Fishing Forum

Did anybody else see this story and video in the Tribune on[url "http://blogs.sltrib.com/fishing/index.php?p=16980&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1"] tiger muskie fishing at Newton[/url] posted last Friday?
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That's all we need on here. Good bye newton.
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Thanks for the post; I fished Newton once during the winter and didn't get a bite so like any other fishery a person must work at it to be successful. For instance if you look at the Forum the last two days one person got skunked at Willard and a day later Tube Dude slays them. Anyone whom has fished a while understands timing and patience makes one successful. Finally; Newton is catch and release for Muskies so the "good bye Newton" comment has no bearing".
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Its not the muskie factor its all the pressure on that small lake. Posting a report on a small lake like that through the newspaper puts so much pressure on the lake. I honestly don't even fish for the muskies I am a bass kinda guy myself and it really sucks when you get more than even ten boats full of serious fisherman on a small lake like that.
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It will pass. Last year when they ran the story on TV about Newton it was a zoo for a while, but by fall I largely had the lake to myself. The ski boats and the summer trailer park keep me away from Newton more than other fishermen do this time of year.

I'm intrigued by the mention of tigers in Cutler and Mantua. That could be interesting.
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Couple years ago some friends at work told me they were catching TM out at Newton. I took my wife out there after work one day and I caught a 24" and my wife caught a 30". Neither fish put up a fight and swam right to the boat. It was fun to catch big fish but maybe it was the wiper fishing at Willard, I dunno, they were a big let down for me. We caught them on silver krocodile lures and neither of us used a steel leader.

Don't mean to be a downer, but I watched the video and it seemed pretty misleading to me. It is their job I suppose but they sure did try to glamorize TM fishing.

I wouldn't worry too much about Newton, as was posted you can't legally keep any right now anyway. I'd worry more about the watersports. JMO
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[quote bassattttic] Good bye newton.[/quote]

+1
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Newton can be no fun with the amount of jet skiers , etc as far as the fishing enjoyment goes- doubt this will hurt the
Tiger fishing at all though . 8 hrs- 10 guys- 1 fish boated- not too worried about that.
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Interesting that they didn't put up much fight for you. I've heard they are quite the beasties. Maybe they've been caught and released so many times they are just getting lethargic about it.

"Oh dang - hooked again, ok - get 'yer photo, I'm smiling already! cheese. "

Surprised the article didn't bother to warn more about the sharp teeth. Met a feller that got his hand shredded, cuz he didn't know better - and reached into it's mouth. Clamped down - yanked it out, then off to the hospital for stitches.
Yup- keep them pliers handy!

Heard tell that the DWR was out there last year in small boats, posing as fishers - then waving ski boats over to them, and giving them a ticket for being too close.
Might be dirty tactics, but the kind of behavior I've observed up there - I was kinda glad to hear it. Seems like the lake is too narrow for all those high-speeders. Then the spuds by the rope swing, launching bottle rockets at passing skiers. Hmmm - brain and brain, what IS brain!

Always seems a shame to me to have a nice tranquil beautiful lake polluted by the roar of mighty engines, and blasting of loud speakers mixing all different noises.
But I guess it takes all kinds...
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I like that they're finally busting some people for being idiot boat drivers up there. I hope they keep it up. It really is a shame, it could be such a nice peaceful place to go, but it's overrun with morons.

As for tigers not fighting, I think it depends on the time of year. Most of the ones I've caught peel off a bunch of line and jump several feet out of the water. One thing I've also noticed with them, is that they often do let you bring them in pretty easily, but when they see you, they go nuts and start peeling off line and tail walking. Maybe people are quickly ready with the net and scooping them up before they have a chance to run?
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The tiger I caught last year at newton came to the surface quite easily. Floated there for a moment watching what move I was going to make then made a roll and broke my line off. I was using 8 lb test with a 3" platic jig. I know I should have been using stronger line but hey I was fishing for bass not muskie at the time.[cool]
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That's how I caught my first few musky there, 8lb test and a 3" grub. They just love the things. That's the only thing I don't like about tigers in a body of water. If you're using soft plastics for bass, you're likely going to lose a few to the musky.
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I read the article, it really wasn't too bad. If you've fished newton much you already know that youre more likely to have a run in with a skier than with another fisherman. The muskies aren't going anywhere and there are a ton of them in that lake. I really hope they put some in cutler, that would be an awesome place for muskies to get huge and nock down the carp population in the process. I think the mantua idea is bad, they should leave that lake alone and manage it for lunker largies, if they put muskies in mantua you could say goodbye to the trout fishing, which isn't such a bad idea I guess.
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Maybe if we are all lucky that video will scare some boaters off, but not enought.

Im like most people wont fish it in summer because of all the dang boaters. Really wish they would make a law about pleasure boating on newton.
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There is a law about that, you have to be 150 ft. away from any other craft when you are above wake speed. Newton isn't that wide especialy when the water starts to drop. They just need to patrol it more and they could write tickets daily. I don't know how many times I've almost been ran over there.
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Won't see Tigers in Cutler with access to the rivers
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Good point. With them being primarily a sight feeder, I don't know how well they'd do in there anyway.
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One of my coworkers that drives one of them big wakeboard boats (they actually added lead weight to make it heavier, so they'll get an even BIGGER wake - gotta love that) complains that the ramp is tough. He's got an inboard, with a fixed prop.

I've heard the ramp is at a bit of an angle, and then there's a drop off at the end - so especially when the water's lower, you have a bit of a hassle loading/unloading. Probably not such a problem for my little Jon bottom. I'd guess the drop-off might be due to folks powering their boats onto their trailers?

Guess I'd better try it some morning soon, while the water's still colder. A feller at the sports store was telling me he has good success with perch meat below a bobber along the dike - where the road turns north. Just fishing from shore into the evening.
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Newton gets pretty murkey in the summer from the all the boats and the clay banks and they still seem to find my lures. I really think cutler would be a great spot. I do agree that they wouldn't do it because of the river access though. Can you imagine, fishing the little bear and hooking into a muskie!
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I absolutely agree with you, mantua is a great place to fish for bass. I don't think it would make a whole lot of sense to turn an already great fishery into another musky hole. I enjoy catching musky, but Mantua is too good of a bass fishery (in my humble opinion) to have muskies come in and chomp everything up. I do think Cutler would be a good place, considering the rough fish population there, and considering how it is connected to the bear river and the inability of these tigers to breed makes it easier to ensure that there isn't a complete massacre of everything in there. Mantua is of course a small lake and the fishery could be totally changed with some tiger muskies in there. I recall someone talking a while ago on the board that Newton was once an excellent bass fishery, but with the planting musky that is now no longer the case.
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