Anyone fly fish for Musky?

On Fri, 17 Aug 2007 12:15:53 -0500, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

mdk77 wrote:
I've never fished for Muskies, one of the local lakes I fly fish (for
Bass) also has an exceptional Musky population and some consider it
the best Musky lake in our state. My brother "accidentally" caught
one big one while we were fishing for Crappie (he had an ultra-light
spinning outfit with 4-pound test and no leader). And now I'm
thinking of tying some King-Kong sized Musky flies and giving it a
go.

Is an 8-weight too small for Musky? My (maybe crazy) thinking is that
I might build an 8wt rod that I could use for Bass AND Musky on this
lake. What do you think?

I'm gonna wait until I actually catch a muskie before I
confess to fishing for them. ;-) I came close this spring
but couldn't overcome muscle memory.

When you set the hook on a muskie you have to keep the rod
tip low and set the hook with a violent horizontal sweep of
the rod. If you raise the rod tip, like I've been doing for
40 years, you just slip the fly right out of its bony, toothy
mouth, which is of course exactly what I did.
[...]

If you have the presence of mind, keep the rod tip low and use a line-hand
set. This has the added advantage of keeping the fly in the immediate
neighborhood of the fish, should you miss the initial set...

/daytripper (highly useful when bonefeeshing)

daytripper wrote:

If you have the presence of mind, keep the rod tip low and use a line-hand
set. This has the added advantage of keeping the fly in the immediate
neighborhood of the fish, should you miss the initial set...

/daytripper (highly useful when bonefeeshing)

I call it a strip-strike -- very useful in sal****er flyfishing, but
difficult to break that years-old trout-fishing habit of using the rod
to set the hook.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

rw wrote:
daytripper wrote:

If you have the presence of mind, keep the rod tip low and use a
line-hand
set. This has the added advantage of keeping the fly in the immediate
neighborhood of the fish, should you miss the initial set...

/daytripper (highly useful when bonefeeshing)

I call it a strip-strike -- very useful in sal****er flyfishing, but
difficult to break that years-old trout-fishing habit of using the rod
to set the hook.

We're all describing the same thing and yeah, it's real hard
not to lift the rod tip when you see your fly get hit. By now
it's instinctive. I missed my first shot at a muskie and I
imagine I'd do the same fool thing the first few times I ever
tried to catch a bonefish.

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:21:32 -0500, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

rw wrote:
daytripper wrote:

If you have the presence of mind, keep the rod tip low and use a
line-hand
set. This has the added advantage of keeping the fly in the immediate
neighborhood of the fish, should you miss the initial set...

/daytripper (highly useful when bonefeeshing)

I call it a strip-strike -- very useful in sal****er flyfishing, but
difficult to break that years-old trout-fishing habit of using the rod
to set the hook.

We're all describing the same thing and yeah, it's real hard
not to lift the rod tip when you see your fly get hit. By now
it's instinctive. I missed my first shot at a muskie and I
imagine I'd do the same fool thing the first few times I ever
tried to catch a bonefish.

Have either of you tried long-shank circle hooks? They are essentially
"self-setting" (keep tension on the line rather than "setting" the hook)
and while they aren't appropriate (or necessary) for all quarry, they
are useful for many of the "hard mouth" species. And if you intend to C
& R, they greatly reduce gut- and deep-hooking. A Google search should
turn up quite a bit of info on them - probably much of the info will be
on the standard-shank "bait" models (for tuna, snapper, etc.), but the
theory of operation is the same and Mustad, etc., makes 2X for flies.

As to "muscle memory" and trying to set with the rod rather than the
line, you might try simply spending some time "practice setting"
immediately before you actually try to fish.

TC,
R

wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
rw wrote:
daytripper wrote:
If you have the presence of mind, keep the rod tip low and use a
line-hand
set. This has the added advantage of keeping the fly in the immediate
neighborhood of the fish, should you miss the initial set...

