Since my hot streak of muskies and the tournament win in early October, the fishing cooled off for me considerably in the Northwoods. The lack of recent reports since then probably gave you that idea. I wish I could put ten muskies into the boat during 4 day periods all the time.
I concluded my month-long fall trip on October 20th as we closed up shop for the 2013 season, and recently returned to the suburbs of Chicago. The trip ended on a pretty sour note as I was hit with the worst fishless streak of days I’ve ever endured. I went 7 full days without catching something and in that time I raised ONLY TWO muskies. In that period, I drove over 400 miles, launched casts for 75 hours, fished 15 lakes and two rivers and visited my best action lakes in every region I cover. What the hell. Consecutive days of strong south winds with high pressure 70 degree days made it more miserable. In my opinion, this makes for the worst fall fishing conditions one can have; I don’t care what others may think. The fishing was so bad that I didn’t catch a single musky on a live sucker. You don’t want to know how much I spent for suckers this month…..
Additionally, I had a lot of bad luck too. The worst was when I lost my grandfather’s antique/family heirloom fiberglass musky rod overboard to a snag which broke off the rod holder. The next day the rod was eventually recovered (I’ll have a separate tale about this as it was quite something!). Additionally, a whole list of other events occurred also. I vented enough during this time on Facebook, so enough with that. Let’s get down to the fishing and what was actually caught.
Before the career-worst slump, I caught my last sizeable musky on Tuesday October 8th. I ran a float trip with the jonny down the skinny water sections of the upper Wisconsin River and caught one of the girthiest 40-something inchers I’ve ever laid eyes on. She hit a Manta from mid-river boulders. Charged out the first time, and next cast it got crushed. It’s too bad I didn’t have the camera rolling in back as the fight was made-for-TV quality with jumps, bulldogging, and boat-dragging downriver. She was a heavy one. I landed her with the Frabill but then had to beach onto shore for photo and release.
The next day was when the week long slump began. It wasn’t until exactly a full week later when I then caught my next fish; a 32 incher from a river. I was never so happy to catch a dink.
After the streak was broken I kept casting but it was too late. I ended the trip with 27 muskies boated for the year; a far cry from my intended goal of catching 40. Minding the awful weather and messed up season as it was, I did fish a bit less for them in 2013 as compared to last year. While catching 40 might not happen this year, or matching last year’s best of 30, I will be back north for a few long weekends to fish again in November. Next month with cold temperatures, anything can happen. However a much cooler milestone is on the horizon for me assuming I follow through with the November plans. I am approaching 100 days on the water up north this year. How about that!
After my boats were winterized (this was worse than going to a funeral) I did some multi-species fishing and spent a few days on the water with dad. We caught walleyes, pike, perch and crappies. It was a blast. We fished rivers during those days; once by boat and the other, more lazily, from shore.
Dad with a 20 inch walleye that evaded harvest by anglers and indian spear guns and their bush-league flashlight boats. This was his largest ever from the Wisconsin River, and the biggest we caught from WI all year long. We released this spawner.
Although my month of fishing was filled with equal amounts of highs and lows, I put everything in perspective: It beats work, and I woke up each morning for nearly four straight weeks knowing that I would be fishing somewhere, and spending my days on the water doing the things I love doing in the lands I love most.
Fishing was my responsibility during the month of October and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.
