July 30, 2004
One more extra large muskie was released from my boat the week following the huge 52.5 x 22-inch muskie I caught with my son Mikey. My client Perry Liljestrand and his partner Russ were out July 22nd for some muskie action on Pewaukee Lake. We had a Northeast wind that brought cooler air temps and a cool front from the North. We trolled for 2 hours locating bait and muskies with no action. I just got done telling Perry and Russ that this is one of those days where the numbers will be down but the size of the fish can be larger. We worked a school of crappies stacked up along a deep-water break line that had a few larger fish hanging close. Around dark we had a rip on one of the rods, "fish on" I yelled and handed the rod to Perry. He fought his muskie as I reeled in the other lines and lifted up the motors to avoid some of the controllable interference. After a long hard fight the monster muskie was close enough to get a good look at, "WOW" it's a 50 plus inch for sure I told Perry. A few more good runs and his fish of a lifetime was ready for the net. We had the boat all ready for the measurement and pictures, she was lifted into the boat and I laid her down on a wet raincoat to get an accurate measurement for his replica. She stretched out to 53-inches from open mouth to the pinched tail. She also has a 23-inch center girth and was very was thick from head to tail. After a few great pictures he released her to fight again.
I explained that these fish were everyone's fish to enjoy, killing them only takes away from the recourse. You don't have to kill a fish for it to be a trophy, releasing it will allow them to grow and allow others to enjoy the thrill of a true trophy fish. Congrats to Perry on his huge trophy release, a replica is already on order from Joe Fittante's Taxidermy in Antigo, Wi. I am a strong advocate of catch and release. Any fish caught from my boat and released can be made out of graphite to the same size, painted exactly like the picture and sent directly to your house. Dan Johnson is also a very good replica man that is a local taxidermist. You can see his work all over this area and the internet.
Back to the fishing report for more muskie talk. After the cool front passed the weekend of the 23rd the muskies kept hitting. I had a 6 year old boy (Mathew Yaresh) catch a nice Pewaukee muskie with me and hid dad Jonny Sunday morning the 25th. Mathew caught a muskie just short of the 34-inch legal but was very happy with his catch. Later that afternoon I had a repeat client Chris and his 12-year-old pal Julio catch a 37-inch fish at 4pm during the busiest time of the day. Nice job Julio, I will attach the pictures of the kids fish, maybe they can get them in if there is room. Monday the 26th was my day to get out and catch a muskie, I scored fat 41-incher at 10:15pm. Tuesday was family day and my son got to catch a 37.5-incher, my wife Debbie had a mid 44 to 46-inch muskie up to the back of the boat before it jumped, twisted, dove for deep water and came free. Wednesday I got out for a few hours and got a 24-inch walleye at dark. Thursday my son Mikey caught one just over 34 and I got a 37.5-inch in 3 hours. Friday Mikey and I slipped back out and scored a 39-inch muskie and a 35-inch pike before dark. I hope the fishing continues to stay hot after this weekend. I have a bunch of clients ready for action this coming few weeks.
One quick note about handling muskie you catch in 75-degree water temperatures. Please handle them with speed and care. A fish taken trolling will be exposed to higher water temps when brought up to the surface. Please keep the fish in the net while you remove the hooks, get your camera and prepare to get a measurement. I like to use a old wetted rain coat to lay the fish on for a quick check of length if it's a bigger fish, NEVER lay a fish down on carpet, this will remove its slime and subject it to harm after the release. On fish that you catch and don't need a picture just remove the hooks in the water without using a net, this is the best method for safely releasing a fish. Two fish were killed last week by fishermen, a 45-incher that swallowed a crank bait and a 36-incher that was tossed back without properly holding the fish until it was ready to swim back to the deeper cooler water. A few minutes of holding the fish by the tail will allow the fish to get its balance and breath back before you release it. Once the fish starts to try to swim and pull away she will be ok to release. Please take extra care of these hot weather muskies, we all want to see bigger and more fish, you can do your part and we will do ours.
