Topwater Fox River Muskies

This week our host Tony Krizek teams up with his buddy Mike Eckerle, to tackle Top Water Fox River Muskies! Shallow water and the fish calling power of a top water can equal BIG Muskie Success!

[@TheMinimalistFisherman]

Nice fish! Respect for just cutting the hooks, really cool and a great example of sportsmen caring for the game they pursue.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Clear.Water.Sky. Absolutely, fish safety comes first. They are far to valuable of a resource to be mishandled, especially Muskies. While they are one of the most fierce species in freshwater, they require the utmost care for safe catch and release practices. Thanks so much for watching and thanks for the comment.

[@TheMinimalistFisherman]

@@tonysspotonfishing For sure man - and you bet, I'm enjoying your content so far, good stuff! It looks like I'm not that far from you actually, over by Ottawa. Tight lines brother!

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Clear.Water.Sky. Thanks man!

[@etfulton3]

Nice! I live in Batavia so this has me thinking of the possibilities!

[@tonysspotonfishing]

etfulton3 For sure! There are literally muskies everywhere up and down the Fox River.

[@etfulton3]

Spot on Fishing I grew up down South so fishing largemouths around here comes natural but I have to say the Fox befuddles me. If you ever come up to Batavia I'd love to be there to learn.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

etfulton3 Mostly shallow water, which is odd how it holds so many big Smallmouth, Walleyes and Muskies. With all the flooding it's going to be a long time till it is fishable again. Hopefully conditions will be good for fall Muskies this year. It can be down right magical.

[@Dustyfingers]

I fish St Charles, Geneva, Batavia below dams during the summer and I've never caught/ had a follow up. I mainly fish for smallies with cranks and 4" swimbaits. Would I need to get large Muskie lures or can they be caught with smaller profile lures. What are good conditions for Muskie?

[@kencrowne9695]

sorry this is a late reply; maybe you'll get notified. YES. Larger baits are generally what these fish need to get them interested. 9 inches long to 12 inches long. and generally, the fire tiger type of color patterns or all black help them see it just a little bit better since the water has a light stain to it.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Dusty_fingers 66 Our apologies for taking so long to reply. Every so often comments fall through the crack and we miss a notification from youtube. While Muskies are caught by Bass and Walleye guys on those crankbaits occasionally, it’s not the best baits to target them with. They’re feeding more often on panfish, shad, suckers and smaller carp. Often baits in 6-9in range will draw their attention more. Much heavier baits need the heavy muskie rods which is also much safer for the fish as long fights on light gear tend to over stress the fish and could result in delayed mortality of the Muskie. They may be the baddest fish in freshwater but they are also fragile. Thank you so much for watching and again we apologize for the delay.

[@tflatter8912]

@SpotonFishing hey tony you ever hit Muskie by the Batavia water treatment plant one summer we found a hot spot spawning zone killed like 5-6 an hour was a holy grail of spots

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Haven’t fished the Batavia water treatment plant area but we’ve done well at the Oswego Water Treatment plant area.

[@okish02]

What lures you are using for top water?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

omer kishanov our two favorites are the Bucher Top Raider and the Hi-Fin Skywalker. Poe’s Giant Jackpots and the old school Tally Whackers produce very well too!

[@okish02]

@@tonysspotonfishing I will definitely look for those lures. I caught a musky dwn river from Montgomery dam area by bike bridge going for smalkies with a a bomber crank bait.whats your thoughts on larger cranks or even whopper plopped for musky?Also what gear ratio you recommend for all around fox river musky reel?

[@fload46d]

Imagine how many and how big the fish were when the Indians were here.

[@flytyer2368]

Grunting when you picked up that fish, really? Decent fish but nothing to brag about.

[@slowfaller]

cut your vids to 12-15 min would increase views IMO

[@smbassfisherman2625]

Your comments on how to preserve the health of a musky/game fish gill plate hooked was excellent! Great advice on keeping your tools with you.

[@acdcphsico]

New to the musky world and have been wading the Montgomery stretch all the way to Silver Springs trying to figure it out . Would love to get out there one day with you and get some tips. Awesome video, thanks.

