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Muskie Fishing -> Lures,Tackle, and Equipment -> Topwater hookups
 
Message Subject: Topwater hookups
bbeaupre
Posted 5/26/2015 1:10 PM (#770135)
Subject: Topwater hookups




Posts: 390


I had great action on WTD topwater in the past but so far this season I have missed 6 strikes and only landed one fish(48" and it missed the bait twice before hooking it). Is there anything one can do to increase hookups? I try to wait till i feel the fish but 90% of the time they just seem to wiff. Unfortunately I tried every other technique with better hookup potential but the fish ignored everything but toppers. Any advice is appreciated.
Softwater
Posted 5/26/2015 1:19 PM (#770137 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 73


Location: Cedarburg, WI
I love topwater, and missed quite a few until I got picky about hook sharpening. IMHO, They need to be razor sharp. Even when they wiff, they might get hooked if just one of those sharp hooks makes a little contact? Keep trying.
bbeaupre
Posted 5/26/2015 1:38 PM (#770140 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: RE: Topwater hookups




Posts: 390


Always been a sharp hook nut always have a file in my pocket.
mnmusky
Posted 5/26/2015 1:50 PM (#770143 - in reply to #770140)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Tighten the noose at the 3 or 9 o'clock rod position .
ToddM
Posted 5/26/2015 2:04 PM (#770145 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 20173


Location: oswego, il
Which one? Muskies can toss the lighter ones out of the way but stick well to the heavier ones that do not go flying when hit.
Paramuskyhunter
Posted 5/26/2015 3:01 PM (#770150 - in reply to #770145)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 150


Location: Appleton, WI
ToddM - 5/26/2015 2:04 PM

Which one? Muskies can toss the lighter ones out of the way but stick well to the heavier ones that do not go flying when hit.


Todd has a great point if you are using jackpots they tend to find a lot of fish and big ones but they are so light they blow them out of the water. With a heavier WTD topwater bait they tend to hook up better but I don't move the same amount of fish on them.
bbeaupre
Posted 5/26/2015 3:03 PM (#770151 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: RE: Topwater hookups




Posts: 390


I have been using the phantom viper 6" in both softail and regular.
Fishysam
Posted 5/26/2015 3:09 PM (#770154 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 1209


Depending on your cadence and speed may work to give them an exaggerated pause 33 and 66% retrieved to the boat.
Lunger50
Posted 5/26/2015 5:50 PM (#770177 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 90


I find with the WTD to keep them coming in at the exact same cadence and speed from beginning of cast to the end. I I prefer a retrieve on the slower side.

Speed things up or mixing it up is when you zig and they zag. I miss very few fish on good heavier WTD baits.
Nershi
Posted 5/26/2015 6:16 PM (#770180 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Location: MN
Keep in mind sometimes the fish that strike aren't actually trying to eat.
jonnysled
Posted 5/27/2015 6:42 AM (#770237 - in reply to #770180)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 13688


Location: minocqua, wi.
watch the other guys bait when you retrieve ...
Nershi
Posted 5/27/2015 8:06 AM (#770246 - in reply to #770180)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Location: MN
Lunger50 - 5/27/2015 4:52 AM

Nershi - 5/26/2015 7:16 PM

Keep in mind sometimes the fish that strike aren't actually trying to eat.


Um, yeah. They're just trying to chest bump each others awesomeness.


Muskies are territorial critters. On one piece of water I fish most of the fish lay up on shallow flats. I have about a 10-20% hookup to strike ratio on topwaters on this piece of water. I feel that most of the fish that strike are trying to scare your bait out of their area. Often times I will watch fish hit my bait with their mouth closed shooting the bait up out of the water. Other times they will just roll behind the bait. Usually these are the smaller fish (30-low 40's). On a rare occasion you will foul hook one of these chest bumping muskies on the outside of their mouth or head but most are missed. The fish that try to eat (especially the big ones) rarely miss and usually have the bait t-boned deep in their mouth. If you are missing a lot of fish on topwater you may be experiencing chest bumping muskies that are trying to protect their area.

