Known as the “fish of 10,000 casts,” the muskie is a rare sight in Lake Erie. A very territorial and predatory fish, the muskie populations generally keep to the area of Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River.
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What month is best for muskie fishing?
Some of the highest catch rates for muskies are during the summer months when the water is warm and the fish are most active. Fall fishing can also be very productive at times, and many of the largest muskies are caught during the fall.
Where is the best place to fish for musky?
The three best big-water producers of giant muskies are Green Bay, Lake St. Clair, and the Ottawa River/St. Lawrence River systems. Anglers have a legitimate shot at a 50- to 56-inch muskie nearly any day of the season there and it’s possible a record fish swims in at least two of these fisheries.
Are there northern pike in Lake Erie?
Historically, Northern pike were more abundant than they are today but they are still found in the western basin of Lake Erie including Sandusky Bay, Maumee Bay, and the remaining marshlands. Northern pike can also be found in tributaries to Lake Erie in late winter or early spring during their spawning migration.
What’s the biggest fish in Lake Erie?
Lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes can reach lengths of 10-plus feet and approach 300 pounds. The largest fish taken from Lake Erie was caught by in 1929 and weighed 216 pounds. Young sturgeon like the ones just released are protected from predators by sharp, bony plates called scutes.
What lakes in Ohio have muskie?
The division stocks muskie in nine inland bodies of water in Ohio: Leesville, Salt Fork, Alum Creek, Caesar Creek and Piedmont lakes; Clear Fork, West Branch and C.J. Brown reservoirs and Lake Milton. More than 20,000 are placed in these lakes at one per acre, usually in October.
What bait is best for muskie?
Bucktails – Bucktails are arguably the most popular bait used by musky anglers. Bucktails produce vibrations in the water that are easily felt by a musky’s lateral line. Bucktails can be retrieved at any speed, depending on the conditions. The most popular bucktails are double 9 blades and double 10 blades.
What time of day are musky most active?
Title Muskie become more difficult to catch in the heat of summer and the cold of winter. Like many predatory fish, muskie are most active at dawn and dusk, and these times typically provide the most action, especially on warm, sunny days.
Are muskie good eating?
People who love eating muskies will tell you that muskie tastes quite similar to bass. Others believe it tastes more like pike. Either way, muskie is more of a bland fish with not as much flavor as other fish species, like salmon or tuna. Much of the taste of the fish depends on how you cook it.
How old is a 50 inch muskie?
On average, musky are about 11 inches long after their first year of life, reach 34″ in year 7, reach 40″ in year 9, and reach 50 inches by age 17.
What Lake has the most muskie?
The world record muskie is currently living in Minnesota’s Mille Lacs Lake—or so biologists think. In a recent press release, the Minnesota DNR announced that earlier this year they landed the largest muskie they’ve ever seen.
How deep do you fish for muskie?
Most muskies are caught less than 30 feet deep, often from 15 to 25 feet. Sometimes they’re much shallower. Most casters lure fish in from 5 to 15 feet deep while trollers usually catch them from 8 to 30.
Are there still sturgeon in Lake Erie?
Today, the largest remnant population of lake sturgeon is found in the St. Clair-Detroit River system (emptying into Lake Erie), numbering just 28,000.
What happened to the blue pike?
In 1977, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed them as endangered in the United States. The blue pike has been considered extinct since approximately 1983. The main causes are attributed to uncontrolled commercial fishing and hybridization with walleye.
Are there pike in Sandusky Bay?
The mouth of Cold Creek in Sandusky Bay holds a pretty fair population of pike. Some will go over 10 lbs.
What’s the biggest creature in Lake Erie?
Meet Bessie, the Loch Ness Monster of Lake Erie.
What is the deepest spot in Lake Erie?
With a mean surface height of 570 feet (170 metres) above sea level, Erie has the smallest mean depth (62 feet) of the Great Lakes, and its deepest point is 210 feet. Because of its small size and shallow character, the lake has a comparatively short water-retention time of 2.6 years.
What is the deepest point of Lake Erie?
LAKE ERIE FACTS Lake Erie is very shallow on the Western Basin, but deeper on the eastern side of the lake near New York, northwestern Ohio and Pennsylvania. The deepest point in Lake Erie is 210 feet and is located within the Long Point Escarpment in the Eastern Erie Basin.
What rivers in Ohio have Muskie?
Good muskie streams are Paint Creek, Grand River, Sunfish Creek, Little Muskingum River, Rocky Fork Creek, Salt Creek, Wills Creek, and the Mahoning River.
Can you keep Muskie in Ohio?
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess a muskellunge or tiger muskie less than thirty inches in length, in the area prescribed in paragraph (A) of this rule.
Are there musky in the Ohio River?
Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy; hereafter referred to as Muskies) are native to Canada and the United States including the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi River and Ohio River drainages.
What is a muskies favorite food?
Given the opportunity to choose, Muskies prefer soft rayed, high protein based fish such as Suckers, Tullibee, Ciscoes, Bullheads, Carp, and minnows. In fact, the food sources Muskies prefer most are usually fish species that most people would desire to not have in their lake.
What is the best time of day to fish for muskie?
The best time of day to catch muskies is around dawn and dusk during the warmer months and around mid-afternoon during the winter. You can catch muskies during the day and even at night but the fishing will usually be a lot slower.
Do muskies go shallow at night?
While muskie will be found in open and deeper water during the daytime, they tend to move to the shallower areas at night. For one thing, it’s because those shallow waters will hold more oxygen at night during the warm months of the year, making them more suitable for large predators.
How long should a musky rod be?
We find that a rod length of around 8 feet is the “sweet spot” when fishing for musky. It gives you plenty of length and strength for casting the large lures, yet it’s much easier to handle than a 9-foot rod.