One could not create a finer day for the end of October in the north of Wisconsin.  Today’s high temperature was a balmy 74° and for the first time in weeks, the wind hardly blew.  The day was so spectacular it appeared too nice for musky fishing but one would be crazy not to try.

Being the sane folks we are, Bob, Granny and I gave it a try.  We went to the same lake I took Neuman to on Saturday where we caught one musky.  As expected, the lake was like glass and the only disturbances were the young loons hunting the middle and Bob’s killer lake boat.

I’m not sure if I mentioned it in Saturday’s blog but Neuman and I had a few muskies follow at the end of the day we couldn’t catch.  Trying for them was a big reason for returning here today, but rather than go right after them we fished our way to the spots.  It was a good plan.  Less then an hour in Bob hooked up.

From what I know about this lake, muskies over 40 inches are rare.  Bob had the third one I’ve yet to experience and like the others, this musky was in the low 30 inches mark.  All three muskies have been thick bodied and very healthy.

Granny had been watching but as usual, when she sees a musky caught she takes over.  Bob kicked back for a few while we both hit the banks with big musky flies.  We ventured to all three places where Neuman and I had follows but none of those fish came out to play.  That’s musky fishing for ya!

Of course Granny got lazy and soon Bob and I were getting after it.  I won’t knock Granny for relaxing.  Sometimes, and especially on a day like today, kicking back and soaking it in is a good way to go.  But sure enough, just as she did take that break, I picked up this dandy fish and Bob followed up a few minutes later with one slightly smaller.  Despite being such a gorgeous October day, the musky bite was on!

Well, at least the musky bite was on for a while.  We made our first casts today around 9:15 and we caught three muskies by 12:30.  But after we released number three, that was all she wrote.  Evidently the feed was over.

Naturally we didn’t know the muskies were done so we kept fishing hard.  Around 3 PM we were working the edge of a weed bed and a sunken island when I went tight.  The muskies have been frisky lately and steal line quick.  This fish felt sort of like breaking loose from thick weeds so I knew right away, I had walleye.  It was a good walleye though and Granny rushed for the net.

Granny and I harvest a pike from time to time and they are delicious.  Especially when you get that 26-28 incher.  But a nice walleye – that’s hard to beat.  The standard WI regs on walleye is you can keep some between 15” and 20” and one over 24”.  But nothing in between 20” and 24”.  Lucky for this walleye, he was 23.75 inches.  Dang!  Back he went.

That was the last fish of the day.  We fished until around 4 PM.  Bob headed back home and Granny and I decided to stay and camp.  How could you not?  At 5 it was still 71° and zero breeze.  We sat in our Yeti chairs and drank beer like it was a summer night.  And while Bob took his boat home, I have my waders and plan to wade fish a river before we head home in the morning.  Life is beautiful!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing