Highlights:
-Was able to get my first 50''er just before I needed to get to the ramp
-Took my Dad out for Fall Muskie and boated this 51.5"x23.5" (my PB) in the first 10 minutes of fishing. 40 minutes later I landed this 49"x22.5" and it was great to have my Dad net these beautiful fish.
-Didnt keep track of my logs to well this season but landed somewhere over 30 fish
-Seeing Ed get his new LSC PB at a solid 48". Sweet hookset and amazing fight just towards end of season
-Last week of season in December and last trip out I boated a nice 45"er and we only planned on a few hours of fishing since main reason was to winterize E-Tec at the ramp. A bonus was seeing Jeff next to us on the water land his 44"er on a fly. Super cool to see the hookset, fight and landing from a distance rather than being in the same boat.
-Having a day where Ed and I boated a couple high 30"ers and low 40"ers and one fish came straight up from underneath bait hitting it so hard and exploding out of the water at boatside. The fish came so far out of the water it hit me in the elbow and landed on the outboard fallin back into the water for one heck of a fight. I was lucky to not get pinned to the fish and was laughing so hard at all the slime on my arm without even landing the fish yet.
-Proud of my 620 handling a ride from Detroit River to the North Channel in honest 3 and occasional 4 footers alone. It was a calm day that kicked up and made for a long ride home solo in crazy waves. She got me home safe and sound!
Lowpoints:
-having to swerve out of idiots way on highway hitting a pothole and destroying the torsion axle on my RangerTrail Trailer. Had to replace entire axle and went through a couple tires
-Losing a nice 48'er after not being to regulate her swim bladder. We spent 2 hours working on her before she gave up and didn't make it.
-Being exhausted and backing boat up in driveway in the dark and pouring rain. I've done it a thousand times and could do it in my sleep except for that day. Thought I had at least a foot of clearance and backed my kicker into the side of garage destroying it. Was up the next two hours in dark and rain taking the kicker completely off because it was not about to stop me from heading out the next day to fish with Tim. Complete mess but learned my lesson to make sure I pay better attention in low light conditions.
-Seeing Ed lose his rod and reel along with a pounder in current after a long windy day of casting. It's funny now but when no fish are boated yet and that happens it can really ruin the day.
Heading out in the Fall with 4 and 5 footers slamming over the bow and trying to fish since we it was the only day we had available. Stupid idea and of course made it very frustrating trying to have good boat control.
All in all another good season and here's just a few of the big ones from 2011.
51.5"x22.5"
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
50"
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
49"x22.5"
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
50"
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
51.5"x23.5"
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
49"x22.5"
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
45" Last day out December Muskie
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
Last day out, 18 degree morning, 33 degree water temps and frozen compartments…
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
Completely forgot to add the ultimate highlight of my season….
Fishing with Marc Thorpe on the Ottawa! What a trip and it was great to see my good friend Chad put a beatdown on this system. It was breathtaking to see Chad land two 56"s and his 58" and a 51". I was thrilled to see how much it meant to Chad to top his 57" from the previous trip. We had such a great time and fishing with Marc made me a much better angler. I can't wait to go back!! I was able to boat some really nice fishing including a solid 45" and 48". The trip was worth every penny spent and I never thought I'd be in the boat where some of the biggest fish in N. America were that week! It was a special trip and being part of Chad's monster catches was awesome! I took what I learned from that trip and came home to LSC and improved my catches tenfold. It will go down as one of the top highlights of all time when it comes to angling. Gosh… cant believe I forgot to add the Ottawa trip….
Yeah, I've got 4 fish on the GoPro this season including the entire hookset to release of the 49"x22.5" fish. I'm kicking myself for not putting the camera on first thing in the morning and getting my PB on film!! I never thought I'd catch one in the first 10 minutes of fishing. I haven't had time to sit down and edit all of it into a movie. It will be a winter project and I'll get it done. I'll be using it much more next season hoping to get some good stuff.
