Newton - Musky on Perch w/Sears pole

Utah Fishing Forum Utah Fishing General
1

Watching the weather reports go me to thinnin’ this Wed might be the last decent weather for a while, and after that - startin’ to feel a touch of fall in the air.
So took a day off, and headed up to Newton - try my luck again, after a good day out last Sunday. Hit the lake about 8am.
SO… water is down probably 3 feet - from 3 days ago. Zoweee! Only a canoe and a fishn’ boat out. Almost too low and muddy for a ski boat to launch -but some try anyway.

Loaded in - steep bank, good. Wheels on dry land, good. Boat away - lots of blip and flip baby basslings along the shore from the launch. Moved out to a point across from the main camping. Noticed lots of busy baby bass schools. Checked to see if some perch were sitting below and among them, indeed yes there were! Small but fat, and hungry. Jig, hook setup with worms, gulp minnows.

So I hook into another perch, and as I’m reeling it in, something large and dark emerges from the depths, and comes to engulf this flittering panicked perch - so I stop reeling - and bam. He’s got 'em.
Ok - so here I am, same damned light tackle - good for perch yes - good for musky - not so much! 8lb mono, Sears pole - from when I was a kid, new and improved $10 Kmart reel - yeah baby - it’s on!

SO I let OFF the tension this time, and he bull dogs down, and nails imself to the bottom. Wedged on something no doubt - NO movement. I recall a tip from someone on the forum - to let off any pressure - they’ll swim out. So - wadda ya know - it works. Let up, free up, then we can move some. Tip up, reel down, tip up, reel down. I get some movement - but delicately.
The beast gets close enough to see the boat, and he’s OFF! Stripping line - Iet it go. After a minute - tip up, reel down - we’re moving again. Another run, Big Jump, slowly - work it back. Probably 5-10 minutes of finessing the monster - my heart is racing! I’m nervous and anxious.

Finally - he seems worn down - I get him up to the boat, snap a photo passing by - probably 35 inches. Get him into the net - damn, I need a bigger net! He’s double too big to fit. Try to get an angle so you can see his head, while he tries to arch his way out of the net. Ok, hook is out - don’t need the pliers. Don’t know if he ever got hooked, or just held onto that lil’ perchie!

I reach for the camera, it shuts down - batteries? Argh - then he arches - I about drop the net and rod into the lake - quick recovery - and fish away. But what a sight - seeing him come up from the depths and devour that lil’ fish!

So - more perch, bassling, then up to the far end, Sat on schools of basslings. Found some bigger bass - big brother, even a momma and daddy - probably pushing 3 lbs, but they didn’t want to play - they had their tree stump to hang by. Got a decent bass, but he shook off right at the boat. The basslings were always ready to chase anything that moved.

Spotted up various schools, and found some in the mid-lake area, deeper but not the deepest water. Even managed to find a couple Crappie! That was a surprise.

Trolling for bass/musky didn’t do anything for me. Tried draging some rattle traps, a perch Rap-X, worms, gulps, notackers. Spotted a Musky from time to time, and tried to pitch them some flirty lures - no go.

2

Congratulations on fighting and landing a nice muskie on less-than-optimum tackle.

3

cool story dude

4

sounds like a very nice fishing trip…Im planning to go to newton sometime, hopefully I can get a muskie to bite.

5

What a thrill, way to go!

6

Nice, I’ve always wanted that to happen, but I’ve never had any of my panfish eaten. Maybe someday. Sounds like it’s finally time for me to hit Newton and get that musky on the fly that I’ve been after. Stupid ski boats.

7

Did you end up landing the perch or did the muskie keep it for himself?

8

I don’t know that I ever hooked the Musky itself. The hook was loose in the net when I went for the pliers, I considered it a blessing. I think he may have just wanted that floundering perch so bad - he just hung on.
Wasn’t going to argue.

I’ll tell ya - my heart was beating like no one’s business. Talk about a rush! Both anxious and nervous about landing a beast like that. Guy once showed me scars he’s got from the gill-plate, not even the teeth. I really had NO desire to have a monster like that thrashing around my boat. Would have been nice to get a measure of length &/or weight.

Would still enjoy catching one on a lure - watching that bulge come up from behind, and wham. They are pretty creepy in how the lurk around, and come out of nowhere when you least expect it. But sure exciting to see.

It’s like my kids Wii fishing game - a bigger fish comes and catches your catch. Seen it on TV, but a first for me. (Now watch someone complain that I was in violation for using live bait! Or whole perch. Don’t think it counts if it’s your CATCH that gets CAUGHT, but I could be wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time!)

9

wow great report and nice pictures. Thats got to get the heart pumping when you see a big tiger musky like that eat your fish. Nice to see some perch and crappies getting some size to them to. Thanks for sharing your pictures and report with us.

