Had been sitting in this dark, dingy apartment for a couple weeks, my thoughts wandering in and out of a season ahead muskie fishing. It was during late January past, at the top of the word, in truly the furthest-most northern town a person can go, so when I said dark and dingy I meant it! The sun wasn’t due to come up for weeks yet, and the work there in Grise Fiord being quite slow, that left plenty of time to think over other things.

My friend Chrish, the most avid and excellent muskie angler I’ve had the pleasure of fishing with, often kept in touch while I was away way up. We were both of same mind at the time, shopping new gear, contemplating new scenarios and techniques, just generally excited for the coming year. Chrish planned an earlier head start on muskie come the openers in July, but I wasn’t really sure then what my schedule would allow. The one thing that was set in stone though, is that the usual “fall” fishing months would be happening.

Now had anyone reading along checked out last winter’s “100 Days Of Larry” muskie write-up, they’d remember the insights into personal study, how record keeping and seeking a better understanding of our fishing can equate to better planning, growth and success moving forward. That’s really a simple concept for many things in life though. As so, during the early winter and with that coming fall particularly in mind, it was well in advance that I flirted with one new idea.

Never before had I bothered with the moon. A correction! Never before had I bothered with majors and minors, because of course with plenty other species of fish, attention is surely paid to main phases. Being said that muskie activity often relates to lunar cycles, increasing during the major and minors, I chose to map out September and October, highlighting full and new moon periods and, when sunsets might coincide with either of the two prime moon periods. Ultimately what I hoped to do was cherry-pick some of the greater potential days and times to be on the water, rather than fish blindly through the unknown without any plan of attack at all. An example of what I came up with was this…

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Later learning that I would be able to “officially” start my fall muskie season September 13th, once autumn arrived there would be eight weeks to fish. Looking at the images above, a final note tallied up 26 remaining “must fish” special days. Some results to come later…

Over that winter and spring there were other ideas to consider. I’d order up a couple new trolling rods, change out some line/reel choices, build fourteen new lures, tweak a few different casting baits, buy new rod holders and also add several new crank choices to the arsenal. The single Plano tacklebox could no longer hold everything I hoped to experiment with, and being the frugal fuck that I am, after spending a lot on that other shit, corners needed to be cut elsewhere. So I saved money on some things…

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Bunk Board $26
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New holders and an old propwash post mod.
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Third ducer mount to attach to the ladder bracket allowing auto-charting with the portable Helix.
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Milk crate and eaves trough piping tacklebox. $26
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Different spinnerbait builds
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Inlines at approx $18 each to build versus double to buy.

Every season new builds and mods come to mind and I imagine this is true for many of us. With this insane market for amazingly crafted and beautiful custom lures during a growing popularity for muskie fishing, these days many must have overflowing crates of new and old baits that they’re either using only a little or, not even one little bit at all because there’s just too many lures for real time to allow. I have some noggin-notes going into 2022 for what I’d like to keep up with, and also what needs weeding out. One thing is for sure though, customs are expensive and for me a careful consideration of balancing their cost with their need. So, more builds are to come for they not only work, they’re cheaper and leave extra money for fuel, food and fishing come end of the day.

During the summer months I was fortunate enough to find windows for some early test runs. Between Canada Day and mid August two days on the Ottawa, five on the Larry and a couple early June outings on the Rideau helped prepare for the fall run ahead. In early July a couple over fifty, including my biggest of the season were caught. A homemade bait taking that first fish and first trophy-sized muskie of 2021.

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Work and “play” in the Arctic would bring muskie to a halt. “A Nunavut Nomad”…

A NUNAVUT NOMAD VII. BLOODY KUG”LUCK”TUK
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Returning to find an available mid August week at home, Chrish and I would get away for a few days. Grossly hot some of that time, I melted away having just returned from Nunavut. However, the fishing was quite good, each of us catching four muskies. Chrish popped two over 50-inches and two high 40’s as well, proving again his stick is even hotter than the summer sun.

