I did not write this article, but here is another Musky Hunter that knows a wire leader is best for Musky Fishing!

I always get a kick out of this Floro VS Wire leaders. I bet every 3-4 Months, guys get on each other's backs on what is right, and what is wrong.
I'd be willing to bet, most younger musky anglers use Floro, and most seasoned musky anglers use Wire. ( key word here is Most).

Can anybody guess when Floro got Popular??? THats right!!!! IT was right after the super lines were established. Why??? Because Mono lines took a huge hit in sales, and mono was put on the shelf...SO, what did they do??? They came out with a line they could spool up in 25' spools, and put a big price tag on it to get sales back. Bunch of big names in the fishing industry were sent out to preach the advantages of Floro.

I did a 5 week test for myself to justify the pro's and cons. I boated 17 muskies In That period...12 on black seven strand leader material, and 5 on Floro. THe proof was In The pudding, and I got rid of the Floro, and continued on with wire. After a few of the Floro fish were boated, I noticed the Floro fraid and tore like string cheese...that was enough evidence for me.

IF you consider the thickness of Floro VS wire, Wire is thinner, thus giving your Lures MORE Action, especially when it came to crank baits.

I simply, throughout the years, heard enough from my buddies, and through the musky world, the huge fish horror stories that bit through their Floro and they lost the fish of their lives.

THere are 49 strand wire leader material out there, that are just as flexible, and thinner,+ camouflage colors, and tie like mono, that there is really no need to take the chances with a mono leader.

Make your choice...Wire OR Floro...Heartbreak....OR....Hero!!!

I agree 100%.....Thanks for Looking

I did not write this article, but it's well worth your attention:

The 1967 Washington Department of Fish­eries regulations booklet for salmon states on page 13: ''The first six salmon caught 10 inches or more in length, regardless of where they are hooked (inside or outside of their mouth), must be retained.''

The river that the regulation applies to is the Washougal in Southwestern Washington; the area is the first 1500 feet of the stream below the Fisheries Department salmon hatchery rack; the time is from September 1 through October 31. Look for this ruling to produce mixed emotions on the part of sport fishermen.

Foul hooking salmon and steelhead in the past, and even more so today, draws the scorn of serious anglers. Thus, why the new regulation?

The artificial propagation of silver salmon in hatcheries has been abundantly successful, especially in the past few years. However, accompanying the adult silvers into fresh water and eventually to the spawning grounds have been hordes of small male silvers called "jacks." Last year 35,000 of these fish traveled up the Columbia and into the Washougal.

It is true that some of these fish are caught by orthodox means - bright spin­ners, spoons, salmon roe and possibly a few surprised fly anglers. However, the great majority of these fish are never taken.

I can still remember that day in late August last year when I was on the lower bridge next to the railroad trestle. I was peering down into the water looking for late summer steelhead. I saw several, which was gratifying, but then a school of from two to three hundred jack salmon caught my eye. The great majority of them seemed to be about two pounds in weight. The pool was large and there was a lack of current because the river was very low. The jacks, accompanied by five to 10 adult silvers, s warn aimlessly around the pool. These fish must have just arrived in the river, for as they turned you could occasionally see bright silver flashes.

In another section of the pool, jacks, and an occasional large silver, were splitting the surface of the water, not jumping com­pletely out, but slashing at the surface as small trout will do when after insects.

I had not taken any steelhead that morn­ing. The sun was now at its midday height. My mind turned toward the jacks that were so active. Having only my fly rod with me and a selection of steelhead flies, I decided to try for the jacks.

As I was walking off the bridge, I met a fellow angler who had been fishing for the jacks,and asked him how he had done. Noth­ing. But he said that one fellow had taken several on lures earlier that morning, be­fore the sun was on the water. With that I walked to the stream and began casting.

I started with bright flies and let them drift slow and deep. No results. I changed to bright streamers, casting them out and jerking them in about a foot at a time. For over an hour I tried in vain to tempt a fish with almost everything I had in my fly box. Nothing worked.

The most successful way to angle for these fish is with spinning gear. I believe that flies will work at times, but not as consistently as ''hardware'' and salmon roe. Even then, considering the many anglers that try for them, the great majority of fish are not of a disposition to strike anything at all.

Commercial fishermen could empty the river of most jacks, if given the opportunity, and local food stores would be selling fresh salmon for 599 a pound. Instead of this approach, the Washington Department of Fisheries has given the sports angler an opportunity to take these fish by foul hook­ing in the 1,500-foot section of the river previously mentioned.

