Hunting tigers

RabidRattleSnake1

Active Member
Messages
644
Slow time of the year so I am going to go tiger muskie fishing at Bluewater for the first time. Anyone have any experience with them? Any pointers besides keeping your fingers and other tender parts out of the water:)

Any lure suggestions?
 
I was just thinking of doing the same @ nearby Quemado lake.
I saw some big ones pulled out of Bluewater a couple years ago when I did some work up there.

Never fished for them.
So I will watch replies from those who know too.
 
Take some band-aids, long pliers, and I recommend a boga type grip. They sometimes fight harder once you get them in the boat so be careful. The are really slimy so a big towel is good to have. Lots of different type lures will work, I like using rapalas and suspending twitch baits. Any type of diving crankbait can work. Slow erratic retrieves with long pauses often works real well. Sometimes they will follow the lure to the boat so be ready for a hit right there. I'm not sure if color is important, but I have had luck with gold and orange colored stuff, trying to mimic goldfish. Now you got me thinking about fishing so I guess I'll start cleaning out the boat tomorrow! Good luck.
 
Bill is right, safe handling and release is absolutely critical with these fish! Fishing should be pretty decent right now and you can probably get fish to eat a wide variety of lures. I will make one suggestion though.....NO BOGA GRIPS!!!! Bogas are absolutely horrible for fish because they do so much damage to them when the fish rolls and fights while the grip is on them!! I HIGHLY recommend a cradle type net the allows the fish to lay flat while being fully supported. Above all else, please do not pull the fish onto the bank and let them flop around on the rocks!! As big as these fish are, they are also very fragile at the same time. These fish are a blast to catch and getting more and more popular, which means they will get more and more abused. Education is critical if we want to continue to have this amazing fishery so we as sportsman need to be responsible in how we handle and treat these fish!! Good luck and have fun, and please practice catch and release and safe handling!!
 
Tigers are a blast. I've been 4 times...two of which were a "feast" so to speak and the other two...more of a "famine." The only thing I can emphasize is patience. Musky are called the fish of 10000 casts and while that isn't the case at Bluewater, you definitely need to work hard and don't get frustrated. I've also noticed that when they turn on, you'll get multiple bites in a short period of time. I usually do fine with my bass gear including swimbaits (best producer for me), spinnerbaits, top water baits, etc. Also, the busier the lakes gets, the tougher the bite gets in my opinion.
I've been hearing that musky flies are doing great these days as well. The only other piece of advice I can give is don't be afraid to try random colors, baits and sizes. Although they do eat stuff that looks like the natural forage of the lake, my biggest muskies have come off of some odd ball baits and colors that look nothing like trout, catfish, goldfish or anything else in that lake.

Oh, and for whatever reason they eat hot dogs. No idea on that one. A wise elderly gentlemen probably caught 15 in two hours one day so when I drifted by on the boat and asked he smiled and held up a bar -s hot dog package and said...they love em!

Good luck! They are a blast.
 
>Tigers are a blast. I've been
>4 times...two of which were
>a "feast" so to speak
>and the other two...more of
>a "famine." The only thing
>I can emphasize is patience.
>Musky are called the fish
>of 10000 casts and while
>that isn't the case at
>Bluewater, you definitely need to
>work hard and don't get
>frustrated. I've also noticed that
>when they turn on, you'll
>get multiple bites in a
>short period of time. I
>usually do fine with my
>bass gear including swimbaits (best
>producer for me), spinnerbaits, top
>water baits, etc. Also, the
>busier the lakes gets, the
>tougher the bite gets in
>my opinion.
>I've been hearing that musky flies
>are doing great these days
>as well. The only other
>piece of advice I can
>give is don't be afraid
>to try random colors, baits
>and sizes. Although they do
>eat stuff that looks like
>the natural forage of the
>lake, my biggest muskies have
>come off of some odd
>ball baits and colors that
>look nothing like trout, catfish,
>goldfish or anything else in
>that lake.
>
>Oh, and for whatever reason they
>eat hot dogs. No idea
>on that one. A wise
>elderly gentlemen probably caught 15
>in two hours one day
>so when I drifted by
>on the boat and asked
>he smiled and held up
>a bar -s hot dog
>package and said...they love em!
>
>
>Good luck! They are a blast.
>

If you had any idea how much of a negative impact bait fishing had on these fish you wouldn't be promoting it....especially with hot dogs!!! This is a fragile fishery that is being taken advantage of and its a HUGE revenue for our state. Unfortunately, it is being taken advantage of and people don't realize how fragile this fish really is!!!! That is why organizations like www.newmexicomuskiesinc.org exist!! To educate the public and promote safe fishing tactics and handling of these fish! They are big and veracious, but at the same time they are extremely fragile and need to be protected!!
 
