Muskie

June is Muskie Topwater Month!

Pros4- 1Source — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 16:07:35 +0000

June is Muskie Topwater Month!

Pros4- 1Source Tue, 06/16/2020 - 11:07

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by Pros4- 1Source

Muskies are probably one of the least understood game fish for particularly good reason- they constantly seem to intentionally disprove what we are sure we as anglers think we ‘know’ about them. One of the absolute sureties in the world of muskie fishing is coming into it’s prime season; the absolute rush of topwater fishing for Esox Masquiongy.

Pros-4 1Source's Keith Worrall With a Nice Top Water
Muskie Caught on a Nite Walker.

The generally accepted folk lore insists that when mallard ducklings hatch, that’s when the top water bite takes hold. That’s interesting lore and sort of makes sense, but it’s balderdash. Topwater baits are effective all-season long from opener to ice up in varying degrees. Once water temps hit the middle 50’s muskies get increasingly more likely to hit a topwater until surface temps reach the accepted do-not-fish zone at 80. Muskies are most active in water temps between low 60’s and middle 70’s, and that’s where
we are across much of the range in the middle of June.

The best structural elements to fish are wherever muskies roam, so the classic weed edges, sharp rock breaks, wood, current breaks, and even open water relating to baitfish will be good places to run your favorite topwater lure past a muskie.

LURE TYPES

Zig- Zag baits came into their own in the last 15 years, led in popularity by the Suick Weagle. Ranging from around 6”long to 10” long, the lure is worked by a rhythmic combination of short bursts on the reel and a sharp twitch downward with the rod, making the bait ‘whoosh’ along in a side to side pattern. Keep the speed steady and try slow to fast letting the fish tell you what to settle on for that day. I prefer to take the figure 8 under water at about the same speed as the retrieve.

Tail rotating baits are one of the most popular because they are so easy to use. Cast the bait out, and retrieve, keeping the lure on top in a very wide figure 8. Suick’s Nitewalker is one of the most effective as is Bucher Tackles Top Raider. One mistake I see with the tail rotating baits is a tendency to always move them fast. As with all topwater presentations, try slow to fast in increments and let the fish tell you what speed is best for that day.

Creepers : Tyrant Dictator is a great late evening and after dark lure, and are nerve wracking to work as the retrieve is very slow. The wings protruding from the lure’s side cause the bait to rock right and left as the presentation waddles along slowly. Keep the speed consistent and just under the rate where the bait destabilizes. The figure 8 should stay up on top and match the speed of the retrieve exactly.

Wobble style topwaters like the Livingston Lures: Walking Boss Magnum and Arbogast XL Jitterbug mirror the retrieve of a Creeper, but the action is totally different. I like to pitch that lure in calmer water and take a few seconds to let the rings around the lure settle out before moving the bait along. I get a lot of hits at the end of the cast using that technique. Again, keep the figure 8 wide and on top.

The Fishing Technique

None of the above-mentioned lure styles has a particular speed of retrieve to get the best action. Vary the speed, and as I have mentioned, the muskies will tell you what they want on any given day. Keep your eyes on the area 2 to 10 feet behind the lure for a following muskie.

A tell-tale swelling up of the water behind the bait will cause a double wake behind the lure. If you see that, it’s a muskie following the lure and it may be ready to strike. It’s tough to do, but make sure the speed of the lure doesn’t change and the transition to the figure 8 is smooth. Keep the figure 8 going until the fish hits or leaves. Be sure it’s gone and not just sizing up the lure a short distance away. If the muskie hits during the retrieve, keep the rod pointed at the lure and keep reeling the same speed and set the hook straight up and hard when you feel weight. You WILL set the hook too soon now and again as the strikes are so explosive it’s almost impossible not to. That’s what will keep you tying one on throughout the muskie season!

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Fishing Tip

History and Tips on Creature Fishing For Muskie

Pros4- 1Source — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 18:47:00 +0000

History and Tips on Creature Fishing For Muskie

Pros4- 1Source Fri, 07/05/2019 - 13:47

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Muskie

by Pros4- 1Source's Steve Worrall

Soft Plastics are gaining new popularity as many innovations and new styles have entered the market over the last few years. The story behind the FIRST soft plastic revolution that took place in the 1960's when there were no jigs or soft plastics designed for Muskies is pretty much a compilation of who's who of the top angler names from the 60's, 70's and 80's, and was created by that 'brain trust' in the Chicago suburbs to Rockford area in Illinois.

The muskie soft plastic revolution came from my father's kitchen table in the late 50's and early 60's. Jim Cairnes, a family friend and one of the best sticks I have had the pleasure to meet, and my Dad fished together for bass a lot, and used the only soft plastic/jig combination available at the time, a Squirm'n Jig. It was pretty rough by today's standards, sporting a soft hooked bullet jig and a really rough copy of a nightcrawler, but MAN it caught bass and muskies. Another family friend, Tony Portincaso, was involved in helping make the plaster of Paris molds for the jigs in the kitchen; I still remember what the smells and sounds were as that work was underway. To an impressionable fish crazy kid, this was pretty cool stuff.

One could get as many as 50 jigs out of a mold if it was prepared properly. My Dad took a ball jig and filed the bottom flat, then filed the sides into a nearly triangular design with a wider bottom than top, changing the balance and the hook position in an attempt to create a jig more fishable in the weeds and one that hooked-up better. The first stand up jig was born, appropriately called a 'diamond head'. That design has seen many copies and improvements on the market since, but the first stand up swimmer heads and diamond heads were made by Jim, Tony, and my Dad.

A gentleman named Paul Repka eventually made a series of production molds and supplied us with beautifully crafted and painted jigs for many years. Larry Latino, another top stick from that era, and Tony Portincaso eventually took that idea to Mar Lynn Tackle, and between Larry and Tony, the Pow'r Head stand up jig hit the market. Jim Cairnes' and my Father's original swimmer head is still the best 1 to 1.5-ounce swimmer out there. Herbie did a good job designing the Cobra, and Jack's Jigs had several good ones.