[@gigwrx1098]

I live very near where you're fishing. Are you looking for calmer spots in the current? When in faster current, I've never known whether to cast up or downstream.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

GigWrx Sorry the late reply, just going through and finding comments that have been missed. Areas where the current is slower is always a good area. Their food will hang in those areas and they’ll never be far from a food source. Those current breaks could be from washouts or deeper pools, they can hunker down in the main river channels, brush or trees or boulders can slow currents as well as submerged rock or sand bars. In quicker currents cast upstream and bring the bait back to you. If you throw down stream you can reel a little slower as the current will work the bait for you. Thanks for watching and again we apologize for the long delay in answering your questions.

[@deeuncaph]

you need to come back to busse woods and fish the creek salt creek. a lot more musky. look me up on instagram@ Dustin uncapher most my fish are from busse woods

[@tonysspotonfishing]

We will fish the creek for sure. We've been hearing a lot of the Muskies in the creek. Can't wait to go there! Thanks for watching and thank you for the comment!

[@deeuncaph]

I've pulled 8 musky in 3 years of fishing musky at busse and have really been trying lately with little success only 2 this year all fish from the creek

[@tonysspotonfishing]

From everyone I've talked to and any articles I've read, Busse can be very tough. Highly pressured water for sure. However talking with the guys from FishTech up in Morton Grove, there are a lot of Muskies caught in the creek every year. Muskies LOVE moving water. They are more at home in moving water. That's why there are so many Muskies are in the Fox river, after exiting the Fox Chain. Smaller bucktails in the creek seem to be a favorite. We can't wait to get back out there!

[@deeuncaph]

+Spot on Fishing what size spinners are best like a mepps 5? I've got one ski on a big ghost tail and some follows but big isn't the best. I fish busse a lot! every Friday saturday I've got4 on hj12's.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Muskie Attacker Frenchie, Mepps Muskie Killer, Baby Ghost tails. Baits like that give us a downsized profile those fish like with a hook with a wide enough gap to hook and land those fish.

[@Karl51729]

How come this guy never made anymore videos?

[@carmenclaps4496]

Great video and sportsmanship! Thx...C

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Carmen Claps Thank you for the compliment! We are very happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for watching, we truly appreciate it.

[@Grouperhunter]

Good video! I have fished Illinois a couple times and caught muskies, they are a blast to catch and one of my favorite freshwater fish.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

grouperhunter Absolutely! They’re our favorite species! Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!

[@Grouperhunter]

Spot on Fishing You are welcome. I subscribed to your channel for more land based muskie and smallmouth bass fishing videos, keep up the good work!

[@tonysspotonfishing]

grouperhunter Thanks, we appreciate it! We’ve got a few smallmouth shows on our channel (Fox River, DuPage River, and Lake Michigan). Also a few Muskie shows (Fall Muskies 101, Ice Out Muskies, and Fall Muskies 102). The season is slowly wrapping up here in Chicagoland. Before we know it we’ll be ice fishing. Still have a few shows being released this season yet. We release shows every Tue morning at 10am. Thanks again!

[@Grouperhunter]

Spot on Fishing Sounds good! I will be watching your other videos now and look towards to your new muskie and smallmouth bass videos!

[@asaneal5383]

Know any good spring spots for fox river skis? Or do you fish any spots other than the Montgomery dam

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Oh man they are all over the river. We've caught Muskies in St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, North Aurora, Montgomery, Oswego, and Yorkville. As long as there is a food source in the area they are there! Shallow diving cranks like the Jake, Grandma, and Storm Flat Stick 6in straight, and the Whack Job from Mammoth Lures are great pre-spawn options. Post spawn that bucktail bite gets hot!

[@Airgunn]

Hi

[@ronl7131]

Good C & R

[@FrankTichenor-g6n]

Father son;

[@atmsk8r726]

Where is this exact spot in the fox river? What city, and what lure are you using?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Montgomery IL, east and west sides of the river, Mammoth Custom Lures Lil Runt Rager.

