Heart breaker, remember you are dealing with a huge variable, the fish itself, and the lessoms learned from 20+ years of life. Looked to me like you did the textbook reaction to the situation. It didn't bite, but you know where she lives, and I am sure at some point you will have a new personal best. Wouldn't worry about rhe negative comments, as I am sure that less than .01% of the people commenting have even seen a fish of that caliber, much less get in on video. Go to Culver's eat some food that is terrible for you, get over the what if, and go catch that bitch.
I have had the same on LOTW, 2-3 minutes of circles, 8’s, pumps and snakes and they still just fade away. I think they do it just so we wake up in the middle of cold January nights wondering what we did wrong.
Lake Angeline in Ishpeming Michigan has some big Musky. Many years ago swimming look down from the tree and the thing was longer then I. No Jump from tree...
I don't think you did anything wrong, its always a learning process with these fish, especially big fish like that. That is why we do what we do, to catch/see fish like that. best of luck this year, love the videos!
Doug Wegner Fishing just came back to watch this video again and I just noticed when the bait was in the sunlight it seemed like the fish fired up and once it was in the shadows it killed her mood. 🤷🏻♂️ Kind of interesting.
Had my heart goin, one thing I always wonder when theres a muskie goin on the figure 8 is why nobody grabs the net in Advance ? Your buddy says "I was litterly going to grab the net" and that was the first time I'm ever heard anyone say or think to grab it in advance, I've never been a part of a muskie trip to see a fish on a hot long figure 8 like that but if I did the first thing I would do is get the net ready, I'm just honestly wondering if there's a reason people dont do that ? Is it noise or something ? Thanks
Awesome footage, although my heart sank after she slid off. Sometimes there's absolutely nothing you can do. That's musky hunting. Bright side: you've got her address for next year! Keep grinding, brother! 👍
Missed one canoe side, I couldn't do a figure eight. The fish rushed at my bait and actually pushed my bait out of the water. Needless to say it was a miss. I lay awake some nights thinking what I did wrong. My buddy that was with has talked about it endlessly. Biggest fish we had ever seen in person.
Since you asked I’ll throw out what Gregg Thomas taught me. Don’t ever make a turn in towards the boat. Always make your turns away, keeping yourself in a good hook setting position. When you make the turns in towards the boat, you will always cut the corners too tight no matter how long your rod is. Watch Dave Brown from Keyes outdoors do a figure 8 and you will see example after example of what I am talking about.
Awesome video! 20/20 hindsight and with multiple slo motion replay advantage, I agree with others that she MIGHT have struck on a 8 instead of an oval - probably on the first turn when she was so jazzed up. But how would you have known that in the heat of the moment? The absolute best fisherman I’ve ever seen at converting boatside fish has said that you have to take a chance, make a move you think might trip the fish, and hope she responds favorably. Sometimes we guess correctly, sometimes we guess incorrectly - but you have to make a decision and roll the dice. On the other hand, I watched many giant fish chase hard and strike multiple times - with a tightly closed mouth! I surmise these are a very aggressive territorial display. Could be what you experienced here??
Hey Doug! I'm from the Mississauga Chapter of Muskies Canada. You gave an amazing talk to our group about a year ago. I feel your pain - that is the fish of a lifetime! I definitely agree that fish was catchable, especially as it came into the boat. She was energetic and aggressive. I would have gone to 8's at the start, but ovals are fine are I can't argue with your rationale. It looks to me that you might have been a tad jacked (no wonder) and I thought you were a little quick on that second turn when she went for it. But if you notice after a few turns that fish drops back and is not pursuing with the same energy. I think you absolutely should have reverted to 8's there as it gives you more options to vary direction, action and pace. In my mind, you had one chance there to recover her interest and I think that would have been the way to do it. To my way of thinking you were privileged to encounter her - she was BEAUTIFUL!!!
reminds me of a seacow i had chase out a mix matched bucktail i made. up in minaki 2 summers ago. came outta tobacco grass in the evening. figure 8’d her pretty good and nothing. we circled back 30mins later and she came out hot again! smaller custom blades and perfect figure 8 this time and still nothing! seen a smaller fish further down on the that pass. circled back 30min later again and nothing that time... spots never been the same since. tobacco grass hasn’t come back i check every time...
Don’t beat yourself up over it Doug Babe Ruth struck out over 1000 times. We’ve heard of sharknado, I think you invented muskienado. That monster going round and circles. Keep after that fish and I’m sure you’ll bag that beast eventually 🎣🎣🌪
I agree with doing the 8, even though the fish was huge if you could of done a big turn with that slight hang when she first sped up she may have crushed it, but who knows. I have quite a few videos like that from Canada. Soul crushing but worth it. What lexa hd gear ratio were you using? The 6.3?