In the early 1960's my father took a bass fishing trip to Arkansas where my grandparents lived at the time, meeting Harold Ensley there. Harold had just done very well in a bass tournament with his new lure, a soft plastic leech like 5" tail now known as the Reaper. They were one color, brown. The plastisol was bubbly and hard, and the mold pretty rough, but the lure combined with my Dad's standup jigs and Jim's swimmers was destined to make Muskie History.My father brought a huge bag of those Reapers back to Illinois and distributed them to the group he fished with, including a bass fisherman named Buel Coley. They caught fish, and A LOT of them. Equipment of the day was a 7' fiberglass medium heavy rod and a Mitchell or Abu spinning reel spooled with 10# line for bass, and for the historic muskie trips to the Bone Lake area by 'the crew' soon to include folks like Tony Portincaso, Frank Rondone, Jim Cairnes, Spence Petros, Larry Latino, Don and Steve Worrall, Betty Worrall, Shelly Cairnes, the McBride brothers, and many other crazy muskie fishermen, the weapon of choice was the same rig spooled with 17# line and armed with a 60# seven strand leader.

I caught my first muskie, a big girl, on a jig my Dad made and a plastic worm on Bone Lake. The crew had already created quite a reputation for themselves as Muskie and Bass anglers, and most of those fish were caught tossing a jig. As years passed and innovations by Jim and Paul Repka continued to refine the jig designs, bass anglers were demanding better soft plastics. Mar Lyn ended up marketing the Reaper. I had found a company in Texas selling a large lizard called Stembridge Products, and over a couple years talked Mary Stembridge into doing some mold work for us. We used a weird paddle tail called a Ding A Ling on the Lizard bodies as well. I really liked that lure, but it never went into production. My second largest Wisconsin Muskie from Pelican Lake came on that combo.

As we fished Muskies with the Reaper, the hook shaft area of the soft plastic would get torn up to the point where the Reaper was useless. Using the Stembridge Products Lizard (Fliptail brand) the tail which was like a sectioned worm tail, would get nipped off, rendering that lure body useless as well. One hot early 1970's afternoon on Enterprise Lake in Langlade County, Wisconsin, Shelly Carines had a few of those ruined tails sitting on Jim's back deck. She looked them over, and said aloud, "I wonder if this stuff melts?" She took her butane lighter out of her pocket, trimmed a Reaper and a Lizard by cutting the ruined head off the Reaper and the tail off the Lizard, and melted the plastic of both while Jim held them, welding them together. It WORKED!! We now had a larger lure and were able to use our old junk tails to create whatever style tail we could.

Not too long after, I was fishing the Embarrass River for smallmouth out of my Tuffy 154 with Steve Quandt, owner of Glasway, Tuffy Boat's parent company. I pulled out a couple of my creations and handed them to him. He looked at those ugly tails and asked, "What kind of creature are these?" That did it; from that time forward the lures were known as 'creatures'. I was known by many during the 70's and 80's as 'The Creature Man'.
Jim Cairnes and I followed with several production creatures, which I marketed through a tackle company long sold to Dick Moore.

Creatures on the Weeds

The original Diamond Head jigs were designed to be 1/4 ounce with a 3/0 hook, 1/3 ounce with a 4/0 hook, or 5/8 ounce with a 5/0 hook. All were designed for use in the weeds. The Diamond Head shape works fine on the rocks too, but has more of a propensity to get hung in the rocks than the swimmer heads. I designed a 1/8 ounce model for the Fliptail Baby Creature, which was primarily a walleye and bass lure. The ounce jig matched up exactly with the reaper, an excellent weed line tail. Most of the crew attached the reaper on the jig with a sideways profile, trying to get as much contrast as possible from the side and back. The 1/3-ounce jig was the standard for the Fliptail creature or the Lizard/reaper homemade combo, and the 5/8 ounce for the Super Creature or large shad and twister bodies. The plastic is adhered to the jig with a drop of superglue, which holds the lure together through multiple fish and keeps it from getting destroyed by the hook shank. All of the above rigs were designed to fall at a drop rate of about 1' per second, and that by serious design. More on that in a bit.

The best all-around outfit for Creature fishing is an IM6 or 8 graphite spinning rod with high quality guides, medium heavy to heavy action with a fast taper and fast tip for popping the jig through the weeds. The reel needs to be large spooled, and balance with the rod exactly for comfort when 'popping' the weeds and setting the hook. The big spool allows for the line to be picked up very fast with minimum turns of the reel handle, important when using the lures as they were intended to be used. Casting tackle works but is VERY hard on the wrist and arms when popping weeds, something I sometimes do all day.

Speed and comfort are why my creature rods are spinning outfits. The line needs to be monofilament. I know some folks recommend superlines, but there is a problem using the superlines with a real 'creature only' setup. Superlines allow for absolutely no stretch, so when a muskie hits that jig the line is immediately tight, and it's very hard to get a snap hookset because there is zero slack. I also find myself setting the hook way too soon with the superlines, missing most of the hits from muskies, pike, and especially walleyes. I like 17# mono, but 14# will do for some folks. If you are just slow rolling the jig, Superlines will work well, but I still prefer the forgiving properties of Mono. My first half dozen muskies over 50" came on mono, so I don't believe one actually needs the superline hook set to put the steel to a fish using a properly designed jig head.

I use a seven-strand leader, usually about a foot long in 60# test, with a 100# swivel and a good snap. I have yet to have a failure with my leaders and have been using that setup for over 30 years. Watch them for kinks and wear and replace when the leader begins to look beat up. A solid wire leader will not allow the jig to sink properly in the weeds and will cause you no end of grief trying to keep it clear in heavy cabbage.

The jig design is very important. In order to cut weeds the jig should not be rounded from the eye back, like many of the bass jigs adapted for Muskies. The weeds are pushed out by that jig design and end up on the leader. That design also rolls upon contact with heavy weeds, which is why they usually come with a Mylar weed guard. The hook needs to be nearly vertical when the jig is at rest on the bottom, so when weeds do get wrapped on the hook shank a quick hookset will cut them away. The upright hook profile also provides for an excellent 'bite' in the fish's mouth corners. Two quick pops of the rod usually buries a 5/0 all the way through the corner of the mouth.