[@vibewithvalarie]

Hi guys nice meeting you I really enjoyed your content great video.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Thanks so much for watching and thank you for the compliment, we truly appreciate it.

[@montellwilliams811]

@@tonysspotonfishing say. Is there any portion of the river that I can boat fish with my 17 foot boat with a 30 HP outboard gas motor , with a trolling motor attached ? Great video & information 👈

[@bugida3266]

epic jorts lfg

[@PeterSkaluba]

Hey, I went to Montgomery on Friday! I lost a monster 45 incher by the dam after a 5 min. fight, which I tried to end, as he threw the bait and managed to run me into the current behind the "island" in front of the dam.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

That's awesome to hear of bigger Muskies being hooked down there. We have had fish up on top waters and follows that were 45 plus. I am sorry to hear that fish threw the bait on you. Can't even begin to count how many times that's happened to me. Keep at it my friend, there's more and even bigger Muskies down there. Good luck.

[@PeterSkaluba]

Thanks, he was foul hooked and that over stressed him. When was this filmed?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

This was filmed just last week, Thursday morning. We had just a couple hours before the rain and storms came in that day.

[@surfdad6759]

Grew up in aurora/Montgomery from 69 to 1987. Never got a Muskie out there but lots of bass and cats. Carps also. Used to,go to Hayward wis for the musky. Nice vid. I’m jealous.

[@MarkasMusic123]

Ever fish Wilmington dam, Do you fish above or below thedam?

[@cpayne1757]

Tony - Thanks for a great video. BTW, what is your recommendation for braided line and leaders...??

[@michaelmccormick1016]

Try 20lb V2 super slick Power Pro, or regular Power Pro. I use moss green. Then a 9”black steel leader. Or 40# - 60# Seaguar fluorocarbon leader.

[@JJ-ly6yb]

Awesome vid, any pointers for fox river muskie in September-November?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Jake M a lot depends on water temps. The one consistent bait we can throw all year long on the river is a 6in Jake or a 6in Grandma. Also the 6in SS Shads and SS Squirrelly Shads. Depending on water temps in Sep/Oct we may still have a good Topwater bite. Top Raiders and Jackpots. Still a really good bucktail bite in Sep. depending on water temps in Oct the bucktail bite can keep going. As the water temps drop more in Nov and into Dec and through the winter months we throw the 6in Storm Flat Stick a lot! That loud one knocked rattle really gets them going in the cold water months. Early this year in Feb and March the SS Squirrelly Shad produced some fish as well. If you find some real slack water areas you can throw a glider style jerkbait like a 6in Phantom. We’ve done very well in some areas with that bait in the colder water.

[@JJ-ly6yb]

@@tonysspotonfishing awesome, thanks for the advice and great channel!!!

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Jake M you’re welcome. Thanks so much for watching. We truly appreciate it!

[@montellwilliams811]

Say, where on the fox river might I have a chance to catch a muskie during ( December 2020 ) ? Thanks

[@montellwilliams811]

@@tonysspotonfishing say , do you know where on the fox river I might have a chance to catch a muskie - or - walleye , ? Thanks

[@AddictedAngler]

thats my fav spot to fish during fall

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment. We catch Muskies there all year long. Even during the winter. Not to mention all the smallies and walleyes that are there too. Great stretch of river!

[@AddictedAngler]

i haven been there in few mounts but , in the next few weeks i hit it up for muskey

[@tonysspotonfishing]

After the rain we've had the water should be up a little with some push. Should calm down if we can stay dry for a week or so. Good luck and let us know how you do!

[@tedthilly1934]

@@tonysspotonfishingyes it is

[@omarmoreno2627]

Dammmmmmm nice fish

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Omar Moreno thanks!

[@domcizek]

Please say where you are fishing, state, town, city, this video don't know where?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Fox River, Montgomery Dam area is Montgomery IL.

[@KORNbball]

What reel is this u r using

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Shimano Calcutta 400TE

[@scottnorvell2955]

Nice vid. Keep 'em coming.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Absolutely! Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!