That is one of the coolest musky follows I've ever seen!! Either way it looked like a 50+ fish I probably would've done the same thing with that giant coming hot like it did. I would have freaked out worse actually!
No joke sometimes.. Rarely... Rod length doesn't matter the 50lbs Michigan state record from torch lake, 2009 (surpassed in 2013 I believe) was caught on a 6'6" medium heavy st croix. But that wasn't a boatside Hookset either I just couldn't believe it when I learned about it! I use the exact rod for muskie on st Claire and people laugh but it works.
Watching it my first reaction was too fast in the turn as you said. I've had a lot of success when I just kind of let the blades flutter at the top of the turn. Happens to everyone though hell of a fish thanks for sharing
well tell ya what i would have done.... froze. cant wait for my opportunity at a fish like that. fish of a life time. great videos keep'em coming cant wait for more giants!
I mean, yeah you can look back and say whatever you like in retrospect, but Doug you may well have the best looking and most effective fig 8/oval method I've seen, so...sometimes they just wanna follow
If a muskie wants to eat the bait, let her. Just needed to hang the corner much slower after the fish really sped up and she likely crushes it And after the third oval you can see the fish losing interest, switch to a figure 8 then. Very easy to sit here and tell u what you should have done! You will catch a way bigger one Doug! No doubt about that.
Good stuff, Doug. Heartbreaker for sure. You can slice and dice it every way possible. Sometimes the fish just simply won't commit. Only thing I would've tried is to mix in an 8 if she's not interested in the circles. Tough to do with that big of a fish especially to keep the bait consistently moving. I'm in no way critiquing, your life is dedicated to these fish. Keep up the solid content buddy!
I think you right about the 8 instead, I have switched back to using the 8 exclusively because of the exact same experience, the only other thing I saw is your shadow, I know often they just plane veer off when the sun is behind us, but at times I have had them come in so hot and just sort of fizzle down until they disappear and the only thing I could come up with was that the sun was behind me . All that being said who knows if it would have mattered, good work putting yourself on a fish like that, that’s what you can co trip and I say you nailed it brother. Great footage
You made changes because you new you could do things better next time, and already in your mind new what you needed to do. Hard to emit that so props for that. Most people would of assumed it was the fish that was the problem why he didn't bite. But great work keep doing you and i always like the videos keep em coming.
I think your analysis was right on. The larger poles will help you make the transition to an 8 from an oval. However, I would of done the same thing you did ( reading that fish on the first oval)and even if you moved to an 8 after the second time around, I don’t think it would of worked because the fish was losing interest. More likely is if you had the larger poles the fish would have had more room to eat the bait on the first time around in my opinion. Great video and I loved the videos that you put out. I guess the border closure kept you in the US this year. Here’s hoping that that the border opens in time for the summer!
Don't beat yourself up brother, like you said you could've played that a bunch of different ways! Still some great insight, gives folks something to be more conscious of when you're put in that situation.
also have had that feeling doug. fact is that you were the guy with the rod and you made the choices you made and it didn't work. such is life in the musky fishing world. at least you know where she lives, you can go back on her this season. looked to me like a solid fish!
Dude I feel your pain and I also feel your loss of sleep ...dreaming about that missed fish and being a little obsessive going out even more too get that monster back.....it happens too all of us ...beauty fish and video regardless....happy muskie hunting
Geez looked like she ate on that first turn. Wow. So close man. Reminded me a lot of the video I posted a few weeks ago of my buddy Ryan with a true Canadian giant. Next time man!!!
Only thing I would have done differently, is after it was so hot, take the boat in to shore and cast to the deep and give it a different angle. I've caught plenty of fishing doing that. She spent a lot of energy chasing the first 3 rounds.
Maybe popping the water Up and Down w/ bait half submerged? Saw that work on a Long fig8 and Dropdown w/ MehsiKomer b4" Cheers for :Your 2019 Season Doug from "Tiger's Only" Idaho! jd
I've never Muskie fished just pike but I have buktails on everything as it adds extra movement. Seems to help with pike. That being said I'm going to have a nightmare for you tonight
One thought of mine goes to a study I read that suggests fish do have a dominant eye just like humans. In the study they found that any given fish will always (90%+) position itself before eating, to the side of the prey in which their dominant eye is the one being used. I can't help but think that by doing an 8 you move the bait from one side of the fish to the other allowing the bait to be seen by the dominant eye at least once. By doing ovals you dictate eye that fish is using and it might not be the right one!.....or left one. Hahaha.
The llunge made her fastest lunge in the left turn. Feed her when she let's you. Straights, right turns, left turns. I've had perfect hook sets on straight bites because that is when the fish made it's lunge. How many fish have you caught out on the straight retrieve? The bottom line on this fish is she did everything you did - you increased speed she increased speed you slowed she slowed. I know you don't want to slow a bait dramatically on that left turn after a really fast straight but that was the moment. Watching this so many times it almost looks like the wide right turns gave her the speed to kill in the tight fast left turns. I don't know, this has happened to me a few times as well. May is coming up soon again. Hook her in 2020! Thanks for the content. As always, find ways to reduce the lead and go barb-less.