To do a quick test to see if the hook is properly placed with the lead head, place the eye of the hook against your palm and the hook point against your palm at the same time. Try to pull the hook point across your palm; if it doesn't hook skin immediately, get rid of the jig and go get one that will.

The technique has been way over thought recently, trying to make a 'jump lure' be a crankbait, glider, and twitch bait all in one. The design of the jig and creature is opposed to those techniques; one might as well be throwing a crank bait if one is just cranking the jig in hopping it along with the rod. Cast the jig and creature out to the weed line and count it down. Now you know why I like the jig to sink at 1 foot per second, I have excellent presentation control.

Count it down to the bottom, point the rod directly at the jig, and turn the reel handle FAST two to three times, depending how high in the water column you wish the jig to climb. I like to hop the jig about 3 to 4' vertically, which requires about three full reel handle revolutions. Stop reeling, and watch the line, again counting the lure down. Watch the line until it suddenly 'bows' or goes slack, then simply repeat. Don't move the rod tip around, that just puts you out of a good hook set position. If you know the last two hops were 4 count, and you count to 2 and the line goes slack, either a fish has your creature, or you are in the weeds, either way, set the hook, and if it's a fish, the game is on. If it's a weed, you will clean off the jig and continue the retrieve.

Most strikes from muskies are almost like an electric shock in the rod handle, sort of a sharp 'click'. Bass just thump the thing, walleyes create a sudden 'light' feeling that is just as suddenly heavy, and Pike are totally unpredictable.
The countdown feature of the presentation also REALLY puts you in touch with the structure. You will know from the drop time if you came upon an outside turn (longer drop time because it's getting deeper) or an inside turn (shorter drop time because it's getting shallower), allowing you to learn the water better than you ever imagined once you master the technique. If you want to just crank soft plastic, you are not jigging or Creature fishing, you are cranking a soft plastic lure. That's what Bulldawgs and like designs are for. That style lure is a soft plastic bait, but that is where the similarity ends.

Creatures on the Stones

I love my Dads’ swimmer jigs for this application. A 1 Ounce jig with a 5/0 hook and slightly larger creature is perfect. The fact the swimmer jig design glides more and sinks slower as a result will give you the desired approximate 1 foot per second drop rate. Any good quality swimmer jig will do the job, just make sure you aren't using one that really falls slowly, or you will be fishing too slowly and not covering the water as well as you could be. The swimmer jig hook almost parallels the flat surface of the jig but will still pass the hook in the palm test.

When the jig hits bottom the flatter profile of that design resists getting fouled up in the rocks, but you will occasionally get hung up. Point the rod at the rock you have managed to get behind, and slack line to sudden 'pop' set the hook, returning to immediate slack line. That many times will pop the jig free. If all else fails, take the boat to the back side of the obstruction and pull the jig free.
NEVER cast shallow to deep, those rocks lay that way down there and you will spend the entire day getting hung up. Parallel the edge to hitting it at about a 30 degree angle fanning the edge and break line out to whatever the break offers. Always cast with the wind, otherwise the boat movement will tighten up your line and make the entire process a lot harder to read. If you wish to vertical jig buy a Fuzzy Duzzit or similar lure. Creatures and jigs do OK under that application, but not nearly as well as the lures designed for that purpose. Big lake trout jigs are made for that, and work really well, too.

Don't over think the process or give it too little time; creature fishing is fast, action packed, and will catch almost any game fish you encounter. Practice your hookset, be sure you are fishing with the wind, and the lure and technique will force a level of boat control you never thought possible. Jig fishermen are traditionally the best boat control experts I fish with, and it's the technique that taught them how to make that boat dance. By the way, really big muskies like jigs and creatures a lot. My largest and second largest Wisconsin fish both came on Creatures. Try the technique, you won't be disappointed, and that 'click' when a Muskie hits does get sorta addicting.

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Catch More Muskie Casting With the Easy Figure-8 Maneuver (video)

Tim Allard — Tue, 30 May 2017 18:23:17 +0000

Catch More Muskie Casting With the Easy Figure-8 Maneuver (video)

Tim Allard Tue, 05/30/2017 - 13:23

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Muskie

The figure eight is a fishing technique used by muskie anglers. This retrieve maneuver is nothing new in the muskie world, yet few anglers have truly mastered this incredible retrieve technique. When done correctly, it can be super effective because it was developed due to the nature of the muskie's hunting style.

Fishing guide John Anderson with another world-class muskie from the Ottawa River

According to John Anderson, owner/operator of Ottawa River Musky Factory, doing a figure-8 fishing maneuver at the end of every cast is one of the easiest ways to catch more muskies.

“We catch 150 to 200 muskies every year and 35 to 40 percent of those we catch at our feet at the side of the boat,” Anderson said. “And, if you don’t figure-8, you’re going to miss out on one of the most exciting moments in freshwater fishing. There is nothing that’s more insane and more out of control than having a 50-inch fish come in, turn two circles on your bait, and crush your lure at your feet.”

Watch Video: Fundamentals of the "Figure 8" - The Next Bite

Got your attention? Hope so. Here’s a crash course on how to figure-8 for muskie.

Figure-8 Fishing Retrieve Basics

A figure-8 is a series of boat-side rod maneuvers intended to make a lure look like prey trying to escape and, in turn, trigger a strike from a following musky. While some anglers only figure-8 when they see a muskie, Anderson recommends doing this after every cast because sometimes you just don’t see a big fish following the bait.

Extra Tip: A variation of a figure-8 is a figure-O. The only difference between the two is whether an angler traces the shape of an eight or an “O” in the water.

muskie diagram by Kevin Hand, source:Field & Stream

How to Figure-8

The following steps are how Anderson transitions from a casting retrieve into a figure-8 or figure-O.

Ten to 15 feet away from the boat, move the rod to the side to drastically change the lure’s direction. This triggers strikes. It also gets the rod and angler prepared to start a figure-8.
“Meet the leader with the rod tip as close to the leader as possible without touching the rod at either the left or right side of you, not straight in front of you,” Anderson said. “This will allow for a larger circle or circles within the figure-8, which is important because big fish can’t turn sharp circles.”
Transition from the casting retrieve into a figure-8 by pushing the rod tip down in the water four to five feet, while moving it lengthwise along the gunnel. Keep the lure moving at the speed it had during the retrieve. Do not slow down.