Irregardless of my feelings on the sub­ject, I will be on that stretch of water to take some photographs and to observe what goes on; I will formulate my opinions after I have seen the new regulations in effect.

Your thoughts?

Ron,

Thanks for Looking....Good Luck!

Here is a MUSKY joke I made up years ago. From memory, it goes something like this:

Two Musky fisherman were pounding the water from their boat for almost a week without even as much as a follow. They just about had it and were about to give up. Suddenly, one of the guys picked up a bucket and started to dip it in the water. He filled it and threw the water into the boat. He started to fill it again, when the other guy noticed what was going on and yelled, “What the hell are you doing, are you nuts?” The response was: “Why, I’m doing as good as you, aren’t I?”

Thanks for laughing!

Ron

NOTHING MAKES A MUSKY BIGGER THAN ALMOST BEING CAUGHT!

Excitement and disappointment have a way of making the size of muskies grow a bit! Over the years I’ve heard fish stories of monster muskies that were hooked, yet for some reason got away. While many of these lost muskies were reported to be “5 footers” or ” 60 LB Plus “, I seriously doubt that any of these so called monsters would have tipped the scales at more than 45 LB’S.

So the question is not so much, “Do they exist”? I’m sure they do! More to the point would be, “Can they be caught on a hook and line?

Have you ever met a Musky Hunter that did not exaggerate about the “One That Got A Way?” How about the ones that did not get a weigh, and I do mean weigh? All they do is guess the weight. Like a past fishing buddy of mine that caught a 33″ Musky that looked to be about 12 pounds. He just guessed the weight, had it mounted, and called it 20 LBS! NOT EVEN CLOSE! Actually, he should have released it in the 1st place. This idiot was living in a musky dream world of his own!

Years ago, a liar I knew caught a 22 LB pee-nut Musky and kept it to be mounted instead of releasing it. A couple years after that, I saw the mount in his family room. His lie under the mount said the Musky was 26 pounds! Knowing him, I think he was too embarrassed to note the true weight.....

We ask a simple question and that is all we wish:
Are musky hunters all liars? Or do only liars fish for muskies?

I have never met one that told the exact truth....Have You??

Thanks for Looking......Good Luck!

Ron

The biggest thing I have learned over my past sixty years fishing for Musky is that they are the most unpredictable game fish swimming on planet Earth!

Just when I thought I had them figured out and using the right setups is when something happened that made me sick to my oversized belly!

It happened Up in Lake of the Woods Minn. about 20 years ago. I was working a Bobbie Bait….A trophy sized musky jumped next to my boat about three feet in the air to grab the lure….The beast was hooked! But, as I said, something happened to allow the powerful beast to escape! My heavy duty snap swivel opened and my mount went by-by!

Another weird thing happened that really made me pissed to high heavens:

I bought a new surface lure with about a 4″ wire attached to the nose…..while on the same trip talked about above, there was a weed bed about thirty or so yards from my boat, with a small opening in the middle of the bed.

I cast the lure right in the middle. A musky that looked about 6 feet long jumped about 4 feet in the air and gobbled my surface lure. It was hooked for sure, but guess what? The wire on the head of the lure cracked and broke off losing the fish and the lure in its mouth, in about three seconds…. Christ! There went the musky of a lifetime back down in the weed bed.

That one that got away really sent me into a cold sweat and made me think. What the hell is next!

This weird event also happened fishing on Long Lake in Phillips Wisconsin one year: I was using one of my custom made Musky straight line spinners and wouldn’t you it, I hooked a gigantic trophy sized beast about 55 inches long using a figure eight and played it to the side of mu boat.

Just when we were ready to net the fish of a lifetime, it dove under our boat and boiled and circled and rolled and cut the stupid plastic leader in its gill plate….GOOD BY! I almost jumped in the water after it! It was the hardest lesson I have ever learned! Never use anything but a heavy wire leader about 12″ to 16″ long with a heavy cross snap connection and ball bearing swivel to the line. To this day I use at least a 16″ 150 Lb wire leader with matching weight connectors.

All these mishaps were my fault, using the incorrect terminal tackle and a lure I should have never bought in the 1st place.

I bet most of you old time musky hunters have had similar things happen to you….It makes you a real believer in MURPHYS LAW! What can happen, will happen!

Thanks for Looking…..Good Luck!

Sounds good, but wrong.....

When the "once in a lifetime Musky"
cuts your plastic leader in its gill plates, leaving you with no lure or trophy,
you will change your tune and begin to use a WIRE LEADER!

