like hunting muskies in obscure places Such as wading creeks and erie. Fyi, I saw a presentation at the local musky club that mapped the ones they caught. If I remember correctly grid spot 109 had 26 muskies or maybe it was 109 muskies in 26 spots. I might be able to locate it.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

Id appreciate that I wont be going back til next year. For now Im fishing west branch until its to warm. Then eyes out of Cleveland until they move to far out. Then back to west branch.


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## Earthworms (Dec 15, 2014)

monte39 said:


> Id appreciate that I wont be going back til next year. For now Im fishing west branch until its to warm. Then eyes out of Cleveland until they move to far out. Then back to west branch.
> [/QUOTE.
> 
> 109 in 31


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

Hey thank you looks like I'm on the right track. I dont care if I catch one just want to try.


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## ErieBoy75 (Aug 4, 2009)

Monte38, what are you going to throw? Or will you troll? If you troll, you have a good chance at a walleye, too. 2020 winter I put on a Krave in a shad pattern and caught the smallest walleye of the day, of course........


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

I was planning on trolling some and throwing bulldawgs. I was thinking I'll be going a little to fast for walleye but you never know.


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## island troller (Nov 14, 2007)

I usually troll from 3.5 to 4.0 mph for Musky on Lake St Clair. Have caught my share of Muskies at that speed but only 1 walleye ever at that speed. However big smallmouth and pike will attack. The two Muskies I have on Erie trolling for walleyes were both over rocky humps. Clinton Reef and long point ridge coming the NE corner of Kelleys.


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## Pike (Apr 7, 2004)

It was not on Erie, but I have caught some of my biggest walleyes on perch color Super Shad Raps while fishing for Muskies/Pike. Even wile muskie fishing, I rarely troll over 3.5 mph.


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## island troller (Nov 14, 2007)

That perch color super shad rap is my favorite trolling lure for Musky. I really should run it on Erie at times.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

island troller said:


> That perch color super shad rap is my favorite trolling lure for Musky. I really should run it on Erie at times.


Theres a guy that used to post in the central Ohio forums. He would throw the super shad rap at night in fall/winter for big saugeyes. An caught plenty of smaller saugeyes on it. I've often thought it would be a good nite time cold water bait on Erie for big walleye... Def worth a shot.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

I have a perch color super shad rap. I dont run it much anymore. It was a hot bait for me 6 or 7 years ago. Might be time to dig it out. I troll between 3.5 to 4.5 mph.


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## Eyegagger (Jan 13, 2018)

I have caught two muskies out of lake Erie over the past 30 years of fishing the lake the first one was in vermilion trolling reef runners in close to the shore. It was only about a 35-in fish, although I just caught one in Cleveland 2 years ago off of a boulder pile I know of near the upper Edgewater Park area on a large bucktail jig fishing for walleye.I believe someone could catch them more often if they were to Target them.good luck and here is a picture of the one that I caught in Cleveland.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

That one looks like a dandy. Thanks for giving me confidence.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

If no one targets them around the islands we may not realize how many are there, may be a descent population, I haven't ever seen a post where a guy intentionally trolled that area for them, who really knows?


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

This is my point exactly I believe there is a decent population but nobody targets them and the few that do are tight lipped. I've heard rumors. The Grand River has a decent population so there should be one or two swimming around the harbor. Planning a trip there next month.


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## TRIPLE-J (Sep 18, 2006)

Who says it takes 10000 casts in Erie to hook one 
Unless you target them you'll never know 
Now let's see lake st Clair on one side ,one of the best musky waters in the states and upper Niagra on the other side another one of the best musky waters in the states 
And what connects them 
Lake Erie 
I would say they are there and probably in better numbers then people think


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## bluestreak64 (May 26, 2011)

TRIPLE-J said:


> Who says it takes 10000 casts in Erie to hook one
> Unless you target them you'll never know
> Now let's see lake st Clair on one side ,one of the best musky waters in the states and upper Niagra on the other side another one of the best musky waters in the states
> And what connects them
> ...


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## bluestreak64 (May 26, 2011)

In September of 2018 I tangled with a large Musky in a marina just west of the portage river near Port Clinton. I was bass fishing and hooked into something huge, she let me get a glimpse of her right beside the boat before taking off with my lure...


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

We caught 1 today. East of Lorain guarding a rock pile.









reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## Capt. Crude (Nov 2, 2012)

That may be a tiger? Really rare if it is


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

Capt. Crude said:


> That may be a tiger? Really rare if it is


Confirmed by a fish biologist friend, yes tiger.

reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## Capt. Crude (Nov 2, 2012)

Caught this one jigging for eyes off a western erie pier 2 weeks ago... Not sure how my buddy netted her with a walleye net?


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## Tommy84 (Aug 15, 2017)

Damn that’s a hell of a Muskie to catch from shore on Erie.


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## senkothrower (Feb 4, 2007)

Last year at LSC the MI DNR was tagging muskies. They showed us on computer the Muskie travels for the past year on ones they tagged. Couple traveled all the way from LSC to Buffalo harbor(yes NY). Was real cool and interesting to talk with them. Those Muskies move all year long.


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