That huge muskie has already been caught and released!! just the way she was following but not too close or attacking because of its " deja vu" with anglers!🤣🤣🤣
Came in looking hot but never opened mouth. Ovals would have been what I would have don, also, until it doesn’t eat after a couple. It slowed down when you did, so I would have transitioned to fast 8’s with corner turn hangs as it seemed bored with the slower ovals. You did nothing wrong and longer rods wouldn’t have changed a thing. Nice fish.
Epic! You have footage of it at least. A lot just go by the story they have. Also can someone explain to me how one can afford to buy many elite series musky rods? Is it because you're a guide and can write it off on taxes? Cause damn.
Michael Wood haha they are pricy but I have been lucky enough to work with some great company’s. The rods are my tool so I make a good excuse to spoil myself.
Sunscreen causes skin cancer. Think about it. Where do you MOSTLY apply sunblock? Temples, nose, ears right? Where do most skin cancers begin on the face? Temples, nose, ears. I live in St Augustine la. I fish EVERY weekend in the blazing sun out in the ocean. I'm 54 years old. I have never and WILL never use sunscreen and I have absolutely NO signs of skin cancer. I'm checked every year during my physical for work. Clean. Google the dangers of sunscreen causing skin cancer and you will stop using it, I promise.
I think a few jerks may have triggered a strike, especially on the first two circles when she was still very active. I know its tough to do with a bucktail, but something similar to what the one angler did on the viral suicide duck video on instagram, sure you seen it. Regardless, epic video and awesome you captured it!!! Dont let it haunt your dreams man. Learn from mistakes, think about what you could do differently, sure another monster will come along.
C’mon man! You’re obviously one of the top musky fisherman. You are an inspiration to many including myself. You had nerves of steel to even do the circle. If it was going to bite, it would have. 8 or no 8, it doesn’t matter. It didn’t lose interest right away. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You put yourself on prime real estate regularly. You’ll have another chance, and I’ll be lucky enough to witness you film the next one! Thank you!
Fish like that you don't continue to have three lures going in the water and keep bludgeoning away either. You back off a spell and maybe have one guy take 2-3 casts with a different bait like a big rubber and then you leave the area entirely, like stealthy creep out or better drift out and you come back later. Find it interesting that Ronnestrand would keep casting to try and catch a fish that someone else first raised. Find it interesting that he's got baits laying all over waiting for a nightmare to happen and while Doug is limited being the middle man in the tub, Ronnestrand should have moved his rod out of the way and when you see a fish like that coming from a ways out Ronnestrand should have backed up off the gunnel of the boat and crouched down vs standing there like Big Bird lurking and casting his shadow. I guess after the fish was well aware of danger only then did Ronnestrand half way do a lazy hunch.
@@timgrzybowski8800 I noticed the lure madness in the boat as well. You can cast but one lure, the rest are only in the way. People with big(er) boats seem to do this often. Try having unused lures out in a 14' shallow V.
So you've never been to the ocean and seen a shark? Marlin? Tuna? Lots of fish out there bigger than that one including catfish, paddlefish, sturgeon and gars in freshwater.
Unreal, I would've put a LOT of money on her plastering that bait on that first turn, she was hotter than hell... The best part of having cameras rolling is that you can sit down and analyze these things to hopefully better your chances on the next shot, but man is it hard to execute the shouldacouldawoulda's in the heat of the moment, sometimes the experience gets the best of you. Epic stuff Doug keep 'er comin.
The comment fish maybe been caught on that outside corner before! Lol like it followed and decided not to eat at that point! Dont give them to much credit
metro muskie the fish were on edge that week we had one other giant loose interest as soon as the guy in the back said “big big big big”. These fish are about as far north as Muskies live and are incredibly old (22-28 years) they have been around the block a time or two
It was a nice fish, but I think your 55" was as big...if not more so. As to the whole "oval vs 8" thing--I think your logic is sound. That's the way I always did it, although I fished inland lakes in WI most of the time I was a caster, and there just weren't that many BIG fish to be found. So it really didn't matter much in most cases. But had you done a bunch of 8's, I think that fish loses interest a lot faster, simply because she can't turn as fast. I kept waiting to see an obvious mistake you made, but didn't notice anything. Maybe you could have shortened the ovals a bit I suppose, in order to change lure directions more often. She did seem to get more jazzed-up in the turns, likely in response to the change in lure speed. But changing directions twice as often in an 8 isn't necessarily the answer either, just because she can find it hard to turn with the lure...and then just loses interest. As it was though, it looks like she just decided not to eat. I mean, it happens. Sometimes they just don't hit the lure. If the water temperature was warmer then she may have just gotten fatigued as the DO levels would have been a bit lower. Or maybe she just ended up being lazy. Don't beat yourself up about it, lol. I've fished muskies close to 40 years--these fish can just be assholes.
