# LMR Musky



## GarrettMyers

I was at one of my favorite LMR spots earlier this year getting a line wet. It was probably around early July. The water was warm, but it was before the algae came and clouded up the water in the hottest part of the summer. Visibility was 4-5'. The bite was a little slow because of the warm water temps. I was slowly wading upstream and casting a 4" green pumpkin stick worm T-Rigged. I worked up to a spot that has some nice current that flows over a drop off. I immediately noticed schools of bait fish all over the area. I casted my worm slightly upstream and across the current. As I worked the lure, I looked down into the water and time stood still. What I saw was a fish that was 25-30" long. I looked closer. The fish had markings across the top of its back that instantly made me think musky. The fish sat there in 4' of water for about 3 seconds then slowly swam towards deeper water. I threw the worm in the fish's direction, even though I knew chances of it hitting were slim. Of course, it didn't have any interest in my lure. It just disappeared into the abyss...

I've seen a million gar, it definitely wasn't a gar. There is a chance it was a monster saugeye, but that's the only other fish it could have possibly been. I have heard multiple accounts of a beastly Musky being caught around Milford years ago... Do you guys know of anyone that has actually caught one? The possibility of seeing the Loveland Frogman is about as good as landing a Musky, so feel free to include any rumors, myths, or hyperbole. I would assume they would be more prevalent towards the LMR and Caeser Creek confluence....


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## nturner

A friend of a friend has a spot on the lmr near marrow that's sits right on the river. He has a picture on the wall of him holding a 30in muskie that he said he caught right in front of the house. You can tell by the background that it was caught right there. They're definitely in there. Just few and far between.


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## oldstinkyguy

In a million years of fishing the LMR I've known two guys that caught musky out of the LMR. It's definitely on my bucket list. I lost a nice one in an tributary to the LMR a year or two ago and about ten years ago my uncle caught a small muskie out of same trib. Its funny but right before Imalt had his terrible jet boat/school bus accident on the Mill Creek last week and was killed we were messaging back and forth about musky fishing in the LMR.


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## nitsud

They're in there, from Ceasers and Cowan and now EF, but a "targetable" population? I guess you'd never know until you expend the required 10,000 casts, but that's a lot of heartbreak if you don't ever catch one. Hybrids at around 6,578 required casts are much more manageable.


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## co-angler

I was fishing the LMR early this past summer. I came across a fellow OGFer as I was getting my gear from my rig. He mentioned that he had knowledge of muskies very near to where we were standing. As I hoofed it downstream, he stayed close to where we met. I fished downstream and once I finished fishing that hole, I walked back upstream. As I came to where he was fishing, he had what could only be described as a big musky lure tied on.
It seems he's convinced they are in there and I have no reason to doubt him as he is a veteran of this stretch of the LMR. 
In case you are wondering, it's not one of the "commons" on this forum.....
I'm hopeful for the day I accidentally tie into one!


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## nitsud

co-angler said:


> In case you are wondering, it's not one of the "commons" on this forum.....


That's good. Those guys are hacks.

Alright, us guys are hacks...


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## HOUSE

I was fishing the LMR in September across from another guy and ran into something strange that may have been a muskie. I had a white bass on the line and while I was removing the hook, I saw a topwater bust unlike anything I'd seen before on the river. A really long fish was thrashing around on the surface, tossing really big shad out of the water left and right. The bust lasted a good 10-20 seconds, as I had time to make a bad cast into heavy wind, miss the location, reel in my lure and still get another cast off. The guy fishing upstream of me had time to reel in and come running down the shoreline to get a cast off. Neither of us hooked up and both shouted the same thing across the water to each other, "Muskie?" while scratching our heads. 

I went back the next day at the same time and sure enough, I was fishing in the area when the same big fish started crushing bait. I started reeling in my line as fast as I could to get a cast off at the fish, and while I was burning my lure back it got snagged so all I could do was sit there and watch the fish. I didn't see its head, but its body was long like a gar. No spots or stripes. I've seen many gar feed before, but never like that...and never on such big bait. 

If it wasn't a 'ski, what other fish could that have been?