PowerPro Braided Spectra Fiber Micro Filament Fishing Line
Move the rod to make the shape of a lengthwise eight, like this “∞”, or make a large circle for a figure-O.
Raise and extend the rod tip to enlarge the outer curves of the “∞” or “O”. This also introduces vertical movement, another key trigger.
Complete two sequences. Then experiment with speed changes, such as moving the lure faster through the corners.
Continue until you’re confident there is not a fish around. Even then, Anderson suggests a few more circles for good measure.

“A lot of the best anglers that I’ve fished with figure-8 or figure-O longer than everyone else,” Anderson said. “Amazingly the longer you go with a figure-8, especially in tough conditions, the more effective it can be.”

Extra Tip: Anderson uses 12- to 14-inch fluorocarbon leaders between 150- and 200-pound test tied to 80- to 100-pound PowerPro Braid Spectra fishing line when casting. He uses this length of leader so the lure action is maximized while closely following the rod tip.

Fishing the Figure-8 - Hook Set Tips

When a muskie strikes, set the hook towards the fish’s tail or to the side. Move the rod horizontally. Do not pull the rod up.

“Keep that rod tip in the water,” Anderson said. “Do not let that fish’s head out of the water because the first thing he’s going to do is open his mouth and shake like a pit bull on a dog bone, and if that mouth is open you risk losing that fish.”

After setting the hook, Anderson loosens his cinched-down drag. He’s aiming to have the fish take three to six feet of line away from the boat.

Shimano TranX Baitcast Reel

“It’s about controlling the fish at that point,” Anderson said. “Your fight is more about leading that fish. Not letting it jump, not letting the head up out of the water.”

Extra Tip: Longer muskie rods make larger and deeper figure-8 circles, while providing increased control and leverage when playing fish. Anderson considers 8’6” a minimum, and uses Shimano Compre and G. Loomis MUR1026 fishing rod models. Shimano TranX 500 and 400 models like the Shimano TranX Baitcast Reel are his fishing reels of choice.

Try Anderson’s figure-8 tips on your next outing and, with some luck, you might experience one of the greatest thrills in freshwater angling courtesy of the fish of 1000 casts.

Fishing Tip - Video Fundamentals of the "Figure 8" - The Next Bite

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Pete Maina: 10 Secrets to Trolling for Muskie

Jonathan LePera — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 16:03:48 +0000

Pete Maina: 10 Secrets to Trolling for Muskie

Jonathan LePera Wed, 11/30/2016 - 10:03

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Muskie

Muskie expert Pete Maina is a master at targeting monster muskies during the fall when he sets his casting rods aside to troll for trophy fish. One thing is for certain ... Pete knows how to fish muskie and he's got ten tips for the surest way to catch fish consistently.

1. Key Indicators Troll Fishing is Going to Produce

The Humminbird® HELIX® 12 Mega SI G2N GPS Fishfinder and Chartplotter

When efficiency is key, trolling allows Maina to eliminate unproductive water quickly. Example, a lake with fairly straight break lines and lays fairly flat or has large areas devoid of structure calls for trolling techniques.

2. Good Lines From Bad?

He’ll use Humminbird Helix 12 fishfinder units, GPS, and Humminbird's LakeMaster mapping to keep his lures in the right zone. “Where there’s tonnes of forage, the big predators are going to show even if you don’t catch one at that time,” he said. He’ll punch a waypoint and check the spot throughout the day.

On a sharp breaking deal, down-imaging is more important whereas the flat-type deal is made simple with side-imaging. Screen watching definitely works as Maina’s caught fish that he saw using side-imaging.

Transitions where the bottom changes from hard to soft are important and he’s aware that bait like suckers and bullheads are not easily identifiable when trolling at 3- to 4-mph. He’ll have rods spread out aware that he might stumble onto an unassuming area, like a non-descript shoreline, that can produce. “Normally the classic stuff is best. You find stuff that doesn't technically look good- but it is,” he said.

5. Muskie Feeding Windows

“Rarely will you troll and get bites every hour,” Maina explained. “You are probably going to have 1 to 2 windows of activity during the fall. They’ll be caused by weather events or if you have extreme steady weather it is going to come on a moon rise or moon set overhead or underfoot.”

6. Getting Geared Up to Catch Muskie

Maina advises anglers to spread their lures through the water column while maximizing the legal number of lines allowed out.

During the fall, especially after turnover, he’ll run one bait about half way down in the water column for suspended fish and one right near the bottom.

Mud basin lakes call for a higher bait, a bait running 2-feet off bottom, and one covering the mid-range of the water column. He’ll switch rods out once he figures the fish out.

7. Dialing it In on Your Trolling Speed

During the fall, Maina’s average trolling speed is 3.5 mph- he’ll slow down in dingier water. Pay close attention to the trolling speed as muskies can be patterned based on the speed of the lure.

Try different speeds and don’t be shy to make aggressive sharp turns. “Those outside lines are always going to speed up especially if you‘re using planer boards. They’ll speed up and the other ones will slow down and you can usually pattern when the strikes occur. If I get a strike on a bait that is slowing down on the inside turn, maybe I better back off on the speed or vice versa,” Maina said.

Walleye guys aren’t the only ones wise to the planer board program, Maina runs boards on flat areas. He’ll cover as much water as possible. Keeping a close eye on his electronics, he’ll watch for sharp breaks, depth, and muskies as he believes they lay on bottom during the fall. Muskies are prone to follow so Maina will speed up, slow down, or stall the bait out to trigger a bite.

8. Boat Rigging 101

If he only had 4 rods when fishing non-descript flats, Maina sticks one rod in the prop and spreads the other 3 to cover more water. “There’s something about the prop wash bait, even if it might be 10-feet or more below that kicker motor, sometimes fish just want that,” he said.

When running a break line, he’ll usually run 2 or 3 rods downline to get his baits deeper depending on how sharp the break line is. The sharper it is, the more he’s going to want to concentrate right in that zone. Depending on whether or not it is super shallow on the inside, he may run an inside bait or an outside suspending bait.

