Half way fish totals

Well, we are half way through the fishing season so I thought I'd throw some totals up for the year to help out those coming up the rest of the year.


We have caught 80 fish so far this year from the Chip only. Ghosttails seem to be dominating the competition with Pacemakers in second and other random bucktails in third.

Ghosttails: 22fish
Pacemakers: 11fish
Big Game: 5fish
Rough Runners,MuskyBusters,Shumways,Bootails,Cowgirls,Cr eeptonites,: less than 5

Fish size totals:

40" and above: 27fish
45" and above: 10fish

Lost fish: a whole lot!

Hope that helps out to those coming up. Mostly a bucktial bite this year with a few small topwater periods thrown in. Take in mind I do not do a lot of night and early morning trips so my topwater numbers are going to be low.

Ty,

Sounds like you're having a good season. I never get over to the Chip. But I'm always curious what new regulations do to fisheries. Anything notable on the average size of fish boated since they bumped the minimum size up? Or is it too early to notice the effects yet? I know the 50" min. is new. But I can't remember how long ago they bumped it to 45".

Aaron

Thanks for the stats Ty


Will be heading out to the Chip in early Sept and stocked up on some ghosties based on your previous reports. Have always been a big pacemaker fan and plan to give them plenty of air time. Just touched up the hook rash on my favorite black pacemaker for the occasion. Dissapointed in the low score with the twitch lures this year as this happens to be my favorite offering. Have not done well on them on local waters this year either for whatever reason. For some strange reason I don't like to fish bucktails but it will be hard to stay off of them based on your stats. Funny how the muskies seem to prefer a particular offering each year.


See you out there.

Ty,

Did you keep any stats on the colors that have been working best? Just curious if a certain color has been outperforming others.

Some people are saying the same thing about the bucktail bite over in my area of the state (Minocqua).

All of the fish we moved this weekend were on bucktails.

As for colors, anyone that fishes with me know we throw a lot of different colors and they all seem to be drawing some attention. Mostly black hair though with some funky colors thrown in for good measure.

Ty,

Any particular reason that you think the Ghosttails are doing so much better than other bucktails, or if you were to lump some of the others together would they amount to something significant? The schumways and bootails are similar lures being both made from maraboo with single or double blade options.

I have read your comments in other posts on the oversized flashabou bucktails and I think that I know where you stand on those as far as how well they work on the Chip. Only question that I have is if you have tried any in more tame or basic colors like nickle / copper / gold or black blades with a black flashabou tail. Curious if the black tail preference would translate over to those lures.

Ghost tails are always a favorite offering for our family as well... as an alternative I have found Tanner Wildes' rabid squirrel spinner baits with the maribou hair to be pretty productive too. Great baits made by a local guy.

Dan Hardy

The Ghosttails just seem to produce when things are tough and produce better when things are good. I do use the flahaboo bucktails some. The cowgirls put some fish in the boat for us this year. Some pretty good ones also. It seems like the cowgirls work at specific times unlike the Ghosttails always working. The cowgirls that have worked for us are all kinds of crazy colors. Not the norm for sure.