We participate in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Often times the manufacturer hooks on your lure are a little lacking if youre after larger muskies. Answering your muskie-fishing questions about lure size & summer hot It may not be pleasant for the angler, but Ive caught so many big fish under those conditions. The Musky Hunter shows you where to land the best musky in Ontario waters. There are a few known subspecies of muskie:if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'riversearch_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_3',157,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-riversearch_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); Also known as the Great Lakes muskie, spotted muskie are most common in the Great Lakes region and throughout its tributary rivers. I knew I shouldve retied my line after the 44, said Chris, hurt knowing the musky was gone. It seemed like the fish was going to win but diligences paid off. While muskies do grow big in lakes and larger rivers, they are more than capable of reaching magical sizes of 40 or 50 inches in any waterway with adequate forage. Musky 3 offers! Now, you have to be careful about handling big muskies when the water temperatures get into the mid-70s and higher range, to ensure their survival after release. there are special regulations on the Credit River for fish sanctuaries, and also for extended fall fishing and for year-round fishing so check before you go. While there were bass to be caught and pike by the dozens, musky activity was slow for the fishermen. If the muskie arent chasing lures, bring the lure to them. Chris dedicated time searching for the lure each morning and evening while out fishing for the next six days with hopes that perhaps the fish would spit the lure out so he could retire it. Ultimately what presentation works will depend on how aggressive the muskie are on that day. The grand river is best known for its trophy brown trout section located between Fergus and West Montrose. 6 solid tips to catch more musky | N1 Outdoors While muskies do grow big in lakes and larger rivers, they are more than capable of reaching magical sizes of 40 or 50 inches in any waterway with adequate forage. These big fish can be targeted by fly anglers and this is one of the best rivers for fly fishing for musky. There are several other tools that are useful to have when handling muskies and removing hooks. Furthermore, flies can be fished with both the traditional cast-and-strip method, working every little piece of structure you drift by, or by dead drifting and twitching along fishy-looking banks and patches of cover for muskie that arent up for a chase. This usually means moving into areas that have deeper water, vegetation, overhead cover, structure, or strong current. The general rule is that a larger hook gap is better for larger muskies. We recommend using a braided line with at least an 80lb test. Most of the time, you want to get them to the net as quickly as possible. The . Live bait is always a good choice herejust make sure you are within the Ontario fishing regulations. You can have all the best equipment, but without a good fishing line, it would all be useless. Bring roe (spawn) bags, garden worms, small pink plastic worms, as well as flies. Often, though, if you throw a big #10 double bladed spinner it grabs so much . Redfin Sucker (aka River Redhorse) trying to swim up the falls. Ontario Muskie Fishing - Ontario Musky Fishing Canada Braided line is a little prone to nicks though, especially since musky are a toothy predator. A word of caution though, access to this spot is done via a LONG set of stairs. 0:00 / 21:15 Musky Madness (Ontario's Top Musky Fishing)! Not so bad going down, but coming up dont say we didnt warn you. Try using a good topwater lure or spinnerbait during late evenings and nights. A 10- or 12-weight fly rod is the industry standard, and it wouldnt be overkill to beef it up to a 14-weight. This species can attain high swimming speeds but, for an intense short duration. I've caught nearly every freshwater Canadian fish, like pike, walleye, Arctic grayling, king salmon, bull trout and everything in between, but I've never caught a musky. There are also some good local pounds and lakes in Southern Ontario that anglers can fly fish and this is my list of some of the places that I think are the best.Table of ContentsFly Fish Ontario Saugeen RiverSaugeen River Fishing GuidesThe Grand RiverGrand River Fly Fishing GuidesFly Fish Ontario On The Beaver RiverBeaver River Fly Fishing GuidesFly Fish Ontario The Nottawasaga RiverNottawasaga River Fly Fishing GuidesBighead River Fly FishingBighead River Fly Fishing GuidesFly Fish Ontario On The Credit RiverCredit River Fly Fishing GuidesFly Fishing The Ganaraska RiverDuffins Creek Fly FishingFly Fishing Bronte CreekMore Great Ontario Rivers For Fly Fishing. There is much agreement that September and October are the peak months if youre after a giant fish. The Grand River is another massive river that almost starts in the same area as the Saugeen River around Dundalk but winds its way south and enters Lake Erie. The town of Bewdley on the west end of the lake has great shore-fishing access, all near a plethora of stores and shops. These mysterious and challenging gamefish have created their own culture of diehard and slightly masochistic anglers who go cast until their shoulders nearly fall out their sockets in hopes of merely seeing a muskie, let alone catching one. On