Hookup Percentage

[loebs93]

This musky fishing has pushed my patience to its limits. I haven't given up and never will - I just have too much time and money invested into it now.

I went out this past weekend bound and determined to get that magical first musky. As you may have guessed already, that didn't happen. Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday morning were all spent on the water casting nothing but musky lures. The only fish to show for all that effort was one 22 inch pike on a Sloppmaster. Other than that, I’ve had numerous follows and explosions on the water. It is considered a decent day when that happens.

One bait that seems to be moving fish for me is the Giant Jackpot. On several occasions fish have either followed it back to the boat or taken a stab at it on the retrieve. Is there anything you guys do that my increase your hookup percentage with walk-the-dog baits? For this time of the year, is this a good bait for me to use to get my first? Any other suggestions? There is no desperation yet, but I am getting somewhat frustrated. Every cast I learn something more, and every cast brings me one step closer to getting a fish in the net - not to mention a huge sigh of relief and a gigantic smile on my face.

Also, I’m looking for some good musky fishing reads either from an online source or from a magazine.

Thanks guys

Loebs

[shamalex72]

A good book is "muskies on the shield" by Dick Pearson. Have you tried other top waters or just the jackpot? You could try a prop style bait? I've had a lot better hook up percentege with those, but I still throw the jackpot style more just because I think they are more fun to watch zig-zagging all the way in.

[loebs93]

I regularly throw a black and blaze orange SuperTopraider in clear water. I like using it, but often lack confidence in the color pattern. Do natural colors produce better in clear water? What about black only? I read “A Study of Color” in Musky Hunter Magazine that talked about the different colors. Black baits seemed to be the most visible in a variety of water clarities.

[markkstanley]

Color preference is weird when it comes to skies. Minnetonka is black and orange country even though water is clear. Then brown and gold followed by white. You can forget throwing anything in natural perch colors. Doesn't work. Chartruese is the color for northerns though.

[Jim Hudson]

loebs

For walk the dog top waters, the hook up ratio is usually pretty poor due to the erratic nature of these baits. Things to look at for these lures is how they ride in the water. Personally I like these baits to ride low, where it seems only the top of the bait is out of the water as you work it. I have had really good luck with the "Doc" line of top waters from Musky Mania tackle, either the regular size or the baby doc do just what I explained. For myself anyway.. the jackpots seem to be to light and nose up a lot when I work them, so I shy away.

For colors, all lakes seem to be different and fish in each lake seem to take a preference. But for starters, if I haven't fished the lake before and don't have much knowledge, I would first throw baits that mimic the general baitfish population. Or in dark water situations, I usally will first throw a brighter colored lure. Orange really seems to be great in dark waters. If that doesnt work, work in a few different colors until you find a trigger.

Stick with it... as you said, even if you don't catch a fish, you still learn new things each and everyday. Your persistance will soon be paid for!!!

[Tonka Boy]

Loebs,

As others have said, walk the dog lures have very bad hook up percentages. In my opinion they still move more fish than any other topwaters so I stick with them. What had worked for me in the past has been using the Jackpot as a search lure. When I have a follow or a hit (which I didn't catch), I'll toss out a small bucktail as a throw back. You may find another confidence lure which suits yourself. Either way you're bound to pick up a few of these "curious" fish if you give them another choice (with a better hook up percentage). Not always, but your odds are better.

As far as good reads, I like the Muskie Hunter mag and a few web sights with "muskie" in the title. Anything that is dedicated strictly to muskies will do.

Good luck on that first!

[Doonbuggy]

A bulldog is a great 'throwback' lure as it's a different type of lure and you can swim it back fast or real slow.

Note they come in 'shallow' or 'weighted' depending on the type of water you fish. You can tell the 'shallow' ones as they have a small hole punched on the top fin of the bait, if they aren't marked as 'shallow' on the packaging.

Most importantly throw something that you have confidence in. I'm of the belief that you want to cover as much good water as possible, hoping to be in the right spot at the right time when a 'ski wants to eat.

If that's the case, color or style of lure doesn't matter as much. They will want to eat it! - so throw what you have confidence in.

I'll also chime in that I've had some big blowups on a Jackpot but no hookups so while they are real fun to fish the action they have reduces your percentages quite a bit. Topwalkers or Stompers come back to the boat in a straightline and are good choices and come in a wide variety of colors.

TB - great 54" by the way. Last couple of weeks I have heard of a 50, a 53, and your 54 on Tonka. Also saw a couple big girls myself but no hook ups. Yet.

DB

[Big G]

Jack pots SUCK, for the primary reason that 90% of the fisherman pull the lure away from the fish 90% of the time.

