Where did it go?

The summer has been a blur for me this year. The last time I had time to post anything it was summer was here, well folks now it is just about gone. The nights are getting very cool these days, some have been in the low forties, and we have been getting cool rain showers. Coupled together they have started the downward slide of the water temperatures. Soon we will have to start thinking about the use of suckers as the muskies are going to want them.

Last weekend the National Championship Musky Tournament was held in Eagle River. There were 1057 musky anglers fishing 79 lakes in the area. At the conclusion of the tournament there were 153 muskies boated. The second largest fish was caught on Plum Lake in Sayner. However I was happy to see the largest fish caught was right here on the Eagle River Chain. A 49 1/4 incher. For years the Eagle Chain was known as "small fish water". I personally have been witnessing and hearing of a positive change occurring in the musky fishery here on the chain. I have heard of 3 musky being caught over 49 inches in the last year, there were a few 48 inchers caught this season, one that won the PMTT on the chain this June. There have been several 47 inchers boat in the past year. I'm continually hearing of 46, 45 and 44 inchers being boated. Some of the northern pike are also getting larger, I caught a 40.5 incher last summer. Why is this happening? Because we quit stocking muskies so aggressively about 10 years ago. Now there is more food in the chain, everybody gets to eat when they want to eat. You now see baitfish jumping out of the water to get away from the bucktail or the twitch bait you are throwing.

What's the point? We need to question how many muskies we need to stock? In my opinion more is not necessarily better.

Summer is just about gone but I'm looking forward fall musky fishing as I have for the past 31 years of guiding. Personally I can't wait to see who is swimming around in the Eagle River Chain!
It is becoming a whole new world out there!

See you in Eagle River,

Ranger Rick

Hi Rick. I stay over on Eagle Lake. I pulled a 44 from Voyageur this August. My biggest to date. It's nice to hear bigger fish are around. One thing I've noticed from the muskies I've caught on the chain. They have all been caught on small baits. By small I mean bass sized spinners and such. The 44 took a titanium spinner bait with a colorado blade. I also took a nice pike on the same bait a little later. It was pushing 36+. It was a great morning.