@@dougwegnerfishing You still fishing on the bay up here now, or are you heading north? I saw a nice smallie pic on FB the other day, so I bet you've been up by Sturgeon Bay.
Stop doing ovals. Even a hard eight angle she would have hit. Nice job though. Its amazing the thoughts that go through your mind in those split seconds. Well thought out plan when it came to where you wanted to hook set. She wanted it bad though.
If u did an actual figure 8 u would have got her. It would have been easier to whip that bait out on the turn and be easier for her to cut the corner to t bone it. That footage is the exact reason y I don't do circles. If the muskie is following it hot your not giving it much chance to cut it off. There always mostly looking to t bone or head hunt the lure.
![Chris Langan - The Interview THEY Didn't Want You To See - CTMU [Full Version; Timestamps]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9miVG2xT5jY/mqdefault.jpg)
Heart breaker, remember you are dealing with a huge variable, the fish itself, and the lessoms learned from 20+ years of life. Looked to me like you did the textbook reaction to the situation. It didn't bite, but you know where she lives, and I am sure at some point you will have a new personal best. Wouldn't worry about rhe negative comments, as I am sure that less than .01% of the people commenting have even seen a fish of that caliber, much less get in on video. Go to Culver's eat some food that is terrible for you, get over the what if, and go catch that bitch.
Man, that was great. You should get into counselling.
Haha love it!
I have had the same on LOTW, 2-3 minutes of circles, 8’s, pumps and snakes and they still just fade away. I think they do it just so we wake up in the middle of cold January nights wondering what we did wrong.
ssm59 that sounds accurate!
You can do everything right and still be wrong when it comes to muskies!!
Lake Angeline in Ishpeming Michigan has some big Musky. Many years ago swimming look down from the tree and the thing was longer then I. No Jump from tree...
I don't think you did anything wrong, its always a learning process with these fish, especially big fish like that. That is why we do what we do, to catch/see fish like that. best of luck this year, love the videos!
Armpit21 thanks for watching good luck this year !
The tan line on ur face omg
Br4dl37 get it all the time. Thanks for watchintv
This is why Batman doesn't fight in the daytime :/
Bradley Simpson , that’s called a Muskie tan, go Muskie fishing and get one well worth it .
Shoulda done this, shoulda done that... shoulda put on some sunscreen...
I can’t get enough of this footage.
Makes me sick to watch it
Doug Wegner Fishing just came back to watch this video again and I just noticed when the bait was in the sunlight it seemed like the fish fired up and once it was in the shadows it killed her mood. 🤷🏻♂️ Kind of interesting.
Awesome footage! Omg I can’t wait for midnight tonight! Good luck this weekend Doug!
Mike McCarthy thanks for watching! Are you getting out this weekend??
Doug Wegner Fishing Yes definitely. Hitting a smaller lake Saturday but will be out on the river Saturday night and Sunday.
Go get em!
Had my heart goin, one thing I always wonder when theres a muskie goin on the figure 8 is why nobody grabs the net in Advance ? Your buddy says "I was litterly going to grab the net" and that was the first time I'm ever heard anyone say or think to grab it in advance, I've never been a part of a muskie trip to see a fish on a hot long figure 8 like that but if I did the first thing I would do is get the net ready, I'm just honestly wondering if there's a reason people dont do that ? Is it noise or something ? Thanks
Noise and movement.
Awesome footage, although my heart sank after she slid off. Sometimes there's absolutely nothing you can do. That's musky hunting. Bright side: you've got her address for next year! Keep grinding, brother! 👍
Missed one canoe side, I couldn't do a figure eight. The fish rushed at my bait and actually pushed my bait out of the water. Needless to say it was a miss. I lay awake some nights thinking what I did wrong. My buddy that was with has talked about it endlessly. Biggest fish we had ever seen in person.
Canoe would be crazy!
Since you asked I’ll throw out what Gregg Thomas taught me. Don’t ever make a turn in towards the boat. Always make your turns away, keeping yourself in a good hook setting position. When you make the turns in towards the boat, you will always cut the corners too tight no matter how long your rod is. Watch Dave Brown from Keyes outdoors do a figure 8 and you will see example after example of what I am talking about.
John Herzog thanks for watching John!
