Sight Fishing for Muskies

[Red Childress]

Well since it is fresh on my mind, has anyone been fortunate/lucky enough to "sight fish" for a musky and actually catch it??

[Pescatore]

Yes!
I was night fishing and noticed surface disturbance near a very shallow rock hump. It was dark and there was a bathroom on shore with lights that glare across the water at night. In the glare it looked like fins were sticking out of the water cruising around this hump. When I pitched my bucktail over this hump, suddenly as the bucktail began to bulge right behind the boat, a big musky appeared with its mouth cresting out of the water and grabbed the bucktail. The fight was nothing though, we netted her before she knew she was hooked. Its a sight that is vividly engraved in my mind forever. I've BlueFin Tuna fished half way to Bermuda, Tarpon fished the Keys in June and caught a 50lb. King Salmon in Talkeetna Alaska and I would say that musky was compairable.

[ThreeRiversEsox]

I got one on my flyrod after I saw it boil. As I was drifting towards the location where the fish came up I casted parallel with a weed edge and got it after about 6 strips. Pretty cool to watch them inhale a fly like that!

[RapRunR]

I was just looking around and going for a walk at the Tionesta outflow and standing up top along the fence noticed a nice flash as a muskie turned and stopped on a flat that has a small depression and it stayed right their. It's a good ambush spot with a drop off right in front of it. Looked like about a 3 footer. So i go to the truck and get my rod, walk down their and it was an easy cast being only 10 feet in front of me. Using a big original rap on the 4th cast i put it about 6" in front of his mouth and watched it inhale the lure and it was fish on. A small 38", good fight in the warm summer water and with about 8 others fishing i was wondering how pissed everyone was watching me go down their and catch a nice fish in 4 casts and then just split, lol. Just being in the right place at the right time is all it was with a cooperative hungry male. Evidently no one else saw it turn and flash. Only time that ever happened.

[Powerslave]

2 shore spots I now where ive caught them sight fishing. It can be nerve-racking.

I took my family to this spot for a day of fishing/picnicking/ exploring. First time at this spot, and i didnt know muskies were there. We were catching bluegills, my boys were having a blast, wife was relaxing, all was well. then it happened, as I was putting a worm on for my son at the shore, a 40+ submairine appeared right in front of us in 1 ft of water. I could've netted him he was so close, I could've poked him with my sons rod. we were flipping out, I didn t know what to do, my sons were in shock, my wife thought I was crazy to try to catch "that thing". I was panicking, I never caught one before- It was funny, the whole family was spazzing out & the fish was calm as could be just watching all us crazies. Almost like he was enjoying it saying, " you goofs will never catch me". He was right, I didnt catch him, I threw everything at him & he couldnt care less. havent been there for years, but we still laugh about that day.