On many other pieces of water I fish I probably have a 80-90% hookup to strike ratio because when the fish show themselves they are trying to eat.
jonnysled
Posted 5/27/2015 9:34 AM (#770250 - in reply to #770246)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 13688


Location: minocqua, wi.
most would call that snagging ...

bbeaupre
Posted 5/27/2015 10:15 AM (#770257 - in reply to #770246)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 390


I think this territorial thing may be the case. Believe me they were not small fish but it was pretty shallow(1-5 ft). Thanks for the replies. As frustrating as it was it was still super cool to see that many fish attack/intimidate. Here is the 48ish that did stick...sorry for the bad pic but muskies are slippery when its wet!


Zoom - | Zoom 100% | Zoom + | Expand / Contract | Open New window
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(IMG_1997 copy.jpg)



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ToddM
Posted 5/27/2015 10:16 AM (#770258 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 20173


Location: oswego, il
I have had muskies follow and strike baits without ever opening their mouths.
curleytail
Posted 5/27/2015 12:47 PM (#770277 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 2687


Location: Hayward, WI
I haven't fished topwaters as much as I used to, but when I used them more I fished a Weagle a lot. A slow cadence worked well for me, and if a fish actually hit the bait, they were almost always hooked up solidly. Slow cadence, heavy bait, and waiting to feel the fish resulted in a very high percentage of those fish hitting the net.

Every now and then a fish would rocket out of the water next to the bait without touching it. Every now and then a fish would shoot straight up into the air a couple feet away. I was never sure what those fish were up to as it was normally similar behavior - straight up and not even close to the bait, and they never came back.

Having a fish wake up behind a walk the dog, increasing the speed just slightly, and getting ready for the hit... fun stuff, I should fish them more.

One other thing I tried to do was to get the bait to turn almost 180 degrees on each tap, but not let it glide too far. This made the bait come back in a pretty straight line, and I think made it easier for the fish to key in on.

Tucker
southern comfort
Posted 5/28/2015 7:07 AM (#770374 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 373


I have had the same rocket experience with WTD topwaters. Usually on a quiet evening they come shooting straight up out of the water sometimes 6 to 12 inches away. It can be spectacular and gets your attention but it does not appear they wanted to eat.
Chemi
Posted 5/28/2015 7:42 AM (#770378 - in reply to #770374)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Ever see a cat play with a mouse? Same thing's going on here, I think.
mm3
Posted 5/28/2015 9:08 AM (#770385 - in reply to #770378)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 370


Location: Northern Illinois
My thought on some of the top water misses and activity described here is because it's above the water and you can see it. Imagine how many times below the water a fish might miss your lure, or have activity around it, and you don't know it (unless it's close to the boat and/or high in the water). I know some of the missed hookups with top waters are real issues, but I always wondered if some of the accounted misses are just be due to better visual indication.
Jeremy
Posted 5/28/2015 12:43 PM (#770417 - in reply to #770237)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 1126


Location: Minnesota.
jonnysled - 5/27/2015 6:42 AM

watch the other guys bait when you retrieve ...


You must'a been in my boat and looking over my shoulder...!! Dammit.

But I've learned now...!!!
jonnysled
Posted 5/28/2015 1:29 PM (#770419 - in reply to #770374)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 13688


Location: minocqua, wi.
southern comfort - 5/28/2015 7:07 AM

I have had the same rocket experience with WTD topwaters. Usually on a quiet evening they come shooting straight up out of the water sometimes 6 to 12 inches away. It can be spectacular and gets your attention but it does not appear they wanted to eat.


if you can control mind over matter and stay in the game, they sometimes come at it a second time ... and if-not, then that's why God invented the Weagle, Creaper, Hawg Wobbler to throw back at em ...
ToddM
Posted 5/28/2015 7:55 PM (#770458 - in reply to #770419)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 20173


Location: oswego, il
jonnysled - 5/28/2015 1:29 PM

southern comfort - 5/28/2015 7:07 AM

I have had the same rocket experience with WTD topwaters. Usually on a quiet evening they come shooting straight up out of the water sometimes 6 to 12 inches away. It can be spectacular and gets your attention but it does not appear they wanted to eat.


if you can control mind over matter and stay in the game, they sometimes come at it a second time ... and if-not, then that's why God invented the Weagle, Creaper, Hawg Wobbler to throw back at em ...


