Manta advice on a follow at the boat

[WRD]

The last two years I've been able to get follows on my manta lure, but have been unable to figure out a successful technique at the boat to turn that follow into a photo and release. I've tried using a figure 8, but as soon as I take the lure out of it's gliding motion I lose the interest of the muskie. Can anyone give some helpful advice. On the positive side, at least I'm seeing fish. Thanks.

[Dano_the_jigasaurus]

Keep the glide action by short jerks of the rod consistently through the figure 8. Basically its is just shorter version of your normal rod stroke, that you would use to normally work the manta. I would experiment with this because it is tricky to keep the glide through the figure 8, but with a little practice you will have it down.

There have been some great articles in musky hunter and esox angler about sealing the deal with different baits. I would recommend taking a look at these too.

Dan

[Meat-Run]

WRD,

I know what your saying!!! I use manta's allot in the early season and late fall but to keep them coming in all the way and take on a figure 8 I have been adding twister tails to the front hook or back treple hook. This way it keeps there attention even longer because by the time there at boat side there either on it or almost commited and the twister will or should help keep them focused more on the lure.

One thing to consider is where is your shadow on the water when your fishing? I think your silohet image also scares fish away when doing f8's and or just when they follow. In clear water such as Alex if I see a muskie following I will tend to go to my knees or get lower in my boat to keep them seeing me or anything to scare them away. I made more of an effor this past year to do this and I think it helped me because the fish did come back but just not any of my figure 8's yet. Just a tip and give it a try this summer.

mr

[BrianF]

The advice given is good. However, Manta's don't seem quite as effective in a horizontal '8' as, say, a bucktail or crankbait or bulldawg - for whatever reason.

I have had success with boatside strikes on Mantas using a vertical presentation. Some pretty impressive boatside strikes have been triggered by letting the bait free fall (depending on the water depth your in) for about 6 feet or so, then giving the bait violent upward jerks. Repeat the free fall and jerk process until the fish strikes or loses interest. Usually, if they are going to hit, they hit the thing almost right away though.

In shallow water, I've even caught a couple of fish by allowing the Manta to free fall to the bottom, then jiggled and shook and jerked the bait there; all the while watching how the fish responds. Pretty cool when they slurped the bait in right off the sand.

Just another couple of tricks to pull out of your bag should the traditional horizontal figure 8 fail to work for you.

BrianF.

[WRD]

BrianF, Dano the Jigasaurus and Meat-Run,

Thanks for the helpful hints and techniques. I look forward to trying them out this summer. That's what great about this forum, have a problem someone has an idea. Thanks again.

WRD

[RK]

Hiya -

Some good suggestions already.

Really though, the problem - if it's really a problem rather than just how things are - is the style of bait itself. Jerkbaits in general and gliders in particular are tough to trigger fish with at the boat. The bait's already erratic, and if that doesn't get a fish to hit in the first place, it's tough to do more with the bait, or at least tough to do enough to trigger a following fish. Especially with 'perfect' glide baits that walk the dog no matter what, it's hard to get them to do anything different. When you have that limitation in a bait style that has a lot of attracting ability (which glide baits certainly do) but limited triggering ability... Makes things tough.

Long story short, *anything* you can do to change up the retrieve, and get the fish out of a straight line of travel will help. Seems like as soon as you can get a fish to start moving around, your odds of getting it to hit go way, way up.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[cjac]

Funny you say "perfect".........

Jonesi calls the Manta the Stevie Wonder Bait, because fish just stare at it and move their head back and forth to the "rhythm" of the bait. The Manta almost runs too good.

That's why my collection of Suicks is growing, more of an up/down than side to side I know, but still in the general lure category. Slight adjusts to the tail can make it do all sorts of things.

I've moved more to the Hellhounds. You can make them do some funky stuff, big swings to the side, smooth but wide and erratic all at once. Winter EA mag has a piece about the hounds from Dick Pearson. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me!!!

[Meat-Run]

One thing to keep in mind is that hooking percentages are lower because the size of the manta. Theres more mass to the lure and for that reason if I am missing fish or hits and no hook ups then I go right to a hellhound. Hellhounds and Mantas are my go to glide baits and can move allot of fish.

mr

[Tippman]

I'm fairly new to muskie fishing but love the hellhounds. The problem I've had is so many fish missing it, many of them multiple times. I've tried less movement with it after an initial hit but then don't get them to attack again as often, any tips?

[barnyard]

If you are tipping your lures with twister tales, try using tubes instead.

Tom B

[lookincalifornia]

no skis here in cali, but when i move back i wanna get into lobbing some big baits. i was just wondering does anybody ever circle the boat instead of figure eight? i realize this would be easier with ceertain boats like a bass boat, just wondering if this might help your manta problem. what do i konw?

[Muskycrazy]

Careful what you say lookin' , they might make this vanish too .

[Jim Hudson]

Mantas are popular for a jerk bait, because of the ease of working them... But like has been mentioned, the fish seem to just love following these lures...

Things at boatside that help me or have helped, is incorporating a manuever that I read and seen in action from Josh Borovsky... Keeping the boat moving and still jerking the bait as you move away from it.. This will allow you more time to trigger the fish, without having to fumble with trying to 8 this awkward lure. Keep the trolling motor running and sometimes even speed up... Then keep that bait going and start using a different cadenance, etc.. Has work for me... Takes a bit of getting used to, as we are all accustomed to automatically going into the 8... Give it a try and you may hook up with some followers on the manta.. Or even walk the dog topwaters...

But also, what has been eluded too, there are other jerks...Like the Hellhound or the Undertaker that are just a bit more erratic and will entice more strikes by just being as such..