The crappie, bluegill, perch, walleye action off Rocky Point has been ok; most of the action has been just before or after dark with lanterns tight line fishing or with lit slip bobbers. Look for the action to increase as more fish move to suspend. The condos and Walks Island also has good schools of panfish and walleyes stacked up close to the breaks. Watch the wind and trust your locator for finding these schools of action fish. The wind swept areas seem to have the more active fish, once you locate them work the top of the school to the bottom to find the active fish. Sometimes the higher the fish are the more active they are, the exception is if your after walleyes you need to stay closer to the bottom. Bluegills and Crappies can be caught 10ft down in 30ft of water at times. Trust your locator to tell you where the fish are, most fish are in deeper water and move up as the sunsets, follow the fish and you will increase you numbers. Look for the fishing to continue to be good as the water temps hold in the 73 to 76 degree range. Steady weather and warmer nights will just make it better.
This is a great time to get out on the water and enjoy the ride as I work the rods and lake structure for you. Afternoon outing consist of trolling first then maybe casting at prime time. You should take advantages of this multiple pattern fishing. Learn new techniques and patterns while we troll and try them at the end of the outing or next time you get out. What a great way to learn and catch fish. I am looking forward to helping you catch some Pewaukee muskies. Maybe there is someone special you would like to send out with me so they can learn some of the tactics I use. I would be glad to help you become a better muskie fisherman. Gift certificates are a great gift. I will personalize any gift outing with a customized flyer sent to your computer for you to print out. Just give me a call and we can talk about what I can do for you. Lets go fishing while the action is hot!!!
July 24, 2004
WOW, the fishing is still outstanding on Pewaukee Lake. I have had plenty of great days on the water since my last report. Plenty of quality catches with my clients, family and friends. As you can see from the small pictures to the left(HOME page only) we have had some very good fishing lately. The fishing will just keep getting better for the muskie anglers who put their time in. Lots of fishing pressure will make for some tough fishing at times but the reward is worth the hassle. If you would like to get in on some big fish please don't wait till the last minute to get a date set-up on the water with me.
I was out with my son on the 14th of July. We started out trolling because of the clear skies and fishing pressure in most of the good spots. Good thing we did, I had the first hit on my side of the boat and quickly grabbed the rod as line screamed off the reel. As soon as I picked the rod out of the holder I noticed a huge fish clear the water by 3ft, "dad its huge" my son Mikey hollered. I knew it was a high 40's or possible over 50-inches because I got a quick look at her when she jumped. After a long hard fight my son scooped her in the net and got to work on getting things ready for a quick measurement and pictures before the release. This was my largest Pewaukee Lake muskie, 52.5 x 22 was the accurate measurement after a few quick pictures. She released quicker than I wanted, I would have liked to watch her for a few more minutes, maybe a quick release photo but she wanted to get back where she belonged, in the lake.
The big muskies have started to move off the weed lines and are starting to suspend in deeper water. The water temps have crept up into the mid 70's and muskie fishing is starting to rock. I was out with a friend last Monday afternoon and we scores 4 muskies and a pike. The muskies were 33, 36, 37 and a 45-inches. The pike as a nice 32-inch scrapper that we released also. A couple days earlier I got a 9-year old a pike that scared her, Angelina reeled in a northern pike and when it got to the boat she screamed and almost dropped the pole into the water. Her grandpa Bob couldn't be more proud of her for reeling in this fish by her self. Fishing Saturday was slow but we managed to get one nice fish in the boat.
With stable air temps and water temps the fishing this past week was good. I got a fat suspended 39-inch muskie just after dark on Wednesday after 4 hours of trolling with a crowd of boats. Thursday was a cooler North East wind changing to East as the evening came to a close. I was out with two clients looking for some muskie action and the weather was not in our favor. I just got done telling Perry and Russ that nights like this usually are tough to grind out a fish but it is usually a big fish that will hit.
Not long after that conversation a reel started to scream line and Perry was quick to get in on the action. As Russ and I cleared the other lines Perry battled his fish, I told him it was a big fish and to be patient with it. After a long fight the huge fish appeared at boat side for a brief look. I told Perry it was a huge fish and would be close or over 50-inches. After a good battle the fish was brought to my waiting net. Perry just landed his first muskie, a giant 53 x 23 inch muskie. After a good measurement and a few photos Perry released his trophy back where she belonged to be caught again by some other lucky fishermen.
Perry is ordering a replica of his trophy fish to be viewed at Suburban Drywall's office. You will be able to view her and maybe catch her all in the same day. That's the power of catch and release.