Awesome video! 20/20 hindsight and with multiple slo motion replay advantage, I agree with others that she MIGHT have struck on a 8 instead of an oval - probably on the first turn when she was so jazzed up. But how would you have known that in the heat of the moment? The absolute best fisherman I’ve ever seen at converting boatside fish has said that you have to take a chance, make a move you think might trip the fish, and hope she responds favorably. Sometimes we guess correctly, sometimes we guess incorrectly - but you have to make a decision and roll the dice. On the other hand, I watched many giant fish chase hard and strike multiple times - with a tightly closed mouth! I surmise these are a very aggressive territorial display. Could be what you experienced here??
Great job Doug! Bad thing is you'll never forget that fish.
Greg CAREINS haha that’s for sure
Incredible fish Doug. Can’t even imagine how I’d feel with a fish that size next to the boat. Proves there are truly enormous fish out there!
The gut twisting madness of reliving that moment again and again...
I had one of these moments but with a huge rainbow trout following in a lure. Over 30 inches lol
That’s nuts
Wow. Badass footage, sucks you didn’t land it but just to see that fish is amazing, it chasing that lure gave me goosebumps
BullFrog Outdoors I think I had them too for awhile
Hey Doug! I'm from the Mississauga Chapter of Muskies Canada. You gave an amazing talk to our group about a year ago.
I feel your pain - that is the fish of a lifetime! I definitely agree that fish was catchable, especially as it came into the boat. She was energetic and aggressive. I would have gone to 8's at the start, but ovals are fine are I can't argue with your rationale. It looks to me that you might have been a tad jacked (no wonder) and I thought you were a little quick on that second turn when she went for it. But if you notice after a few turns that fish drops back and is not pursuing with the same energy. I think you absolutely should have reverted to 8's there as it gives you more options to vary direction, action and pace. In my mind, you had one chance there to recover her interest and I think that would have been the way to do it.
To my way of thinking you were privileged to encounter her - she was BEAUTIFUL!!!
Headed out there for musky Wednesday and Thursday! Hoping to have a tank in the boat. Unfortunately only had skis boat side. Never in the boat
WOW, what a great experience!
KsOutdoorSports for sure!
reminds me of a seacow i had chase out a mix matched bucktail i made. up in minaki 2 summers ago. came outta tobacco grass in the evening. figure 8’d her pretty good and nothing. we circled back 30mins later and she came out hot again! smaller custom blades and perfect figure 8 this time and still nothing! seen a smaller fish further down on the that pass. circled back 30min later again and nothing that time... spots never been the same since. tobacco grass hasn’t come back i check every time...
blair lafreniere that’s why we do it right
true! gotta learn to love the chase to!
blair lafreniere you bet!
Don’t beat yourself up over it Doug Babe Ruth struck out over 1000 times. We’ve heard of sharknado, I think you invented muskienado. That monster going round and circles. Keep after that fish and I’m sure you’ll bag that beast eventually 🎣🎣🌪
Rob Simpson thanks for watching it was amazing no doubt
I agree with doing the 8, even though the fish was huge if you could of done a big turn with that slight hang when she first sped up she may have crushed it, but who knows. I have quite a few videos like that from Canada. Soul crushing but worth it. What lexa hd gear ratio were you using? The 6.3?
Northern Outdoors yep 6.3 is my favorite for summer bucktails!
Omg, lmao! I love that tan. True outdoors man
That is one of the coolest musky follows I've ever seen!! Either way it looked like a 50+ fish
I probably would've done the same thing with that giant coming hot like it did. I would have freaked out worse actually!
Eric's fishing adventures haha thanks for watching!
No joke sometimes.. Rarely... Rod length doesn't matter the 50lbs Michigan state record from torch lake, 2009 (surpassed in 2013 I believe) was caught on a 6'6" medium heavy st croix. But that wasn't a boatside Hookset either I just couldn't believe it when I learned about it! I use the exact rod for muskie on st Claire and people laugh but it works.
ive caught many musky in the river on my st Croix ( 6'6" m/h ) love that rod
awesome fish. some people notice tan lines and for some reason i notice the rice lake flashlight stuck on the side of the fridge lol
Interesting!
Watching it my first reaction was too fast in the turn as you said. I've had a lot of success when I just kind of let the blades flutter at the top of the turn. Happens to everyone though hell of a fish thanks for sharing
Nathan Campbell thanks for watching Nate👍🏼
well tell ya what i would have done.... froze. cant wait for my opportunity at a fish like that. fish of a life time. great videos keep'em coming cant wait for more giants!
WhiteWolf195 haha thanks for watching man
I still haven't seen one accept the rod tip in the water on a figure 8...
Wow!!! What an amazing video!!! great footage!!!
Patrick Bennett thanks for watching!
I mean, yeah you can look back and say whatever you like in retrospect, but Doug you may well have the best looking and most effective fig 8/oval method I've seen, so...sometimes they just wanna follow
If a muskie wants to eat the bait, let her. Just needed to hang the corner much slower after the fish really sped up and she likely crushes it And after the third oval you can see the fish losing interest, switch to a figure 8 then.