Michelle and I had very lack luster season. W e did average 2 fish every time we went but only went 4 times. We caught 8 muskies with my Murray 42 the big one of the year. After the opener when I got sick it was the end of august before we were able to fish again. Twice in September and the year was over. Next season is going to be different as Michelle wants to win the masters again. Mike and Michelle
I really enjoyed reading all the year-end wrap ups, so figured I’d toss in mine. Plus the family is watching a Disney marathon and it’s just not quite doing it for me (admittedly they put up with watching/listening to endless sports talk of Prince-coming-to-D-town lately). Sooo…all in all, 2011 was pretty outstanding for my boat partners and myself – both in finding time to get out (begging/borrowing/stealing/skipping work), and in landing muskies. I don’t think we did anything that brilliant, and I don’t think that the ‘skis were particularly ‘on’ in 2011…actually they might have been more off than the norm, especially on weekends. BUT…I honestly think that we just happened to get real lucky when we chose to start bouncing around the state. Fortuitously happening on fish as they were heating up and serendipitously bailing as they were waning, which we found out later from others. Also, I think Joe’s dead on that stocked inland waters, especially those under 500 acres, are not the chomping fishies-in-a-barrel that they once were – so that’s been a bit of a blessing in disguise as we are forced to explore a bit more.
2011 started off watching Duke boat a couple giant up north spotties, followed by slightly less impressive versions by myself. Low, clear water over the winter seemed to hurt the Sanford population more than we hoped for…and I all but wrote her off by the end of May & moved up the chain a ways. Quite a few boated in some new areas up there, but the clear highlight was watching my 7 year old’s jaw drop when a 30 lber waked on his topwater for the 2nd half of his ‘last’ cast…priceless!
I amped up the June-Aug time on LSC/Det River with Corey mostly at the expense of up north fishing…probably won’t let that happen again in 2012. Eww…just re-read that – to clarify, I’m looking to remove the lack of northern MI fishing…not looking to remove Corey (unless he plans on exclusively skipping Five Guys for Hot ‘n Ready in 2012). The southeast spotties proved to be feast or famine as with last year…though maybe a touch extra feasty. Incredible big fish flurries were the highlights for sure – including back-to-back 53” and 50”ers, a 54”-49”-52” bona fide lottery in 5 casts, and netting 10 over 45” in a few hours…most by Corey. Unfortunately our best 2010 spots were ice cold, and we learned that weed growth can be pretty transient as well on the system, so last year’s coordinates weren’t too helpful. Overall more small fish and more big fish boated down there with a stupid-high ratio (relative to other places on earth) of about 1 in 12 over 50”. Still, even the biggest of the bigs were not up to par with the freak that I lost in 2010.
Hung up the rods earlier than I ever have after 2 pretty bad fishing trips in Sept, and moved into hunting mode. Did make one trip down with Spence Berman during duck season which was really fun, although my eyes were admittedly more at the skies than the water. Spence is a great guy for sure who fishes like I like to…but it wasn’t so cool to see a guide bouncing around some of your favorite spots. Doh!
For 2012, I’d like to toss in at least a smidge of fall fishing, and hope to do SOMETHING worthwhile trolling…I’m getting older and fatter, much better at sitting, chewing, drinking and staring…yet my % of time casting isn’t dropping. Not good…
Had a lousy year all the way around. My fishing time was almost non existent. My wife had health problems including wearing a back brace from April through July after spinal surgery which limited her mobility. Also, I had to be her "chaueffeur" due to her having a "mini stroke" which affected her vision for part of the year. Thank the Lord, however, as Helen is doing very well now with all of the above. So, in 2011 I only fished musky 3 times alone for about 3 hours each time on Thorn during the afternoon. Only had a 30+ inch pike for my efforts from those three outings. Also, went lmb fishing 3 or 4 times again on a weekday afternoon on Lake Lansing. Did very well with numbers. Never less than 4 legal size fish released for a couple hours of being out there usually with few boats on the lake. Never made it to LSC or up North or anywhere other than Thorn and L Lansing. Seemed like other peoples availability to go was scarce too. This year I'm hoping for a great year after I have my left hand fixed with surgery on February 3rd. Years of palming large reels and cranking my boat back on the roller trailer have taken a toll on that hand (getting an electric motor installed on the trailer for 2012). Doc says I can resume activities 3-4 months after recovery. Life is good!