On a quick side note, I would like to share a tip on getting a quality measurement on a fish without hurting the fish. I take a large rain coat and lay it down on the back deck of my boat, wet it and lay the fish on it to get a accurate measurement for the record. Any time you lay a fish down in a boat it should be on something that will not take the slime off the fish. NEVER lay a fish in the bottom of a boat or on carpet. I have heard of guides keeping a piece of plastic in the boat just for this, that also a great idea.
Lets get out and the water and stick some more muskies. Are you the next one to score a huge Pewaukee Lake muskie?
I would be glad to help you learn the pattern that produced these outstanding fish. Call to set up your outing with Mike's Extreme Guide Service before the dates are booked up. Afternoons from 5pm till 10pm are still open and they have produced the best action. I look forward to getting out on the water with you or setting up a outing for someone you would like to experience this type of action.
Customized birthday or gift outing flyers will be made for those who request it. I personalize each one and send it to your computer so you can print it out and give it to someone you care about. What a special gift, they will remember it long after the outing is over. Lets go fishing.............
July 8th, 2004
The big fish are still active for those who are willing to put their time in. Plenty of nice fish are still being seen casting but they are few and far apart. Most of the good action has been during the rain or cloudy days. Wind direction and speed is also a factor that needs to be checked before you choose your spots. Most of the larger weed lines in the big lake are holding active fish when the wind blows into them for a day or two. This is one of the most predictable patterns that I have established for casting. This year with the slow growth of weeds, Pewaukee Lake has not given up the large numbers it is known for. I have worked all my top areas this year and noticed that some of them still don't have large numbers of muskies relating to them. We need some more warm and stable weather to get things back to normal.
Don't let the honest report get you down on this years muskie fishing. Plenty of action is still going on for those who have a positive attitude and pick the rite conditions for there outing. The weather is the only thing you can't predict. I have had some outstanding action this week both trolling and casting. I let the weather dictate what technique or pattern to choose from to get my muskies.
This week I boated a 47, 46, 42-1/4, 40, 39-1/2, 38-1/2 and a 35-inch in three outings. One day we caught 3 muskies in the morning and 1 more in the afternoon. The best's action has been early morning and late afternoon for my clients and me. Check out PHOTOS PAGE 12 AND 13 for more info bigger pictures. All fish were released to be caught again, maybe by you when you get on Pewaukee Lake.
I would rather catch muskies casting but if trolling is working that is what I will do. I have a good pattern working now and plenty of tactics to choose from. The only thing that could improve the fishing is the need for stable warmer weather. The water temps are still in the high 60's to low 70's depending on where you are in the lake. The East End weeds are looking better now that the water level is back to normal. The West End of the lake has some good weeds also but not as good as in the past. The weed cutters are out in force working to keep the milfoil down. Most of the weeds are 2 to 5 feet under the water. Perfect for casting bucktails, top water, jerk baits and even casting crank baits along the weed edges.
The top water bite has started to get better and bucktails are also catching fish. I like to start out casting bucktails and crankbaits early in the afternoon and switch to topwater as the evening sun drops into the trees. One guy casts the top of the weeds and the other works the weed edges. The other option is trolling, this can be done shallow or deep water. Most of the action has been from deeper water this year but lately I have got a few out of some shallow areas. Look for the baitfish and concentrate your efforts where the bait is holding. The trolling bite is only going to get better as we go into the summer.
I would like to invite you out for a evening of trolling. Learn the lake and let me do the work for you. Sit back and enjoy the afternoon sunset while catching muskies. Multiple muskie night are not uncommon if the conditions are rite. I have everything you need for a quality day or night outing. Learn some of my summer tactics that has put lots of quality muskies in my boat every year. How about casting after dark? Do you have the heart for the boat side strikes after dark? This is one of the most over looked casting patterns that put muskie in the boat. Trolling after dark is also a great tactic once the water warms into the high 70's.
Sorry for the reports not coming every week. I have had a hard time finding time to do the entire web site updates myself. I now do all my own work on the site and it takes plenty of time. I hope some of this information will help you in the near future. If you have any questions about an outing or Pewaukee Lake please feel free to contact me through the web site or at rockinranger620@aol.com.
Lets get out fishing some time !!!