zach

Hey, my name is Zach and I plan on doing a musky show or two this winter. I am interested in a pic.

Ha Ha, I am getting ready! I have tons of colors and want to bring lots of baits. I have been improving them along the way and they are so much better now then whan I started out. I have been selling a bunch on ebay lately and people have been eating them up. I haven't been posting any pics on here but have been working harder than ever. My goal is to do somewhere around 500 this winter for the 3 shows (Ohio, PA and Chicago). I have changed so many things about the way I make them including thicker lips, better painting, a tad bit more weight and even more epoxy. I also tune each and every one now as I have learned my lesson the hard way. Here are some colors I have done lately. What I find truely amazing is I am over 90 in the hole from all the orders I got off muskiefirst. This week is foil week, firetiger colors, $9 bass, night shiner and St. Lawrence in addition to all the normal colors I do. So Bob- she have lots of color crayons or what? This has really taken off and I expect next year to be a good year as I am trying as hard as I can to promote myself and these baits. I also want to say thanks to everyone that has helped me out along the way! I owe you guys and don't think for a minute I have forgot about you! One thing I find so funny about this is you would think I would have some good ones for myself, lol, I get all the screw ups!

Nitro, where did you get that story about the fish being caught?

Like Gambler said, go to braddocks on a weekend and look at all the pike laying on the ice.

LOL, look at Waneta's 36" size limit. People kill fish there all the time! I know Waneta isn't a trophy lake but it has the same musky strain as Chautauqua does and at Chautauqua they have a higher size limit. I fully do not understand this 36" size limit on such a small lake. Good talk though boys.

Another dead 1000 island musky! Big fish, but people in the islands seem to "wack" a few monsters to take home every year it seems. Solgrande- you see the rig used to catch it? The famous "Berger King" rig! In the end its just another dead fish in an area that has been hit hard from VHS. I looked at the other pics and its crazy how much different the fish looks just by holding it different. In the TIbait shop pic it looks huge but not in the original pic. I wonder how hard they really tried to release it w/ how cold the water is? But then again, the guy isn't even wearing a coat?

I am not even sure if we have a state record musky anymore w/ the way the records are being thrown out all the time. The only way that a new record will be accepted is if someone KILLS a huge fish and it is verified by tons of people and even then people will have issues w/ it. I fully understand the importance of releasing muskies but a "catch and release" record leaves so much in doubt. IMO someone has to KILL a huge fish and have it certified, sad but true.

If anyone has a second, the picture is the most recent fish entered into the big fish section of muskiefirst! http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com

Well one starting point is where Black Creek goes into the Genesee off Scottsville Rd. There is a small launch (docks are taken out now) for a canoe or whatever. I take my crankbaits down there to make sure they run okay before I send them out and have seen northerns many times in there. Bty if you go up to chucrchville and have a good pair of boots and don't mind walking you can fish some areas from shore. Best luck!

Pike get hit hard in the winter. Like you said more people have access to them during the winter. They must be doing okay though if you have ever seen the spawning run.

unless your a Canadian or go to PA, OH, IN, TN, MO or KY where it never closes, its almost over.

Anyone want to take a truckless fisherman to Harbor in the next days? I would go but truck is still in the shop. I have some big baits to run and know a few trolling passes. Nitro took me last time and it worked well for him. After the season closes he has a pic for all of to look at but not until then. Do you think the bus or a taxi would tow my boat there for me?

And for me I only seem to catch fish (pike, tigers) on a small phantom soft-tails. all of my tigers came on this bait along w/ a huge 41" northern.

I can remember cutting split rings before I got the metal chopper to get hooks out.

I have never seen that one. I bet 80% of all those guys out there are not capable of even cutting a hook to save a fish if they wanted to. They just don't carry the right stuff.

How big of chunk is missing from your finger? I got myself on the band saw the other day but yours sounds worse than my super glue closed wound. 22 stitches is a big deal to me. When I saw the Baker Bait review I got nervous and almost didn't want to open it as I do try to make a decent plug. I am so happy you like those and I do try my best to make them as tough as possible by putting 5 coats of epoxy on those deep divers. There are 2 coats under the paint and 3 over the paint. Nothing worse to me than paying good $$ for a musky plug and having it fall apart of to have the finish come off like on those chrome depthraiders. I have been toying w/ ways to make chrome finishes and think that over the winter I should have something comparable but way more durable. I bet there is over a 1/2 oz of epoxy on those deep divers. Thanks for giving them a shot and those deep divers did impress me also when I first took them out by hitting bottom in the deep hole in waneta. Doesn't sound like a monster fish but hey they can't always be. Thanks for the compliment and if you have any issues in the future with them I am only an email away. I try to stand behind my stuff as much as I can! Was it the foiled one or the Secret color one? Just wondering? Thanks for the plug on the plugs old man!