If you would watch the geese fly south and work your jackpot, while wearing earmuffs, I'm quite positive that you will hook fish!!!!!!

But it is that dang explosion on the water, that automatically makes a person set the hook on "nothing".

The top raider that is black with the red dots is DEADLY!!!!!!!!!

[jerk bait]

I agree the topraider is the best hookup bait I've used. If you like the walk the dog style try the dancing raider. My son put a 47" muskie in the boat when he was 9 years old it was literally longer than him. They are real easy to work even in a good chop.

[Tonka Boy]

I wouldn't totally downgrade the Jackpot's hooking abilities. I've missed plenty of fish for sure. On the other hand I've caught many, many fish on them as well.

I think Big G said it best though...you'll catch a lot more of them when you're not paying attention!

[Random guy]

Definetly a lure not to watch! It so hard to ignore a walk the dog topwater, that swish-swish-swish seems to put Musky guys into a trance as soon as the water explodes a panic sets in and the you have made one ot the strongest hooksets ever on nothing. I have done this many times but don't give up start walking that bait again as soon as you can. Odds are that fish is turning around for another run at it. We had a fish on Leech we named the "junkyard dog" This dang fish snapped at a Jackpot six times on the way into the boat then sat along side boat and stared at two of us making 8s, as soon as one of us casted out twenty feet and started walking the dog it turned ran out and missed the lure once more...we never did get the fish. So if we would have not been using walk the dog baits would we have caught the fish or would we have even seen the fish? It's all a gamble with the odds when you use a walk the dog. You see alot of fish but you also miss just as many.

[cjac]

The key to the Jackpot is simple......reach for the coffee, watch the ducks fly, adjust your hat, look at the leaves....anything but be locked in on that bait!

I try to apply the "Thousand one, thousand two" delay, figuring if I get halfway thru I am hopefully not pulling it away too soon. It's fun and frustrating all at the same time. Lately all I've had are those little rocket propelled northerns launching at the topwater. Looking to change that this weekend.

[TBone1]

It's happened to me 3 times this year w/ topwaters. I Also figured out that when I get distracted and stop moving the lure I would get a blowup either with the lure dead in the water or shortly after I started moving it. It paid off with a 53"+ last week. As soon as I figure out how to post pictures I'll put them up.

[Random guy]

Tbone send them to me and I can post them for you. If you would like.

[gkl]

I'm a rookie with muskies, but as a rookie, the super top raider (black with green accents) has been great. In four outings, I've had 4 follows and 2 hits (a 42 and a 49, both of which hooked up nicely). I'm sure my 100% hookup won't last long but I'm a big top raider fan!

[BrianLucky13]

Any you guys use the Invader??? Ive had great success with it. Caught 4 fish in 2 weeks with it. But it took awhile to wait to set the hook at the right time. Also had about 10 blow ups with it but they missed completly. Had one explode about 3 feet from the lure(pretty funny.) Also had one explode about 3 feet from the boat and even splashed me with water!!! That scared the you know what out of me. I think they are a great lure and now what I use 90% of the time!!!

[jerk bait]

The biggest key to top waters is WAIT until you feel the fish. I know it's hard to do but with time you get the hang of it. Alot of the time if the if you keep working the bait and the fish misses it will come back for more. If a fish does miss the bait during the retrieve be sure to figure eight for along time at the boat. Some times these fish will hang just out of sight or below the boat and come back and nail the bait even after several trips around the figure eight.If a fish swipes at a topwater he is hot. Try a throwback bait that works slower than the bait you were working, or leave the fish sit for a while and come back when something changes like wind or a front or right at dusk.

[TBone1]

Thanks John for posting the pictures. The first one is a 49" . The second is my biggest so far. Caught on a weagle a dusk in about 2' of water.

[Random guy]

Some nice fish! I see by your knee on the first pic that fish told you just how it felt about spending time in a boat.

[TBone1]

The boat got a good scrubbing after that outing1

[buzzsaw]

Very nice pictures TBone!! I'm jealous!! Any plans on doing a replica or are you holding out for bigger?

[TBone1]

Thanks Buzz -I've been told that I will probably won't top that but time will tell. I did lose a fish 4 days earlier that was about the same size if not a little bigger, so I know for as much as I fish for those big ugly beautiful stinky wonderful beasts that I have a chance.

[Big Fish Hunter247]

I am kinda new to musky fishin but with most of the topwaters that I have used I have found that it is best NOT to wait I hit them right away and I hook up 95 percent of the time thats with bass but I have found that to be true with muskie too I could be wrong but that my luck

Big Fish Hunter247