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Posts: 15
| I've been trying for muskies for since I was about 16 (20 now) and I finally got my first boat this year, and I haven't gotten a nibble! The muskies in my lake are all tigers, I've thrown everything from joe buchers shallow raider (which I will be returning do to poorly made) to double blades, buck tails, and fire tiger j11 jointed rapala, this is the first actual year I'm putting the hammer on them (because I fot boat now but have tried for several weeks this summer) my lake is dark water, lots of weeds not much rock or points, the occasional fallen log etc, I need HELP! I just wanna get a hook up or two in, so any tips at all would be very helpful including lures, time of day, where to fish etc.
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | What lake & where? Lake structure is critical to location of these fish.
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 255
| Speed up retrieves and go deeper. Use a rubber bait or jerkbait near your weeds. Sooner or later something will hit. Watch some Tigers get caught on youtube. |
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Posts: 715
| Work bass sized spinner baits around and over the weeds. |
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Posts: 230
Location: St Paul, Minnesota | PM Sent |
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Posts: 5874
| Tigers seem to like loud and bright bucktails, worked rather fast. Tony Grant was on a pattern a few years ago, and I seem to recall he was having a lot of success with Hot Pink?
Tony is a great guy and resource. Reach out to him, and he'll share what he knows. |
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Posts: 140
Location: Scandia MN | Tell us what lake you're fishing - If it's the one near me I have some ideas for you - - - - |
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Posts: 5
| Have you tried topwater? Jerkbaits? Or trolling? Might be something to look into. |
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Posts: 15
| You guys are great thank you so much I will do as said and maybe try a hot pink one ! Trolling yes I have tried, and for structure it's not much to it, hardly any rocks, weeds prolly come out to about 10 feet deep, couple fallen logs, and there's no ledges really from what I've found yet, could it be fishing pressure also? And should I throw pike sized lures ?(heard that they won't hit actual Muskie lures) how fast are your guys retrieves and what sized lures you throwing right now
Edited by Wblineman 7/31/2015 10:13 AM
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Posts: 15
| Sorry tbaatz I'm from PA |
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Posts: 15
| Sorry tbaatz I'm from PA |
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Hot pink eeh? That will get them looking. LOL - fish the 10' edges. Cast, cast, cast! Posting the lake name & location is not going to hurt your lake- if you are not catching +50"rs, none of the big fish trollers raeding this will show up & clean out your lake. Right Sled?
Is this really a hypothetical question? Do a search , start reading.
Downsize, they will hit bass & walleye lures, they grew up eating smaller stuff so they seldom miss opportunity for a free snack. besides you'll catch bonus fish! Try a Heddon Crazy Crawler over the weeds or along the edges (throw in some pauses), weedless spoons w/teaser tails (throw in some pauses), floating stick baits. (twitch- twitch- crank-crank-twitch-twitch- repeat).
Good luck!
Al |
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Posts: 15
| I do have a 6" jake fire perch, joe bucher 700 series bucher tail with a joe bucher slop master spinner bait (both brown/white) that I have not tried, also what's your guys favorite time of day to fish for hem ? And where (structure wise) |
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Posts: 522
| Dude, just go fishing! Start throwing baits at stuff that looks good. Fish in the early am and late evening, check solar and lunar tables and fish the peak periods... |
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Posts: 386
| If they were easy to catch, it would take the mystique out of it. I fished casually for muskies for several years and finally got my first the first year I decided to really give it my all. The good news is that we are heading into one of the best times of year for numbers. For us in MN that is September. Maybe late September or early October for you, not sure as I've never been to PA. Talk with guys at the local bait shop/coffee shop. The guys who don't fish muskies will occasionally catch them accidently and aren't nearly as tight lipped. Also you may meet someone who wants to fish tigers and wouldn't mind having a boat partner - having two people to net, take out hooks and take pics is always cool and more convenient. Good luck. When you put one in the net give us an update and hopefully a pic |
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Posts: 15
| I will certainly post an update and I pic for you guys when I catch one ! Idk If this is "porposing" but lately around 6 pm or so I see tigers cruzing with their head out of the water or are they just looking around ? lol, I seen another guy today throwing a bull dawg (musky innovations) around today too( I've been seein a lot of people throwing them ) thank you for all the help guys really, i predicate it |
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Posts: 265
Location: McGuire AFB, NJ | Tigers are similar, but not the same. Wblineman, I recently moved out to New Jersey and I have been learning these fish too! Some of the lakes out here have nothing but tigers. Some have a mixed bag of pure strains and tigers. Put some real nice Tigers in the boat so far and I'll tell ya what it definitely requires a bit different approach than standard musky fishing.