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## Dandrews

oldstinkyguy said:


> Its funny but right before Imalt had his terrible jet boat/school bus accident on the Mill Creek last week and was killed we were messaging back and forth about musky fishing in the LMR.


Imalt and I messaged back and forth about muskies in an LMR tributary shortly before his disappearance&#8230;Coincidence?...Hmmm. 

I don&#8217;t fish the LMR as much as you guys do but I had something blow-up on a Zulu while fishing the LMR. I didn&#8217;t get a hook in it but I could tell that the fish was heavy; I figure it was either a huge largemouth or a musky.

Last January or February I had a guy tell me that he caught a small musky in the GMR near Hamilton. I couldn&#8217;t tell if he was being truthful or just pulling my leg. He&#8217;s a decent fisherman; I figure that he knows a musky when he sees one but whether or not he&#8217;s messing with me is another question.


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## backlashed

From the Community Press, March 2012

From the size of that lure I'd guess he wasn't looking for SMB.  I don't think it was an accidental catch either, but perhaps someone who knows him and spoke to him directly (not 'something your buddy heard') might have better details.

According to the article it was caught on light tackle (what ever that means) and landed after 20 minutes.


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## GarrettMyers

I've never been able to find that article. Like backlashed said, hopefully someone has more details... A PM is an alternative if you don't want to put it in a public forum


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## HOUSE

backlashed said:


> From the size of that lure I'd guess he wasn't looking for SMB.  I don't think it was an accidental catch either, but perhaps someone who knows him and spoke to him directly (not 'something your buddy heard') might have better details.
> According to the article it was caught on light tackle (what ever that means) and landed after 20 minutes.


I actually ran into this guy this year, or someone claiming to be him anyways:

Matulemj and I were fishing in April or May trying to get 100 fish in a single day. Mike got his and I still needed 6 more fish so I hiked out solo to a remote spot on the LMR where I ran into two very interesting dudes in kayaks. They asked me what I was going after and I said hybrids. I asked them the same thing to which one guy replied "muskie!". I thought for sure he was joking, but he was quite serious and said, "I'm the guy that caught the Milford muskie in the paper." 

B.S.? I thought he was pulling my leg, but he was quite confident in his tale. He knew the lure in the picture and even described the area _he _caught it which was similar to the background in the photo. Could it have been the same guy? I certainly had my suspicions 


Caption: Rob Hazelbaker of Anderson Township catches a muskie, an uncommon fish in the area, in the little Miami River near Milford, recently. He caught the fist on light tackle fishing from a kayak, and took 20 minutes to land.


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## Roscoe

R.I.P Imalt. He never did land that 50" Musky he had on this past Fall,we tried.But oh what a Fisherman he was.There will never be another like him.Yea,and he never got me a goat for a new jacket.BUMMER!A lot of reflections.



Roscoe


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## GarrettMyers

Roscoe said:


> R.I.P Imalt. He never did land that 50" Musky he had on this past Fall,we tried.But oh what a Fisherman he was.There will never be another like him.Yea,and he never got me a goat for a new jacket.BUMMER!A lot of reflections.
> 
> 
> 
> Roscoe


I heard an Asian Carp to the temple is what caused the whole fiery crash.


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## Roscoe

What a way to go.A dam Carp.He never knew what hit 'em after that.Poor Soul!



Roscoe


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## GarrettMyers

There are rumors that there was a huge Asian Carp population in the Mill Creek and imalt went on a kamikaze mission to save our fisheries. He'll always be a hero in my book. A school bus full of children was a small price to pay. Godspeed imalt.


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## Roscoe

Maybe OGF will place a Marker for Imalt at the Scene for all to see.I believe he was a member in good standings for years.It's the least they could do.



Roscoe


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## trailbreaker

wow RIP


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## Buzzin

Nope no muskies in the lmr area


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## BornWithGills

Buzzin said:


> Nope no muskies in the lmr area


Nice!


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## kingofamberley

You guys are asking for it. Imalt answered to the musky police, and with a thread like this, so will you guys. I will stick to my Mill Creek Salmon thank you very much.