The highlight of 2011 for me was my first Lake Vermilion trip. Everythng I heard about the lake worried me goin in. I knew there was a chance at comin home without any fish. But I looked at it as a test. Over the first couple days I threw topwater because everyone I talked to said to throw it. All the big fish including a 57 incher was caught on it 2 days before I got there.. After 2 days of nothing on topwater I decided to use my favorate search bait knowing the fish will atleast follow it.. after a few follows including a 50+ that followed me 2 times in a 10 minute span I knew what the fish would eat. The next day I lost a fish that was halfway in the net but since I was fishing solo I couldnt finish the job. later that morning I had a upper 40 inch fish hit boatside but still couldnt get one in the boat…. awhile after that I went in for lunch and deicded to look for some new areas after.. Well I was about 10 miles from the resort when I came around the corner and noticed toward the resort thy sky was black and there was some lightening.. I went to the area where I seen the 50+ the day before but nothing was goin on. At this time it was raining but I had to hit the spot where I lost the one in the morning. A few cast into this spot I got hung up in the rocks.. Now it was pouring, thunder lightning it wasnt good…I drifted toward the rocks to free my lure.I lifted both motors up as I got shallow and my lure pops off but now my boat is beached in the rocks… I was thinking this is how Im going to die. in the middle of Lake Vermilion by Lightning.. lucky I spun off and made it back to the resort… I got there and told my girlfriend I was done for the day so we went down the road for dinner… after looking at the weather forecast for the next few days I knew I had to get back out after I ate.. It was still raining but it was now I never… I got to the first spot… nothing… deicded to go to where I had the big fish follow the day before.. and fished it nice and slow and about 15 minutes into the short trip there she was.. She chased down and smoked my bait boatside.. After a couple pics away she went and I was done for the day… It wasnt my biggest fish but definately the highlight of 2011
First trip in Aug to Vermilion 33 hours fishing solo …. 1 for 3 with a 51.25"
2nd trip in Nov to Vermilion 39 hours casting with Luke Ronnestrand and my Buddy Junk.. 2 fish.. biggest 50" by 26 by Junk .. 8 hours trolling only 1 fish..
Boat totals
Casting on St Clair 334 hours…114 fish .. All American side.. 4 over 50 +1 49 3/4"
longest 53".. Heaviest was 50 3/4" by 24 1/2"
Trolling 25 hours…. 36 fish….1 on Us side.. 35 on Can… 1 over 50"
My season started out with a few shak-eoffs (poor hook-sets), 1 decent fish out of Austin and then a horrible streak of nothing Muskie until Mid to late August before finally settling into a decent finish to the year – if smaller fish are counted (from Austin). The ice fishing for panfish on Sugarloaf was great Jan 2011, The Steelhead fishing was great spring 2011 on the Mighty Mo and we hooked into some awesome smallies by Big Rapids Mid summer and in August had a rare treat of explosive Smallmouth fish fishing on Waugoshance Point. Fall Kings were fun too this year.
My season highlights were getting Brendan his first Muskie, Kim catching one this year, and almost falling out of the boat laughing when My 17yo daughter Christina lost it when I had a Muskie shake off boatside on Christmas day. I appreciated the time I could fish with family and fellow MMA members on Austin, Long, and Bankson this year and look forward to spending more time in 2012 doing more of the same. The Margrethe outing was a nice weekend and we were able to fish the chain for the first time as well.
I am becoming more confident in my release techniques after releasing the same Muskie multiple times this year and yes, he has a name/number, its 241 for the GPS point he hangs out at.
This season also provides hope for the protection of our precious resources, as work continues to secure tags and other limitations and I cant thank those of you enough here that are working to make this happen.
2012, bring it on!
Hey guys, I am a newbie around here. My name is Matt and I mostly fish lakes on the west side. I have had the pleasure of meeting a few of you in the past year. Not sure if it helps or hurts me to admit who those people are.[smilie=wink.gif] Seeing your faces on here, I know I have seen or spoke briefly with a handful of you guys on the water. If anyone saw two guys flinging flies in a green jon boat, that was us. Just thought I would say hello and put up a recap of the past season.
My main fishing partners are my brothers. We are sort of a three headed monster in that all of our success/luck is shared. We had talked about fishing for muskies for a number of years and finally dedicated time to it this past season. We landed 21 and lost 10 (including fish from the recent ice out). Here are a few pics.
The highlight of season was a double with my half being a PB at 46". We hooked them 5 seconds apart off opposite sides of the boat.
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … mSmall.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … mSmall.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
We caught a few in the summer.
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … umedit.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … umedit.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … ediume.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … ediume.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … umedit.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … umedit.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … 6-1139.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … 6-1139.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
And we caught some when it got cold.
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … 1668_n.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … 1668_n.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … 6019_n.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … 6019_n.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
My brother got his PB, a fat 48" fish an hour before I was there to meet him. Still not thrilled I wasn't there to see it. This is the best pic he could get.
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … P1272z.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … P1272z.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
Not quite the massive selection of bucktails, hard baits, and rubber, but I have way more of these than I will ever fish. This box contains most of my favorties.
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
"><link_text text="[Permission to view this media is denied] … Medium.jpg">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
368
38
1 Guest(s)