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That fish was a beauty. Huge head, summer skinny yet so super long and clean. But there’s more greats here too…

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“A Solo Roady North” not yet written for this site, I’d take off again leaving the muskies behind. Once home, come 2nd week of September the beginning of my anticipated fall run fast approached. Chrish always ready to go, he came aboard Bamabalam September 13th and kicked things off right! A four muskie day with one over fifty!

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An extended weekend with Bren I’d been really looking forward to, we opted to stay out of town for several days, cozy in an AirBNB. A string of hot, sunny weather, being close to the water it was nice to break away from fishing in the afternoons for either a late lunch, early supper and a siesta in the hammock. Over our three days the fishing was incredible too. Bren caught her biggest muskie ever, casting, and we boated seven more amazing fish on top of that. One five fish day with a very busy four fish hour, my girl took top prize while strong muskie memories were made.

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I kept going, Bren went back to work, Chrish re-entered the picture and the fishing stayed hot. Aboard Bambalam we’d pluck another five skis before his departure and on a final solo tour I’d add one more tank. Muskie fever in full effect!

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Gears changed in the coming couple weeks. Four different outings I did some guiding, all newbies aboard the Lund, some folks entirely new to muskie fishing. There were swings and misses but also a few hits too. Over the years I haven’t done much of this kind of thing, for several reasons holding back, but it was during and after those trips this autumn that I got a good reminder how much it can be enjoyed. Compensation is one thing, obviously as expenses are always climbing, but it was the fun in sharing what I know and do, seeing some happy faces hoist their own muskies for the first time and, simply having some company aboard for a day.

A friend was eager to have me aboard his boat. The hope was to anchor overnight some place on the water and we fish a couple days. Seeing his rig was one thing, being on it another, but managing it on the water for muskie fishing, well that was one fawk of a task and learning curve. Remember, I’m a tiller guy! The boat has a little fridge and shitter on it, a bed and BBQ and a couple places to steer it from. The waters being newer to him, after the first hour and for most of the next two days I took the helm and sailed us over many familiar spots but, also plied a number of totally new areas as well. It was those out of the way spaces which actually paid off, the first day landing me a nice high forty incher and come the following day finding the muskie God’s smile down on us with three over fifty. YEAH!!! That’s 3 X 50+!!! My buddy would reel in his new personal best while I’d later that day catch back-to-back thick bohemuths. The fishing and the BBQ really made the time great, but no worries, we didn’t steak and spice these fish.

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Still rocking on, Chrish and I had a play date and we made a time of it. Not much a caster, the Warrior he is often persuades me into it and on this day that was the right thing. I’d pop my first ever fifty on the cast and later sting a mid forty, those fish really a prize for me compliments of him. As I wrote above, there’s nobody I fish alongside more well rounded and experienced with muskie than Chrish. My fishing life has been quite obviously dedicated to multispecies angling, home and abroad, pretty much chasing trophies of all kinds. But Chrish on the other hand has taken a similar amount of time and placed 99% of it into muskie. This in my mind really makes him a Titan within that specialty, and so I’ll give credit where credit is due here because although I believe my fall muskie game has grown plenty strong, paired with a “fishy” brain and multispecie prowess, Chrish this season has opened my eyes to many more tricks with casting, shallow and even deep water muskie trolling, elevating confidence, while at the same time proving to be an equally cerebral, dedicated, sharing and successful angler on the water. After the year we’re a team I’m happy to be on. And for anyone else maybe wanting to FishChrish, you can..!

Here’s Chrish’s website, pitter patter!
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FISHCHRISH ADVENTURES
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Over the next few weeks I’d hit quite the slump. Despite many efforts the skunks accumulated quick on various bodies of water. There were some fish sure, nothing over the magic mark, but some nice ones including an incidental walleye better than ten pounds. Chrish too came aboard the Lund for a day to hook a couple and break a bad streak.

