Musky guys I need your help

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reason162
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Re: Musky guys I need your help

Post by reason162 » Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:43 pm

Obz wrote:
Mon Jan 17, 2022 6:26 pm
You'll get hooks in your hand if not teeth. Even though they are a big apex fish they are very sensitive to being handled. I personally don't think it would be ethical to fish them from a kayak at all. Trying to unhook a trophy class fish from you kayak doesn't seem doable they'll dish your yak.
This is the reason I haven't targeted musky from my yak - a big one will be almost impossible to safely CPR.

I know a couple of guys who do it off their yaks but they always land on shore once hooked up. Even then it's questionable since depending on the shoreline a big musky can bash their head against rocks etc.

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LowRange
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Re: Musky guys I need your help

Post by LowRange » Tue Jan 18, 2022 7:08 am

reason162 wrote:
Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:43 pm
Obz wrote:
Mon Jan 17, 2022 6:26 pm
You'll get hooks in your hand if not teeth. Even though they are a big apex fish they are very sensitive to being handled. I personally don't think it would be ethical to fish them from a kayak at all. Trying to unhook a trophy class fish from you kayak doesn't seem doable they'll dish your yak.
This is the reason I haven't targeted musky from my yak - a big one will be almost impossible to safely CPR.

I know a couple of guys who do it off their yaks but they always land on shore once hooked up. Even then it's questionable since depending on the shoreline a big musky can bash their head against rocks etc.
Good point. I see guys landing reds and sharks from yaks but musky could injure themselves when they fight because of the way they are.

City17Banner
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Re: Musky guys I need your help

Post by City17Banner » Wed Feb 02, 2022 1:42 pm

LowRange wrote:
Tue Jan 18, 2022 7:08 am
reason162 wrote:
Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:43 pm
Obz wrote:
Mon Jan 17, 2022 6:26 pm
You'll get hooks in your hand if not teeth. Even though they are a big apex fish they are very sensitive to being handled. I personally don't think it would be ethical to fish them from a kayak at all. Trying to unhook a trophy class fish from you kayak doesn't seem doable they'll dish your yak.
This is the reason I haven't targeted musky from my yak - a big one will be almost impossible to safely CPR.

I know a couple of guys who do it off their yaks but they always land on shore once hooked up. Even then it's questionable since depending on the shoreline a big musky can bash their head against rocks etc.
Good point. I see guys landing reds and sharks from yaks but musky could injure themselves when they fight because of the way they are.
I'll chime in that after 30+ years of fishing for muskies and two rotator cuff injuries/replacements, there's till nothing like seeing a trophy (anything over 45-inches in my book) muskie follow your topwater lure into boat side and desperately performing the famous "figure eight" maneuver with your lure to elicit a boat side strike only to have the fish give you the evil eye and slowly sink into the watery depths. I've never fished out of a kayak so I can't help you from that standpoint, however; I understand being a JDM equipment afficionado as well so here are my two primary tackle setups for muskie fishing and the typical types of lures I try to present to the fish, emphasize of try, try, and try again (fish of 10K casts).

Topwater tackle setup: MB Valkryie VKC 61XH rod, Shimano 200 DC reel, 40-pound test Maxcuatro braid mainline with a 50-pound test 18-inch shock leader of Sunline FC100 fluorocarbon leader material (this is crimped and not tied on). The lure of choice is an old school Poe Giant Jackpot (think muskie sized Zara Spook) and when I get tired of "walking the dog" with this huge lure, I put on the muskie sized Whopper Plopper 190 to give my body a break.

Swimbait tackle setup: Evergreen Kaleido Inspirare GTX-C710XHX Grand Stallion GT-X rod, Shimano CTE 300 reel, 65-pound test Maxcuatro braid mainline with an 80-pound test 18-inch shock leader of Sunline FC100 fluorocarbon leader material (this is crimped and not tied on). The primary lure of choice is a 10-inch MB MagDraft in either MB Gizzard or N Rainbow with a supplemental lure choice of the 6-inch MB MagDraft Freestyle if the fish prefer a smaller lure size, it's rare but sometimes individual fish seem to want smaller lures, especially in colder water.

As for early season muskie spawning habits, yes; on the stretch of the St. Croix River below the Taylors Falls Dam near my house, it's common to find them spawning from early-May until the MN bass opener on Memorial weekend in the backwater sloughs and flats. As such, the muskie opener in MN is the first Saturday in June so it's good to be aware of the fishing regulations where applicable.

From a fishing ethics and safety standpoint, I will echo Obz in that I do find muskie to be sensitive to handling and unlike trophy smallmouth bass, I can't simply put them in the live well of my Ranger bass boat to let them rest before the CPR effort and then letting them loose, nor can a kayak readily deploy the big fish nets or cradles so common to muskie fishing in the modern era. However, if one is judicious and careful, it is possible to hand land a trophy muskie without causing irreparable harm to the fish or oneself. Having said that; even with the best handling efforts, good use of cradles by your fishing buddy, and careful use of 8-inch Knipex side cutters to cut really expensive 4X treble hooks, I've still had to drive myself to the ER three times to have stitches for "minor" lacerations of my hands and arms while fishing for muskie, so caution is highly advised in this effort. Good luck fishing in the new year!
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