Very easy to sit here and tell u what you should have done! You will catch a way bigger one Doug! No doubt about that.
Good stuff, Doug. Heartbreaker for sure. You can slice and dice it every way possible. Sometimes the fish just simply won't commit. Only thing I would've tried is to mix in an 8 if she's not interested in the circles. Tough to do with that big of a fish especially to keep the bait consistently moving. I'm in no way critiquing, your life is dedicated to these fish. Keep up the solid content buddy!
Jake Scebold thanks for watching!
I think you right about the 8 instead, I have switched back to using the 8 exclusively because of the exact same experience, the only other thing I saw is your shadow, I know often they just plane veer off when the sun is behind us, but at times I have had them come in so hot and just sort of fizzle down until they disappear and the only thing I could come up with was that the sun was behind me . All that being said who knows if it would have mattered, good work putting yourself on a fish like that, that’s what you can co trip and I say you nailed it brother. Great footage
You made changes because you new you could do things better next time, and already in your mind new what you needed to do. Hard to emit that so props for that. Most people would of assumed it was the fish that was the problem why he didn't bite. But great work keep doing you and i always like the videos keep em coming.
You’ll get her, , that’s her home ... awesome fish !
Chad Halvorson hope to get back there in 2020
That fish was every bit of 27"
Tom Naum somewhere in there 27 might be a little big but who knows
That tan line is a badge of honour!
Actually Andrew Fishing I agree!
I think your analysis was right on. The larger poles will help you make the transition to an 8 from an oval. However, I would of done the same thing you did ( reading that fish on the first oval)and even if you moved to an 8 after the second time around, I don’t think it would of worked because the fish was losing interest. More likely is if you had the larger poles the fish would have had more room to eat the bait on the first time around in my opinion. Great video and I loved the videos that you put out. I guess the border closure kept you in the US this year. Here’s hoping that that the border opens in time for the summer!
I hope we can all get across and back to the holy grail of musky fishing!
Don't beat yourself up brother, like you said you could've played that a bunch of different ways! Still some great insight, gives folks something to be more conscious of when you're put in that situation.
also have had that feeling doug. fact is that you were the guy with the rod and you made the choices you made and it didn't work. such is life in the musky fishing world. at least you know where she lives, you can go back on her this season. looked to me like a solid fish!
Wasabi gang!🤟🏾🎣
This guy face is fishing goals lmao
Edgardo Herrera takes some serious skills to get there 😂
French river ? What a fish excellent video
brian bond close! THANKS FOR WATCHING
You will know for sure when you catch it... but, that fish was no less than 72 inches long. Best of luck, Doug! :)
Dude I feel your pain and I also feel your loss of sleep ...dreaming about that missed fish and being a little obsessive going out even more too get that monster back.....it happens too all of us ...beauty fish and video regardless....happy muskie hunting
Geez looked like she ate on that first turn. Wow. So close man. Reminded me a lot of the video I posted a few weeks ago of my buddy Ryan with a true Canadian giant. Next time man!!!
justkeepcasting hope so
That is what keeps us coming back!! Great video again!
Derek Bates you got that right
Only thing I would have done differently, is after it was so hot, take the boat in to shore and cast to the deep and give it a different angle. I've caught plenty of fishing doing that. She spent a lot of energy chasing the first 3 rounds.
what a freakin tankkkkkk. I woulda been shaking in the knees for three days hahaha
DjCustomsFishingTV haha yea she had me worked up.
I felt the same way just seeing the footage!! Awesome video man!
your face bro...😂😂😂😂 omg😂😂
THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING MUSKIE FOOTAGE IVE EVER SEEN!! Thank you so much
Thanks for watching!
Doing the 8 and going deeper in the water with your rod but who really knows it looks like she was gonna eat right off the bat as hot as she was.
Daniel Fetchak yea I wasn’t expecting to have to make more then 1 turn 😂
Epic video and that's why we call fishing not catching 😎
Mark Goettelman that’s right, thanks for watching
Maybe popping the water Up and Down w/ bait half submerged? Saw that work on a Long fig8 and Dropdown w/ MehsiKomer b4" Cheers for :Your 2019 Season Doug from "Tiger's Only" Idaho! jd
J Dean thanks man hope you have a good season as well.
I've never Muskie fished just pike but I have buktails on everything as it adds extra movement. Seems to help with pike. That being said I'm going to have a nightmare for you tonight
Chris Valley lost a bit of sleep over this one no doubt
One thought of mine goes to a study I read that suggests fish do have a dominant eye just like humans. In the study they found that any given fish will always (90%+) position itself before eating, to the side of the prey in which their dominant eye is the one being used. I can't help but think that by doing an 8 you move the bait from one side of the fish to the other allowing the bait to be seen by the dominant eye at least once. By doing ovals you dictate eye that fish is using and it might not be the right one!.....or left one. Hahaha.
were you on Lukes boat?
