3 1/2 FOOT Muskie- Mayfield Lake!

trollin4trout · 01-30-2010, 08:51 PM

Had a trout fishing itch, so took a trip up to Mayfield- waste of time! Trolled ALL day. We each had a trout on for about 2 seconds- that was all the action we had until about 4pm. We trolled across a big point and my pole bounced on the downrigger- then pulled off the release. I was glad to have a fish bite for once! I could tell it wasn't a stocker but it was not active at all (43-44 degree water) It swam slowly around as if it didn't know or care that 6lb. test and a trout rod was trying to hold him back. Still took about 10 minutes to pull him slowly to the surface- were we SURPRISED! WOW- LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT THING!!!!!!

I tried lifting him up to the side of the boat for a picture but this was as close as I got. It may have been sluggish in the water, but try as I could to hold onto his tail and lift under the belly- three times he would wiggle so hard that I could not hold on. I could have unceremoniously drug him in and flopped him on the deck, but I wasn't willing to do that to him, so I just gave up and let him swim off! Would have loved to have a picture holding that guy, but it was not to be.

Made the day seem so much better!
( 2 inch spoon-nickel w/red head- 16 feet down-riggied in 20 ft of water)
Jim

Pldbryan · 01-30-2010, 09:32 PM

Wow nice fish!

Little Blessings · 01-31-2010, 05:50 AM

You gotta love those pleasant surprises.

chartreuse moose · 01-31-2010, 09:14 AM

Outstanding fish, thank you for sharing your report and picyures.

Gizmo Man · 01-31-2010, 09:11 PM

nice surprise...

Giz

Capt.P-Bar · 02-01-2010, 05:57 AM

Sweet

raptorschild · 02-01-2010, 11:52 AM

So you didnt get a trout bite all day, yet caught a forty inch musky?

hmmmm......I wonder why you didnt get any trout. hehe

sucker · 02-01-2010, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raptorschild

So you didnt get a trout bite all day, yet caught a forty inch musky?

hmmmm......I wonder why you didnt get any trout. hehe

Didn't you know muskies only eat pikeminnow.

leadlobber · 02-01-2010, 02:01 PM

nice fish! kinda was wondering the same about no trout also.

wameppspro · 02-03-2010, 08:26 PM

Good to hear they are prowling around. I have not been up there since September. I think I know he point you are talking about.

Good job

Dan360 · 02-03-2010, 09:24 PM

You're very lucky you landed that thing. I've lost so many spinnerbaits, rubber worms and crankbaits to muskies while fishing on Lake Tapps. During the summer, they are plenty active after they hit and their teeth cut through 12, 15, 17 and 20lb line like its nothing!

trollin4trout · 02-04-2010, 08:38 PM

I wondered when I saw what it was and how big- why it's teeth had not cut my line yet. Then I saw the hook right under the nose, so no line was in it's mouth- ya lucky.

Jim

Poindexter · 02-05-2010, 12:03 AM

Good on you for not dragging that monster on the deck and injuring him. Sounds like a blast on light gear!

Jrr · 02-08-2010, 10:25 AM

Gotta get up there this year after seeing your pics.....

Yakfish · 02-08-2010, 11:47 AM

Wow, that's an awesome fish!

Badgerj · 02-08-2010, 03:11 PM

Thats a beautiful fish. What's an average size for Mayfield?

SGIndigo · 02-08-2010, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badgerj

Thats a beautiful fish. What's an average size for Mayfield?

That's hard to really say. They range from teens in length to probably close to 50". They don't live all that long (seven to ten years) and continue to grow until they die. I'd say most of the Muskies there would be less than 40". They missed a year of stocking due to VHS fears (unfounded, the Minnesota stocks never had a problems with VHS) so there is a middle range that will be missing, probably would have been high 20s by now. The average size in Merwin is probably a little bigger, that's where they expect the next record size fish to come from.

They really don't go after trout much. Though this is the time of year when they are more likely to (water temp puts them closer together, otherwise Tigers like it far warmer than trout or kokes and don't like to chase very far). Curlew has been having the best years of trout fishing in over a decade after the introduction of the Tigers. Theirs was a problem with the Tui Chub, I believe, not Pikeminnow as with Merwin/Mayfield.

Great job on the release! People often don't realize how fragile they are, they only look tough.

Badgerj · 02-09-2010, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGIndigo

That's hard to really say. They range from teens in length to probably close to 50". They don't live all that long (seven to ten years) and continue to grow until they die. I'd say most of the Muskies there would be less than 40". They missed a year of stocking due to VHS fears (unfounded, the Minnesota stocks never had a problems with VHS) so there is a middle range that will be missing, probably would have been high 20s by now. The average size in Merwin is probably a little bigger, that's where they expect the next record size fish to come from.

They really don't go after trout much. Though this is the time of year when they are more likely to (water temp puts them closer together, otherwise Tigers like it far warmer than trout or kokes and don't like to chase very far). Curlew has been having the best years of trout fishing in over a decade after the introduction of the Tigers. Theirs was a problem with the Tui Chub, I believe, not Pikeminnow as with Merwin/Mayfield.

Great job on the release! People often don't realize how fragile they are, they only look tough.

Cool thanks for all the information. They definately are beautiful fish.

foxer · 02-09-2010, 11:24 PM

Wish they would stock those in Oregon.

Fisherman_Shane · 02-10-2010, 12:28 AM

Awesome fish and pictures. Id love to catch one of those. I should bring my poles when i goto seattle for a mariners game

5-Cents · 02-10-2010, 07:14 AM

Next time you are there you should plug cut one of those trout and put down a gator rod!

SGIndigo · 02-10-2010, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxer

Wish they would stock those in Oregon.

ODFW prefers Rotenone to non-native sterile trash fish predators (WDFW guys have talked to them about it before). They would have been super fun in Diamond Lake. Heck, now that Davis Lake has been ruined by bass, they would be crazy fun there, too. They don't really prefer to eat bass either, so I wouldn't expect them to help out with that. They like suckers of any stripe the most. Well second most...anything that is injured and flopping about gets eaten first.