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## Mason52

Check out this LMR musky. Their in there

http://www.moldychum.com/home-old/2010/7/22/july-slab-of-the-month-entry-muskie.html


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## Jointed Minnow

I came across that picture before and was never sure it was actually the LMR. Very cool. Thanks for posting. 


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## Mason52

Why would you not be sure? You don't think the guy would lie do ya I know they get out of Caesar's I've caught them in the river. If they get out, and they do, they are going to get big. I'd bet there are some huge muskies in the LMR. Lots of food, plenty of deep water holes. I've thought about exploring a lot more of the river to see if I can locate some spots that hold them regularly. I've heard of one LMR giant that was said to be over 50". I want to say it was the guy who's dad owns the marina at Cowan that told me about it.


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## fishknife

I remember Sconner caught a musky out of the LMR a couple of years ago. He might have some input.


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## Roscoe

Maybe it was SConner who caught that 50" Giant in the LMR.Nice report Mason!



Roscoe


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## Mason52

I used to go to the licking river below Cave Run Lake and fish it in the Winter and we used to catch some nice fish up to 46" and I know of a few 50"s that came out of there. You had to hit it with just the right amount of water coming out of the lake or putting a boat like mine was a little scary, and you always had to be on the lookout for underwater obstructions regardless of flow . I think a little flat bottom might work in some parts of the LMR. I think it would be fun to float/boat it and see what a guy could find....


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## Roscoe

That sounds like a 2 or 3 dayer and camp along the way.Sounds fun.Ya gotta pick the right time and give it a go.Good info Mason.


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## backlashed

Or a kayak


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## SConner

fishknife said:


> I remember Sconner caught a musky out of the LMR a couple of years ago. He might have some input.


They are there in small numbers, but no 50 incher from me.


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## nitsud

It's good that there are no muskies in the LMR, only misshapen, oddly colored gar. Otherwise, I might have to embark on a quest to find one, sacrificing all hope and sanity...

Nope, no muskies at all. Might as well stick to smallmouth.


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## oldstinkyguy

SConner said:


> They are there in small numbers, but no 50 incher from me.



Any musky out of a southern Ohio river is just too cool. That's awesome


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## Mason52

I wish that Ohio would stock a few of the bigger creeks/rivers around here. KY does and it really adds to the access to a great sport fish for people down there. I know several people that fish the rivers in KY and they can actually have the place to themselves. You never going to have a ton of muskies anywhere. In better lakes the density is only 2,3 or 4 fish per acre, in the very best of lakes it might be a few more per acre. I've heard that Lake Webster in Indiana is estimated at 6 to 8 per acre and have heard of some really good lakes up north in Wis/Minn that have less the 1 per acre but you have a real shot at a giant. Point being you have to strain a lot of water find fish and then you have to be there when they decide to feed. It can be very frustrating and very humbling.


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## SeanStone

Mason52 said:


> I wish that Ohio would stock a few of the bigger creeks/rivers around here. KY does and it really adds to the access to a great sport fish for people down there. I know several people that fish the rivers in KY and they can actually have the place to themselves. You never going to have a ton of muskies anywhere. In better lakes the density is only 2,3 or 4 fish per acre, in the very best of lakes it might be a few more per acre. I've heard that Lake Webster in Indiana is estimated at 6 to 8 per acre and have heard of some really good lakes up north in Wis/Minn that have less the 1 per acre but you have a real shot at a giant. Point being you have to strain a lot of water find fish and then you have to be there when they decide to feed. It can be very frustrating and very humbling.


There are a few streams in southern ohio that have decent musky populations....i can think of a half dozen or so. Two of the best I've heard of aren't real wide, but they have deep pools. Typically 1 to 2 musky per hole is normal for them. Size of the fish are probably smaller than average....30 to 45" fish are considered big. I did talk to a warden who said he saw a state record musky shocked in a local creek, it never made a recovery. I got a new job last January and my new boss told me the same exact story...so I somewhat believe it. Its kinda hard to imagine it though because the creek where it was shocked from is probably 10 yards wide on average. My boss still fishes for musky on ocasion, but he said it's getting harder and harder to catch them. He throws large crank baits and says on a normal day he'll get one or two to rise and chase his lure. He said 1 out of every 3-4 trips you'll catch one. I don't like the odds of that very much but it seems normal to most die hard musky guys. 

