The Official Musky Thread

[uptracker]

Well, lets start it off with early Spring/Summer tactics!

[Gone Fishing]

Opener tactics: I start off by loading the boat with down rods, corner rods, long rods, board rods, planer boards, releases, various weights, terminal tackle, beer/pop, food and approx 300 various baits. I head out into Lake St. Clair with a group of fellow M-S members and proceed to get skunked! :p

[wolverines]

Every musky I've caught was while bass fishing in the shallows, usually in the late spring/early summer. I'll see guys trolling and launching these gient baits all over and not getting bit while I'll be getting 'em on shallow cranks, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, plastics, all bass sizes.

I caught this one on a Mann's Baby-OneMinus in about 1 FOW...
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/fish_0191.jpg (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/fish_0191.jpg)

[uptracker]

wolverines: Most guys know to downsize in the early spring for musky. A lot of guys use slow retrieve bass baits and upsize the hooks and split-rings. Good tip for those who didn't know that. (I've been reading a ton on this stuff:D)

[Duke]

Keep in mind that most musky anglers are after the biggest musky in the lake, not necessarily just any musky in the lake. So while downsizing in the spring and going shallow will definitely get you more fish, the odds are still better to catch a trophy if you go bigger. It takes a different kind of cat to purposely catch less fish, but "different" describes your average musky nut as a rule, and that is just what many are doing that you see.

[fishinthed]

Nice (about 40 inch -- leader was 16.5 inches long from knot to knot for reference) musky caught fishing for pike with a 6" flatfish trolled in about 5 feet of water in the prop wash of a very noisy motor a couple weeks ago.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/Musky_2008-05-06_F_1b_trim.JPG

Duke is right on. With larger baits you get less numbers, but definitely bigger average size. Last fall I was chucking 5 inch pretty wide profile baits from shore and getting walleyes averaging 23.5 inches and 5 lb -- but not great numbers of 'em.

The average size of big-mouthed predators I've been catching (pike, muskies, LM Bass, rock bass, even walleyes) has been about 4 to 5 times the length of the lure, i.e. about 25-30" fish for a 6" lure. I've caught bass just over twice the length of the lure. I think feeding fish go for what they can get, but would rather get a good meal if it's available.

But then, I've seen a good musky caught on a tiny (about 1.5-2 inch) Rat-L-Trap -- a very loud bait... probably annoyed the fish into striking. The rattling 6" flatfish is also a very, very loud bait that "broadcasts" like mad in the water, especially at about 3mph!

For what it's worth, I think noise attracts muskies and arouses their curiosity more than it spooks them. I will definitely be experimenting with some very noisy techniques this year.

I usually run a very large bait on one rod and a smaller bait to keep the (usually smaller) action coming in on the other rod.

Most important thing is to get the lure within sight or vibration range of the fish at the right speed and tempo.

I also suspect many people fish too deep for muskies in the spring. Muskies can go anywhere they bloody well please, and the water temperatures are most comfortable for the fish in the shallows, so it makes sense the fish would spend more time there.:fish:

[uptracker]

Good write up!

Are you using 100+ lb. fluoro leaders fishinthed? If so, what brands are you using and where are you getting them? I've seen some here in the online, but they seem to use some no-name fluoro.

[Gone Fishing]

Muskies aren’t exactly line shy. I’ve had one hit a release that was dangling off my 200 lb orange braided planer board line. I use 60 lb Big Game low vis green mono for leader material. As far as bait sizes, these 2 fish were both taken on 10 inch baits.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/528/Allen_Big_Muskie.jpg

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/528/Paul_s_big_Muskie.jpg

[Neal]

This one came via nightcrawler harness :)

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/528/medium/21-Photo_21.jpg

[Gone Fishing]

And I suppose you want us to believe you landed it without a net too! :p :lol: ;)

[MakoWish]

Jailbird :D Stayed for a minute, then went back home to the depths :Dhttp://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7221/7053093123060albuo5.jpg

[Neal]

And I suppose you want us to believe you landed it without a net too! :p :lol: ;)

Well since YOU brought it up.....yes, yes I did.

[kbkrause]

Well since YOU brought it up.....yes, yes I did.
He lipped it.

[fishinthed]

That one was caught using a 60 lb Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, with 30lb Big Game line, uptracker. I've switched to P-Line Fluoroclear (fluorocarbon coated co-polymer) for the main line: more castable when I wish to cast. 30 lb line appears plenty strong enough: I've found I could hardly even break off a snag with 30 lb test.

If the main line's 20 lb or less, I go with a 50 lb fluorocarbon leader. No break-offs yet, but I'm pretty much a musky newbie, so little value to that at this point. Call me old-school, but I still think visibility counts.

I got the Seaguar 60 lb as a gift, which was ordered from LSC Musky Shop online. They have it in various tests, I got a 50 yd spool. I got the 50 lb Vanish fluorocarbon line from Andy's Tackle Box in Allen Park. I'm sure Lakeside Fishing shop has various good fluorocarbon leader material spools, too.

Jolly nice muskies there Gone Fishing, Neal and MakoWish!

[UNREEL]

Kinda hard to beat Anchor Bay the first week. Historically big fish(30#+) are caught righ around the Clinton river area. I mix up my spread. Small baits are key early, but some larger baits will always nab you a good fish. Duke is right on the money...If I'm out fun fishing, numbers is what I'm after for my guests. On tournament day, I only want "the one"......

[deadboi77]

i`ve been out a couple times now,but no muskies in the boat yet.
though yesterday,had a 40+" follow my lure right up to my boat.now if i would have been payin attention,i might have caught him

[fishinthed]

Johnobub, you need to clear out your mailbox.

*****

On the subject of big lures, I'm really considering getting one of those giant wall decoration Rapalas, replacing the hooks with not so giant hooks on some spreader arrangement (like old flatfish), and trolling it around for a bit to see if anything happens. :D

[Muskie_Addict]

i`ve been out a couple times now,but no muskies in the boat yet.
though yesterday,had a 40+" follow my lure right up to my boat.now if i would have been payin attention,i might have caught him


I hope you have not been targeting them!!!
The season is not open yet.

[TVCEAST05]

it's open as long as he wasn't in lake st. clair, st. clair river, or the detroit river

[Walker's Stalker]

Seeing those photos gets me pumped for the opener here on St. Clair, can't wait to try out my new Terminators!!!

as soon as I hear that they're done that is

[johnobub]

[quote=fishinthed;2135288]Johnobub, you need to clear out your mailbox.


Sorry fishinthed, I had a full mailbox. It's cleared out now.
Thanks.
John

[deadboi77]

it's open as long as he wasn't in lake st. clair, st. clair river, or the detroit river
yep,i`m a bit further north*central area*