Man that is a nice fish! Congrats! I can close my eyes and just imagine a huge torpedo wake coming in and that big ole nasty mouth opening up and bam, its on! Looks like it was tough to hold that pig. You deserved it (earned it) by being out in that cold weather! Looks like your the man to beat right now! I don't know if I would have let Chad hold it though, I would have made him super jealous by just letting him look at it!

Went out yesterday and lost a piggie 5' from the boat and almost cried. Not really crying but really disappointed after losing what I believe what would have been my PB yesterday out in Erie at 3:30 pm on a homemade periwinkle copy. I don't know if I was trolling too slow to get a good hookset or what but I booted a slob out of the south gap but out in Lake Erie. As soon as the stronger winds started I got hit and then the winds died down again and it was back to washing lures. cost of gas to the buffalo harbor- $40 cost of huge fishing lures to chase them with- $225 cost of losing a big fish- priceless cost of a new transmission- $1,000

this worked out way better than I imagined.

Look how big your smile is! You can't fake that! I know you have worked really, really hard on getting that 1st river fish so great job! I am just happy you don't have a piece of broccoli in your teeth b/c we all could see it w/ you grinning from ear to ear! Honestly I know all of the hard work you have put into that fish so go pat yourself on the back and may you walk an inch taller today! Nice job and I hope you know after all this time I am joking. I am jealous now! These river fish sure do look purdy!

Guys, just on a serious note- this auction has raised more money for our fund (over $315) then any auction before and it shows what AMAZING people we have here to support our cause! Your guys' generosity is something that is very unselfish and b/c of you the future of muskies in NY looks better then it would without it! We have a very solid group of people that care about what we have and I hope I know you guys for a long time as I would like that. When I take my son out musky fishin' in years the fish we catch may be the ones that our $$$ went to raise and I personally want to give a huge thumbs up and say thank you as very grateful person. I don't have money to donate so this is what I thought up after seeing it done other times on here to raise money by other people. To the winner- I hope you not only enjoy the plugs, I hope you fish them and do well but most all just for being a good unselfish, caring person that helped out the cause so all of us can enjoy our sport for many years to come! This auction has worked out 100x better than I thought it would. I was expecting maybe $70-$75 each but I guess I didn't know what amazing people I was surrounded by. You guys have opened my eyes to the sort of people we have around here and I so happy to be associated w/ all of you! Thanks again b/c of you all the future looks brighter than it would have! Your generosity will not be forgotten! When I post a picture of a little kid holding a musky bigger than him- you get a lot of the credit not me! Doesn't get any better than that! Imagine a 6 yr old holding a 40" ugly ole stinky musky. It would look 80" to the eyes of my kid and make one heck of a memory for both of us! This is why I decided to make a few to put up here. When I get that picture of little colton holding a fish bigger than him- I will be one proud father! Thanks guys for all of your support as nothing would have happened without getting involved. Zach Baker P.S. Old Man- love that Evan Williams picture. Laughed 10 times looking at it!

old man- i thought in the past we have learned to stay away from ebay while have a cocktail! lol. i remember the last auction you accidentally hit the wrong # or something like that as you were having a drink and playing on the computer then also. Looks like bob (solgrande) is the man to beat now! Bob is also selling a few items w/ partial proceeds going towards the bait fund also so if anyone have time take a look for his items also, i put in a bid on his items and am trying to win his sandcat jerkbait and sledge for next years fishing. if i get that sledge i am going to tinker w/ it by weighting it to make it run deeper.

well I know a guy who may be able to reproduce that gold bladed, brown and yellow tail if you want me to talk to him? i know he has been busy lately but he may have time for you. lmao! bty that's like the 8th or 9th bait I have made that has been donated to the "musky gods" this year so no worries. You should see whats at the bottom of waneta that I have lost to snags and the 3 that lil colton through over board when we took him out. I know i have 2 perchbaits and a few other nice baits just off the boyscout point in 20 fow in the same d@mn snag if anyone wants to go swimming.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 500wt_1156 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 500wt_1156 Links to the ebay auction. I will make zero money from this, all proceeds go towards the hatchery on Chautauqua Lake. We already have over 10 bids in less than 12 hours so lets keep this going. I also posted this lure auction on Muskiefirst, my facebook page and also on Mostlymuskies. I am trying to get the word out but need all the help I can get from all of you guys to promote this as I want to get as much $$$ for the future of our muskies in NY as possible. I dream of a little guy (my son colton) holding a musky bigger than him in a few years and this is why I put up my lures to raise money. How cool would it be for him to get a big musky that we all helped out on raising.

I just put up the lures that Stan Durst and I did on ebay. All proceeds of this auction will go towards helping out the hatchery feed those little guys. Come one guys let's raise some $$$. You know the deal, bid and we all win! I will put up a link later to it but just do a quick search of Baker Musky Lures on ebay and it will pop up.