I stumbled across your article about Dryberry Lake. I have fished this lake 4 or 5 times, it is a great lake! I figured I would write you to get some more details about your trip. What time of year did you go? What lures produced best for you? Did you also fish for Lake Trout or Smallmouth?
Thanks, Cory
Thanks for writing, Cory.
Dryberry Lake is awesome from ice out to freeze up. I like the July full moon the best - the bonus is the setting. If I could bring only ONE lure it would without question be a black & gold Eagle Tail. Day or night, rain or shine, B&G ET is THE bait on that lake. #2 would be a Tennessee shad Burt.
Smallies on top water baits like poppers or tiny torpedoes will keep you busy all day. A calm soft rain and they will go nuts. I caught a BIG laker trolling for muskies, but normally do not fish them. I see a lot of guys doing it though.
We're going to Dryberry middle of June this year. Where do you stay? We stay at the place in the southwest corner (which is actually on Berry Lake) called Dryberry Falls Lodge. I'll attach a picture of my best Dryberry Musky a 44 incher, caught on a black bucktail. Black and brown bucktails, as well as, pearl or brown soft plastic swim/jerk baits have worked best for us. We take downriggers and fish quite a bit for Lakers, but the biggest we've ever caught is a 27", I wish we could get into some bigger ones. Talk to you later,
Cory
Nice fish!!!
Don't worry, sooner or later you'll tie-into a hog up there. Hit the rock points in between weed beds and deep water (when the wind blows across the point, but the bed is sheltered). Saddle areas with cabbage and rock and a steep drop are hot when a wind blows through or in the evening. There is a monster weed bed and reef as you enter the west arm that is always cookin'. We call it "Chrissy's Hole" after a rather loose young lady we know. This spot holds big fish all the time. As you go into the arm, there is a small cove on the left and the reef on the right. We see big fish in between this area all the time, as the weeds go all the way across in July. And they tend to "wolf pack" there too. I took a 51, and 50.5 in 2 days in this spot and we saw/raised at least 10 more fish there too. Pat lost a monster on a creeper - a tooth is still stuck in that bait.
Biggest laker I caught was a 30-pounder trolling a Creek Chub for muskies. We made a big circle in Trout Narrows and nothin'. Then I put the boat down the middle for S$#@'s and Grins. About 25 yards from Alcatraz the lure got smashed.
Tell Louis Hall I said HI and that he needs to return his calls :)
BOBZILLA
Mike Moschell, Ohio (48-inch Lake Vermilion Muskie)
Dude, your website is a real hoot. I'm a bit embarrassed about the Vermilion photo...
I was sick as a dog that day - 100* fever & bronchitis - and when time came to grab the fish from the net, I held it up so Ace could get a quick measure. Well, as you can see from the photo, the fish had a big belly and sagged, Ace said 47 on the stick, and I said, "With a sag in the middle!" My MI release form says 47 but in later correspondence, Ace declared the fish a four footer. I don't squabble over inches, I do this for fun and it was the most fun I've had with my clothes on!
Anyway, my knees started buckling and while Ace was figuring out my camera (point & shoot, is that hard??????), I just had to sit down. We got no girth tape, he thought it would run 35 pounds. I just wanted her back in the water, and she ran away nicely.
Keep writing! You get to Ohio sometime - we'll hit some home waters.
Have a Grateful day!
Mikie
The "sag" in her belly looks like it adds an extra inch to me, Mike. I always like to give the benefit of the doubt. Oh, by the way, any time you pose with a muskie like that, you're gonna look tired, proud, & very happy to be alive. I know the feeling. Great fish, dude! ........Zilla
Pete Schmillen, Texas (54-inches - 28" girth) Now who says Texans can't catch muskies?
Pete's 54-incher on the tape with her 28-inch girth showing. Wow!
Possible MN state record caught and released in Mille Lacs...
Bob,
Check out this PIG. Caught out of Mille Lacs with guide Steve Jonesi. She was 54" x 28" an estimated 52- 55 pounds.
Pete
Yeeeeeoooowwwzzzaaa!!!! PIG is correct. Good Catch! .........Zilla
Mike Moschell, Ohio (45-incher)
more Mike Moschell
and more Mike Moschell
Hey Zilla-Chilla!
How's life treatin' ya in Fort Worth?