[@pfu5810]

When you fish muskies in Yorkville are you right below the dam or down river at all?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

We'be caught them below the dam and also down river. The island just before the bridge and south of the dam holds fish. Also the back side of the bridge has been good too.

[@ba-habrundigs9783]

Also.. When u go to the dupage river what do you fish for... If you go for smallmouth I would love to see the techniques you use to catch them. I never caught a smallmouth so hopefully I can get one soon

[@tonysspotonfishing]

We will be filming at the DuPage River this year. I target pretty much only smallies out there. We catch them on Zoom Flukes and shallow diving cranks. When it gets tough a jig and grub work great too.

[@ba-habrundigs9783]

+Spot on Fishing thanks for the information you are extremely helpful... Keep up the great vids

[@chicagoturntablism]

Dope video was there today

[@tonydavila2606]

Hey Tony, and tips for musky fishing in the winter or walleye in the winter? I don't ice fish so when everything freezes over, the Montgomery dam is the only place i fish. I've never caught a musky and ive only ever caught 2 walleye so I'm hoping to get on some this winter haha. Thanks! - Tony , Aurora ILL.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Oh yeah we catch Muskies all winter long. Now don't get me wrong they are not as agressive as they are in the warm months, but they have to eat more in the River over the winter since they are fighting current all the time. 6 in Jakes and Grandmas work good as does the Storm Flat stick in the straight model also 6 inches. Walleyes we catch jigging a 3in gulp minnow. Also do well on xraps and shallow diving clacking cranks from Rapala.

[@tedthilly1934]

@@tonysspotonfishinggreat area for wallies

[@tonydavila2606]

@@tonysspotonfishing seven years later, I was 14 when I send that comment. I still have not caught a musky. I will for sure target them all year and if I land one I’ll come come back to this comment. I always come back to this video haha

[@jonlejcar5306]

I live 3 miles from here

[@importkiller77]

awesome video. just started working out there. Been talking to a few locals at south moon bbq about fishing out here. I might bring a rod out tomorrow.

[@importkiller77]

By chance do you use a steel leader with these baits?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

importkiller77 Absolutely, Montgomery always has a good population of smallmouth, walleyes and Muskies. When we are chasing muskies we always use leaders. Good luck and let us know how you do.

[@CatScratch244]

Nice Job! 💥

[@vhonn95]

This stretch is awesome for catching all kinds of fish my friend caught a 3.5 foot flat head ,and I catch walleye and my largest bass ever came out at this exact spot 7.5 pounder

[@tonysspotonfishing]

vhonn95 Oh man, it is awesome! I’d have to say, even with the heavy fishing pressure it receives, Montgomery is still my favorite area of the river. Oswego and Yorkville are a close 2nd. Thanks so much for the report and thank you for watching! We truly appreciate it!

[@vhonn95]

@@tonysspotonfishingI lived in Aurora all my life till I was 23 then moved to Oswego then Yorkville now Fished just "above" yorkville dam where the wall is before the fall in fall caught 5 walleye, 2 drums and 3 suckers 2 6lb smallmouth in one day the lower is too much current all the way down now that they put that white water kayak chute

[@tonysspotonfishing]

vhonn95 Absolutely, all good water

[@okish02]

I use to live in that area , now in homer Glen but I still drive out to Montgomery dam area. Caught a 38 inch musky going for smalkies on an a bomber crank bait 10lb.mono. My personal best, also my personal best smallie at 18inch 3lb.few years back.

[@DrFrankensteam]

How’s this spot this time of year? And what would you recommend using?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

DrFrankensteam As long as the river isn’t high and the current isn’t too strong it is awesome in the winter months. Unlike lake Muskies who only feed very little under the ice in most lakes, river Muskies have to eat almost like normal since they’re always in current of the river and burning calories. They don’t fight as hard in the cold water but to catch Muskies all winter long is awesome. 6in Jakes and Grandmas work great but the best is the 6in Storm Flat Stick. Thanks for watching! Good luck fishing and let us know how you do.