their way up to the Chutes, Chris cast into the flooded forest and hooked into a musky with his fathers handmade Suick. In appearance, tiger muskie looks similar to barred muskie except they feature lighter spot bands on a darker colored fish. 5 Recommended Places To Access Ontario's Shore Fishing The 7 Best Waters to Catch a Trophy Muskie | Outdoor Life No matter what time of the year you want to fish in Montreal, something's always biting. This is a favorite river of the guides at A Perfect Drift Guide Company who report catches of over 5 brown trout over 20 inches on some guide trips. His line, at 8lb test, immediately started running as the reel squealed from the weight of the fish. Spinning reels are better for tossing lighter lures and baits. The upper Nottawasaga is mostly private property and fishing access is limited for brook trout and Brown trout. Fishing Near Montreal: 6 Amazing Spots - FishingBooker spots, earning one of its various nicknames the fish of ten-thousand casts. The fish was too large for the two to contain it as it occasionally thrashed at the side of the boat. Mille Lacs. - 2023 Destination Northern Ontario. The Credit River is also known for its steelhead fishing which also takes place below the Norval Dam. Muskie or muskellunge are a freshwater fish that are similar to northern pike in terms of behavior and appearance. Livingston Lures Titan Dive and Rise Bait. Thats when I spotted an even bigger bulge, the size of an alligator pull in behind my lure. Often, though, if you throw a big #10 double bladed spinner it grabs so much water that you cant retrieve it quickly enough to super-excite the fish. Muskies are notorious for following a lure to the rod tip and finally striking right at your feeteven if you dont see them before. Even where muskies are considered abundant, anglers face a far less favourable fish-per-acre ratio than with bass, walleye, or panfish. After youve done that, you can start to learn the best spots to look for your trophy fish.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'riversearch_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_16',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-riversearch_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0'); At about 55 degrees is the perfect spawning temperature for muskies. Upon realization of this pattern in the third day of the season, Chris and Harry began searching for muddy and gravel bottoms where the bass would be in the French River. Hooking one feels like going toe-to-toe with a velociraptor in a phonebooth. Despite this loss, the two continued their adventure on the French River. Any local fly shop should have dozens of offerings as well. After measuring the fish at 44 inches before releasing things were starting to look up for the two fishermen. Some of the best city access areas are Greenway and Harris Parks, as well as the Westminster Ponds (these even have fishing platforms). $29.99. They are known to grow very fast but do not grow to the size of other types of muskie. When the muskie are more active and likely to chase heavier and larger lures, using a baitcasting rod and reel can be a great choice. The guides at A Perfect Drift are the top river guides for the Beaver River and offer walk-and-wade trips to the upper river and walk-and-wade and boat trips in the lower Beaver River. That is when my spinner came flying back at me like a boomerang, with the line wrapping completely around my legsand we caught it all on camera. The muskie usually start to put on weight for the winter when the water hits the mid 60s, which can present a great opportunity for fishing. When muskie are becoming more active as waters warm up, presenting an attractive spinnerbait can be a great way to attract a hard-charging muskie. Hosts Angelo Viola and Pete Bowman educate and entertain audiences with their passion and enthusiasm for fishing. Not all lures work the same, and learning to properly fish and retrieve them can really improve your ability as an angler. The flash and vibration of a spinnerbait can be too good to resist for a frenzied muskie. We probably arent surprising anyone with this list entry. The musky is the largest of the pike family. Large lures are known to work great during this time. Many of these streams shelter migratory populations of muskie in the spring and fall. Thanks to cold clean groundwater, there is an abundance of cold clear rivers and creeks for fly anglers to cast a fly. Many anglers probably associate the pursuit of muskellunge with vast lakes; big, slow-flowing rivers; places fit for colossal super-predators. For muskie fishing, we recommend braided line. The Fish of Ten Thousand Casts? If your lure is muskie specific it might have hooks designed for smaller muskie if that is the common size in the area. Northern Ontario Travel The Official Magazine, Sign up now to get stories, news, and travel tips, We will never spam you and will never share your e-mail. These are some of the rarest of all muskellunge because they mostly exist in their natural habitat. Steelhead can be good in both the spring and fall.An angler fly fishing the Upper credit river in the brook trout only section- Catch and Release is mandatory here. Rice Lake is in South-Central Ontario. Look for isolated bays, islands, and other places where the fish can find cover from wind. Rice Lake could very well be Southern Ontarios #1 fish producer on an annual basis. You will need to have great timing to quickly hook a hard-charging muskie. The world-record