This is Melnyk, (el Guapo, The Fgrr8) the Musky Inc. fella that collided with your fishing chums (Dryberry Dream team) at the 2006 Chicago Muskie Show. Hey, I realize its 2007, yet I didn't see YOU or your "posse" at this years TriEsox Show. Hell, I could only make it on Friday even though I was asked to be there for the full three days! Foul surprise! I had to travel Sunday night and that spoiled that weekend for sure! Besides, the suburbs that the Show is situated in are as sterile and dull as it gets! Its a pain in the ass to meet somewhere outside the campus grounds to hold a "musky bait swap" that they've held on Saturday nights after the Show closes for the last several years. Angler friendly taverns and/or spaces to meet are few and far between. Yet I digress...
Anyway, with winter temps still gripping this Town and not much happening yesterday, I realized that another Musky Expo was running in the Chicago area. Its the Musky "Extreme" Expo which I'd never attended before but I was in the mood to hear some slimy adventure stories and "pro's pointers."
MI author Colby Simms was there and while speaking with him the new MI President Dave Cates came by and gave him a medal or belt buckle or something nice like "Atta Boy?" So, being right in the middle of all the hub-bub, I of course, had to put in a good word for you as well. I dunno, perhaps a bail bond fund could be set up for you thru Muskies Inc. should you get into Canada next year without a passport and they'll never let you back into the USA? We gotcha covered up here, Bob! Keep up the fine writing for MI! Should I ever get down that away to visit my buddy in Arlington, (a slight chance in late March or April of 2007), I'll definitely contact you or find out your last known gig!
Adios! Don Melnyk/Chi-town
Hey Dan,
Life here is as per usual in a Texas Spring - WET. We got hit with 1.52 inches of rain in under 30 minutes yesterday. Of course, it hit at 4:55pm just in time for the rush.
I hope those muskie shows weren't too boring for you? Thanks for putting in a good word, but I think most of those guys already know what a motley bunch we are - "The Bad Boys of Muskies Inc." Ha! The bail bond idea might just be a step in the right direction? I really would like to hit some of the shows, but I don't want to do anything but fish with my time off. This year I have an interesting (and stressful) dilemma - Pat cannot do a second week and I am stuck looking for someplace to go and someone to go there with for a week this year. As much as I'd love to spend a week in Paris with Kate Beckensale, I don't think it's gonna happen. So, I am open to suggestions???
Thank you very much for your kind words - I really appreciate the feedback on my articles (send photos JPEG hi res). I especially appreciate the vote of confidence during the Colby Simms talk. Give me a shout when you visit Arlington and we'll hook up. We have lots of fishermen-friendly beverage establishments and I'd be happy to show you around.
My band has a huge gig this weekend... C'mon down!
Hope Chi-town warms soon. I'll be up in October for sure - on my way up to Big-V.
Keep in touch, Dan! ....................Zilla
Just dug this picture out of my computer files -
Howard Wagner and the 54.5" PA river (Allegheny?) musky he caught and released from the bank back in ???? (year). He had caught and released a 53" in the same area a year or two previous to this that he thought may have been the same fish.
What a pig!
Gets your blood pumpin' for sure, eh?
Jim Wetzel, Texas
Holy Crap! Sorry.. pardon my French... but that fish is massive. I'm ready to go fishin'. ...................Zilla
VISIT MUSKIES INC. NOW - CLICK ON IMAGE
Bob,
I've enjoyed reading your articles in Muskie's Inc. Our muskie fishing crew seems to appreciate the same things you do on a trip - good friends, good fishin', nature at its best, good food, good tunes, good liquor, and a good cigar.
However, my crew insists on hitting the same place year after year. I've finally talked them into going to Dryberry this year due in great part to your articles. I was wondering if you were willing to share any of her secrets or ANYTHING for that matter! I know she is a BIG body of water and we're trying to optimize our efforts. We will be there the 3rd week of July at Redden's Outpost.
Any advice you have would be appreciated.
Best wishes, Gregg Macek
Of course, I am more than willing to "share" info with you, Gregg. I believe fishing success equals success for the species - period. That's why I'm all about cooperation. By the way, thank you Gregg for returning the favor with some great tips on Big-V, which I am gonna put to the test this season. Thanks for the comments, tips, and especially for reading, Gregg. ......................Zilla