[@DrFrankensteam]

Spot on Fishing Haven’t had any luck at all yet. Went down there today and the river was very high. I know not ideal conditions but I had to try anyway! Been down there a few times since my comment a month ago. I’m just going to keep trying.

[@tonysspotonfishing]

DrFrankensteam The only thing I could say is causing it to be slow is the weather. It’s been so up and down this winter and now just recently the polar vortex followed by 50 degrees right after. That’s too pretty extremes back to back, good old Mother Nature LOL! It’s been weird locally through the ice on the lakes around here too. Once the river comes back to normal levels, one other thing you can try to plan your trips around is the moon phase. I’ve caught Muskies outside “peak” periods and I’ve caught them in “peak” periods in that river in the winter. With the various fronts and pressure systems pushing through, the key may be focusing on the high activity levels of the moon phase. Those river Muskies have to eat but when weather isn’t the most conducive, being there under the peak periods of a moon phase can trip their triggers.

[@DrFrankensteam]

Spot on Fishing Thanks for the advice, I do have a moon phase app. I sometimes do plan around that. One thing I’ve learned is you just never know what’s going to happen! So I’m just going to keep trying and eventually I will land one of those sweet fish! Thanks for all your advice I love your channel, maybe someday our paths will cross out there!

[@fishingthefox4878]

do you think a buzzbait would work? and love your videos

[@tonysspotonfishing]

I don't think a buzzbait will be loud enough. With the noise from the dam and the current flow it may not create enough commotion to get their attention. Muskie prop style baits like the Runt Rager from Mammoth Lures and walk the dog styles like the Jackpot and Skywalker are your best bets.

[@fishingthefox4878]

thanks for the help i will be sure to go buy some

[@ba-habrundigs9783]

We caught nothing g at the river😔... Very tough day of fishing

[@tonysspotonfishing]

The river can be rough some days. Under sunny condition sunrise and sunset can be the best times. Overcast days can keep it going most of the day. It's an awesome river. Don't give up on it.

[@ba-habrundigs9783]

+Spot on Fishing Hey tony, you should do 2 vids a week. Each week you should take a subscriber fishing

[@tonysspotonfishing]

I'd love to film and release more then one show a week. It's hard right now, as the production team, Blue Brian Micheals Entertainment, has other projects they work on. We have a few dates each month to film based on everyone's availability and the weather for that given day. We have been thinking about running a promotion or two to include subscribers on filming shoots.

[@ba-habrundigs9783]

Me and my friend are going to the fox river right now!!!

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Good luck guys! Let us know how you do.

[@ba-habrundigs9783]

+Spot on Fishing thanks, I will comment later what we catch

[@angelalvarado3886]

Tony any good float rigs for pike or musky using live bait ??

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Chicago Fishing The absolute best we’ve ever used are from Stealth Tackle. Wide variety of sizes depending on what size live bait you want to use. The number of bites with their rigs are much better then any other on the market and the hook up ratio is unreal! Another decent option are the Bucher quick set rigs. But man, the ones from Stealth are the best!

[@angelalvarado3886]

Spot on Fishing much appreciated tony your always giving good answers man thanks a lot is there a way I can look up how to set this rig ??

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Chicago Fishing We’re always here and willing to help. We actually used the Stealth rig in our Fall Muskie 102 show this year. We ran the Bucher rig in our show Fall Muskies 101. We show how to rig the suckers on those rigs in those two shows. Both are super easy to set up. But I really like how the Stealth rigs work vs the Bucher rigs.

[@bigpagla]

Have you hit the Fox this year? What's the word?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

We fished it here and there over the winter. Had a great Walleye bite all winter long. With the melt off and flood control on the Chain, the river currents were pretty high and we had avoided the river for a couple of months. Things have leveled back out now. When the Walleyes were spawning there were a few Muskies caught. Now with all the weird weather this week it’s shut things down hard. Hopefully once the weather stabilizes things will heat back up again. The good news is, the water levels on the Chain are VERY low. They have been canceling tournaments up there due to low water levels, so any springs rains should not require them to open the locks up north. Thanks for watching and thanks for writing in. Spring will be here soon...we hope LOL!

