 | "Guide Service & Outfitter" |
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The muskies have started to go on the fall feeding pattern. Suckers have
started to be the top producers. The fishing has been slow at times and great
at other times. Tuesday after work I got out for a couple hours and raised 3
muskies on a Suick but no strikes, the suckers I had out were plenty nervous
with the muskies around but no takers. Wednesday I was pumped to get out and
within a hour I had a 37 1/2 muskie take a sucker down from one of my bobber rigs.
I quickly grabbed the rod, stuck it to her with two hard hook sets and enjoyed
the fight.
This time of year the fish have plenty of fight and don't give up very easy. After releasing the fish I quickly rigged up one more sucker and sent it out, it wasn't long before a muskie grabbed that sucker also. This fish took it straight to the bottom, I set the hook and after a few head shakes it was gone. I quickly set the last sucker out and the fish hit that one also, this time I gave it a few seconds, then the fish started to move away from the boat, perfect time to set the hook. With two good hook sets the fish was on, this fish had some weight to her because she didn't give in at all. Soon the fish started the head shakes deep under the water, the hooks came free again and all I got was a chewed up sucker. This fish must have held the bait so tight that I never got a good hook set, remember you have to get the hooks to move while the fish is chomping down on you bait. This is why I set the hooks hard twice to make sure you got good hook penitration, remember the muskies mouth is mostly bone and teeth. Friday I had clients out in the morning and it didn't take Jim long to get a high thirtys class fish to chase a Mini Power Probe to the boat but after a good look the muskie decided it wasn't a good idea to stick around. My clients also moved two more fish early that morning without a strike and no hits on suckers for some reason that morning. Friday afternoon I went back out with two friends to see if I could catch one of those lookers, the fish we spotted that morning couldn't be found. I decided to try a spot on the north shore that gets little preasure, sure enough a muskie chased my Suick to the boat then quickly retreated, I decided to try a crankbait to see if I could get one to bite, well it wasn't to long before a 40 inch muskie chased my crank up to the boat and took a swipe at it, the fish missed the bait so I brought the bait back around to the fish and it missed it again. This time she left for good, whats up with that? You win some you loose some I guess. Saturday I took a new friend out that never used suckers before, I showed him how I use my custom quick strike rigs and placed two suckers in the water. I walked up to the front of the boat and took a cast, two pulls on my bait and the clicker went off on my sucker rod. I spun around, grabbed my rod, set the hook and caught a 35 incher. He now is a believer in suckers in the fall, I did see a 40 inch class fish take a swipe at my jerk bait about 10 feet from the boat about a half hour later but that was all the action we had that morning. Around 10am I got a call from a friend that just netted a 44 inch muskie on a 8 inch Reef Hawg, this fish was positioned at the tip of a weed point just waiting for a easy meal. When we returned to the launch we heard some stories of muskies that hit suckers but got away, I told them I knew how it felt. With daylight savings time here there is not much time to get out after work, weekend are the only time to fish now and hopefully I can get out. Yard work and family maintance is building up and needs attention. I hope you can get out and stick some of those muskies before the season comes to a close. Good luck to all and see you on the water!!! |
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Pewaukee Lake has started its fall turn over process. This is when the
surface water in the lake cools down past the tempature of the water that is
under the surface. The deep water for example is cooler than the surface most
of the time, in fall the surface tempatures cool causing the cooler water to
drop or sink. This sinking of the cooler water usually clowds the water for a
few days but also lets the fish know its fall and they better fatten up for
the winter. Its to bad that it happened during the full moon phase, because
the fishing seems to slow for a day or two during this process. Was out twice
this last week and moved fish from the weed edges in the big lake. Suckers are
starting to be the best bet to put a fish in the boat.