/daytripper (highly useful when bonefeeshing)
I call it a strip-strike -- very useful in sal****er flyfishing, but
difficult to break that years-old trout-fishing habit of using the rod
to set the hook.
We're all describing the same thing and yeah, it's real hard
not to lift the rod tip when you see your fly get hit. By now
it's instinctive. I missed my first shot at a muskie and I
imagine I'd do the same fool thing the first few times I ever
tried to catch a bonefish.

Have either of you tried long-shank circle hooks? They are essentially
"self-setting" (keep tension on the line rather than "setting" the hook)
and while they aren't appropriate (or necessary) for all quarry, they
are useful for many of the "hard mouth" species. And if you intend to C
& R, they greatly reduce gut- and deep-hooking. A Google search should
turn up quite a bit of info on them - probably much of the info will be
on the standard-shank "bait" models (for tuna, snapper, etc.), but the
theory of operation is the same and Mustad, etc., makes 2X for flies.

I've never tried circle hooks but from what I understand they're
designed to embed in the roof of the mouth. That wouldn't work
on a muskie because the roof of a muskie's mouth is all bone and
damn near impossible to stick a hook in.

As to "muscle memory" and trying to set with the rod rather than the
line, you might try simply spending some time "practice setting"
immediately before you actually try to fish.

Yeah, it sounds so simple but after 40 years of bluegill, bass
and trout fishing lifting the rod tip to set the hook is a reflex.

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 14:39:44 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
rw wrote:
daytripper wrote:
If you have the presence of mind, keep the rod tip low and use a
line-hand
set. This has the added advantage of keeping the fly in the immediate
neighborhood of the fish, should you miss the initial set...

/daytripper (highly useful when bonefeeshing)
I call it a strip-strike -- very useful in sal****er flyfishing, but
difficult to break that years-old trout-fishing habit of using the rod
to set the hook.
We're all describing the same thing and yeah, it's real hard
not to lift the rod tip when you see your fly get hit. By now
it's instinctive. I missed my first shot at a muskie and I
imagine I'd do the same fool thing the first few times I ever
tried to catch a bonefish.

Have either of you tried long-shank circle hooks? They are essentially
"self-setting" (keep tension on the line rather than "setting" the hook)
and while they aren't appropriate (or necessary) for all quarry, they
are useful for many of the "hard mouth" species. And if you intend to C
& R, they greatly reduce gut- and deep-hooking. A Google search should
turn up quite a bit of info on them - probably much of the info will be
on the standard-shank "bait" models (for tuna, snapper, etc.), but the
theory of operation is the same and Mustad, etc., makes 2X for flies.

I've never tried circle hooks but from what I understand they're
designed to embed in the roof of the mouth. That wouldn't work
on a muskie because the roof of a muskie's mouth is all bone and
damn near impossible to stick a hook in.

No, they are designed to hook in the corner of the mouth. I think
you'll find them in use for muskie.

TC,
R

wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
I've never tried circle hooks but from what I understand they're
designed to embed in the roof of the mouth. That wouldn't work
on a muskie because the roof of a muskie's mouth is all bone and
damn near impossible to stick a hook in.

No, they are designed to hook in the corner of the mouth. I think
you'll find them in use for muskie.

Interesting. Next time I'm in the fly shop in Boulder Junction
I'll ask if anybody ties muskie flies on 'em.

--
Ken Fortenberry

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:21:32 -0500, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:


Have either of you tried long-shank circle hooks? They are essentially
"self-setting" (keep tension on the line rather than "setting" the hook)
and while they aren't appropriate (or necessary) for all quarry, they
are useful for many of the "hard mouth" species. And if you intend to C
& R, they greatly reduce gut- and deep-hooking. A Google search should
turn up quite a bit of info on them - probably much of the info will be
on the standard-shank "bait" models (for tuna, snapper, etc.), but the
theory of operation is the same and Mustad, etc., makes 2X for flies.

As to "muscle memory" and trying to set with the rod rather than the
line, you might try simply spending some time "practice setting"
immediately before you actually try to fish.