[@bigpagla]

This weather, I tell you. It was the reason I even asked. From the daily drastic temp changes to the crazy ice melts, to now low levels. Don't worry, spring cometh. Happy hook settin.

[@samschroeder8019]

I am going to the river tomorrow morning, recommendations? tips? all species including muskie

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Be very careful as the river should have a little more push to the current after the storms on Wed. Muskies should be good on bucktails, like the Muskie Attacker cable model and double 7. Bass and walleyes will go on shallow cranks like Rapala Clacking Cranks and X-Rap Shads. Good luck and let us know how you do.

[@samschroeder8019]

+Spot on Fishing i tried a topwater like the one in this video but it didn't produce, caught a smallmouth on a square bill and the river was high bc of the rain so I couldn't wade all the way in I was confined to shorelines and the edge of the dam

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Once conditions improve things will get better. Don't give up on that area. Great Muskies, Smallmouth and Walleye can be found at Montgomery.

[@samschroeder8019]

+Spot on Fishing when would you suggest going? optimal conditions? for muskie that is; bc I am relatively new to them. I know walleye and smallmouth very well

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Heavy rains and storms get the water levels up and current pushing. Once we dry out for a few days the first light bite and the last light bite of the day is best for Muskies. If you get a nice cloudy or even light rain day that bite can go into the afternoon. The night bite can be great too out there.

[@bigmil1]

Great vid! Do guys catch many walleyes at all in the summer there?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

In the summer we do catch a few but mostly right in front of the dam. Once in a while we find them in the stretch we fish Muskies at, but more so at night or right at sunrise. After the sun is up the face of the dam is the best bet at catching walleyes. Spring and fall are good all through that stretch for eyes and in the winter months the slack water pool by the rock bar is AWESOME for walleyes. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment.

[@bigmil1]

Awesome thanks for your reply! I'm definitely going to give the rock river a break and hit the Montgomery dam very soon for muskies and the fall time for walleyes. You ever hit the Oregon dam? Really great walleye fishery.

[@bigmil1]

Do you guys ever throw shallow running cranks?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Oh yes we do throw a lot of shallow divers. Most of the river in that stretch is 2 to 3 feet deep. The main channel runs 4-6 feet tops in that stretch. Shallow diving square bills and x-raps are tops for walleyes. I haven't fished the Rock river in years. I loved going there. We are looking to fish and film out that way this season.

[@feelingfishy8703]

This is Chicago

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Ohh Boy Not quite, more like Montgomery Illinois on the Fox River. But it is awesome to have such a great Muskie Fishery near Chicago. Also the Fox Chain and Shabbona. We are truly blessed to have Muskies thriving so well around us. Thank you so much for watching, we appreciate it! And thanks for commenting! Tight lines this season

[@chrisslywkafishing6635]

I am a musky fly fisherman and would love to come with you ti fish musky I normally target them threw busse woods and have done some videos before

[@SquirrelTheater]

20 min of listening to you talk to get the first strike???? BORING.....my god.

[@UGotTheFunk]

Awesome video! Cool to see some information based off in the same relative area I'm in. Thank you! 2 questions though. 1) When cutting the hooks, do you leave the remaining part of the hook still attached to the fish? 2) When rejuvenating the fish, I've read that it was bad to move the fish back and forth and noticed you didn't do that as well. Is what I read true then?

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Hi, thanks for watching and thanks for the comment. To answer your questions, yes we do remove the hooks once they are cut, we don't want to leave them in the fish. Depending where the hooks are they will usually fall out on their own, if not we remove them once they're cut. And yes you are correctly, rocking the fish back and forth is not always the best practice. The water rushing over the gills in a reverse direction can have an adverse effect on the fish. The nice part of River fising and releasing a Muskie with current, we can angle their heads up River so the water can flow naturally over the gills the proper direction as a fish would normally take in water.

[@gpaffy140]

is this the fox river in IL?

[@ToyotaNutjob]

My hometown

[@tonysspotonfishing]

Good place to live. Great fishing close by.