Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: Happy Gilmore on August 20, 2009, 12:11:37 PM

Title: Curlew Muskies
Post by: Happy Gilmore on August 20, 2009, 12:11:37 PM: Going up to Curlew next week. Been there many times. Only caught the little 17" muskies. My buddy caught at 34" tiger a few years back in Roberta but, we've been unable to nail anything with size down other than the one. What's the best way to catch the baskirds? Can't seem to get any biggies. Any recommendations? I have a big box of bass gear, stainless leaders......help? Hap.
Title: Re: Curlew Muskies
Post by: cohoho on August 20, 2009, 02:10:17 PM: Used to catch them back east on Big Mepps with big furry trebles, I think #6 or bigger and also Vibrax #6, I tied on a lot of extra fluff (packaged deer tail or whatever type hair you got) on the treble to give the appearance of a mouse going across the water.

Whole ducklings work too as live bait... :chuckle:
Title: Re: Curlew Muskies
Post by: Fishhunt223 on August 20, 2009, 03:12:27 PM: Use bigger baits to weed out the small fish. 7" senkos are good, big swimbaits work great etc.
Title: Re: Curlew Muskies
Post by: Happy Gilmore on August 20, 2009, 03:24:58 PM: Quote from: duckfvr on August 20, 2009, 12:42:33 PM
caught lots of them on an 8 inch perk colored split rapala top water, we also caught a few on the clear colored banjo minnow. Fish past the bridge in the channels using a casting setup so u can get a long throw and walk it back. The fish u c in the water r the ones u dont catch its the ones u dont c that come out from knowere and nail it. We also caught a few in the lower lake float threw the channel and fish it is has a lot of fish in it, but watch out that channel is only a foot deep or so but its all mud, drift right thru

Whaler goes through the channel at full throttle.........but, the prop usually gets left behind :bash:
Title: Re: Curlew Muskies
Post by: teal101 on August 21, 2009, 09:19:55 AM: Use rainbow colored lures. The lake is stocked and the musky key in on the easy meal. Spinners, hardbaits, swimbaits, etc.

The trestle holds lots of fish. When we were up there we seen many in the 30+" range together around the trestle. Fish both sides. On the western side of the shore once you go past the trestle theres some downed trees butted up against the trestle. Always musky in there. Theres a weed bed just north of that that holds em on occasion. To the east theres a long finger that gets real shallow and weedy. Hit that too.

Keying in on docks near weedbeds is also a good strategy. The small bay on the northern side of the lake has lots of weed, logs, and docks. Caught a few musky in there. Pretty shallow 10' being the deepest.

And like mentioned the small lake to the south.

If you get bored baby bass patterned shallow diving cranks slay the bass. We were catching 50 a piece in a day easy. The record was 15 bass in 15 casts :o Also nabbed a few rainbows on em while bass fishing as well as tigers.

I love that lake and can't wait to get back up there!!! :drool:
Title: Re: Curlew Muskies
Post by: SpokaneSlayer on August 21, 2009, 10:06:55 AM: I hooked a 3 footer on a Matzuo Hunting Dog, which is basically a Lucky Craft Sammy. Wholesale Sports in Spokane has a bin of Matzuo lures for $2.49, better than $15+ for a Lucky Craft. So if you get broken or bitten off, you're not out a bunch of money.
Title: Re: Curlew Muskies
Post by: Happy Gilmore on August 21, 2009, 03:05:57 PM: Sweet! Thanks for the info! I slay the bass up there every year. Just interested in more musky action. I've done best on the bass with a tube jig, green, with the lead under the rubber. I get a little bored and hit a little top water with a gold jointed rapala. I'll get a few rainbow colors this year. I was piloting the Whaler around with my buddy on the bow sight casting at cruising 30+" fish. He had a couple looks casting this thing that looked like a dirty gym sock. It was pretty fun. A little smelly jelly, crawfish. Roberta(small lake) weed beds about 25-30 yards from the shore in the afternoon and right up on the bank in the am and pm. I haven't ever done real well on the RR tressle. I fished it hard about three times last year. The downed logs gave up a few smaller bass and the weeds next to the boat house nearest the RR....the deeper channel before the RR gave up a few during the hottest part of the day.

HAP
Title: Re: Curlew Muskies
Post by: teal101 on August 21, 2009, 03:16:46 PM: The trestle didn't produce many bass for us. Mostly seen tigers and trout there.

Most of our bass were in the little bay, roberta, and heavy weed beds. We stayed at tiffanys and I caught a few from our cabin there :chuckle:

On your way up between tiffanys and the small bay theres a hump in the lake that isnt shown on the topo maps. Goes from deep (60' or so I'd say) up to about 6' pretty quick. Might be a good flat to try when boat traffic is low.
Title: Re: Curlew Muskies
Post by: Da stump on August 21, 2009, 05:13:21 PM: travel slow next to the shoreline an spot them laying there. Cast to them something big. You will know when you spot one it looks like a log.