Nick Thompson yes
NWO Muskie fishing is tough man, ive lost multiple in the same way. Just keep your head up, you will get it soon 💪 🎣
What’s NWO?
Would you rather have that fish eat and get off or not bite at all? I always chew that one over after something like this. Giant fish.
Dominic Schneider not eat lol
The llunge made her fastest lunge in the left turn. Feed her when she let's you. Straights, right turns, left turns. I've had perfect hook sets on straight bites because that is when the fish made it's lunge. How many fish have you caught out on the straight retrieve? The bottom line on this fish is she did everything you did - you increased speed she increased speed you slowed she slowed. I know you don't want to slow a bait dramatically on that left turn after a really fast straight but that was the moment. Watching this so many times it almost looks like the wide right turns gave her the speed to kill in the tight fast left turns. I don't know, this has happened to me a few times as well. May is coming up soon again. Hook her in 2020! Thanks for the content. As always, find ways to reduce the lead and go barb-less.
an older fish will head hunt if you watch she was expecting the bait to turn !.. try adding a power grub to your bucktail #gota put a worm on it
michael greenberg when I went back on her I added one. Never saw her again
😓happens all to often with the monsters!
That huge muskie has already been caught and released!! just the way she was following but not too close or attacking because of its " deja vu" with anglers!🤣🤣🤣
what hoodie is that?
Came in looking hot but never opened mouth. Ovals would have been what I would have don, also, until it doesn’t eat after a couple. It slowed down when you did, so I would have transitioned to fast 8’s with corner turn hangs as it seemed bored with the slower ovals. You did nothing wrong and longer rods wouldn’t have changed a thing. Nice fish.
Scott Westenberg Thanks fit watching Scott!
what a monster...
Right!
Epic! You have footage of it at least. A lot just go by the story they have. Also can someone explain to me how one can afford to buy many elite series musky rods? Is it because you're a guide and can write it off on taxes? Cause damn.
Michael Wood haha they are pricy but I have been lucky enough to work with some great company’s. The rods are my tool so I make a good excuse to spoil myself.
@@dougwegnerfishing haha hey that works for me! Thank you! Keep up the great work. Truly livin the dream.
Thanks for watching hope you enjoy the vids
@@dougwegnerfishing Definitely!!
this was awwwwsome shit! omg great experience .😂
u did nothing wrong, dont regret. this is why it is called FISHING.
Nice Racoon eyes! . 2 words for yah SUN BLOCK!!
..
2 more SKIN CANCER
Sunscreen causes skin cancer. Think about it. Where do you MOSTLY apply sunblock? Temples, nose, ears right? Where do most skin cancers begin on the face? Temples, nose, ears. I live in St Augustine la. I fish EVERY weekend in the blazing sun out in the ocean. I'm 54 years old. I have never and WILL never use sunscreen and I have absolutely NO signs of skin cancer. I'm checked every year during my physical for work. Clean. Google the dangers of sunscreen causing skin cancer and you will stop using it, I promise.
I think a few jerks may have triggered a strike, especially on the first two circles when she was still very active. I know its tough to do with a bucktail, but something similar to what the one angler did on the viral suicide duck video on instagram, sure you seen it. Regardless, epic video and awesome you captured it!!! Dont let it haunt your dreams man. Learn from mistakes, think about what you could do differently, sure another monster will come along.
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Sobi thanks for watching my man.
How many guys out there hit the 55" mark??
GREAT FOOTAGE!!!
Patrick Bennett thanks! Glad you liked it.
C’mon man! You’re obviously one of the top musky fisherman. You are an inspiration to many including myself. You had nerves of steel to even do the circle. If it was going to bite, it would have. 8 or no 8, it doesn’t matter. It didn’t lose interest right away. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You put yourself on prime real estate regularly. You’ll have another chance, and I’ll be lucky enough to witness you film the next one! Thank you!
Adam Tidemanson thanks for the kind words Adam I’ll get the next one 👊🏼 Good luck this season!
Fish like that you don't continue to have three lures going in the water and keep bludgeoning away either. You back off a spell and maybe have one guy take 2-3 casts with a different bait like a big rubber and then you leave the area entirely, like stealthy creep out or better drift out and you come back later. Find it interesting that Ronnestrand would keep casting to try and catch a fish that someone else first raised. Find it interesting that he's got baits laying all over waiting for a nightmare to happen and while Doug is limited being the middle man in the tub, Ronnestrand should have moved his rod out of the way and when you see a fish like that coming from a ways out Ronnestrand should have backed up off the gunnel of the boat and crouched down vs standing there like Big Bird lurking and casting his shadow. I guess after the fish was well aware of danger only then did Ronnestrand half way do a lazy hunch.