If Cady is God, what is the Rat Belly?
jonnysled
Posted 5/28/2015 8:07 PM (#770460 - in reply to #770458)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 13688


Location: minocqua, wi.
ToddM - 5/28/2015 7:55 PM

jonnysled - 5/28/2015 1:29 PM

southern comfort - 5/28/2015 7:07 AM

I have had the same rocket experience with WTD topwaters. Usually on a quiet evening they come shooting straight up out of the water sometimes 6 to 12 inches away. It can be spectacular and gets your attention but it does not appear they wanted to eat.


if you can control mind over matter and stay in the game, they sometimes come at it a second time ... and if-not, then that's why God invented the Weagle, Creaper, Hawg Wobbler to throw back at em ...


If Cady is God, what is the Rat Belly?


LOL ... i didn't realize what i did there ...
dtaijo174
Posted 5/29/2015 6:32 AM (#770481 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 1169


Location: New Hope MN
They never miss a creeper.
bigbite
Posted 5/29/2015 7:29 AM (#770484 - in reply to #770481)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 1348


Location: Pewaukee, WI
I've yet to miss one on my Top H20.
Lunger50
Posted 5/30/2015 7:09 PM (#770665 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 90


I don't buy this territorial non-sense one bit. Its an excuse for not catching fish.

If a fish explodes on your bait, even feet away it had bad intentions, no doubt about that

Sure maybe territorial towards other large predators, not an 8 or 10 inch fish(bait).
jonnysled
Posted 5/30/2015 8:08 PM (#770669 - in reply to #770665)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups





Posts: 13688


Location: minocqua, wi.
predator moves water behind or under the bait, disorient it ... makes it an easier target. many have already either set the hook on the sound or thought they missed it and bring the bait in instead of keeping with the retrieve to get a shot at a fish that is doing what it does all the time to get a meal.

stay in the game on your retrieve no matter what commotion or visual happens ...
horsehunter
Posted 5/30/2015 9:01 PM (#770674 - in reply to #770135)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Location: Eastern Ontario
Don't fish many topwaters too hard on the heart. Years ago I missed a lot of fish that blew up on my lure so I decided that any fish that would hit my topwater would also hit my suick a foot under the surface and I would get hooks in it. Don't really know if I was right or wrong but I've never been a big bait changer. I can fish all day ( casting ) with a suick on one rod and a spinnerbait on another.
Jeremy
Posted 5/30/2015 9:10 PM (#770676 - in reply to #770674)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Posts: 1126


Location: Minnesota.
horsehunter - 5/30/2015 9:01 PM

Don't fish many topwaters too hard on the heart. Years ago I missed a lot of fish that blew up on my lure so I decided that any fish that would hit my topwater would also hit my suick a foot under the surface and I would get hooks in it. Don't really know if I was right or wrong but I've never been a big bait changer. I can fish all day ( casting ) with a suick on one rod and a spinnerbait on another.


Nice to hear from someone far more experienced than moi! And I'm coming around but fast, especially on the Suick part!

Used to be 95% topwater...
Nershi
Posted 5/31/2015 6:06 AM (#770697 - in reply to #770246)
Subject: Re: Topwater hookups




Location: MN
Nershi - 5/27/2015 8:06 I have about a 10-20% hookup to strike ratio on topwaters on this piece of water.


I should clarify this doesn't mean I'm only getting 10-20% of hook sets. Most of the time I never set the hook because i never feel the weight of the fish. Again, this is only on this certain piece of water. Other water I fish the fish do not seem to do this.
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