I have caught hundreds of pike; I can handle them in the 35-40 in size slot well with 2 hands, the bigger ones are actually easier, since they tire our quickly. However, a 28-35 in muskie is difficult to handle - even with two hands. They may look alike, but are not the same fish!
Being in the warmest water available (and lowest oxygen) you want to get muskies to the net quick and when you do so they are pretty "fresh." When fishing solo I pretty much default to cutting hooks as fish less likely to get agitated and thus safer and quicker process and less handling overall. That 30s+ size range is tough to handle for both species as awkward length to deal with. Bigger is easier in that way up until they start getting heavy...
I am in the process of removing all my treble hooks,n my most used lutes,to single octopus hooks or similar, big single hooks,better hooking,better for fish,getting a treble out of a 40,plus northern pike,and larger,is a task,single hooks,are the way to go,75 years old,fishing since 1953!
Couple muskies and nice pike caught on the same spot. When the bite is on it the grind leading up to it is all forgotten! Make sure not to miss the muskie follow - you know a big fish when there is a bow wave!
Are you near Monument Bay? I believe I have fished that exact spot and we call it the Vortex bc of how the water comes in from different sides there. Lake of the Woods is huge but that looks so familiar
It's amazing how aggressive small pike can be towards big lures.
I have caught hundreds of pike; I can handle them in the 35-40 in size slot well with 2 hands, the bigger ones are actually easier, since they tire our quickly. However, a 28-35 in muskie is difficult to handle - even with two hands. They may look alike, but are not the same fish!
Being in the warmest water available (and lowest oxygen) you want to get muskies to the net quick and when you do so they are pretty "fresh." When fishing solo I pretty much default to cutting hooks as fish less likely to get agitated and thus safer and quicker process and less handling overall. That 30s+ size range is tough to handle for both species as awkward length to deal with. Bigger is easier in that way up until they start getting heavy...
I am in the process of removing all my treble hooks,n my most used lutes,to single octopus hooks or similar, big single hooks,better hooking,better for fish,getting a treble out of a 40,plus northern pike,and larger,is a task,single hooks,are the way to go,75 years old,fishing since 1953!
Look at that treblehook,in that pike,come on,switch to single hooks!
Great video well done 👏
Figure 8 the big follows. Great vid.
Keep up the great work
Really nice catches!
Thanks. A few people did well that day with front coming in...
Matthew McConaughey on TH-cam fishing!
Couple muskies and nice pike caught on the same spot. When the bite is on it the grind leading up to it is all forgotten! Make sure not to miss the muskie follow - you know a big fish when there is a bow wave!
Are you near Monument Bay? I believe I have fished that exact spot and we call it the Vortex bc of how the water comes in from different sides there. Lake of the Woods is huge but that looks so familiar
Similar type of spot (we fish there too) but different area. Deep water nearby and of course the wind made it good that day
More pike videos
Yeah, could have made a pike only vid as well on this trip (two big pike caught) but my cameras let me down. More pike vids will be coming tho.
What is ur spec on the casting rod ??
Thanks for watching. I use an 8'6" XH Okuma EVX (with Komodo 471 reel) for glide baits, rubber and topwater.
Great vid. But thats not the x rap i know.
Thanks. Yeah, X-Rap seems to cover a few different types of lures now. They can keep the X if they make an XL version of these though...
Gotta get a real musky net and learn to figure 8 bud
Great video well done!