fly-rod muskie was caught on Mille Lacs. This is a favorite river of many fly anglers and that makes the Bighead River one of the best fly fishing rivers in Ontario. Deep holes, log jams, undercut banks, bases of waterfalls and rapids, dam outflows, and sharp corners of the river where the current digs into the bank are all prime holding spots for muskie and easy to locate on a map or app like Google Earth or onXmaps. I learned one thing, always check your equipment after catching a monster musky. I always choose the stiffest and heaviest fishing rod available, paired with a baitcasting or spinning reel with a fully lockable drag, and strung with 40- to 50-pound-test braided line and a heavy steel leader. The KW chapter of MCI use to hold their outings out of Honey harbour and we could go years without a single fish being caught by 20 + boats. Fishing with a topwater lure is much more exciting than your average fishing. Absolutely NOT! Bass Techniques to Help You Catch a Trophy, Top 5 Baits for Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass. Muskie can be caught at any time of year. A sad lesson to learn. Properly retrieving a topwater lure to get the right action can take a little bit of experience to get down, but when done properly it can be very effective. Harry having never caught a fish over 50 inches before, wanted to have a quick photo of her before they released her. $47.99 CAD. But on small streams where muskie populations are condensed and competition for food more intense, the chance of hooking into and landing several fish in a single day becomes a distinct realityone that should be explored both by those looking to fulfill their muskie dreams and those who seek the thrill of the big fight just around the dark corner. A more relaxing way of fishing for Musky is trolling. The best fishing is in the fall in the extended fall fishing sections and in the spring once the trout season opens. They have also been introduced into other bodies of water through certain areas of the U.S. Musky anglers will tell you the big toothy critters prefer smaller lures early in the season because they're eating smaller bait. That makes the Ganaraska River is one of the best fly-fishing rivers in Ontario. The muskellunge, or muskie, is the largest member of the pike family. Many anglers spend days, weeks, months, even years hunting big lakes and rivers in search of their first muskie. If you try to retrieve too fast the muskie may not go after your presentation. Check the fishing regulations before you fish. The ideal temperature is about 65 degrees. The Lower Credit River has some of the largest runs of salmon in Ontario. However, after what felt like hundreds of casts they decided to work their way back to Bears Den Lodge. The reason for this change was because of the environment with having a later spring thaw than normal for the Lower French River. This includes the main surrounding lakes within these areas: Balsam Lake, Buckhorn Lake, Cameron Lake, Chemong Lake, Pigeon Lake, and Sturgeon Lake. If you dont set the hook properly and bury it, the muskie will get free. Try using a floating diver crankbait. Fall is known as the best time to catch a giant trophy muskie. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Muskie under 40-inches are rare. Fly Fishing for Small Stream Muskies Most salmon cant get past the Streetville dam so the best salmon fishing is done below that point but be warned. Muskies - Formally known as the fish of 10,000 casts; for good reason. You will recognize a clear muskie by its lack of spots or very faint spots on a silver or deep green colored fish. They might have thick bars, light spots, or no pattern at all depending on the muskie. But just like that knife-wielding thief potentially hiding in that dark alley, a big muskie will use any piece of cover or shadow to hide, waiting for the precise moment to attack. There are not many brown trout in the river but there are some. . I don't think there are a few decent lakes within a 30-45 min drive. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, Enter The Get Your Game On Outdoor Canada Recipe Contest, The amazing winning shots from Outdoor Canadas 11th annual photo contest. Most of the world is covered by water. It measures 24 to 48 inches and weighs between 15 and 36 pounds! Anglers hunt large muskies as trophies or for sport. Harry with a 46-inch male French River Musky from 2016 | Featured in, featured image in the May/June 2017 issue of Muskies Inc. Magazine, Upon their arrival to the area, the two fishermen had noticed a change in the scenery as the water levels were now 6 feet higher than the previous seasons. Muskie Lakes Near Cloquet - Muskies-Musky Fishing - Outdoor Re-Creation Island lake[Duluth], Island lake[Pine county], the Duluth Harbor, and a few lakes outside of Superior. On larger rivers, that could be a drift boat or a canoe, but for smaller streams a kayak or even a float tube will suffice. Where to go canoe and kayak fishing in Ontario. Message Subject: Rainy Rive Muskie: Brian Hoffies: Posted 9/18/2021 3:45 PM (#992906) Subject: Rainy Rive Muskie: Posts: 1592: Little Fork River (with Muskie) feeds into the Rainy River which feeds into LOTW which has Muskie. Musky ("muskie", or "muskellunge" as they are also referred to) are more likely to follow your lure to the boat, inspecting it instead of attempting to eat it. It is one of the best fly fishing rivers in Ontario for many reasons. f water. So, I would expect the Rainy River to contain Muskies