9. The Muskie Fishing Gear

Maina runs both the Bass Pro Shops Muskie Angler Rod Series in a 9-foot and 8’6” model, the latter doubling as a great trolling rod. He prefers an Abu Garcia reel that has a line counter and spool capacity of 200 yards of line. He’ll run 40-lb test monofilament line on anything that has a release be it a down-rigger, in-line planer board, or mast system.

On downlines, he’ll run Seaguar 80-pound Threadlock braided line with 8- foot leaders of 100- to 130-pound Seaguar Abrazx fluorocarbon. He likes the invisibility of fluorocarbon and it’s better for the fish since muskies like tend to roll at the end of a fight and steel leaders can cut them.

Fall calls for bigger baits like the Livingston Bulldozer. He’ll troll soft-plastics and also a smaller cheater lure to mix things up. His big crankbaits will be a mix of jointed, straight, flat-sided, and round-sided baits. “Bigger fish like bigger baits,” Maina said.

He’ll match the hatch but keep color selection pretty simple knowing most lakes have something silvery white or resembling cisco patterns. Gold works where walleye and smallmouth are prey to muskies, clear water means natural perch patterns, and dark water requires chartreuse and red/orange.

10. Operation Fish Care

Maina pointed out muskie are much easier to release in the fall and can handle being out of water for a quick photo as opposed to the summer where fish never leave the water.

During the fall, Maina cautions anglers to be extra careful with pulling muskies out of deep water. It's not healthy to catch Muskie deeper than 25 feet you will cause damage to the fish resulting in swim bladder issues, because the pressure change is too much. “I’ve caught muskies trolling off the bottom in as deep as 52- feet. I stopped doing it is because the fish can’t handle the ascent- they can’t bleed their bladder. You get fish that are totally bloated and can’t swim so they go belly up. You shouldn’t target fish any deeper than 25-feet.” Fish that are hooked on deeper running baits in the 15 – to 25- foot range should be gingerly fought and slowly reeled back to the boat.

Swim bladder disease, also called swim bladder disorder or flipover, is a common ailment in catch and release game fish and aquarium fish. The swim bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth without having to waste energy in swimming. Swim Bladder Disease, Wikipedia

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Quiz: Are You Ready to Catch the Biggest Muskie of Your Life?

Bass Pro Shops 1Source — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 21:05:16 +0000

Quiz: Are You Ready to Catch the Biggest Muskie of Your Life?

Bass Pro Shops… Mon, 09/26/2016 - 16:05

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Muskie

From Labor Day until freeze up is when muskies put on the feedbag. Any angler worthy of the name “muskie hunter” knows if he or she is ever going to catch “50” – inches or pounds—this is when it’s going happen! Before you head into the autumn lair of the muskellunge, test your knowledge here to see if you are truly prepared or... should you stick to sunfish?

SHOP: Bass Pro Shops for all your Musky fishing tackle.

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New World Record Muskie Released

Pros4- 1Source — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 21:15:05 +0000

New World Record Muskie Released

Pros4- 1Source Fri, 01/22/2016 - 15:15

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Muskie

Dominic Hoyos of Stillwater, Minn. and Dean Block of Ramsay, Minn. are hardcore muskie anglers. This pair hardly pursues muskies until the middle of the summer and then truly focuses on big fish when many anglers have packed away their gear in favor of slaying a deer.

Their prime time to target big muskies is the month of November. Their lake of choice, Mille Lacs in Minnesota. This year their efforts paid off with a massive muskie that was estimated by the new 'big fish release' formula devised by muskie historian Larry Ramsell to weigh in the high 50 pound class.

No wimpy gear in their arsenal. Think tackle that could land a tarpon or other large saltwater predator. In fact, according to Block, he gets plenty of time in the salt and has adopted some of the heavy-tackle methods to muskie hunting.

"We really hunt for big muskies," said Block. "I mean, Dominic and I go after big fish in the fall. Fish in the 50-inch plus range. November is the top month to catch them on Mille Lacs.

"Dominic runs a business and I am off work from my job during that time period. We can really dedicate ourselves to understanding big fish on Mille Lacs and what we need to do to catch them.

"Some of our gear is up to 100-pound line with 200-pound leaders. We rarely encounter smaller fish this time of the year. I fish quite a bit in the saltwater and I have adopted some of the heavy gear ideas to fishing for muskies."

Ironically, the big muskie they caught the day before Thanksgiving 2015 wasn't caught using massive gear. Well, at least not the 100-pound class.

"We were using 30-pound Yo-Zuri Hybrid line on the rod that caught the big muskie," said Block. "First off, that line can land huge fish. I use a lot of Ande line, too. The reason for not using the super-heavy braid on that setup is because we were using an Off Shore planer board. The clips from the planer boards don't hold well on lighter braid pulling big crankbaits in rougher water, so we prefer to use heavy mono or hybrid."

"We also remove the back clip and run the line through a heavy snap lock. That way you can pop the one clip free and the board will just run down the line. It is an efficient way to help catch more muskies."

The lure tied onto the monster muskie setup was a custom painted Grandma. "The big fish Dominic reeled in was caught with a Grandma," said Block. "I have them custom painted. There is just something about the loud colors we use that seem to trigger the big fish."

A general tip these mega-muskie hunters suggest is to troll in the late fall.

"Most muskie anglers on Mille Lacs cast for their fish," said Block. "We find that trolling is a more efficient method to search for the big fish.

"We get plenty of big rips on our lures each season. Anywhere you can troll for muskies, I'd suggest giving that a try and using the Off Shore boards like we do for muskies, especially now they have released the new board designed for muskies."

The giant muskie, measuring 55.25"X30" has been accepted as the new Modern Day Released World Record, under a new program administered by muskie historian Larry Ramsell and hosted by MuskieFIRST.com, the world's largest and most popular Muskie publication. The fish was carefully documented and meets all the requirements of the program, according to Mr. Ramsell.