10

Awsome story! Well told. Look forward to the next. Belongs in a mag.
Check out my video on youtube. Its called Muskie ate my bass. It happened to me personally three times last year and once the other week. They get to be like bull sharks at this time of year following us around waiting for a free meal to be brought to them. Crazy freakin fish!

11

I’ve had a similar experience with northern pike on a small lake in South Dakota. There were masses of perch and bluegills for a couple years and it wasn’t uncommon to have a northern grab on to your fish as you were reeling it in. A lot of times the fool things won’t let go until after you net them.

You’re right about it getting your heart pumping, especially when one comes outta nowhere just as you are gonna lift your perch or 'gill out of the water & SPLASH!! - zingzing - drag screaming run & you can barely see through all the water on your glasses & in your eyes.

12

:sunglasses:**Great trip, great report and great pics. **

As most folks who have fished in tiger-infested waters will agree, those toothy buggers ain’t bashful about “sharing” your catch. Been a whole lot of folks surprised and freaked out by a big ol’ torpedo coming up and munchin’ on their perch, crappies or bass.

Don’t fret the accusations of using live bait. The regulations are pretty specific about not pinning a live minnow on your hook to use as bait. But it doesn’t say how fast you gotta reel if a small perch gets hooked on your line. I “hear tell” of guys who catch monster smallies in Jordanelle by “slow retrieving” little perchlets they hook. And I have witnessed at least one ice fisherman on Pineview who let a hooked perch swim around for awhile…just to help it escape “naturally”. There have been more than a few folks bringing in little perchlets through the ice on that lake that suddenly found their little fish had gained a lot of weight…and then brought in a shredded line.

Again, great job.

13

Ok, I’ve now been educated on the pike/musky attack shows. Lots of em on youtube. Not sure if I caught YOUR bass being ate, but I saw some - stubborn fish - not even hooked, getting pulled in cuz they won’t let go. Like a Raccoon with a shiny object in a jar. Won’t let go - so the jar is stuck on their paw…

I definitely think it’s time for a bigger net!

I think I’m outdone - my 6ft skinny kids pole vs an ice-fishing jig-rig on 6lb test. My favorite moment, when the Musky comes up below the ice, and it’s so clear you get a clean picture of it. That’s spooky! It’s right underneath them.

TD- I recall one of my first trips to Newton - mentioned to some fellow anglers we were hoping to nab a Musky - their response was - damned beasts robbing our lures, breaking our lines when we’re targeting bass. Just don’t picture targeting perch with a steel leader.
But with all the C&R there’s some big fish out there. That’s for sure! Just don’t wade with a stringer of fish tied to your waist.

Had a perch-fry last night. Went with the batter this time. Yummeeee lil’ critters! The Mrs complained that the garlic butter baked (some with Coconut sprinkles-broiled) ones tasted fishy. So this time instead of scaling I went and skinned the fillets. Kids liked 'em alright - both ways. My son didn’t seem to have a reaction, so maybe it’s just the trout-salmon. We did visit an allergist, and got the prick test, but it didn’t really learn us about fish-reactions. But we were told we should get rid of all our animals. Yah - like THAT’s gonna happen!

14

did you see any muskie swimming on top? Last time iwas there we saw 2 of them swimming with there heads completely out of the water! it was nuts! i told my my buddy hey look at that muskrat! Its a not a muskrat lol! just curiouis if you saw any unusal activity from the beasts

15

Seen several lurking around. Along the shore - some just set in the shallows, waiting. Seen a number come swooping up through the schools of small-fry, and some serious splashing and slashing in the shallows. Several leaps, and big flops.
Had one rise suddenly right next to my boat - when I was standing up on the bench - mere inches from where my foot was. That’s a rush!

Not quite as much surface wallowing as I see from - say - carp, but I have kept an eye on the surface for signs, then - like chasing a Wiper Boil - get to it, and pitch lures. Haven’t had a follow (that I know of) or bite - so something to look forward to still. Could be bigger bass rising too, but I’m leaning towards them being Musky - mostly.

Early spring when the water was clear - saw lots roaming around. Exciting to see them right under ya. Water’s a lot more turbid now and visibility is way down. Don’t know how much is plankton, and how much the power-squad working on washing the muddy banks into the lake.

Was calm all morning, all it took was one bozo alone out joyriding - back and forth and back and forth. Wasn’t even pulling a skiier or tuber! All of a sudden the shorelines turn to clouds. That’s when I moved to the far end - at least he gave me my space then.
The launch is getting really steep - trailer drops almost straight down (should snapped a pic of THAT), but the shore seems to harden up pretty quick. Going down fast though - like a foot a day.