At the end of the day, everyone on the boards are going to have their own opinions based on their own personal experiences. This is all great data to shorten the learning curve. Your going to need to keep putting your head down and fish! It all comes down to time and experience on the water. You'll develop your own style and tactics based on your own personal experiences. Stay flexible, stay positive, and keep at it!
Here's a short/concise list of things I've noticed about tigers.
-They will eat all day. I've caught some of my biggest tigers at 3 in the afternoon on bluebird skies
-All the research I've done coupled with my personal experience is that they eat more often than traditional true strains. Just smaller portions. Will they eat big baits....yes...however...they will eat smaller baits more consistently
-Don't be afraid to go shallow...really shallow
-Speed for me has been a factor
-Your on to something with that slopmaster! I have stuck quite a few on Nutbuster J.R.'s. Very similar bait.
-They WILL eat topwater
-Small cranks work great, even bass baits if need be
-If you find one, there are probably more near by
-Pink does work lol but so does A LOT of colors haha
As for the fish you see cruising with their heads out of the water I've never got any to eat. But that doesn't mean they won't. But what info can you gather from that? I would say that your in the right area, maybe just not the right time.
Chris
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Posts: 15
| Thank you Chris for your help, And advice on the right direction in heading lol, as for all you too, it's good to see there is people out that aren't all about being tight lipped on helping me, thanks thanks thanks ! |
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Posts: 54
Location: River | Wblineman- Look at joining chapter 64 of muskies inc. Its local for you. some of them might fish the same water. |
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Posts: 15
| How can I join? Or where I should say |
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Posts: 54
Location: River | https://muskiesinc.org/ |
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Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | If the lake gets a lot of pressure then use smaller lures and use natural colors matching the bait fish in your lake. Don't over think it too much, try to maintain a positive attitude, & have confidence in the baits that you are using. A bait like the Shadzilla (7" & 9.5") by Water Wolf Lures or a Bondy Hot Orba can be good smaller profile baits for high pressured waters. 
Edited by Zib 8/4/2015 8:25 AM
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Posts: 44
Location: Ohio | I would add that if you're getting follows or seeing fish note the type of cover/water depth you're seeing them in and where else it exists around your lake. Places with similar conditions should hold fish. If they're not active enough to feed at a particular time come back to that area at a different time. The good thing is it sounds like you've found the fish.
I also like the idea of fishing the deep edge of the weed bed. Make sure you fish the weed side and the non-weedy side. If you mean dark water as in muddy water I would go with a chartreuse color if sunny and black if you have some overcast. Good luck! |
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Posts: 8729
| Dark water lakes have always been somewhat of a mystery to me. Here's what I've found:
The fish still relate to whatever structure/weeds are present, but since light penetration is low, there usually aren't many deep weeds to fish.
Nearly all of my fish of all species have been caught much shallower than what you'd expect. They tuck into the weeds right along the shoreline and often hang out in only a few feet of water. Short precise casts, right up into the skinny stuff along the shoreline.
Brown/Yellow is my best producer followed by black. I've not had much luck with white, perch, gold, or any of the normal "match the hatch" normal colors.
I've also not had much luck using a tremendous amount of speed.
Most of my fish in these kinds of lakes hit right away. I suspect I am getting more followers than I can see, but figure 8 numbers are way down for me on dark water.
Hybrids:
They just aren't normal. They seem to eat at 2:00 in the afternoon in the hottest brightest part of the day, and again around 3:00 am. They also seem to stay up shallow even when water temps are high. While all the pure strains have gone on to cooler deeper pastures, the hybrids are still hanging out in 2 feet of water. I haven't had much opportunity to fish exclusively for hybrids, so my experience is pretty limited as to how they differ and why. But it's not quite a muskie and it's not quite a pike.
Tony Grant wrote some articles and did a few seminars some years back about hybrid fishing. I'll have to dig up my notes and see what I can find. |
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Posts: 15
| Thanks a lot addict, let me know what you find out! Or dig up I should, I'm getting no follows either, have tried late evening/night fishing with early morning with nothin, what s frustration, it almost has to be pressure or their feeding from 12-4 cuz I've been on the water any other hour with not any luck, hybrids are giving me a run for sure. Their there though |
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