Most of the fish last week were not agressive when they follow. Getting the fish to follow is half the battle, the other half is getting it to strike. It is very inportant that you change up your retreave while you bring in your bait, more than once on the retreave speed it up or change directions with your rod. If you are using a jerk bait or a twitch bait let the lure rise by pausing your retreave for a second or two on the way in, do it again about 12 foot from the boat before you start your figure 8, this trick is called a dead rise. Try to do this on every cast and you will see the results. No fish for me this last week but moved some and lost some, time on the water was very short this last week. Just got a phone call from a friend as am working on this report and he just stuck a fat 42 inch muskie on a sucker, good job Big O. Yesterday a friend of mine caught a 35 incher on a sucker just as the moon was rising. Some how I am going to get out more this week, Friday is possible booked and Saturday is booked with clients. This week and the weekend should be great but you have to deal with the elements of fall fishing. This week the fishing preasure should be way down due to the weather but the guys that stick it out will reap the rewards, like Big O. When you plan your outing dress warm and keep dry, work your high percentage spots at the peak times, keep a possitive attitude and expect a fish on every cast. Fall is the time when a 50 incher can be behind your bait at any time of the day, as the water cools into the 40's fishing will be good all day long. The longer you are on the water the better your chances are to boat that trophy you are looking for. I know I am not going to catch any muskies tonight sitting in front of this box but I will be on the water tomarrow after work for a couple hours. With the turnover finishing up and the cool tempatures hanging around the muskies should be in the feeding mode for a while. Get out and stick your fall fattie before you run out of time. Twitch baits like Slammers, pull baits like Suicks and Bobbies, glide baits like Power Probes and Undertakers will all move fish for you but remember change up your retreave and keep a positive attitude at all times. Good luck and see you on the water!!! |
10-14-02 |
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Pewaukee lake is still holding out on us, the muskies have not started the
fall feeding frenzy yet. Water tempatures are still hanging around 60 degrees,
but will be dropping quickly with this cold front that blew in Sunday. Fishing
should be getting very good with this sudden drop in water temps. Muskie
fishing was slow for the last week, every fish caught came from long hours of
casting and determination.
Thursday I got out after work with two of my good friends and we casted for three hours without a follow, the last 1/2 hour I got a hit on a Suick just off a weed line on the South shore. The muskie hit just as I was starting my figure 8 at boat side, she went 43 inches in length and was a welcome sight with only 15 minuits of daylight left. Friday I had the pleasure of guiding 5 clients for 2 days. We started off in two boats but battery trouble on there boat put 4 people were in my boat before we even started. We made due with two sucker rods and 4 men casting, it was not long before Jeff had a big fish follow his bait up to the boat and take a swipe at his lure. The fish some how managed to elude the wrath of Jeff and disapeared under the boat. Not long after that his brother Joe had the next action on a sucker rod, this fish fought hard but was lost at boat side before we got her into a net. Bad luck for us because 95% of the fish that hit my sucker quick strike rigs make it to the boat without a problem. I apoligized to Joe about the loss of a nice fish but not all fish hooked make it to the net, that goes for casting also. Later that day it was phils turn to get in on the action. We just moved to a new spot and was putting out the 2nd sucker rods when a muskie took a sucker, Phil was in buisness, the fish was a 34 incher muskie and a welcome sight for all of us in the boat. Phil did a great job and made quick work of getting the fish to the boat and back into the water after a picture. Saturday was a slow starter, everyone we talked to on the water was doing the same as us, nothing. The lake was packed with muskie fishermen doing everything they could to get some action, the same responce came from every boat we talked to. My clients hung in there with the best of them. Around 11am we had action on a sucker rod, Jeff took charge and battled the muskie as we watched and waighted for the fish to give in. Handling the fish like a old pro Jeff had the fish to the net before long. Quick photos and a measurement told us that his 36inch plus muskie would live to fight again. Not long after noon some real severe storms came in and we decided to call it a day. Looking at the muskie board at Smokeys Muskie Shop we noticed that no muskies were caught on Friday or Saturday, or at least reported. I thanked my clients for hanging in there under some tough comditions and was proud to put there names on the board along with there fish sizes. Great job boys, hope to see you soon. With