# West branch musky..anyone any luck?



## Pontoonin'Silas (Jul 31, 2021)

I've been spending days..and a lot of dollars on lures. Getting the crap kicked out of me at WB no luck with musky. Anyone doing any good so far this month?


----------



## WeirPhishin (Oct 25, 2020)

Fished WB Saturday and Sunday morning. Had 3 follows and 1 eat that got hooked and off. It’s been tough for me last month or so at WB. Weather is too nice and water hasn’t started cooling enough in my opinion. Any action we had this weekend all came earlyish morning when the sun was low. We have fished several evening likes that too where we see nothing till dusk. We had one really good day where we moved lots of fished and caught 2 but that was during a cloudy rainy day.

As far as lures I have moved the most fish there with 10” Poseidon swim baits. I’ve also done decent with top water prop style baits. Buck tails would be my other recommendation. I’m as guilty as anyone else for buying too ,any Muskie lure but those 3 are my usually on my line. 


‘if you can choose when you fish I would choose the crappy weather days where you’ll prolly get rained on some. If the weather is stable I like early morning or dusk. After those are gone I would focus on your daily moon phases and try to fish the majors if possible.

Finally, just keep casting and pray to the Muskie gods. This is my first year targeting them exclusively and have boated 7 I think. Lost several others. it took me about 2 months to catch my first. I have an entire thread about my own Muskie mission in the northeast Ohio section that may help. There are a ton of Muskie in WB,you’ll get one and it’ll be totally worth it,


----------



## snagless-1 (Oct 26, 2014)

Went there bass fishing left the musky tackle home.I was throwing a top water prop bait and hooked a 38-40 inc musky,go figure.Saw 2 guys fishing rubber baits jigging they hooked 5 landed 4.


----------



## Troy Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

Just got back from my 4th annual Sept.trip. Was probably one of my best, fished Monday thru Thursday. Caught three in the low 40's, two at 36" and a 27". Lost two at the boat and a couple near the end of a cast and had 14 follows. Also a small pike. Saw fish on bucktails, bobbie baits, believer, lake x toad and a lake fork jerk bait but most of the action was on smaller single painted blade bucktails with #7 or #8 fluted blades orange or firetiger. All were near weeds in 2 to 8 fow.


----------



## Pontoonin'Silas (Jul 31, 2021)

Troy Dave said:


> Just got back from my 4th annual Sept.trip. Was probably one of my best, fished Monday thru Thursday. Caught three in the low 40's, two at 36" and a 27". Lost two at the boat and a couple near the end of a cast and had 14 follows. Also a small pike. Saw fish on bucktails, bobbie baits, believer, lake x toad and a lake fork jerk bait but most of the action was on smaller single painted blade bucktails with #7 or #8 fluted blades orange or firetiger. All were near weeds in 2 to 8 fow.


Damn I've still no luck. I'm using the single bladed bucktails orange and fire tiger as well. I'll continue my hunt..thanks for the tips and congrats on the catches


----------



## Pontoonin'Silas (Jul 31, 2021)

Troy Dave said:


> Just got back from my 4th annual Sept.trip. Was probably one of my best, fished Monday thru Thursday. Caught three in the low 40's, two at 36" and a 27". Lost two at the boat and a couple near the end of a cast and had 14 follows. Also a small pike. Saw fish on bucktails, bobbie baits, believer, lake x toad and a lake fork jerk bait but most of the action was on smaller single painted blade bucktails with #7 or #8 fluted blades orange or firetiger. All were near weeds in 2 to 8 fow.


Fire tiger single painted blade tandem treble hook bucktail, I got my first follow ever tonight!!!! I was 13 fow the follow was in between my boat and the shore so I assume somewhere around 6 to 10 fow @ 68 degrees F. Unfortunately, no I did not boat the fish but it looked to be about 36" or so. Still exciting to finally witness a follow.. Thanks for the tips!


----------



## WeirPhishin (Oct 25, 2020)

Pontoonin'Silas said:


> Fire tiger single painted blade tandem treble hook bucktail, I got my first follow ever tonight!!!! I was 13 fow the follow was in between my boat and the shore so I assume somewhere around 6 to 10 fow @ 68 degrees F. Unfortunately, no I did not boat the fish but it looked to be about 36" or so. Still exciting to finally witness a follow.. Thanks for the tips!


Nice! It so awesome when they come in and you get to see them. One will eat for you, keep casting. I fished this past week 4 days in a row at WB for 4 hrs each day looking for Muskie. First day never seen a fish till one swiped at my bait near the boat, missed and then Came back and bit but got off very quickly . Second day had one nice fish come into the boat but didn’t eat. Third day never seem a fish. Fourth day only had one come in and nip at my bait but not really bite. All my fish were in >10 FOW. Buck tails and Poseidon moved em. Catching these fish can be challenging but it’s very possible. It seems they always give me enough action to want to keep coming back for more. Good luck!