TC,
R

I have no experience with circle hooks and Musky, but we used them while
fishing for Halibut up in Alaska a couple years ago. They proved to be very
effective. I had the same problem of not using the rod to set the hook, but
letting the halibut take the bait and set the hook. They are designed to set
the hook in the corner of the mouth (as you mentioned) when they turn after
taking the bait. If you set the hook, it would just pull out of their mouth.
It was difficult to hold back from setting the hook, similar to learning a
sweep or line set on Musky. The first few bites, everyone yarded back on the
rod to set the hook. Ultimately it was a great day, the boat limited and my
buddy and I both landed 90 pounders.

I had never thought about using the circle hooks on other species, but I
don't see why they wouldn't work well...

Thanks,
JT

On Aug 20, 9:58 am, "JT" wrote:
wrote in message

...



On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:21:32 -0500, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

Have either of you tried long-shank circle hooks? They are essentially
"self-setting" (keep tension on the line rather than "setting" the hook)
and while they aren't appropriate (or necessary) for all quarry, they
are useful for many of the "hard mouth" species. And if you intend to C
& R, they greatly reduce gut- and deep-hooking. A Google search should
turn up quite a bit of info on them - probably much of the info will be
on the standard-shank "bait" models (for tuna, snapper, etc.), but the
theory of operation is the same and Mustad, etc., makes 2X for flies.

As to "muscle memory" and trying to set with the rod rather than the
line, you might try simply spending some time "practice setting"
immediately before you actually try to fish.

TC,
R

I have no experience with circle hooks and Musky, but we used them while
fishing for Halibut up in Alaska a couple years ago. They proved to be very
effective. I had the same problem of not using the rod to set the hook, but
letting the halibut take the bait and set the hook. They are designed to set
the hook in the corner of the mouth (as you mentioned) when they turn after
taking the bait. If you set the hook, it would just pull out of their mouth.
It was difficult to hold back from setting the hook, similar to learning a
sweep or line set on Musky. The first few bites, everyone yarded back on the
rod to set the hook. Ultimately it was a great day, the boat limited and my
buddy and I both landed 90 pounders.

I had never thought about using the circle hooks on other species, but I
don't see why they wouldn't work well...

Thanks,
JT

I'll have to give these a try. I researched these on the Internet.
They're supposed to be really good when used properly. But I gotta be
honest, they look like they wouldn't hook anything. They look pretty
weird with the point tucked in like that.

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:41:05 -0000, mdk77
wrote:

On Aug 20, 9:58 am, "JT" wrote:
wrote in message

...



On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:21:32 -0500, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

Have either of you tried long-shank circle hooks? They are essentially
"self-setting" (keep tension on the line rather than "setting" the hook)
and while they aren't appropriate (or necessary) for all quarry, they
are useful for many of the "hard mouth" species. And if you intend to C
& R, they greatly reduce gut- and deep-hooking. A Google search should
turn up quite a bit of info on them - probably much of the info will be
on the standard-shank "bait" models (for tuna, snapper, etc.), but the
theory of operation is the same and Mustad, etc., makes 2X for flies.

As to "muscle memory" and trying to set with the rod rather than the
line, you might try simply spending some time "practice setting"
immediately before you actually try to fish.

TC,
R

I have no experience with circle hooks and Musky, but we used them while
fishing for Halibut up in Alaska a couple years ago. They proved to be very
effective. I had the same problem of not using the rod to set the hook, but
letting the halibut take the bait and set the hook. They are designed to set
the hook in the corner of the mouth (as you mentioned) when they turn after
taking the bait. If you set the hook, it would just pull out of their mouth.
It was difficult to hold back from setting the hook, similar to learning a
sweep or line set on Musky. The first few bites, everyone yarded back on the
rod to set the hook. Ultimately it was a great day, the boat limited and my
buddy and I both landed 90 pounders.

I had never thought about using the circle hooks on other species, but I
don't see why they wouldn't work well...

Thanks,
JT

I'll have to give these a try. I researched these on the Internet.
They're supposed to be really good when used properly. But I gotta be
honest, they look like they wouldn't hook anything. They look pretty
weird with the point tucked in like that.

With a circle hook, you don't set the hook, you simply maintain tension
and the fish does the "setting."

TC,
R.