Livebait fishing

[eyehead]

Whats up guys! So.....with all the talk about livebait fishing lately. I thought it would be something I should at least know how to do. I'm the kinda guy who casts all day but thought maybe next year if I get extremly bored I could try this. Anyway, I got quick-strikes but what else does a guy need. Do you use massive bobbers or just kind let them swim where they please??? Thanks for any input

[Cooter]

For me I'll have a sucker rigged up, always with a quick strike, and either under a big slip bobber or just under the boat with a sinker. It depends on depth, if shallow I'll trail it behind the boat under a bobber. If deeper right off the side of the boat. Note though that I'm in WI and can fish 3 rods so I'm also casting while I have a sucker out.

I know guys that go to MN and fish suckers and they typically either weight them down under the boat and move around slowly with the trolling motor or use a bobber and anchor if fishing a particular piece of structure.

So if you have the quickstrike rigs some big egg sinkers and a bobber or two should have you covered. Hope this helps, later.

[eyehead]

thanks Cooter. How big of suckers do you usually run with?? 12-15"????

[Zelmsdawg]

I'm kinda interested in trying this too. My dad and I fish into nov most years and hes not as crazy as I am. He usually is more interested in eating or listening to the radio and I've thought about just having him drag a sucker behind the boat while I cast to clean up follows.

I have a couple quick strike rigs and would think I'd probably set the sucker down maybe 3 to 5 ft off a bobber on the back of the boat. If you don't use a bobber, how else are you detecting strikes? Do you use a clicker? And the bait shops I've been to only seem to have 4-6" suckers. Are those big enough? Or should I be using ones closer to 10+"?

Thanks

[Cooter]

Yep, I use a reel with a clicker. Size, don't think you can buy them too big - not in fall anyways. I know guys that use them over 20".

[TheHawgTrough]

And the bait shops I've been to only seem to have 4-6" suckers. Are those big enough? Or should I be using ones closer to 10+"?

You want the largest suckers you can find, usually the 14-18 inch ones (large decoy suckers). Even the smaller muskies will take the big suckers.

Cooter's rigs above work, as well as chucking out as far as it will go and letting sick down to the bottom. The sucker should ocassionally pull on the clicker, otherwise put a new sucker on. You'll know when it's a fish (Works well if you know muskies are using the area to feed or as a "highway") Quickstrikes only.

[Zelmsdawg]

Thanks, can't wait to give it a try next year.

Has anyone else had success converting follows off a bow caster into fish with a stern sucker?

[SHAQ]

YEA, all the time, to bad u cant use to lines though cause i usually muskie fish alone. Nobody else i know can stand to fish for like 8 ta 16 hours straight at odd times of the day. The only one i know that could is in the military, but anyway it works well. I like live bait fishing at night or in the early morning. actually its a close second to trolling for me. Casting is way low on my priority list, the lakes i fish are so heavily pressured that these tacticts outfish casting by far. Casting usually just produces follows although figure eights definatally help.