----------



## Pontoonin'Silas (Jul 31, 2021)

Okay I'm just about to the point where I'm going to service my Merc and call it a season....still not a dang musky. Anyone got any emergency tips?.. if I can't boat 1 single solitary fish I'm going to lose a lot of sleep this winter season


----------



## cincinnati (May 24, 2004)

The “follow” in musky fishing is absolutely addicting. Catching is just the icing on the cake.

I started musky fishing only after Dad bought a little cabin in northern Wisconsin many years ago. It’s practically a religion up there. Caught 2 of my first 3 fish on boatside strikes & was hooked.

Don’t know the first thing about West Branch but just returned from Wisconsin, where w/water temps in the mid-60’s, the fish were up pretty shallow, near green weeds & following jerkbaits. Caught only 1 - the smallest fish I saw - & missed the biggest when it crushed the bait on the first jerk but didn’t get pinned. Both liked a Suick.

Big fan of jerkbaits because if you’re not catching much, you can @ least be entertained by the action you give the bait. 😉


----------



## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

All my Ohio fish this year, except one, have come on bass sized crank baits. The one was on a tube spinner. All have come from less than 10’ of water, and, except for today, all have come from bouncing the baits off the bottom (tube bait not included). Today was different. Bottom bouncing did nothing. Switched to a 4” balsa crank and hooked a mid 30s fish on a shelf that went from 3-8’. Came unhooked at the boat while doing a tarpon impersonation. 20 mins later, after switching to a 6” minnow bait, bagged a nice, fat 42” in the same area.

I don’t think some of these Ohio muskies have read the same books that we have. Bigger isn’t always better. If bass fishermen are catching them and you aren’t, switch up and fish for bass with musky gear.


----------



## snagless-1 (Oct 26, 2014)

Fish the shallows 10' or less with spinner baits and top water.I'ts not like bass ,fishing heavy lures and rods wear me out after about 4 hours.My bother was throwing a huge Northland double bladed spinner and 20' from the boat wham he caught about a 38" musky.I caught one on top water but not hooked well.I talked to a couple of guys that jig rubber and they do very well.I'ts a different ballgame to me a bass fisherman but it's fun,don't give up.


----------



## Pontoonin'Silas (Jul 31, 2021)

Thank you all for your continued moral support in these difficult times of not catching my first musky lol


----------



## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

Spring can be tough. Even though OH stocks, the fish go thru the spawning motions. Up and down water levels don’t help. Getting ready to get my boat out this weekend and start the springtime grind. Going to change up tactics and see what happens.

Just remember, though, that the springtime water temps can take ya down just as quickly as the late fall/early winter temps. Be prepared and stay safe.


----------



## Pontoonin'Silas (Jul 31, 2021)

A little update: I lost one boat side in my small boat right before the lake froze last year, just didnt feel like sharing my disappointment. At the time I was trolling a small Medusa around one of the islands near the campgrounds. Been doing more trolling the past month but no luck yet. Hopefully my next post will have my first musky story! Good luck to all stay safe! Watch out for the fair weather boaters and fishermen 😆


----------



## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Fish are generally shallow this time of year. Casting is great when they are shallow if you can find fish that aren't doing the spawn thing. Post spawn is an awesome casting bite. The trolling bite will heat up near the end of May!


----------



## Pontoonin'Silas (Jul 31, 2021)

Thank you for the tips! Back to casting it is!


----------



## OhioFishingForFun (7 mo ago)

WeirPhishin said:


> Fished WB Saturday and Sunday morning. Had 3 follows and 1 eat that got hooked and off. It’s been tough for me last month or so at WB. Weather is too nice and water hasn’t started cooling enough in my opinion. Any action we had this weekend all came earlyish morning when the sun was low. We have fished several evening likes that too where we see nothing till dusk. We had one really good day where we moved lots of fished and caught 2 but that was during a cloudy rainy day.
> 
> As far as lures I have moved the most fish there with 10” Poseidon swim baits. I’ve also done decent with top water prop style baits. Buck tails would be my other recommendation. I’m as guilty as anyone else for buying too ,any Muskie lure but those 3 are my usually on my line.
> 
> ...


Is it possible to bank fish for musky in WB or no?


----------



## missionfishin (Sep 21, 2011)

Obviously can cover much more water while on a boat but can be done from shore. Have caught 5 from shore while camping over the past couple years. All were caught on a Mepps Marabou fishing coves. 

Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk


----------



## Troy Dave (Jan 26, 2007)

Just got back from my 5th annual June trip. Fished 4 full days and 3 hours this morning before packing up to come home. I would rate this June a little below average. For the week had 4 lazy follows, 2 hot follows that I missed hooksets on the eight, caught a 40" on the eight and a 29" on the retrieve. Bucktails and medusa got the action. Water temp was 72 when I started on Monday and 79.5 when I quit at 9:30 this morning. Seems like the weed growth is a little behind this year. Usually the weeds are topping out on the surface by now, but this time they were still a foot or so below. It always amazes me how many red headed woodpeckers I see in the campground. I think in Miami county I have seen 1 or 2 in 20 years.


----------

