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Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??

by , Posted to on 02/25/2011 11:27 PM | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 12/31/2009
Location: nd
I have a muskie trip planned for this fall with a buddy and would really like to get some practice in before.  Was wondering if anybody did any muskie fishing on North dakota lakes.  I have heard that St. Johns Lake and Sweet Briar have muskie.  Any tips and ideas to get me started would be Great.  Thanks
Good luck!
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/25/2011 11:43 PM | Reply #1 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 02/01/2004
Location: ND
I know New Johns and the rest of the GDU lakes may have them...Try the McKlusky canal too.

"Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth."
- George Washington
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 01:11 AM | Reply #2 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 02/04/2010
Location: nd
Sounds rediculous to some but sweet briar has some.  I've caught 20 or so not trying and 3 at 12 to 15ish lbs. I know thats small in terms of Musky but not to shabby for the area.  god luck. Please post how you do.
Here fishy fishy!!
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 09:07 AM | Reply #3 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 02/03/2004
Location: ND
too bad they dont stock muskie in some lakes that winterkill with suitable habitat.
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 09:26 AM | Reply #4 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/26/2010
Location: nd
New Johns has or at least had plenty of musky.  I've never caught one west of west park though.  I think the state record came out of new johns a few years back so I would say that should be a pretty good lake to practice on.  Good luck
Live hard! Die happy!
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 09:52 AM | Reply #5 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 01/12/2008
Location: ND
Lycanthrope Said:
too bad they dont stock muskie in some lakes that winterkill with suitable habitat.
Curious as to why they would stock musky in lakes that winterkill or why that would be a good idea?
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 09:55 AM | Reply #6 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 12/31/2009
Location: nd

How about devils lake?  I was looking at some stocking reports and they get the most.  Anybody have any luck there.  Never been on it but I plan to this summer.  That and do you think they are like pike where the best fishing is right when the ice comes off?  I know we catch the biggest pike of the season on saka in like march-april.  Thanks guys and I will post anything I run across when I get out.

Good luck!
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 10:18 AM | Reply #7 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/26/2010
Location: nd

The state record pure musky was caught on new johns lake july of 2007.  I'm sure you would have very good odds of hitting these fish in shallow bays or bottle necks with smelt march through may.  Truth be told, they could be starting to scavenge already.  I wouldn't be afraid to try it.  Back to that state record though, that's crazy that fish was caught post spawn and weighed up that well.  Oh it was 46 pds 8 ounces

Live hard! Die happy!
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 10:37 AM | Reply #8 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 12/31/2009
Location: nd
Ya saw some pictures of that bad boy.  Huge!  I think stocking muskie in lakes that winterkill would be a bad idea just because it takes so long for them to grow.  Tiger Muskie and Pike would be a better choice.  I know they put about 200 adult pike in patterson after the kill to clean out any trash fish that were left.  I think heart butte would be a great lake for muskie....lots of shallow bays!  thanks for all the comments guys!
Good luck!
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 11:28 AM | Reply #9 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 02/03/2004
Location: ND
Why stock any fish in lakes that winterkill? Because they dont winterkill every year! DUH.
IntroC Said:
Lycanthrope Said:
too bad they dont stock muskie in some lakes that winterkill with suitable habitat.
Curious as to why they would stock musky in lakes that winterkill or why that would be a good idea?


Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 12:59 PM | Reply #10 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 12/26/2008
Location: MN
i hope by practice you mean casting. not an easy fish to catch. theres a reason they call them a fish of 10000 casts. good luck
cant drink all day unless you start in the morning.
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 3:04 PM | Reply #11 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/03/2002
Location: ND
PLEASE Game & Fish!!!  Stock the 'race with pure strains!!!  We could get a world record in a few years!!!
svnmag



                                                                                                    
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 8:43 PM | Reply #12 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 02/03/2004
Location: ND
Yeah, if you wanna catch wall hangers stocking in a lake that winterkills every 10 years isnt a great idea, but if you want a chance to catch a few muskie in the 5-15 lb range it wouldnt hurt. I bet Horsehead could support some big ski's.
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 10:44 PM | Reply #13 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 12/16/2001
Location: ND
Check the stocking reports.......you will be suprised where muskies live in ND.

Braun Lake for example.......
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 11:08 PM | Reply #14 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/24/2004
Location: ND
Devils lake --- - needs 1mil fingerlings lm bass and 250k of pure muskies.   Lets get things moving
Stay thirsty my friends
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/26/2011 11:14 PM | Reply #15 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 06/14/2010
Location: nd
ive heard Gravel lake has some tiger muskies in it, maybe u could give that a try?
If everyone focused on the important things in life the world would have a shortage of fishing poles.
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/27/2011 08:52 AM | Reply #16 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 03/03/2009
Location: nd
pure musky in devils----where do i sign up!
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/27/2011 5:24 PM | Reply #17 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 03/18/2009
Location: ND
 I own the #3 muskie out of New Johns lake, that I'm aware of.....  it was 49" long and just over 31lb. 8oz (male).  I didn't weigh him until I returned to Bismarck a couple of hours after putting him in the boat.  He was weighed at the Pony Express C-Store; it was the 3rd place I went for the weigh-in but the first two didn't have scales that reached over 25lbs!

I intended to release the poor boy, but Muskie are sooooooo sensitive once out of the water.  We took our pictures and put him back in the water.  He swam away and went belly-up 20ft later.  We back the boat up and tried one more time to revive him and he did the same thing again just minutes later.  We were forced to harvest him.

Can you imagine people taking their kids to that lake with those kind of monsters swimming around??  lol.....  my Muskie has fangs like a large dog.   I know they aren't much like a shark, but when the predator was snapping his mouth/teeth like a snapping turtle we landed him into our boat very carefully.

New Johns is a good fishery if you want them before July..... then, the lake gets way filled with algae.
 
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/27/2011 11:05 PM | Reply #18 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/03/2002
Location: ND
Pure strain, channel cat, largemouth and bluegill in Darling.  Hell yes on DL too!
svnmag



                                                                                                    
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/27/2011 11:31 PM | Reply #19 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 10/01/2010
Location: ND
svnmag Said:
PLEASE Game & Fish!!!  Stock the 'race with pure strains!!!  We could get a world record in a few years!!!

I wonder what their growth rate would be living in cold water like the tailrace all year? The forage would be excellent, especially with all the trout and smelt and smaller rough fish.
SMASH!!!
Re: Muskie Fishing in North Dakota??
by on 02/27/2011 11:33 PM | Reply #20 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 11/03/2002
Location: ND
Freakn' huge.
svnmag



                                                                                                    
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Posted On: 02/25/2011 11:27 PM
2659 Views, 36 Comments

Tags: muskie, north, dakota, fishing, johns, buddy, really, practice, planned, trip
More Tags: North Dakota, Johns Lake, Human InterestHospitality_Recreation
Region: North Dakota

Categories: Fishing > Pike and Muskie Fishing
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