The biggest problem with these streams is that if you drive another 45 mins to an hour south into Kentucky, you get into much better musky fishing. Most guys would rather do that than drag a canoe, kayak, or jon boat all day.

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## Mason52

Scioto Brush, Sunfish and the Little Muskegon and prolly Muskegon River all have muskies. Our original muskies for the stocking program came out of Sunfish. I have heard of the one that was shocked and died out of Scioto Brush. I believe it was a few lbs short of the state record of 55+ lbs and was supposed to only be 48 inches. If that is the fish your talking about. Scioto Brush and Sunfish for sure and maybe some others in the state have naturally reproducing populations of muskies where any in the Little Miami are just flushed out of the lake and so may not be as abundant as other creeks. Wish they were......


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## SeanStone

Mason52 said:


> Scioto Brush, Sunfish and the Little Muskegon and prolly Muskegon River all have muskies. Our original muskies for the stocking program came out of Sunfish. I have heard of the one that was shocked and died out of Scioto Brush. I believe it was a few lbs short of the state record of 55+ lbs and was supposed to only be 48 inches. If that is the fish your talking about. Scioto Brush and Sunfish for sure and maybe some others in the state have naturally reproducing populations of muskies where any in the Little Miami are just flushed out of the lake and so may not be as abundant as other creeks. Wish they were......


Yep sbc was were it happened. I was took to the exact spot and I laughed, it's pretty darn skinny for fish that big. I thought it was a joke....3 confirmed stories, must be some truth to it then. 

There has been more than one biggun come from the Scioto river too..... Most of the streams you mentioned above dump into the Scioto so it's kind of a given.


Rocky fork creek and paint creek might also have reproducing populations. I know of a couple muskies that came from that region as well.......and this was only a couple of years ago.

Also Ohio Brush creek has them. I've seen one pic and I'm pretty sure I lost one at the yak out of there. I know it wasn't a gar.....Pike I doubt, muskie maybe.

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## Mason52

Never heard of or don't know how any would get into Paint Creek. Rocky Fork Lake used to be stocked so I can see them in the creek below the lake for sure. That's why they quit stocking it is because it lost to many fish over the dam. Same for Cowan Lake.


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## Roscoe

kingofamberley said:


> You guys are asking for it. Imalt answered to the musky police, and with a thread like this, so will you guys. I will stick to my Mill Creek Salmon thank you very much.




Quote by The King: That is the last time I bring my cross-dressing grandfather to an OGF event. 


Roscoe


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## SeanStone

Mason52 said:


> Never heard of or don't know how any would get into Paint Creek. Rocky Fork Lake used to be stocked so I can see them in the creek below the lake for sure. That's why they quit stocking it is because it lost to many fish over the dam. Same for Cowan Lake.


Rocky fork creek below the lake runs 6 or 7 miles and then dumps into paint creek.

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## Mason52

SeanStone said:


> Rocky fork creek below the lake runs 6 or 7 miles and then dumps into paint creek.
> 
> I see, didn't know that. Never really looked at it on a map.


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## HOUSE

nitsud said:


> It's good that there are no muskies in the LMR, only misshapen, oddly colored gar. Otherwise, I might have to embark on a quest to find one, sacrificing all hope and sanity...
> 
> Nope, no muskies at all. Might as well stick to smallmouth.


Dude, it's hard enough dealing with this striped bass obsession. Imagine if we got hooked on muskie...LMR muskie at that! Oh dear...


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## cincinnati

Mason52 said:


> SeanStone said:
> 
> 
> 
> Rocky fork creek below the lake runs 6 or 7 miles and then dumps into paint creek.
> 
> I see, didn't know that. Never really looked at it on a map.
> 
> 
> 
> Runs right along US 50 in a couple stretches, near Bainbridge. I've admired it from the truck on many occasions.
Click to expand...


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