Hoyos and Block will be presented with a matching set of new World Record Release plaques at the Minnesota Muskie Expo this Spring.

by Pros4- 1Source's Dave Landahl

Region

Midwest

Tags

muskie fishing

Muskie Fishing Basics: Locations, Timing, and Lures

Pros4- 1Source — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 17:47:57 +0000

Muskie Fishing Basics: Locations, Timing, and Lures

Pros4- 1Source Mon, 03/16/2015 - 12:47

Category

Muskie

Sometimes muskie fishermen seem to spend as much time in bait shops as they do on the water. Muskie hunters seem to need all the latest and greatest baits in order to catch that one fish of ten thousand casts.

Right now is a great time to take an assessment of your muskie tackle in order to fill in the gaps. There are a ton of muskie shows around the country with vendors who would like to help you with discounted lures along with a wide variety of them.

In order to put the odds in your favor, it is important to keep in mind some of the key feeding periods and locations for muskies:

* Low-light periods such as early morning, evening, or at night
* Just before low-pressure storm fronts roll in
* A few days before and after full moon periods
* Wind-blown shorelines/rock reefs
* Big patches of cabbage or other fish-holding weeds with multiple open pockets and boulders around

Muskies are at the top of the freshwater food chain and are not the most aggressive fish. Triggering fish to bite is the key to any successful muskie angler. Knowing when and how to fish a particular bait is often more important than the bait itself. The point is you just don't need a suitcase full of expensive lures to be successful.

Shopping List of Essential Lures

1. Bucktails, like Venom Outdoors' twin-bladed Rattler, work in spring, summer and fall by creating flash and vibration to attract and trigger muskies. They are also an efficient lure that is designed to cover water fast and effectively. They can be reeled fast to stay near the surface, or more slowly, to go deeper.

Use Colorado-bladed bucktails to run high in the water column or you can weight them to run deeper. Smaller blades can be reeled faster. Speed sometimes is the key to trigger strikes. Big double-bladed spinners with #10 size blades, have been very productive in capturing monster muskies.

The walls of tackle stores are covered with every color in the rainbow. But keep it simple. White and silver work well. Combinations of chartreuse, orange and black are good in dingy water or at night. Flashabou/tinsel are excellent when the forage are shiny like ciscoes, tullibee, or shad.

2. A 10- to 12-inch crankbait like a Grandma can be twitched to resemble a wounded baitfish. It can be used shallow or deep. A few outlandish colors aren't bad to stand out in a crowd. But make sure to have natural colors that resemble the forage.

3. A topwater propeller bait can be retrieved across the surface at varying speeds. They work best when surface temperature is above 65 degrees or are devastating at night. There's nothing better than a gigantic muskie hitting at boatside when you can't see it!

4. A second topwater bait can offer a different look. Try a Jackpot, which slides from side-to-side. Or a Suick which is more a jerk bait, but dives just slightly below the surface.

5. A pin-style spinnerbait offers both flash and vibration and can be fished top to bottom, fast or slow. The pin-style spinner also can be jigged up and down below the boat or trolled over the top of weedbeds, on weed edges, over wood and along drop-offs.

6. Larger crankbaits can also be used for trolling. Make sure you vary your speed in order to trigger strikes or find out what the fish want.

7. Plastic baits have caught a lot of winning fish on the Pro Musky Tournament Trail, according to Jim Saric of Musky Hunter Magazine. Bull Dawgs make great 'throw-back' lures to trigger strikes after a follow on a crankbait. They shine on pressured waters and during tough times, including cold-front conditions.

No matter the lure you are throwing, always do a 'figure-8' at boatside after every cast. When trolling lures, speed up and slow down, in addition to making sharp 'S' turns with your boat. The change of speed and direction are key strike inducers.

Catch and Release Tools

Muskie anglers, who give everything they have to catch one fish, can't get that fish back in the water fast enough after finally subduing it. To be gentle on the giants you release, it's important to get quality tools for the purpose. Long needle-nose pliers and bolt cutters are must-haves. A protective fish-handling glove improves the odds of a safe release. Every boat should be equipped with an extra large net to keep the muskie in the water while you grab your release tools and a camera.

There's no need to take out a loan to buy a boatload of muskie gear, but it is beneficial to start with some key pieces. Keep your lures wet and be prepared to make a bunch of casts. Always maintain a positive mental attitude and make yourself believe that a big 'ski is right behind the very next cast!

Region

Midwest

Tags

muskie fishing

Fishing Tip

Light Tackle Muskies?

Greg 'Bo' Miller — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 15:03:36 +0000

Light Tackle Muskies?

Greg 'Bo' Miller Wed, 10/08/2014 - 10:03

Category

Muskie

I fished a bass tournament on Barbee Chain of Lakes in Warsaw, Ind. It was May -- chilly, about 65 degrees and sunny. We set out for a day of bass fishing but soon found things would quickly change. As we were motoring to our spot, which looked like it should hold some fish, I took notice to the several fisherman surrounding one area. I watched as anglers cast these huge crankbaits -- almost as big as the fish I planned on catching that day. I thought to myself, "Wow, ten minutes of throwing those cranks, and I'm done".

Now I'm not much of a muskie fisherman. In fact, I really don't know anything at all about them, but I've heard the adage, "Muskie are the fish of a thousand cast". Maybe that's why I don't fish for them. I'd rather make ten casts and catch three fish! But I was soon on to something. As we weaved our way to the back of a very long channel, I took my 7-foot medium heavy rod, 8-pound Bonehead Tackle monofilament line and a Bass Pro Shops Stik-O. We were throwing in two feet of water when I noticed what appeared to be a torpedo streaming through the channel.

I casted my Stik-O bait toward the wake and all the sudden, "SLAM". I hooked in to the biggest fish I've ever seen. After about twenty minutes of fighting this huge fish, I landed a 20-pound musky. Well, it wasn't just one. My partner and I caught two, landed one and lost the other. My point being that sometimes you just have to go unconventional. Yes, I may have just gotten lucky: landing my fish with 8-pound line, but I did fight it for quite a while and played it well. Apparently, finesse fishing tactics work for these monsters also!

White seemed to be the color Stick-O on this occasion. We ended up catching only a few bass during this tournament, but catching the musky made the drive all worth while. So the next time you're going out and the lake your fishing has these beast in it, think out of the box and lighten up! Good fishing!

Find more tips on fishing muskie, visit Find The Forage, Find The Muskie at Bass Pro Shops 1Source.