I know OLBuzztail fishes for those tigers You should PM him.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Tiger Muskie Population Surveys
It is difficult to estimate population size of tiger muskie in
Bluewater Reservoir due to low recapture rates. A total of 18 fish of 584 marked since 2006 have been captured thus far.
All mathematical populations based on this are subject to a high degree of uncertainty. The population estimate for 2014 is approximately 7,168 tiger muskie and the 2013 estimate is 8,834 fish.
These population estimates in conjunction with an appreciable reduction in total number of fish captured during fall 2013 and 2014 surveys indicate a notable decline in population size. The
population appears to be exceeding carrying capacity as indicated by a uniform size distribution of fish with
decreasing relative weights, i.e. poor condition (Fig. 1 and 2). Relative weight of 100 indicates an average healthy fish while relative weight of less than 90 indicate skinnier, less healthy fish.
The current density of tiger muskie in Bluewater Reservoir is
approximately 26 fish/surface acre exceeding the goal of
4 fish/surface acre.

FOUND THIS ON THE NMGF WEBSITE, the reason they like hotdogs is that they are slowly starving to death, there is nothing left for them to eat but minnows(I have had several puke up a mouth full of minnows while on the bump board) and crayfish and they are not stocking trout in the lake anymore. I heard the NMGF was considering stocking perch in the lake for a prey species to sustain the Tigers.. something has to be done soon or they will slowly die off.

Hunting is Life...everything else is
Just details.
Ol' Buzztail...
 
Conclusion
The use of tiger muskie yielded mixed results at Bluewater and Quemado Reservoirs (Table 1).
The tiger muskie population in Bluewater Reservoir is
too high and not sustainable at current densities contributing to potential for severe decline despite currently being an excellent fishery. Reducing the tiger muskie population is necessary to ensure sustainability similar to the
tiger muskie population in Quemado Reservoir which is healthier, in a more balanced state, and is meeting management goals.
An incremental reduction in density will be closely monitored to determine the appropriate level for
Bluewater Reservoir. A higher density of 12-
15 tiger muskie per surface acre
may be suitable for attaining management goals at both reservoirs
while providing quality tiger muskie fishing opportunity.
NMDGF recognizes stocking tiger muskie has
provided a successful biological control while also
creating a popular recreational sport fishery. Fisheries management plans
for Bluewater and Quemado Reservoirs will continue to include tiger muskie..

FROM NMGF WEBSITE









Hunting is Life...everything else is
Just details.
Ol' Buzztail...
 
Wapiti,

Relax my man. Not my first rodeo with muskie, pike or fish. I don't use hot dogs or bait, simply saying I saw a guy having a great day on them. No promotion there, simply an observation.

That being said I've landed a few muskie with your 6,8 & 10" hard baits dangling from their jaws and jammed into their gills which comes from muskie die hards...and I'm sure a few of those from muskieinc membership. These aren't thrown by weekend anglers from the bank on most occasions good sir. Hard to argue that a single hot dog and hook does more damage than 3 #2/#4 treble hooks jammed from jaw to gills, with steal leader or 100lb fluoro leader clanking off their teeth and coming out of their throat. I know from multiple experiences fish as fragile as trout can handle ingesting a single hook. Ive seen it and know you have too. I've seen them pass them and opened up plenty healthy fish with a single bait hook in their insides. And it's very tough for those guys who want to muskie fish from the bank to handle them properly. Those of us with boats have the luxury of decks, pads, nets, gloves etc, but its another ball game from the bank. Hard to handle them carefully when they have to be drug ashore first...no matter how educated you are.

Either way, it sounds like they are starving to death so is a small mortality rate from bad handling really an issue at this point? Yes...it can be prevented and YES...it should be prevented when at all possible. A small mortality rate in that lake isn't a terrible thing at the moment. I'd be worried less about improper handling by weekend warriors and more worried about the lack of forage to sustain the overall population. Just sayin.

Oh and somebody should lobby against cabin cruisers (seen massive boats 3 of the 4 trips doing endless circles on plain for hours), skiers and jet skis on that tiny lake. That hurts the fishery just as much and is extremely frustrating when trying to enjoy a day of muskie fishing.

All of this aside, I love muskies and will always do my part to support, sustain etc. Just wanted to make a few small points.

Tight lines!
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-13-15 AT 01:36PM (MST)[p]>Hard to argue that a single hot dog and hook does more damage
>than 3 #2/#4 treble hooks jammed from jaw to gills, with steal >leader or 100lb fluoro leader clanking off their teeth ancoming >out of their throat. I know from multiple experiences fish as >fragile as trout can handle ingesting a single hook. Ive seen i >and know you have too. I've seen them pass them and opened up >plenty healthy fish with a single bait hook in their insides.An >it's very tough for those guys who want to muskie fish from the >bank to handle them properly. Those of us with boats have the >luxury of decks, pads, nets, gloves etc, but its another ball >game from the bank. Hard to handle them carefully when they have to be drug ashore first...no matter how educated you are.