The noted famous musky hunter/author, Joe Bucher wrote this in his book:
Bucktail Fishing For Muskies. "Going without a wire leader for muskies,
especially if you're after a big one, is like playing with fire. Sooner or
later you're going to get burned".

Nothing has even been proven that using steel leaders are not as good as
any of your plastic leaders. Fact is: More world record Muskies have been
caught when there was no such things as “Fluorocarbon leaders!”

If a Musky wants a bait, it will hit regardless of what it is tied too! The
records will prove this to be true.
The biggest reason I like steel leaders,
is that they can not be cut by a Muskies gill plate…A Musky can and will cut
through any type of plastic leader! Before I made my own leaders, I lost many
trophy muskies by bite off's and gill plate problems.
Think you will catch more Muskies using Fluorocarbon (plastic) than with
steel leaders?
Some of the “Hype” about fluorocarbon leaders are spread by guides
that are paid by tackle manufactures into pushing and reporting about it….
I have seen musky bite-offs on 130 lb. flouro leaders. Muskies are not the least
bit leader shy.

Ron

During my many years of hunting for musky, I've seen a few pochers with stringers full of undersized muskies.
One time I got in an arguement with a dumb ass jerk when I asked him why he kept illegal sized muskies.
I'll quote his answer, " I have to eat don't I".....
I got so pissed that I couldn't even talk!
I got off the lake, went to a game warden in a local town and reported the dunce!
The game warden told me he kicked the jerk off the lake the day before.....
I told him to go back and arrest him.....I don't know if he ever did!

Ron,
classified-enterprises.com

Indeed,
My father, way back in the 1940's, caught northern pike from shore using a 10' cane pole with black braided line tied to the end (no reel) by moving a big red & white spoon from side to side.
I was about eight, and watched him catch a giant Northern Pike. My brother about 10, caught a big dog fish!
What a weird looking thing that was!
It all happened in Frendship Wisconsin, on the Wisconsin river before it was flooded and became Castle Rock Lake.
I'm 81, and remember it like it happened yesterday.

Those were the day's my friend!


Ron,
classified Enterprises LLC

Remember this Musky Hunters:
Make sure that you do a figure eight, follow or no follow.....
Can't count the times I caught a trophy sized Musky that I never saw before the strike, normally close to the boat.
Quick jerking action on your lure will make the musky think it's meal is getting away.
Next trip, give it a try.

Thanks for looking.....Good Luck!
classified-enterprises.com

All you guys on this forum:
My business is; classified enterprises

here is what you do:
just go on google and type in classified enterprises you will see under my business in Downers Grove, Il fishing status
just get into that:

also, google: fishingfacts.net and fishingtech101.com
these my two fishing websites, all hand written by me.
You'll be able to deplete any lakes surplus population

Thanks for looking!

Stay safe....Happy 4th to you and yours.

Ron Hovorka
classified enterprises



uly gift

Now is the time for the big Chinook Salmon up to forty pounds!

The power, strength, speed, endurance and awesome fighting ability of an adult Chinook Salmon makes them worthy of the title “KING OF THE GREAT LAKES”!

Fighting a 30 pound King provides enough excitement and fun to rank as the ultimate Fresh water trolling thrill!
There is no doubt, salmon claim the title as the Great Lakes most popular game fish. They are highly respected for their powerful long, line-stripping runs and hook bending strikes, as well as their tasty fillets. Pound for pound, I feel that the King Salmon gives the best fight of any fresh water fish. That includes the over rated Musky.

If you are looking for fishing action that is so exciting it’s addictive, then give salmon trolling a try. One glimpse of a thirty -pound Chinook slicing a calm lake surface, frantically leaping to shake the hook, you will be sold and keep going back for more, again and again.

Salmon fishing on Lake Michigan certainly had its ups and down’s over the years. I have weathered the salmon kidney disease storm of the late 80’s and early 90’s. However after all is said and done, it was never really that bad. Salmon fishing simply tapered off and I think everyone including myself just became spoiled with the cooler busting catches of the 70’s & 80’s!

The main reason salmon fishing slowed down was the lack of food for these hungry fish; simply too many salmon – too little forage.
These fish are true eating machines and in a 4 year life cycle they can grow up to 100 pounds. Salmon on the average grow 8 pounds per year, that’s some serious eating! The reason the D.N.R. planted salmon in Lake Michigan was to take care of the over populated forage base of shad, alewife and smelt in the early 60’s and the salmon did just that. The D.N.R. is now trying to keep the salmon/bait fish population as even as possible so we don’t run into the salmon kidney disease of the past. While keeping close studies on the salmon and their food supply, the D.N.R is that one species of fish in Lake Michigan that certainly picked up the slack over the years was the trout.

