Aspiring_Pollack

Congrats! Awesome fish. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

And looks to be a hell of a first fish. Congrats! Casting or trolling? Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

That's awesome!!! Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Pm sent. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Nice fish! Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

No offense taken Clint, just thought I'd share my lows as well as highs, in hopes of educating someone else to hopefully avoid my lows (this one being quite embarrassing). The origin of this post wasn't meant to offend, just looking for help to make the best of a bad situation that I did definitely learn from. Apologies for the photos. I will practice a little more censorship going forward. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Well folks, another report, with a hearty dose of negative. Water temps 69 or 70 degrees. Seeing alot more fish now that they're coming down. Lots of marks over open water, but no bites maand no confirmation they're muskies. I did get a good one in the weeds, but as you may have saw under the taxidermist post, it didnt make it. It was my oversight and thought i'd share to help others avoid it. Right at dusk this fish hit on a pacemaker. Just what we all love, sunset topwater bites. She hit right at the start of the retrieve, another two crank Boom. Everything went good. Great fight, adrenaline, jon boat being pulled in circles, get her in the net and lifes good. Until I went to reach for my hook cutters, which weren't there. You see, being a gigging guitar player, I was changing strings the other night and didn't have my usual side cutters handy. I thought, "I'll just use the hook cutters." All fine and dandy, until they didn't make it back into the tool kit kept specifically for muskie. Lo and behold, get time for a fishing trip, go catch one, get it in the net and go for them and they aren't there. First time I needed them, first trip without them... and it cost me the release of my personal best, and an all around solid, healthy muskie. Im pushing, if i havent already exceeded, 100 hours of fishing time for this fish. Yes I caught a couple smaller ones, but this is the caliber I've been searching for, and try as I might to not, I killed her, not because she was hooked fatally, but because I was missing one tool. So I guess I just want to say even if your time is limited, and you don't know you're going fishing until you're loading the boat, and you keep everything ready to throw and go... take the time to check the contents of the essentials as you load up. Might save a whole lot of disappointment in what should be nothing but a great memory. She'll go on my wall, but just as much reminder as achievement. I sure as hell wasn't going to leave her float. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Thanks, Zach. Went back and reread again. Realize where I could have done different, and will do next time. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Hey guys. I figured it would happen at some point, just didnt think so soon. Got a 43" on waneta, which i know isnt huge by muskie standards, but its far and away the biggest fish ive caught. The problem lies in that I couldnt revive her... tried for about a half hour but she just couldn't stay upright. So rather than let her go and rot, I kept her, and I want to get her mounted. Any recommendations on a taxidermist semi close to the finger lakes area? Just want to do her justice. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Nice fish! And that sounds like a much better way if doing it, I'll have to familiarize myself with voice commands on my phone. Thanks! Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Well it took many more hours, but got another! Got my own depthfinder too, courtesy of my lovely lady. Water temp seems to be dropping slightly. I had 76 degrees pretty much wherever i went, vs 80 a month ago. This one hit a glide bait. I know the vertical hold isnt preferred, but this one was pretty skinny, not a lot of weight. I will be working on a way to get some photos, without the vertical hold, when im flying solo. 33 inches, and did see one porpoise that dwarfed this one. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

My old boy Zombie. One of the first trips out in the rejuvinated jon boat my Dad taught me to fish out of. Yes, i have the rope. I was at Severne pt when the wind kicked up and the only propulsion I had at that time was a canoe paddle. Had to go to shore and then pull the boat along shore to the ramp with the anchor. Took this when I made it to the stillwater by the ramp. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Thank you all for the congrats, and thank you more for the tips, tricks, and encouragement. It's what makes this site awesome! Now that I have one on the home water, eyeing up some others to try, but I will continue to post pics and updates of significance. With any luck my endeavors will help out someone else. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Well about trip number 15 or 16 now. But i got one! Worst pic imaginable, but probably mid to upper 30s. What a rush! Shark week hit out of the glass calm with about ten feet of line out on a prop bait. Took the rod out of my hands, tailwalking, almost lost my net and pliers... friggin' chaos. Needless to say im hooked! I can't imagine what a 50 feels like. Was hoping for a better pic but snapped that as soon as i got her. Then she went ballistic as soon add i unhooked her and she was gone, almost with the net. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Tried again for a few hours yesterday evening, with the usual results lol. 75 degrees at south end, 80 at the north. Figured something would've happened, but pretty sure 80 is pushing it for fish activity. Topwater, gliders, bucktails, and headbangers. Oh, tossed the bondy a bit too. Definitely got the wheels turning, these fish are something else. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Nice! I've been having a hell of a time trying to get one. Starting to wrap my head around moon phases in hopes that ups my odds. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Well dang, we're all on a roll!!! Idk, not that i have any experience to go off, but the lake seems pretty slow. Enough of us hitting it you'd think one of us would connect. Other than I'd say its definitely getting pressured. My live fish encounter came from deep water too. Hmmm.... think I know where to focus for the time being. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Fished an evening bout and into the night tonight. 5PM to about 12:45. Surface temp was 72. No strikes but did have one nose my spinnerbait as it dangled while i was putting another lure away. Didnt even get a cast out... just put it on, tossed it over to hang. Blades weren't even in the water, just the skirt and ask of a sudden I hear the blades jangle. It's like they're taunting me, hehe. No expert in guestimation but I'd say upper 30" fish. Also found one dead, which sucks, but guess they all die at some point, right? Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

I'll check out that podcast. I have been listening to FatAZ muskie podcast, and has been pretty interesting, plus theres always Hookshots every two weeks, but can always use more. And nope, no paddle tails. Another one for the list! Hehe. Started on the opener with a bass flippin stick, along with a t60 flatfish and 3 bucktails. Now I have an actual muskie combo and just had to put all the lures in a styrofoam cooler as I ran out of room in my usual box. Figure'd the ol' lady would've had my head by now, but she just sprung for some glide baits as a gift! She gets the fishin' obsession, thankfully. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Agreed, but in the same boat. Safe to say they're not biting in the weeds, at least not yet. Next tactic is finding bait in the open water. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

At least we're all consistent! Definitely some educated fish. I used to think the pressure came from bass anglers, however all but two boats I've seen were after the muskies. All good though. Seems like its definitely a lake better suited to trolling, I'm just not set up for it, nor am I much of a troller in general. At least not yet... Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Update: Still no muskie. Fished yesterday and today from 4am to about noon. Sunday was east side, today was west side. Water temp is still low, 62-64 depending on where you are in the lake. Water is getting quite dirty though, probably lost a foot of visibility since the first trip. My white bucktail dissapeared from polarized view at about 3 feet, perhaps a bit less. Got a few glide baits, swimbaits, and a bondy so at least get to mix it up a bit next trip. Did get a slammer pickeral though, if there is such a thing, hehe. Maybe that means I'm at least in the ballpark? Only place I havent tried yet is the open basin... thoughts for next time... \M/. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Rough business. Ill check those spinners out, I've heard them brought up in a number of conversations, so they gotta be good! Any of you get into the 'skies, throw some pics up! Id love to see them. I'll be sure to do the same, and I'd live to say thanks to this community called LOU as well. You've all helped me out a ton, and I just hope I can help someone else out in the future. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Very true, I think throwing bass(esque), or rather just smaller lures for em, you can get away with less. My gear didn't start falling apart until I scratched the double 10 itch. Between that and casting a T60 flatfish, it just shredded over the course of a few weeks lol. Just my limited experience. I do have a heavy bass rod in the boat for throwing Xraps when the arms need a break. Sent from my SM-G955U using Lake Ontario United mobile app