Ivan

Nice job Mike and Nikki (except for the botched net job). I saw you guys with the net out as soon as I got started Saturday the 29th. It's been a pretty tough bite at Chq the last couple weeks. I'm looking forward to the predicted cool down this week.

Thanks guys. It was great they were each able to boat one. We talked about how we would do everything beforehand a couple times. They handled it like pros, and we got a couple great pictures and memories. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Trolled my 6yr old daughter and her 10yr old cousin over their first muskies this morning at Chautauqua. 32 and 33 inchers...perfect starter size for the kids. They were really excited. Allison had to run her pink tiger Baker, of course. I couldn't be happier. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Congrats. Good job and nice picture.

That's fine. At least you have the patience and persistence it takes to be a good muskie fisherman. There really is alot to learn though, man. Way more than the fraction of information anybody is going to share with you on a public website. Get a guide, join a club, or even go to that tournament on Waneta coming up and meet some muskie fisherman, make some friends, ask some questions. A club tournament is a good place to meet people and learn how fish are being caught. Do all those things multiple times. Just don't expect things to happen super fast and have somebody spill everything to you at once. It will take some time, but doing the things I recommended will definitely cut down the learning curve for you, and help you catch some muskies. Then someday you can pass on what you've learned to somebody new trying to catch some.

Thanks for clearing that up delilah. I tried to find out some background on you by asking a few of those questions initially, but you didn't seem to want to answer. Hey...for all I know, you could be looking to fill your freezer with muskie meat, and I'm certainly not going to help you do that. Have you caught any muskies yet? Larry would be a great guy to help you, as would either of the other two guides I recommended. I learned most of my information about muskie fishing when I started by joining a Muskies Inc chapter and making friends with people who had more experience than I did at the time. Most of my best friends today are through muskie fishing.

That's cool steelie...maybe you just don't get it. I'm sure I may come off sounding like a know it all, entitled ass to some, but there's nothing unreal or untruthful about what I said, and I don't care what you may think of me because of it. Why do you think nobody else besides me and Larry have offered up any advice to delilah? There are plenty of guys that are thinking along the lines I am, but are too nice to say. Larry is certainly too nice of a guy to do it. I'd be glad to help him more, as would other guys I'm sure, if I knew he was prepared,etc and wasn't just looking for quick answers on the internet. Maybe meet some people in person, get some useful advice, learn the ropes, etc. What a few people do can affect the rest of us in this sport. Do you know how old a big mature muskie in Chautauqua lake may be, and how long it would take to replace a fish like that? When you have invested the time and effort many muskie hunters have, you would understand why we are so protective of the fish and fisheries. A slogan of Muskies Inc has always been "Americas most conservation minded anglers".

The dipsey rod would definitely be better. A downrigger rod is pretty soft/slow to get a good hookset on a muskie if using it to troll a flatline. Why the wire?...I assume thats your wire dipsey setup for salmon or something. 80 pound braided line, like power pro, and a good fluorocarbon leader work well. I understand that maybe you just want to catch one, but ethical/responsible muskie fishing requires some specialized equipment. I have to be honest man, you scare me a bit. Don't want to preach, but as dedicated muskie fisherman, we all want what's best for our fish and their safe release after they are caught. So we can catch them again. That's why guys suggested you join a club when you asked for advice last year or whenever that was...so they can show you the proper way to fish for, handle, and safely release muskies. Not to be too critical, but you sound like you may be just dangerous enough to go out there and do some damage if you dont know how to properly handle the fish. These aren't salmon...you dont net them, flop them on the floor of your boat, unhook them, and then toss them in a cooler. Please read through the release thread on this page and be prepared with a big net with a deep coated bag so you can keep the fish in the water while unhooking, etc. Bolt cutters would probably be a good idea for you too. Guys would be more willing to help you if you understand what Im talking about. Joining a club or hiring a guide really is the best way to learn fishing techniques and how to safely handle the fish. Also a good way to meet people who know what they are doing. Good luck to you...just dont be killing fish out there that the rest if us could be re-catching and releasing. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Sometimes that happens. Are you sharpening your hooks with a file? What type of line, rod, and reel are you using? Don't slow down or take the boat out of gear until the person fighting the fish has the rod out of the holder and in their hands. Also, not a good idea to hold your rod up in the air or pump it while reeling in muskies trolling. (not saying you did that, but just some advice) You are better off keeping your rod tip closer to the water or just horizontal, keep a good bend on the rod/pressure on the fish, and steadily crank them in as fast as they will let you. Headshakes create slack in your line and release pressure from the bait/hooks...gotta take it to them when they do that. It's usually bigger fish that headshake too.