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The Weather Network reported sometime in October that “the Great Lakes have a fever.” That this year all of the lake’s temperatures were seasonally higher than they have been in the past 25 years. When on the water and struggling to catch fish, a million ideas as to why constantly come to mind. With muskie, one can at least accept that they’re generally a tough fish to catch and it often comes down to timing. Being in the right place at the right time when the windows open is certainly best practice, beyond that, presentation is likely the next key. But when you’re putting in plenty time, watching out for those windows and still not catching fish, that’s when confidence and mood waiver, and the questioning of your choices fills your thoughts. This season was no exception. Into November lures were coming into the boat at times with lush and vibrant green weed. Water temps were much warmer, shallow fish life seemed to really take it’s time crossing over into autumns deeper transition zones. From day-to-day it proved I could catch different ways until I couldn’t catch at all. Sunrises and sets were about the only sure thing.

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There was one day I said “fuck it” and took off for something different, something bigger. No reports of quality sturgeon fishing to be had, the past couple seasons had been rather dismal for the most part. That said, have always seemed to do well when I go and curiosity got the better of me, so I traveled on up into Qeeebek and one-rod-bait-soaked like it was nobody’s business.

The first few hours it was slooooooooooooooooow. Nothing! Watched a guide boat pop a dinkeroo or two but the other few around never moved a thing. Before long some anglers left and it ended up just me and two more boats. Pulling anchor I searched about a long while, side-scanning and looking at best prospects around the area and those others fishing, until eventually suspecting a small and tight pocket of fish was present. Finding best placement to settle, over the next six hours I hammered on sturgeon after sturgeon, catching a full dozen all the while trying to be discreet. When taking photos the other boats must have noticed for they came around but couldn’t get fish. That pocket remained tight, for whatever the reason the sturgeon almost holding there like they were in a pen which I was lording over. Got some looks from the other anglers that’s for sure, but they politely kept a respectable distance. Maybe the fish actually had spread out, not sure, but they didn’t seem able to catch any and both spent plenty time continuing to move around on the search until they finally quit. It was a winning day, an awesome day really, and a tonne of fun with so much action it fully exhausted come its end.

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The week of the Ottawa Muskie Capital Cup arrived. A few had asked if I was fishing it again, although a lot more asked Chrish. I’m not 100% sure if Chrish regretted holding out but I was happy with my choice to pass. The organizer had changed the boundaries to areas more in-line with Ottawa. Not interested in committing time only to the Ottawa River during a prime big fish month like October, I opted out and Chrish did to. Had the boundaries not changed we would have entered and done well though, for we caught three solid fish that week for total inches equaling 148 or 149. Would have to double check with Chrish on his fish, but a good bit better than the winning team I think..? While solo, this one big muskie I summoned from the deep late one evening on the first day of the tournament, would have been the biggest entry too. To win back-to-back and both times take the big fish honors might have been pretty cool, if only..?

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Quitting time November 9 came real quick this fall. On one hand I was happy about it, feeling rather exhausted from eight weeks of much fishing. On the other hand, it is the end of a year, and each year doesn’t seem to get any easier on the body so probably best to keep grinding while you’re young.

The big efforts showed plenty promise on paper. Boated ten over fifty inches and three more 49+. On average a muskie a day was caught, with a fifty coming aboard every 4th to 5th fish, but I still want to do better! A lot of the autumn days were skunks, half of them in fact. It was 50/50 fishing. But I reminded myself that half the outings were also alone, one rodding for that one chance, I did drop a couple giants as well both at or over the 50 mark, and so with that I cut myself some slack.

Full moon weeks available to me this fall no 50’s were caught. Of the new moon week days were on the water, two 50+ were caught. Put alotta stock into those two phases but like it has been for years, the two quarter moons were better this season with eight 50+ inch fish and a 49.75.

The minor and major results for the ten trophy class skis was rather meh! Four fish on a minor, two on a major, two randos and two no data were recorded. Stats as stats, 6 of 10 bigguns came during one of the two highlighted periods. Weather, wind direction and barometer played more crucial roles it seemed, but that’s material for some other time.

2021’s fall muskie run finished off with a beauty. After the hit-and-miss efforts through October and early November, in the final hours a gorgeous fish slammed a crank before coming to the net for one of the best shots of the season. Storybook ending with the kind of muskie I hope to meet when everything begins again in 2022.

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Thanks to any and all who came aboard for a day, appreciated having that company.

That’s a wrap!
Thanks for reading,
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Bunk!
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