@@timgrzybowski8800 I noticed the lure madness in the boat as well. You can cast but one lure, the rest are only in the way. People with big(er) boats seem to do this often. Try having unused lures out in a 14' shallow V.
I think the 8 would have got her. Or just hang a little bit longer on the outside, she was coming hot on those corners. Incredible though!!!
So you've never been to the ocean and seen a shark? Marlin? Tuna? Lots of fish out there bigger than that one including catfish, paddlefish, sturgeon and gars in freshwater.
Cool story, bro!
What a monster!
FCP Fishing such a freak
Other than adding in a couple slow/fast pulses, you did everything you could.
Appreciate it.
Great video !
DUDE u fucking hypnotized that fish in the beginning of the video. That was INSANE
Nice a tan bro))
Thanks lol
Unreal, I would've put a LOT of money on her plastering that bait on that first turn, she was hotter than hell...
The best part of having cameras rolling is that you can sit down and analyze these things to hopefully better your chances on the next shot, but man is it hard to execute the shouldacouldawoulda's in the heat of the moment, sometimes the experience gets the best of you. Epic stuff Doug keep 'er comin.
grady codd thanks for watching man
I’ve had more moments like that than I’d like to admit so all I can say i hope you can get that fish later👍
Esox Masquinongy haha thanks man hope you have a good season.
wow!!!
Patrick Bennett that’s what I thought too 🙈
AWESOME VIDEO!!!
The comment fish maybe been caught on that outside corner before! Lol like it followed and decided not to eat at that point! Dont give them to much credit
metro muskie the fish were on edge that week we had one other giant loose interest as soon as the guy in the back said “big big big big”. These fish are about as far north as Muskies live and are incredibly old (22-28 years) they have been around the block a time or two
That.... was f******g awesome! Heartbreaker she didn’t eat.
Joseph Biebert was an amazing experience no doubt.
Had this exact same bullshit happen to me yesterday on my kayak.
Bro that was a tank!!!!!!
Brady Martz yes it was my friend
It was a nice fish, but I think your 55" was as big...if not more so. As to the whole "oval vs 8" thing--I think your logic is sound. That's the way I always did it, although I fished inland lakes in WI most of the time I was a caster, and there just weren't that many BIG fish to be found. So it really didn't matter much in most cases. But had you done a bunch of 8's, I think that fish loses interest a lot faster, simply because she can't turn as fast. I kept waiting to see an obvious mistake you made, but didn't notice anything. Maybe you could have shortened the ovals a bit I suppose, in order to change lure directions more often. She did seem to get more jazzed-up in the turns, likely in response to the change in lure speed. But changing directions twice as often in an 8 isn't necessarily the answer either, just because she can find it hard to turn with the lure...and then just loses interest.
As it was though, it looks like she just decided not to eat. I mean, it happens. Sometimes they just don't hit the lure. If the water temperature was warmer then she may have just gotten fatigued as the DO levels would have been a bit lower. Or maybe she just ended up being lazy. Don't beat yourself up about it, lol. I've fished muskies close to 40 years--these fish can just be assholes.
Tom B thanks for not beating me up to bad lol
@@dougwegnerfishing You still fishing on the bay up here now, or are you heading north? I saw a nice smallie pic on FB the other day, so I bet you've been up by Sturgeon Bay.
Im on the bay until June 26th then bay here August 3rd - October 20
Musky madness
AMAZING!
AJ King so incredible.
@@dougwegnerfishing what do you estimate how big? 56 inch?
Nice!
Thanks for watching.
@@dougwegnerfishing All your stuff is very well done Doug, thanks for sharing!
I'm sorry.. but those tan lines though. LOL every fisherman understands.
Figure 8 haha yea they are good ones 😂
Double nickel , Muskie lingo for 55 incher , KOOL!
Stop doing ovals. Even a hard eight angle she would have hit. Nice job though. Its amazing the thoughts that go through your mind in those split seconds. Well thought out plan when it came to where you wanted to hook set. She wanted it bad though.
Shit the shadow in the turn blocked boatside view. Its definitely a giant but wouldve love to see him next to boat!!! Wowww
Michael Carter thanks for watching!
Epic" from Idaho!
J Dean thanks for watching!
If u did an actual figure 8 u would have got her. It would have been easier to whip that bait out on the turn and be easier for her to cut the corner to t bone it. That footage is the exact reason y I don't do circles. If the muskie is following it hot your not giving it much chance to cut it off. There always mostly looking to t bone or head hunt the lure.
This is why I always have a shotgun loaded with buckshot when I musky fish !!
Zack Brown's Outdoor Adventures yea not enough to kill then just enough to hurt em.
@@dougwegnerfishing I eat musky