2 hits your first time there is good. 0% catch to hit ratio is unfortunate. Often while muskie fishing, you don't get many chances in a day, and capitalizing on a single opportunity can mean the difference between success and failure. Why do you think you lost both fish you had hooked?

Larry is successful with his program...no doubt. There are definitely muskies at the depths Larry is talking about. But, don't feel like you need to fish 15-25' down in order to catch Chautauqua muskies. They are literally everywhere, and those depths wouldn't be the easiest to target...especially for a newer guy . Fish to your strengths. Guys have been doing well casting weeds too. We also just released a big fish trolling on Sunday. It was only 7 or 8' down and that day was blazing hot, little wind, and very few clouds.

How do you like fish for muskies? Do you prefer to cast or troll? I looked through some of your previous posts. Are you new to muskie fishing or just new to Chautauqua lake? Did you take any of the previous advice offered to you...did you join a club like the NMA or Muskies Inc? Have you caught some muskies or are you looking for your first one? There are always muskies to be caught in both basins. The north end is deeper and clearer water, while the south end is shallower, darker water. One of the great things about Chautauqua is it's so diverse. You can literally catch muskies doing just about anything there...casting, trolling, jigging, deep, shallow, north, south. If you are more confident fishing structure/objects, there are nice weed lines to cast or troll. If you don't mind open water, there are also plenty of suspended fish to target. If you are looking for some specific techniques, depths, etc, read through some of Captain Larry's Chautauqua reports on this site from the last couple years. Just keep in mind, there's more than one way to skin a cat. What works for Larry, isn't how I fish the lake and may not be the best techniques for you. In my experience, you are always best off doing your own thing. Another good way to learn techniques and the lake would be to hire a guide for a day: Todd Young, Muddy Creek Guide Service Larry Jones, Mostly Muskies Mike Sperry, Chautauqua Reel Outdoors Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Thank you.You could pull your middle seat, but i wouldn't run the passengers rods by the front seat. Id keep those rods as far back in the boat as possible. I wouldnt want them any farther forward than where that middle seat should be. If your passenger wanted to sit in the front seat they can easily get to their rods...they just have to get up. As the driver of that tiller, i would want my rods right next to me on the side that i would sort of be facing while driving with a passenger. If you are by yourself move a clamp on holder. Run a rod out each side of the boat back by your seat. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Here you go. I had some clamp ons laying around. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Not a tiller, but should help visualize the down rod and side rod. You can clamp those two rod holders right next to each other on your gunwale. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Down East saltys are what you want . You should be fine with the clamp ons...nothing extra needed. Should be able to run up to 4 boat rods and could even run inline boards too for 6 rods if you wanted. Board rods most forward in the boat. Down rod and a side rod on each side. Use like 9 or 10' rods on the side and maybe 7' rods for your down rods and bury 1/3 to 1/2 the rod in the water. If two guys, each guy run a down rod and a side rod right by where they are seated. Down rod farthest back, side rod right in front of that and possibly a planer board rod in front of that. Other guy fishes out the opposite side of the boat with his 2 or 3 rods. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Was that at the Larry? Just about every pike we catch in the fall there, trolling for muskies, looks pretty much just like that. I always wondered if they were like that from a recent meal or it was a bloated air bladder. They have always swam down for us upon release though.

I stay in Canada Old Man. The entire south shore is Canada. West and northwest portions of the lake are Michigan. I have never stayed in MI so i'm not familiar with places there, but Detroit or Anchor Bay areas would be where you would need to stay in MI. Ive heard of a Selfridge Airforce Base launch some guys use over there.In Canada you have motels in Windsor, two Motels and some cottages in Belle River/Ruscom area. Other than that, you would have to find a house to rent. I usually stay near Belle River. As I mentioned before, Belle River is centrally located along the south shore. Each of the rivers/creeks have launches in them close to the lake. The rivers on the south shore from west to east are Detroit River, Pike Creek, Puce, Belle River, Ruscom River, and the Thames. There is also a marina with a launch at Belle River, but on the lake. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Thanks Larry, but not all of those pics are from this year. It has been a pretty good year, but I haven't been able to get on the water for over 2 weeks. I'm going through withdrawals. I can't wait to get back to CHQ. I haven't been there since June 14th.

3 St Clair pures: Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app