but I . If youre already an experienced angler and youve already got good fishing technique, then we recommend both kinds or rods and reels depending on the fishing conditions. Most of the fishing on the Ganaraska takes place on the lower river near Port Hope and it can get busy at times. Windsor Ontario Muskie Fishing, Walleye Fishing Trout Fishing Check out their episodes and video on the Fish'n Canada YouTube Channel and like them on Facebook! The steelhead runs are growing now that the steelhead can get past some of the old dams and up into good spawning tributaries. On a boat-in adventure! There arent very many river guides on the Nottawasaga River and its tributaries, and the best river guides on that river since 2006 are the guides at A Perfect Drift Guide Company. Bucktail jigs have realistic hair and movement that is known for attracting trophy muskie. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. Find out why these 5 are the best! Join us as we discuss the Kentucky Fishing License options, fishing rules and fishing regulations. Muskies are the largest member of the Esox genus and are entirely capable of snapping a rod, unspooling an entire reel, or dragging a rig down to snag up in the logjam from whence they came. It was also a main highway for various fish species to travel as they continued upstream to spawn. Tiger muskie have spots that extend throughout their back, which is a clear indicator of the species. For the best results with plastic baits, we recommend retrieving with a slow pulling action to get the bait to rise up and down slowly. The is by far the best river flowing into Lake Erie and is one of the best fly fishing rivers in Ontario. In late fall, as the water begins to cool, you might want to fish in afternoons and early evenings when the sun is out. I am known as an easy-going and patient guide who loves to teach. Heres a list of Fishn Canada recommended Ontario fishing spots that can be accessed by foot all you need is a rod, reel, and a bit of tackle and dont forget your lunch! Youll want a heavy-duty fly reel with a fully locking drag, a fly line with a heavy shooting head that can easily toss flies the size of Christmas stockings, 30- to 50-pound leader, and top it all off with a steel leader. If you know where to look chances are you are not far from a little trout creek. And while that meant we couldnt have the face-to-face discussions that we normally look forward to, there was a benefit:Guests wrote down their questions while we were doing our presentations online, and we answered as many as possible. Think tarpon heavy. Chris Burnette and Harry Haddix, returned to Bears Den Lodge because of their successful previous outings fishing the French River, Ontario. Why is it some years muskies bite on small baits (#4 or #5 Mepps) versus the big double-10s.. If youre always experimenting with new lures without taking the time to master them, it can really hinder your success when it comes to catching fish. Lower Allegheny Musky Fishing Middle Allegheny Upper Allegheny Musky Fishing Small Rivers and Streams Musky Fishing F.A.Q.s Musky Fishing Summary Some of the lakes on the list are part of the state's broodstock program. They have large blotches of dark-colored spots on a lighter colored fish.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'riversearch_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_6',158,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-riversearch_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); A tiger muskie is a hybrid of northern pike and muskie. But for the ultimate thrill in muskie fishing, nothing beats the explosion on a topwater lure like a Thorne Bros Big Mama or a Whopper Plopper. The Musky prefer a bottom that is sandy or completely covered with weed growth. It can be confused with northern pike but its behaviour is different, and its flesh more delicate. Try fishing your topwater lure tight near cover like fallen trees or weed clumps. Now, it might seem like a fish that big in such a small environment would stand out like an elephant in a Quonset hut. The answer again is simple and it is the key to so much of this early season success. While large lakes and rivers typically include a plethora of weed beds, drop-offs, boat docks, rock piles, and back eddies for these stealthy predators to hide in, small streams are often limited in their concealment. Not wanting to hurt the fish further, they choose to bring the her to shore to safely remove the hook so as not to imbed itself further into the fish during spawn. Check out the section around the Sylvan Glen Conservation area. I specialize in Fly fishing, Centerpin fishing, and Float fishing for Trout, Steelhead, and Salmon, and I am the first full-time guide to offer Centerpin fishing.You may have seen me on TV, in books, and in magazines, or at trade shows and fishing events. Spaces Fill Up Fast. The line snapped. Figure 8 Musky Fishing Technique - Musky Fishing | Angling Sports Ontario Musky Fishing Canada It looked like Moby Dick. Another great option is a topwater popper lure. This is a fast-flowing river with much of it set in a deep valley and its an easy and fun river to fish. It has a colour between light brown and green with silvery reflections, and stripes on the sides that can turn into spots. This means that flies stay in the strike zone longer than lures, provide a more seductive wiggle, and have a better chance of getting smashed by a big muskie.
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