I agree catching king salmon is truly the greatest line peeling battle, pound for pound, that anyone could ever experience. However, trout fishing should not be overlooked especially when the salmon at certain times of the day don’t have on the feed bag. Lake trout can offer you an arm tiring fight with the average weighing 15 to 20 pounds. Rainbow trout can also give you an acrobatic fight which is truly breath taking and average around 10 pounds. Brown trout are very unique as they are river and harbor mouth oriented and can be a blast to catch averaging out at 8 pounds a piece. So as you can see, a combination of salmon and trout can make for some exciting fishing action on beautiful Lake Michigan.


King Salmon fishing the past few years has become somewhat tricky at times especially when the water warms up. They practically jump in the boat when the water is cold (mainly 45 to 60 degrees), but temperatures rise above this and fishing techniques change. Blame it on El-Nino? I don’t know! Best advice is to adjust your techniques to the warmer water when searching for salmon and trout.
When you find them, you can stay on these fish all summer long. Salmon simply love cold water and as the shallow water warms up by mid summer, the fish move to deeper water. It’s true that shallow water salmon and trout fishing is easier for everyone. First off, you don’t have to venture out as far which is nice considering the changes in weather from day to day. Another reason is you can troll more lures in the strike zone in the shallower water. For instance, close to shore in 50’ of water one mile out you can cover from top to bottom using high lines or ski boards in the top 10 foot range, dipsy or slide divers in the mid range area of 10 to 30 feet and down riggers from 30 to 50 feet down. The above method allows you to cover every depth from top to bottom as you troll through an area. As surface temperatures jump into the mid to upper 60’s, these fish start moving to deeper water. You might find the sames schools of fish that were in close now out in 80 to 160 feet of water then migrating deeper to depths over 200 feet as the water continually warms.
Generally salmon and trout are not down that deep but will stay near the temperature break or thermocline Image result for thermocline for salmon pics allowing you to catch them suspended. However, depending on the warmth of the water I have seen them go belly to the bottom out deep. The high line or ski board surface fishing at this point and time is probably not worth running for salmon since they don’t like the warm water. Dipsy and slide divers may be worth running early and late in the day as salmon and trout sometimes come up to feed before the sun gets too high in the sky. Changing your divers from mono filament line to fire line, spider wire, stainless or any wire line of this kind helps a great deal in getting these divers down even deeper. Down rigger fishing is the answer this time of year as finding cold water is much easier because you can troll these from the surface down to 300 feet. I suggest if you are fishing deeper than 100 feet you may want to use a 10 or 12 pound down rigger ball. This will get the lure down deep with less angle on your cables while trolling which in return creates less tangles. I tend to concentrate heavily on down rigger fishing when the water warms up. Stacking is another method of sending more baits down deep. This is where I run two baits on one rigger at the same time. To find different temperature breaks below the surface using some type of temperature unit that attaches to your down rigger is helpful. Some units also display the trolling speed of the lures down deep which also helps as surface wind and current can change the presentation of lures down deep. In cooler water smaller spoons, dodger flies, Rapala’s and fast track rebels work extremely well in shallow, but out deeper try bigger j-Plugs, spoons and plugs because these lures catch the attention of the deep water salmon usually provoking them to bite.

As you can see, changing your technique throughout the season can keep your feeding on for salmon and trout all summer long. These fish have always been there, you just have to find them. So “think like a fish” when the fishing patterns change make the necessary changes so you too can enjoy the return of the KING of fantastic GREAT LAKES!

Stay safe tomorrow,

Thanks for Looking.....Good Luck!

google this: classified enterprises (it will take you to a tremendous fishing website!

14 missing from fishing boat after Philippine sea collision
The Philippine coast guard is searching for 14 people missing since a fishing boat and cargo vessel collided in choppy waters two nights earlier.

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine coast guard was searching on Monday for 14 people missing since a fishing boat and cargo vessel collided in choppy waters two nights earlier.

It was not immediately clear if the fishing boat sank and the search for its occupants was being hampered by strong waves, officials said.

The Philippine coast guard said the cargo vessel MV Vienna Wood collided with the FV Liberty 5 for unclear reasons after midnight in the early morning hours of Sunday about 27 kilometers (17 miles) off Mamburao town in Mindoro Occidental province south of the capital, Manila.

A coast guard light plane and a helicopter joined the search Monday for the 12 fishermen and two passengers on board the Liberty 5, coast guard spokesman Armando Balilo said.

The fishing boat had been heading for metropolitan Manila when the collision happened.

The Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel, which first reported the collision, was being escorted by a Philippine coast guard vessel to nearby Batangas province, the coast guard said.

The vessel with 20 crew on board was not carrying any cargo at the time of the collision. It had been en route to Australia.

Today’s the day to go fishing with dad.....

This is Father’s Day. It is also Illinois Free Fishing Weekend. Saturday was the first day of summer in 2020 and had the longest daylight hours of the year.

The temperatures are feeling like summer and a weather pattern of warm temperatures mixed with sunshine and rain are in the forecast for this upcoming week. We hadn’t had much rain for several days so the showers and thunderstorms we’ve had around the area were welcomed by farmers and gardeners. I appreciated the fact the grass didn’t grow very fast this past week and gave me a little time away from the mower.

Friday evening, I sat on the back deck and enjoyed listening to the muffled rumbles of thunder coming from clouds that were slowly moving across the skies. There wasn’t any lightening streaking down or even any flashing in the sky but the rumbling let you know the dry spell was about to end.

I listened and looked across the hay field that had just been baled while reflecting about my dad, father-in-law and my grandfathers. Our dads and grandfathers make their mark on all of us and the respect we have for each of them guide us to work towards becoming the blend of their personalities to become the person we want to become.

My dad was a railroader that enjoyed gardening and fishing. He only went rabbit hunting with me a couple times but he did love his fishing. My father-in-law was a farmer and worked for Gale Manufacturing. He enjoyed his farming and horses and as a young man trapped. My grandfather on dad’s side was a farmer. He enjoyed farming, period. My grandfather on mom’s side was a railroader. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and was a “rock hound.” He enjoyed making jewelry from rocks he’d find.

Taking a little from each of my “father’s” I am a person that grew to make a living off the land. I’ve always enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and providing my family with food direct from the source and working hard.

They say you should try to make a living from doing something you enjoy. I enjoyed doing the above and selling fishing, hunting and outdoor gear to other out doors men that enjoyed the same things I do. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t! You can’t if you don’t try!

An older gentleman that was checking groceries asked me if I was retired. I answered I was. He then asked what I had done for a living — I told him, “I sold worms.” He looked over the top of his glasses questionably. I said, “You ever talk to anyone else that sold worms for a living?” While staring down at the counter he shook his head “no” without answering. I don’t know if he believed me or not.

Getting back to sitting on the back deck and looking at the hay field — I observed two different hawks come out of adjacent trees and while flying close to the ground drop onto a mouse or ground squirrel then fly back into the trees. Then a hawk flying just above the ground had a crow drop on it that sent the hawk to the ground.

The crow flew into the trees and the hawk stayed on the ground for a while before it took off flying for the safety of the trees again. I really chucked with that one. The big guys don’t always win!

The forecast is for it to be a wonderful day to be outside today. I hope you get together with family and friends to go fishing or have a cookout in the yard. Maybe you can combine both with a cookout and a fish fry.

OK, so you can fix ribs, chicken or burgers over the flames, too.

But remember, Dad’s do rule the outdoor flame in most families.

Although I did not write this article.....

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

WWW.fishingfacts.net

Area residents wishing to give Indian Lake or other public fishing areas a try will have the opportunity this weekend, June 20th & 21st as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is offering its annual free fishing weekend.

Ohio residents may fish for free in any of Ohio’s public waters, including Lake Erie and the Ohio River, during this weekend. It is the only weekend of the year when those 16-years-old or older are not required to obtain a fishing license to fish in the state’s public waters.

Fish are abundant in Ohio waters. The Division of Wildlife’s six fish hatcheries stocked more than 69 million sport fish in public waters in 2019, including walleye, yellow perch, steel head, rainbow trout, brown trout, muskellunge, channel catfish, blue catfish and hybrid-striped bass.
An estimated 1.3 million Ohioans fish in the Buckeye State every year.

The free fishing days weekend offers Ohioans of all ages the chance to experience the fun of catching a fish.
A few following tips when taking a child fishing:

• Keep the trip simple by considering a child’s age and skill level.

• Choose a pond, lake or stream where children will be able to easily catch a few fish.

• Use live bait to increase the chance of catching a fish. Live bait is also more interesting for children.

• Take a camera and snacks.

• Be patient – plan on spending time untangling lines, baiting hooks, landing fish and taking pictures.

• Most of all, keep the trip fun.

Anglers 16 years and older are required to have a valid fishing license to take fish, frogs or turtles from Ohio waters when not fishing on Ohio’s free fishing days weekend.

Have fun, and thanks for looking!

www.fishingfacts.net
www.golfduffers.com