+1 sportsman01!

If we are out for a day without the boat we fish one line on a holder with a 2 odd circle hook under a long lined bobber with a Hotdog for Cats and pitch baits with the other rod for Tigers so you get the best of both worlds as there are still some Giant cats left and this guy is still there and has been for probably over 40 years... 37+in Channel cat on a HOTDOG my partner caught last summer while we were at BW... photographed and successfully released.
3725img_0767.jpg

1767img_0766.jpg

7811img_0770.jpg


Hunting is Life...everything else is
Just details.
Ol' Buzztail...
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-14-15 AT 09:01PM (MST)[p]Not trying to call you out on throwin the bait tackle, sorry if it came across that way. On the other hand, there is hardcore evidence that those weekend warriors fishing with bait that hook into a muskie have absolutely no clue how to dislodge the hook......and here are just a couple photos I have showing evidence of such.






These fish have all been caught, or found dead with bait hooks sticking in their throats, gills or guts. Most people who catch these fish on bait and land them, will just rip out the hook regardless of where it is and most of the time kill the fish.

Also, Im not saying that 2-3 treble hooks wont do some damage to a fish, but it wont kill it unless its in the gills....which is extremely rare given the way these fish eat their prey. There is no way you can point the finger at these big baits being thrown by "muskies Inc members" either! You can walk into any sporting goods store in town, and they will sell you the biggest, nastiest lures they have in stock if you are looking to fish for muskie!! Additionally, I find it hard to believe you are catching fish with large lures stuck in their throat with 100lb mono attached to them....seeing how 95% of these fish don't swallow their prey initially when attacked and Im pretty sure none of them are capable of getting through 100lb test mono!!

Now, regarding the "safe handling" issue.....I do agree that it is a bit hard to safely handle these fish when fishing from the bank. However, if these people are out there fishing, and know they are extremely likely to catch a big muskie, they should be willing to get their asses in the water, handle the fish appropriately and release it before it has a chance to flop around on all the rocks and give itself some serious injuries!! Its not that hard to go prepared with gloves, a cradle net and some good long nose pliers and get the job done right!!

Im not trying to come across as a jerk and I am not attacking you....so please don't take it that way. I have been involved with this fishery since they were first introduced in 2003, and was the President of the NM Muskies Inc. for a couple years in the early stages. It just seems that no matter how much education we try to provide and the "FREE" information available to the general fishing public regarding the fishery and how fragile it really is.......it just gets abused and taken advantage of and I can assure you that it wont be around forever.

At the moment, and pretty much since the fish was introduced, we have had monumental numbers of fish that people have enjoyed catching. I also agree with you that these numbers are in NO way sustainable, and that these predators are running out of natural resources to feed on.....which is why they are so easy to catch. I for one would rather see the decline of the fish population due to natural causes, rather than having their gills and guts ripped out by some un-educated "fisherman!" There is nothing I can do about the lack of natural food for the fish, but there is something I can do about educating the fisherman regarding proper handling and releasing of the fish....regardless of how many there are and whether or not they have enough to eat in the lake!

I also feel it is important to raise the fact that we have been trying to get a law passed for the last couple years that would make that lake a NO WAKE lake!! I agree that it is way too small to support the jet skis and water skiers, and I have personally boated dozens of fish that have been killed by hulls and props from speeding boats. It is also a huge pain in the arse to control a boat with a trolling motor when every other boat on the water is hauling butt and making wakes the size of a Tsunami!!!

I appreciate your input and opinions, and am glad to hear that you appreciate the fishery and are knowledgeable of the situation at hand. Its nice to have more educated fisherman on the water rather than those that just go out and fly by the seat of their pants. Either way, thanks for helping to sustain the fishery and hopefully one day we can meet on the water!!

Regards,
 
Dannggggg! I see what you mean. Point taken for sure. All of this Tiger talk has me ansty to go. It's time to get the boat fired up and head north. Good luck on the lake guys!
 

New Mexico Guides & Outfitters

H & A Outfitters

Private and public land hunts since 1992 for elk, mule deer, sheep, pronghorn, black Bear & lion hunts.

505 Outfitters

Public and private land big game hunts. Rifle, muzzleloader and archery hunts available. Free Draw Application Service!

Sierra Blanca Outfitters

Offering a wide array of hunt opportunities and putting clients in prime position to bag a trophy.

Urge 2 Hunt

Hunts in New Mexico on private ranches and remote public land in the top units. Elk vouchers available.

Mangas Outfitters

Landowner tags available! Hunt big bulls and bucks. Any season and multiple hunt units to choose from.

Back
Top Bottom