Is everyone who fishes Alex having the same SLOOOOOOW going as I have had lately? Seems like the fish have just disappeared. None of my normal spots are producing muskies, some nice pike though. Just seems like that lake is asleep?????

yeah...that is about standard out there. Had only a few opportunities at fish, during very small feeding windows.

I've been pretty fortunate out on Alex this year. In the past few weeks, either a catch or a lost fish just about every time I've been out there. Even in the worst conditions (ie: huge wind or east wind) I have had fish or opportunities. I'll admit though, windows have been small.

Last saturday morning we had a lot of action. One had surfaced behind us, so I cast there with my topwater. Started working it in and here comes a heron, stupid thing is going to land right on top of my lure. Quick crank it in, he flies away. Recast and about half way in the musky hits, jumps out of the water and about two seconds later spits the hook. It was a decent fish, mid forties I'm guesing. After that I had four more blow-ups and two follows. Those weren't as big, a couple were little runts that looked like torpedos shooting straight up out of the water. Once the rain started we only had one more follow. Even though we didn't boat any, it was a fun morning.

Question for you Shamalax, I realize it may be just the year or time of year, but I'm seeing way fewer big fish this year than the last few years. While I'm hearing stories about guys killing the fish cause they think bad for the lake. Also, you go in to the local bait shops and see more pics of big fish all the time,(obviously kept, not released). Have you noticed more high 30's low 40's this year and less big ones and do you think the mortality rate that I talked about above, is catching up to the lake, which isn't very big and can't sustain people keeping these high 40's fish. I realize that its probably not muskie guys keeping these fish, but the guy who just happens to catch one and has to show people. But if 10-15 people do this every year we're really going to start losing good fishing. Any thoughts, are you seeing less big ones? I know you probably fish it more than most.

I fish Alex at least 3 times a week and would agree with you. Wether or not it is because the activity of the muskies are so slow right now, time of year, or what have you, I have only seen a handful of fish that were more than 45 inches. 40 and under there are many, but the big fish I just haven't seen much of. Personally, I think one of the big reasons that it is getting harder to find the big fish out there is the lack of good weed beds. Getting very hard pressed to find good cabbage beds like there used to be, and I think this causes most of the bigger fish to stay out over open water more until it is time to start moving up on the rocks. i know there are still big fish out there, have seen two this year, just getting harder to find and pattern them.

Funny, we were just talking about the same thing last time out. We are seeing fish, just not the bigger ones. I have only seen one "big" fish so far, might have been the biggest I have ever seen out there.

I agree with Musky18, there are a lot less weeds this year. I don't know if it is from the spraying or what. Maybe they are out in the open water.

It would be interesting to know how many are kept each year. I only heard of one so far this year, a 43".

another thing to think about is all the boat traffic that alex gets it seem that every year it gets worse. I know its public property and Its everyones right to be on the lake but the pleasure boater seem to have no respect for a guy fishing. They will run there boat right over a spot your fishing. I have had people just about run over my line out there. And if you say something they just give you the old one finger salute.