this recent cold front and lingering fall temps the muskie should start to get into there fall patterns. Suckers have been working for a few weeks, pull baits are still working and glide baits will soon start taking muskies over the weed beds. Some action on bucktails was reported this weekend also. Trolling should still produce fish because of all the bait suspending out in the deep water. I didn't see to many trollers this weekend so the trolling preasure is very light. This is the time of year to get your trophy trolling, you might not catch lots of fish but the ones you boat will be the true fatties. It seems like the weed fish are somewhat thinner than the fish you catch trolling this time of year. I will be getting out this week to try my luck at trolling for some of these fall fatties or suspendo's as I call them. Slammer Deep Divers, Depth Raiders, Ernies and Believers are my choice for this pattern. Look for the baitfish schools and troll your baits through the schools working the lower 1/3 of the bait pods. The break lines are my second choice if there is bait fish close by and third choice would be trolling the flats just outside of the larger weed beds, the west end for example or the narrows. Remember the 50 degree mark is when the fish start to go crazy, fishing is not easy as the tempatures start to drop but the rewards are worth it. Don't let some cold finger keep you from boating your biggest and fatest fish of the year or a life time. I still have a few weekend dates open so get in on the action. I will load two recent photos from this past week on page 5 in photos. Good luck and see you on the water!!! |
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Its about time fishing starts to get good. The water tempatures are in the
low 60's and the fish are starting to turn on. I took out two people Saturday
morning and we boated two fish and raised two more. The first fish caught ate
a 7 inch Slammer, Golden Shiner was the color. The second fish ate a sucker
that was placed twenty feet behind the boat with a custom quick strike rig
and a slip bobber. We moved a 40 inch class fish on the west end on a Undertaker
bait in perch pattern and raised a big fish in the Beach Park area on a Suick.
Both fish caught were the low to mid thirty class fish.
Today I got out after work and quickly raised a fish off a good weed bed around the Tucan area, this fish would not hit my Slammer but the sucker rig that was dragging behind my boat worked to perfection. The fish followed my bait in and decided not to hit, I quickly placed my sucker rig over the fish and within seconds the fish took the sucker and headded to the weeds, I grabbed my rod and layed the iron to her. Soon the 37 inch muskie was tail walking in front of me shacking its head and thrashing about, before long she was to the boat and released to fight again. I raised one more fish in that area but would not hit. I made a phone call to see if a friend of mine was ready to get out but instead I picked up his son to see if I could get him a muskie. Z-man as he is called is a true diehard muskie fishermen, this boy will go for hours without question. I took him to the Beach Park area to start our quest, he worked the weed bed with a Suick and I tossed a Believer down the weed edge. I was the one to score on the Believer with a 36 incher, this fish hit and came straight out of the water shacking and thrashing but was soon brought to boat side and released to fight again. We had one other fish take a swipe at a Believer at sunset. It seems like the fish are starting to fatten up for the winter, this is the time of year to score some big numbers of fish. The fish are in a fall feeding pattern and are more than willing to eat the suckers that are offered to them if presented correctly. This is also the best time to get your trophy muskie, the fish are getting fat and only going to get bigger and fatter before ice-up. With the season winding down its important to put your time in on the best situations you can. The new moon phase is upon us and the fish are active, this means that every hour you can get out could produce the fish you are looking for at anytime. I will be on the water tomarrow for sure and will be dragging a couple suckers for the muskies that I can't get to strike my baits. Using a quick strike rig is very important, I use my own custome quick strike rigs and set the hook as soon as the fish takes it. This eliminates the possibility of a muskie swallowing the rig and assures that the the hooks will be accessible and removable. This year my rigs are 8 for 9 on muskie that hit the suckers. The one that I lost was a very acrobatic muskie that got of before she made it to the boat but most of them are hooked very well. It seems like the weed lines are starting to produce and trolling has slowed down, still there is some real trophys to be had trolling this time of year. Get out there and get in on some of the best fishing Pewaukee lake has to offer, with water tempatures dropping the fishing is only going to get better. Good luck and see you on the water!!! |
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MIKE KOEPP 262-691-8909 To Schedule Appointment or For More Info: Info@mikekoepp.com |