Muskie Help

[nrtiger]

While out bass finshing this weekend in clear water, I came across 2 large muskies in 4-8 ft of water. I tossed several baits with inches and couldn't get them interested. The 1st one was hanging out in some weeds and would move a short distance when I bugged it too much... I found it a short distance away and tossed a very more baits when no luck. I moved to a different calm spot on the lake and found another muskie. This one bugged out when I tossed the first bait. I found it a few minutes later and tossed something else and it bugged out. Later I hooked up a SM bass and this muskie shot out from under the boat and attacked the bass.... I left the bass in the water and it made 4 attempts to catch it with no luck.

What bait / lure would you toss this time of year?

I need help.... my heart can't take it anymore.

[MuskyBrian]

This is how I would usually attack a clear water lake, obviously every lake is different...

I normally throw bucktails from dawn til about 1030-11 AM...ideally I get some action, if not I switch out earlier...

Usually from mid day on I will switch over to a glider ( manta) or especially in clear water a plain black weighted bulldawg...If there is a good amount of wind to make some chop on the water bucktails can still be very effective, if the water becomes dead still in mid day I personally have very little luck with bucktails..In the case you mentioned about seeing fish, the best sight fishing baits in my opinion are definetely plastics, the bulldawg would be the first choice for me there...

In the evening, I switch off between bucktails, plastics, and topwater...

There are certainly no set rules by any means but that's usually the plan of attack I would start off with..

[thatcatguy]

I hear that if you see a muskie sitting in the weeds or just sitting there in open water and he does not want to strike try throwing the bait at it's tail. Throw the bait behind the fish and bring it back to point where it will hit it's tail this bugs the muskie into a strike. Give it a shot it just might make that fish mad enough to take a swipe. I herd this from a old timer at the bait shop that I work at.

[lucy1205]

sound true to me

[nrtiger]

Found a 39 incher in the same area. Still waiting for big one to show up.

[JRedig]

I agree with MuskyBrian on the plastics, i'd recommend having a shallow version of the curly sue's in black and white. They barely sink and that tail twitches really nicely in a slow fall.

I've had luck getting sighted fish to come after WTD topwaters, I rarely cast AT the fish, well beyond to not spook them. If they hear the distance splash and turn towards it, well, that's a good sign!

-JR

[Tim_Anderson]

Best thing I've found for shallow sighted muskies is S P E E D. Burn a bucktail as fast as you possibly can. The idea is to get them to react, and not give them much time to think.

Many times when they're shallow like that, they're not necessarily actively feeding. They may be in there digesting, or just hanging out because the conditions are comfortable for them. A reaction strike may be instinctive, territorial, or a feeding response. Fast seems to be the ticket to trigger them.

To do this for any period of time (ie: on the Mille Lacs sand) you need a big reel with a big spool and a power handle. This will help you immensely with speed, and you won't tire out nearly as fast.

Funny, I have been hearing about muskies chasing and T-boning hooked fish while guys are pulling them in...more than ever this year. It would seem the thing to do is use a walleye colored jerkbait, put it on, and just work it all day. But my friends and I have done it several times, and it doesn't necessarily always work. For some reason, they prefer the real thing!

[mrmanners]

"It would seem the thing to do is use a walleye colored jerkbait, put it on, and just work it all day."

Works well on sheild lakes until you get it stuck on the bottom. I just replaced that one I lost last year and will be attempting this on some local lakes here.