# My Plan - Ice Fishin Tiger Musky! (its a novel, sorry)



## RyanCreek (Dec 8, 2007)

About 8 years ago, when I was about 14 years old, I was just starting to get into ice fishing. The first reservoir I ever ice fished was Pineview, because Doug Miller made the perch fishing sound like a ton of fun. For a while, Pineview was my exclusive ice fishing lake until I got bored of the big messes of little perch that weren't worth the time to fillet and moved on to ice fishing trout at Scofield and Huntington. One time me and some friends were fishing by the dock and boat ramp on the west side of Pineview. We were gettin into lots of perch. My buddy was pulling one up on a two jig rig and suddenly he felt a huge tug which doubled his tiny ultralight perch pole over. It pulled and pulled until the line went all the way out to the end of the spool. We ran over to see what we could do and tried pulling the line back in slowly by hand because his little reel wouldn't do it, and that's when the line snapped. After a little while we figured that a tiger musky must have snatched up the perch while he was reeling it in and got hooked by one of the two jigs. Since then I have always wanted to go back and hook me a Tiger Musky with the equipment capable of bringing one to the surface. 

After alot of research, and I do mean alot, I've come to the conclusion that this is not only possible, but with the right tactics, might not be so difficult. So I'm going to dedicate a few days this ice season once Pineview freezes up strictly to seeking tiger musky - a fish I have yet to catch. I've learned that they can be treated like Pike, which in Canada is considered one of the easiest fish to catch. Why is this? Because they have big appetites and aren't finicky about what they'll snap at. They are just different from the other species that Utah anglers are used to catching. Over the last few years, more and more people are starting to figure them out, so it's becoming less of a rare thing. Anyway, the key to fishing them is location. Which is made harder by the ice and not being able to see. 

I've purchased a Pineview topo map, and referenced it with other bodies of water that Pike Fishermen have good success at. Tiger Musky, like their Pike parents, are ambush predators, so they always hug cover. I've found some spots, which according to the guys at In-Fishermen, should be prime. There is one in particular -It's got cover, it's got rocks, it's by the old river bed, and it's by a shallower weedy section that drops off into deep water. I'll have to drill alot of holes and move often, but my fishfinder will help out alot too. And thanks to the two pole permit, it should double my chances. Here's what I'll rig up: 
-two good rods and reels with 14 to 20 lb. test line and a low-profile 12" wire leader. 
-Lures will be bright orange and silver, and perch colored with lots of action. Jigging rapalas are killer, and so are big flashy spoons like the ones you would use to troll with and not for casting. I'll tip with a chub head. 
-The rod I am not holding will be jigged by an automatic jigger. 
I was worried about the size of the ice hole in the event I ever got a really big one, but even the largest ones rarely have a girth larger than 24 inches, which is the same circumference that a typical 8" auger makes. If it is a problem though, I've got a plan to widen the hole. You have to plan for everything. 

Hopefully with good planning and some luck I'll be pullin my own water wolf out of an ice hole for a good picture


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## Nibble Nuts (Sep 12, 2007)

I watched an old Asian man catch two muskies right off the docks with ice flies. I couldn't believe he did that with such small lures.


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## RyanCreek (Dec 8, 2007)

Yeah, sometimes that kind of stuff happens. I don't get it either, but it goes to show that if you can find them they'll probably bite. I heard on a fishing video of how they have even attacked the aquaview camera that was let down in the water.


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## FC2Tuber (Oct 26, 2007)

Sounds like you are determined.  

Yes, it can be done!

About location and your topo. You want to keep in mind that the reservoir is EXTREMELY low. About 15 vertical feet lower than it was at this same time last year. I think that leaves you with little to no cover to look forward to. I think points that go into deep water are be your best bet. Just remember that the tigers are going to follow their food source.. perch and crappie. And right now the perch and crappie are schooled in 40-50' of water. They may cruise at different depth, but should be over water in that range.

I think something that will help you a ton (if you don't already have it) is a good sonar.


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## RyanCreek (Dec 8, 2007)

Thanks Tuber! I did think about the low water. I was going to call and try to figure out how low it is, but telling me it is 15' lower than normal is a big help and saves me the time it would take to try and figure that out myself. The rock pile I found extends into 50 or 60 feet of water (now about 35 or 45 feet). Absolutely they'll follow their prey, but instead of swimming through the schools like a lake trout would, according to what I've researched they'll find areas to hide and then rush out at them. So I think if I find the structure thats close to where the perch and crappie are I should be in a good area. If you say they are hangin at 50 feet this time of year then that also helps me. I have the sonar. It's an LCD, and not a very powerful model either, but it works well enough. Wish I had some extra cash right now to buy a Vexilar.


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## FC2Tuber (Oct 26, 2007)

Well, I'm not sure how far below normal it is, as it was low last year as well. Sounds like have things planned out well. Can't wait to hear how it goes. Good luck!


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## Poo Pie (Nov 23, 2007)

Ryan- good luck man! Musky through the ice, that along with a northern from Yuba are tops on my gotta get caught list. Hope you are successful this ice season, maybe we will run into each other. See ya on the ice


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## RyanCreek (Dec 8, 2007)

I actually heard the water at Pineview is on the rise again. It's causing the water to be abnormally murky. So it is probably a little higher than last year. Poo Pie, I'd love to catch a Pike too but I didn't know if Yuba ever had safe ice. And the water is soooo low. I've never heard anything but poor reports for any kind of fishing there. Once I caught a couple dozen huge carp when the biggest group of carp I have ever seen invaded a big flat and mudded it up. That was the day my buddy also had a fish inhale a perch imitating rapala. He thought it was a big bass or something and turned out to be a carp. It blew my mind.


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## FC2Tuber (Oct 26, 2007)

RyanCreek said:


> I actually heard the water at Pineview is on the rise again. It's causing the water to be abnormally murky. So it is probably a little higher than last year. Poo Pie, I'd love to catch a Pike too but I didn't know if Yuba ever had safe ice. And the water is soooo low. I've never heard anything but poor reports for any kind of fishing there. Once I caught a couple dozen huge carp when the biggest group of carp I have ever seen invaded a big flat and mudded it up. That was the day my buddy also had a fish inhale a perch imitating rapala. He thought it was a big bass or something and turned out to be a carp. It blew my mind.


A friend of mine that ice fished it with me last year just tubed it the day before yesterday, and he said it was 15' lower than last year.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Good luck on your quest, Ryan. Doing your homework can really pay off when it comes to fishing, so I bet you get your tiger.


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

And take your camera with you, would love to see some pics!


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## JAT83 (Sep 9, 2007)

That would be awesome!


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