Musky through the Ice, Has anyone ever done so?

Hi folks,
SKRAMO's recent post got me thinking that I have never seen or heard of anyone catching musky through the ice. In fact I have no idea how to even target them or if they are in season in the winter.
Has anyone ever done so either by choice or by accident.

Craig....Years ago I was Ice Fishing in the open on Lake Scugog just North of Port Perry
for Pickeral using a Swedish Pimple with a minnow.
I hooked a 25 lb Musky on about 7 inches of clear blue ice and the biggest
rush was seeing it swimming in circles under the ice.
I was only Fishing in 5 ft of water.
Took the lure out of it's mouth and released it because the Season was closed for Musky.
It did wave goodbye to with me a flip of it's tail soaking me in the face.
Word went up the lake that I had caught a Musky.
About an hour later a CO showed up and asked to see my Musky.
Said if you have Scuba Tanks you can see it and I told him I released it, you heard wrong.
He asked to check my vehicle....I said here is the keys, lock it up when your finished Please.
When he came back I showed him a tooth that came out and a cheek scale
that came off when I released the Musky and he estimated the Musky to be approx. 17 years old and then he Wished me a Good Day.

Bob

Great story Bob, good thing you never iced that fish sounds like you would have lost your gear and your vehicle. You are the 1st I have heard catching one through the ice. I figured they were not in season but you never even hear of accidental catches which I find strange.

Craig it does happen occasionally.
A Good Buddy of mine caught a 42 inch Musky on Pigeon Lake 2 years
ago when he was Fishing for Crappies and Perch on the Ice.
It took him over a half hour to land it on a flimsy Crappie Fishing Rod
and 6 lb test line.
Funny thing is he has never caught a Musky when they are in Season.

Bob

Me either Bob, I have never caught one at all.that would be a challenge on crappie gear.

I've never targeted Muskie but caught one accidently while trolling on Buckhorn years ago with a small Meps. It wasn't all that big but on light tackle it was a lot of fun.

Craig I think people hook up with Musky's in the winter but most
don't land them because of using very light fishing line especially
in the Kawartha's where you can only fish for pan fish in winter.
What surprises me is that a Musky of that size would hit such a
tiny jig and minnow.

Bob

I am sure you are correct, I also suspect with the cold water they would always take an easy meal small or not as long as they don't have to expend too much energy.

There are quite a few YouTube videos showing musky caught through the ice. One that comes to mind is one caught in nearby Lake Nosbonsing. Although the fisherman claims it was released (clearly out of season), looking at the video I have my doubts that the fish would have made it if it was released.

http://youtu.be/jSVDGjTVY2E (Warning: video contains profanity).

I would have to agree Scooter, that fish was out of the water for a long time and it never showed the release.

my friend caught this guy on Lake Scugog last winter with a jig and rubber.

All I can say is wow Did the fish survive ?

I don't really remember the story b/c I wasn't there but I don't think it did unfortunately.

Craig, it is not uncommon to catch musky in Lake Scugog through the ice, that is if they will fit through the hole. Heard of several musky getting caught ice fishing on Scugog but they could not land them through the 8" hole.

Last winter we caught a small one, 12", through the ice in Nipising. First time we ever caught one in Nipising in the 20+ years we have been going there. Someone else posted a picture last winter on here of a small musky they caught also on Nipising ice fishing.

I've hooked onto one on Scugog 2 years back. Fought it for about 5 minutes and it broke off. It bit a pinner minnow on a hook. I've heard many stories of people hooking into muskie on Scugog.


Nick