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Tips for Fishing Fall and Winter Southern Muskie

Don Wirth — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 11:00:00 +0000

Tips for Fishing Fall and Winter Southern Muskie

Don Wirth Tue, 09/30/2014 - 06:00

Category

Muskie

It may surprise you to learn that the fabled toothy monster of the Far North, the muskellunge, occurs in a growing number of lakes and rivers throughout Dixie.

In highland reservoirs, where muskies gravitate to offshore humps and dropoffs, fish are most commonly caught using trolling methods.

Fall and winter are prime times to fish for Southern muskies. As the water chills, muskies suspending in cavernous reservoirs or holding in dark river holes move shallower and feed more aggressively. It can't get too cold for these beasts — they're highly catchable in Dixie all winter long. Want to experience musky fever? First check with your state's fisheries department to see where muskies are stocked, then try these proven patterns.

Highland Reservoirs

Muskies thrive in some deep, clear Southern impoundments. Many highland reservoirs have only a tiny population of muskies left over from aborted stocking programs. A few (notably Dale Hollow Reservoir, Tennessee/Kentucky) have fairly strong musky populations. Highland reservoirs usually have little fish-attracting cover; muskies gravitate to offshore humps and dropoffs and are most commonly caught by trolling.

I've fished highland lakes extensively for muskies. Here are some patterns that can put you on trophy fish in these big bodies of water:

Bay Pattern

In fall, trolling large bays off the main body of the lake can produce whopper muskies. Fish moving out of their main-lake summer haunts funnel through these areas on their way into the tributaries where they spend the winter. The best bays access one or more major tributaries. They have deep water in the form of a channel or food shelf, over which muskies suspend; a large flat with scattered stumps or weed cover; a major point with a deep channel access; or a submerged hump.

Fall is a time of transition. You may find some muskies entering the bay, others suspending there and waiting for the tributaries to cool down, still others pushing into the creek arms.

Baitfish ball up in bays big-time by late fall and will be clearly evident on your graph; bait schools commonly suspend from 20 to 30 feet deep in open water. Muskies will suspend near this food source, often along with bass and walleye. Use fairly small lures in the fall. I've had the best luck with spoons and beefy bass crankbaits.

Tributary Pattern

When the water dips below 50 degrees, muskies head into the tributaries and can be taken by flatline trolling a variety of lures. Large bass crankbaits and big jointed musky plugs will produce jarring strikes. Target submerged weedbeds, rock ledges, steep channel bluffs and long, slow-tapering points from 10 to 20 feet deep. The tributary pattern produces all winter long, even when the water temp dips into the mid-30's. It dies when seasonal deluges send lake levels skyrocketing.

Walleye Pattern

Many Southern highland lakes have a good population of walleye, a.k.a. "musky candy." In late winter, a warm rain can trigger a walleye spawning run into the upper reaches of the reservoir, and send muskies on a feeding rampage. Walleye whackers occasionally catch giant muskies while trolling perch-pattern crankbaits or drifting live minnows.

Timbered Reservoirs

These tree-studded impoundments can offer superb musky fishing. Cave Run Lake, Kentucky, is our best example; it's Dixie's premier musky fishery and one of the best in North America.

The tributaries of timbered reservoirs are full of standing and fallen trees, around which muskies hold. A deep channel lined with wood cover serves as a sanctuary for suspending fish. Weedbeds may be present in the creek arms. Water in timbered reservoirs is usually clear to moderately stained, but may turn muddy quickly after a hard rain.

Milfoil Pattern

"In October, with the water in the 70 degree range, muskies will move to milfoil beds in the backs of the 'hollows' (v-shaped tributary arms)," Mullins said. "The weedbeds are 2 to 12 feet deep; the best beds are on steep breaks that drop into 20 to 25 feet of water. This is a run-and-gun pattern — unlike in Northern muskie waters, our weedbeds are small and scattered."

Mullins favors a fast presentation with bucktails (large spinnerbats with hair skirts), shallow-running musky crankbaits, jerk baits, topwater lures and buzz baits. On cloudy days, muskies will hang around the outsides of the beds and can be extremely aggressive; the bite declines on bright days, when they bury in the grass.

Jerkbait Pattern

"All through November, jerkbaiting is great on timbered reservoirs. Muskies respond best to a lazy, gliding jerkbait presentation. Target standing timber and laydown logs on ledges that stairstep out from 5 to 25 feet of water."

Point Pattern

"When the water drops into the high- to mid-50-degree range, usually around Thanksgiving, target deep points with standing timber and cast big deep-running crankbaits. Cast shallow and retrieve out deep, then reverse this presentation until you find what they want. Don't rule out a jerkbait, either." Mullins says this pattern generally holds through Christmas.

Timberline Trolling Pattern

"In November and December, you can often connect with a big fish by trolling the outer edge of the standing timber lining the old river channel. Many of these trees top out 12 to 15 feet below the surface. Troll all the way up to the creek mouths using big crankbaits. We troll three plugs, two deep and one shallow. This pattern holds until the water drops to around 50 degrees, which is when I quit fishing to begin my annual seminar round at sports shows."

Moving Water Patterns

Muskies are native to some Southern rivers and can be locally abundant in small feeder creeks. Rivers holding muskies can range in character from slow-moving to Class 5 whitewater. Many of the best musky streams in West Virginia are fishable only from a jon boat or by wading.

Ona., W.V., angler Ray Hensley has caught some huge muskies from moving water. Here are some patterns he recommends:

Pool Pattern

"Floating downstream in a jon boat will take you through a series of shallow shoals and deeper holes. In the fall, muskies are primarily in the holes and will be concentrated around submerged trees and logs. Fish the entire length of the pool with jerkbaits and crankbaits, casting these to wood cover coming off the shoreline and to trees in the middle of the pool. I like clear water best. Under optimal conditions, you may see upwards of a dozen big fish a day — that's exciting fishing."

High-water Pattern

"In midwinter, a heavy rain can produce an unusual and productive stream pattern. As the river rises, muskies move upstream until they encounter an obstruction, usually a spillway or mill dam. This often occurs in December in our region. Muskies will hold behind current breaks in fast water and in eddies at the base of the spillway, and will rush out to nail a big crankbait. The locals who get in on this pattern burn their crankbaits extremely fast, even though the water is cold."

