04-19-2008, 09:50 PM
42 inches long, around 20 lbs. Biggest fish of my life, and my first Tiger Musky! [shocked] Successfully caught, photographed, and released all by my lonesome. Fished from 10 to 12.
ANYONE KNOW A GOOD PLACE TO GET A REPLICA MOUNT?
Short story: Castin' a small lipless rattlin' rapala in my hip waders near Cemetary Point, caught a 42 inch Tiger Musky on 12 lb. test line, medium-light action spinning combo, with NO wire leader!
Extended version: I've been on a few trips to fish for them with no success, but figured I could only try so many times until it was finally my turn. After reading an article by Ray Johnson (currently holds the Utah state catch and release record with a 53 inch fish) about how to catch Tiger Muskies from shore, I followed his advice and found a good area with a sandy bottom.
After an hour of losing lures to snags and such, in my frustration I didn't want to tie on another wire leader, which I had been using up to that point. I had a medium-light action rod, with my spinning reel spooled with about 100 yds. of 20 lb. braid as a backing and then filled up with Trilene XT 12lb. in green. I pulled out an old lure that I had never caught a fish on, which happened to be a small (2 or 3 inches) lipless rattlin rapala in a color I think has been discontinued (metallic, mostly green with an orange belly). I walked farther east on the north side of cemetary point and waded out on a little point with branches all around me. The wind was blowing pretty good, but was to my back so I could still cast. I made dozens of casts with nothing. Decided there were no serious snags, I started to slow down my retrieve and make little jerks with my rod tip.
That's when it happened. At noon, I made a cast to my right, in front of some branches and down the shoreline. All of the sudden - a sharp tug. I set the hook lightly and started reelin it in. I saw a flash of something big, and then the beast broke the water almost completely clearing it with that big alligator head thrashing back and forth! I was shouting with excitement. It jumped a second time. My rod was bent over prettly good, but the fish wasn't pulling very hard after that. I worked the fish in slowly, trying to keep it out of the branches, fearful that it would bite through my line.
I got the fish without much effort about 15 feet in front of me, and I guess that's when it saw me and decided it was going to fight. It made a dash back out deep with my drag buzzing like mad. I didn't think it would stop. It took out more line than the distance I had hooked it at, but I turned the fish back around. I got it close to me again and same thing, it turned around and took off lots of line. Third time was a charm, I got it right up to me praying that the line would hold and then grabbed it in a big bear hug.
I ran with it down the shore, with my pole dragging in the sand, and as quickly as I could, set it down, got out the tape, and got a pic. I put it back in the water to breathe for a few seconds, then back out again, miraculously setting my camera on a rock and using the timer to get a good picture of myself and the fish on first try.
Got it back in the water, and moved it back and forth until it quickly bolted off. Whole process couldn't have taken more than a minute or two.
The fish gods
d upon me today, and luck was in my favor. I decided to call it a day after that fish and get home.
I didn't weigh the fish, but a growth and weight scale I found some time ago shows that a 42 inch tiger muskie averages around 20 lbs.
If you look at the pics, you can count 6 more inches after the black 3 ft. mark. It felt fat and healthy. I'm thinking now I should've held the fish way out to make it look bigger like everyone else does [:p]
Again, anyone know where to get replica mounts?
ANYONE KNOW A GOOD PLACE TO GET A REPLICA MOUNT?
Short story: Castin' a small lipless rattlin' rapala in my hip waders near Cemetary Point, caught a 42 inch Tiger Musky on 12 lb. test line, medium-light action spinning combo, with NO wire leader!
Extended version: I've been on a few trips to fish for them with no success, but figured I could only try so many times until it was finally my turn. After reading an article by Ray Johnson (currently holds the Utah state catch and release record with a 53 inch fish) about how to catch Tiger Muskies from shore, I followed his advice and found a good area with a sandy bottom.
After an hour of losing lures to snags and such, in my frustration I didn't want to tie on another wire leader, which I had been using up to that point. I had a medium-light action rod, with my spinning reel spooled with about 100 yds. of 20 lb. braid as a backing and then filled up with Trilene XT 12lb. in green. I pulled out an old lure that I had never caught a fish on, which happened to be a small (2 or 3 inches) lipless rattlin rapala in a color I think has been discontinued (metallic, mostly green with an orange belly). I walked farther east on the north side of cemetary point and waded out on a little point with branches all around me. The wind was blowing pretty good, but was to my back so I could still cast. I made dozens of casts with nothing. Decided there were no serious snags, I started to slow down my retrieve and make little jerks with my rod tip.
That's when it happened. At noon, I made a cast to my right, in front of some branches and down the shoreline. All of the sudden - a sharp tug. I set the hook lightly and started reelin it in. I saw a flash of something big, and then the beast broke the water almost completely clearing it with that big alligator head thrashing back and forth! I was shouting with excitement. It jumped a second time. My rod was bent over prettly good, but the fish wasn't pulling very hard after that. I worked the fish in slowly, trying to keep it out of the branches, fearful that it would bite through my line.
I got the fish without much effort about 15 feet in front of me, and I guess that's when it saw me and decided it was going to fight. It made a dash back out deep with my drag buzzing like mad. I didn't think it would stop. It took out more line than the distance I had hooked it at, but I turned the fish back around. I got it close to me again and same thing, it turned around and took off lots of line. Third time was a charm, I got it right up to me praying that the line would hold and then grabbed it in a big bear hug.
I ran with it down the shore, with my pole dragging in the sand, and as quickly as I could, set it down, got out the tape, and got a pic. I put it back in the water to breathe for a few seconds, then back out again, miraculously setting my camera on a rock and using the timer to get a good picture of myself and the fish on first try.
Got it back in the water, and moved it back and forth until it quickly bolted off. Whole process couldn't have taken more than a minute or two.
The fish gods
d upon me today, and luck was in my favor. I decided to call it a day after that fish and get home. I didn't weigh the fish, but a growth and weight scale I found some time ago shows that a 42 inch tiger muskie averages around 20 lbs.
If you look at the pics, you can count 6 more inches after the black 3 ft. mark. It felt fat and healthy. I'm thinking now I should've held the fish way out to make it look bigger like everyone else does [:p]
Again, anyone know where to get replica mounts?