If you're looking for muskies

If you're looking for muskies, now is the time of year to be out fishing for them. The reports of 50 plus inch fish just keep coming. I was out at six o'clock this morning chasing the elusive muskie on a guide trip. The wind was blowing pretty hard out of the south so I stuck to the south shore, north side of the island, and Wagner's bay. We tried everything from topwater to buck-tails with no luck. I think the changing weather this morning hurt us.

The best bite has seemed to be from 5 p.m. until dark during the last few weeks. Stick to the weed edges and reefs. Throw a black buck-tail or a topwater right before dark and you will raise some fish.

For those of you that know Matt Oscarson, I have to add that he caught a 40 plus pound (he claims) muskie on Tuesday night while trolling a spinnerbait but lost it after breaking the net. Congrats to Matt, and good luck to all!

What can I say...

This has been the weirdest summer when it comes to weather that I have ever experienced. One day it's 80 degrees and the next night it's frost. The fishing has been tough statewide the last few weeks. I just wish we could get some stable weather so I could get two or three good days in a row. Well, I have determined that is not going to happen so I just sneak out when I can.

Started on the west side on Coney Island

Started on the west side on Coney Island flippin' in about 13 feet of water on the edge of a milfoil turn. Only about three casts into the evening and I see a muskie swimming right in front of the boat. I throw my bass jig on 50 pound spiderwire out in the general direction, and WHAM, she hits it. I battled it to the boat a few quick pictures and I sent her on her way. It was 39 inches and about 17 pounds. The bass bite was tough. I continued to flip deep with no success so I tried a few shallow spots and only caught small ones. I will try and get out after them again this week and next and I will keep you posted. I am also going to try and get all the new pictures from the summer up.

The turnover is coming so get out and fish as much as you can in the next three weeks. The muskies are going crazy on all the milfoil reefs. Lots of reports of sightings and hook-ups. The walleye bites should pick up on the outside milfoil edges. I would run a 6-8 foot leader with either a crawler or a minnow on it and run up and down those good outside edges. If they won't go on that, slow down and vertical jig them with a jig and minnow. If you catch one stay in the area...others are close by feeding.

I spent Aug. 14-17 up on Lake Vermillion with Dave, his wife Susan and Joni. The weather was pretty nice but the bite was a little tough. I focused my time chasing smallmouth bass. The fish were a little hard to locate. I caught some on Storm Rattlin' Chug Bugs and some on Rapala Jointed Shad-Raps. Our best fish came the last day on chug bugs with the biggest going 19 inches and Joni with two 17 inchers. I was able to catch one muskie that went about 40 inches. Caught a few smallmouth on green tubes and also a few pike so all in all it was a success.

We did not catch a single walleye. One of the lodge guides was out six hours and only caught two keeper walleyes. So we didn't bother trying to catch any. Thought we would catch a couple while throwing crankbaits but had no such luck.

Wow!

Had a great day of fishing today on Waconia. Was planning on going to the Mississippi in St. Paul for smallies when I saw a storm front moving in. So instead Joni (mattsgal for some of you guys) and I headed out on Waconia to catch a few largemouth before it rained.

We didn't beat the rain but it didn't keep us away. The rain was quick and the bass were biting even quicker. The first spot we pulled up on was a milfoil weedline. The boat was in about 13 feet of water and I was flippin' a jig tipped with a plastic trailer up to the weeds. Three of my first four casts I caught bass. Ended up with 6 out of the first school, the smallest going about 1 1/2 pounds, and the largest going about 4 pounds.

We headed to another deep weed edge, fished drop shot rig and jigs again. Joni caught two nice fish on the drop shot rig. I caught a few small ones and one nice one on a live rubber skirt jig tipped with a plastic trailer. Joni was ready to call it quits shortly after that. She can only take so much..LOL. I was proud to see her catch them on a drop shot rig and take them off. I will be at it again tomorrow chasing smallies and this weekend. Report to come soon.