Region

International

Tags

Surface Lure Success for Muskies

Pete Maina — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 15:00:00 +0000

Surface Lure Success for Muskies

Pete Maina Mon, 06/30/2014 - 10:00

Category

Muskie

I’ll take a muskie any way I can get one – whatever the method, if it results in a successful catch and release of a nice muskie, I’m all for it. And while I guess my favorite lure to use overall would be a jerkbait, nothing compares to seeing the surface of the water pushed upward behind a top-water lure seconds before the seas part and teeth slash. Regardless of how laid back a person may be, anyone experiencing this will also experience accelerated heart rate, significant excitement and immediate reactionary gushing of some type … or, they’re dead.

There are many different types of topwater lures.

Surface Lures

Surface lures are an integral part of many muskie anglers’ arsenals. Others, though, use them very little. And surface baits really never seem to get credit for being “big-fish baits,” which in reality, they are. (I’ll never forget the sight I witnessed when one of the biggest fish I’ve ever seen inhaled an in-line planer board I was using to spread lures while trolling). There are also a few misconceptions regarding surface bait use that few folks realize. They are more versatile than most anglers realize.

There are many different types of topwater baits. Some work better in certain scenarios than others, while some are much more versatile and productive in a variety of situations. Here’s a rundown of some of my top surface lure choices; let’s start off with the prop-type baits, which involve a body and rotating blades on a shaft in front or behind the body, or both. These baits are pretty versatile. Most will spin at slower speeds as well as fast. They are most often used with quicker retrieves though, and are great for covering water quickly. They are also great with a rip-and-pause retrieve. Also included here are the globe-type lures, which have a separate front section to which blades are attached; this whole front “head” section rotates on the shaft. Prop-types produce a steady sound.

Along the same lines are the old Mud Puppy, Tallywacker and consequential spin-offs, which are also a two-section lure on a shaft, except in this case, the rear portion is smaller, to which a blade is attached (usually a single) that extends parallel to the lure body. This produces an erratic plop-plop-plop sound and causes the back end of the lure to vibrate. These are generally best with a steady retrieve at medium speed.

Then we have the “creeper-types.” These lures are pretty unique, somehow resembling a cross between a bird and a frog. They involve a body with a set of wings, which cause these lures to have exaggerated side-to-side wobble and a deep plop-plop sound. These lures are best with a straight, slow retrieve. Very enticing, and a good choice for night fishing.

Also in the slow, enticing category is the Hawg Wobbler style – definitely a unique innovation that continues to catch fish. This is a jointed lure that incorporates a crankbait-type lip in the front, which causes it to have an exaggerated wobble; it has the addition of a small prop on the shaft behind the rear section for a little extra sound. It’s got great action and sound – a great “teaser” bait.

Finally, there are the zig-zag baits or surface gliders like the Zara Spook, Fishstick or a hybrid like Sebile’s Splasher. These lures generally have slender, oval-shaped bodies with no props. They require a twitching action with the rod from the angler, causing them to bounce from one side to the other on the surface (walking the dog). Retrieves are slow to medium – more of a finesse fishing situation.

What types do you use and when to use them

OK, with this in mind, what types do we want to use and when? First of all, a common misconception is the season. Many folks only use surface lures in warm-water temps, in warm conditions, and some have a rule to leave them in the box until they start seeing ducklings swimming around. Silly idea.

A general rule, the rougher the water, the more sound and size you want in your surface lure. Shop muskie fishing tackle.

I’ve been very successful with surface lures in cooler-water temps during the spring and fall. I’ve seen several spring days on which surface lures seem to be the only thing muskie will strike, while other lures types only produce lackadaisical follows.

Another misconception is that surface lures are only effective in dead calm or slightly rippled water. Fact is – they can be deadly in whitecaps. A good general rule to keep in mind, though, involves the amount of wave action you are dealing with when choosing a surface lure type. Basically, the rougher the water, the more sound and size you want. Certainly any lure may produce, but noisier lures consistently out-produce quieter offerings in rough water. On the other hand, when waters are calmer, there definitely seems to be a limit to the noise level fish will be attracted to. The noisy stuff will get few responses in calm water.

For dead-calm water, the best choices are generally the Hawg Wobbler or Creeper types. Also, throw in the zig-zag stuff here. These lures can be deadly from calm water to moderate, but seem to lose their edge in heavy waves. In moderate wave action, the prop-types, globe and Tallywacker-style stuff works great. Certain lures that fall into these categories are noisier than others. These can be very effective in rough water, as well, and would be my suggestion in the roughest conditions.

The sound factor is very interesting. Any true surface bait expert will tell you that subtle differences in sound can make all the difference, and that often two lures of the exact same type will have slightly different sounds out of the package and that one will out-fish the other. With the exception of zig-zags, these lures can be tuned to produce different sounds. Some come with instructions; some don’t. But slight tweaks will change the sound. It’s a tough art to learn, because what you think sounds good really doesn’t matter all that much. The fish have to tell you that, but some folks have really mastered the art of tuning to get different sounds out of the same lures to see what fish are in the mood for.

Surface bait gurus are usually masters at detecting follows too. Anyone would notice a 6-inch-high hump of water behind their bait, but the more subtle stuff requires a watchful eye. Basically, it has everything to do with how close the fish is holding to the surface. Often rather than a hump, there is just a slight disturbance created by the back fin or tail of a muskie that is following a little lower. If this can be detected, there is a better chance of doing something that may trigger a strike before the lure reaches boat-side.

Basically, triggering a fish noted in mid-retrieve is preferable, and simply changing the pattern of the retrieve is usually the best approach. These tactics include pauses, twitches, zig-zagging, speeding up (generally, speeding up is always a good idea) or stopping (not slowing; stopping). Often, a long rip followed by a stoppage works too. If these things don’t trigger, or the follower isn’t noticed until lure is at boat-side, with most surface lures, a subsurface figure-eight is the best way to go, as fish are if anything, more apt to strike – and subsurface hook-ups are much better. Fish will strike at the surface, but odds are better below.

by Pete Maina

Region

United States

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