Big suckers

[MN Shutterbug]

Does anyone fish with live bait for northerns nowadays? It seems like all I read about is bucktails and cranks for pike. Doesn't pulling a large sucker behind a spinner rig seem to do the trick these days?

[Random guy]

Live bait trolling/casting has faded off in time. With today’s baits, gear, and methods a angler can fish so much more efficiently using artificial lures that trolling/casting live bait became a thing of the past. I don't think I have pulled live bait for pike or musky since the late eighties/ early nineties.

[fiskyknut]

We still do some of that old school stuff here on the LOTW from time to time. Still works good up here too!

fiskyknut

[MuskyBrian]

A tactic I used to use very frequently as a young man. I think it still has its places..For example, up in Canada if you are fishing a deeper hump that you know has some big fish cruising around, dropping a big minnow down there will not only get you bigger walleyes/bass but will obviously draw in a pike too. I have my dad do this a lot because his casting skills aren't exactly the best.

But saying that, It just is too much of a pain to be transporting large minnows for me, I hate worrying about whether or not they are still alive on my hook, and more importantly it is too expensive for my taste

[river rat316]

HMMMM....... with the name of this post I thought he was calling out you Muskie guys.......... with all the $20 lures you guys fall for it might just give this post a new meaning

Sorry just haveing some fun

[Random guy]

Don't you have a river to go play in?

[river rat316]

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... way to cold out..... been doing my own hand pours and other stuff..... got a 9" swim bait mold the other day, if I could ever figure out a rigging system for it it might be a pretty sweet deal, got 8/0 hooks on order and a wire bender to see if I can fabricate a hitchhiker and treble stinger for it, if I get her figured out I figured the perfect color would be baby bass with a bright red tail