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Posts: 33
| Most of my topwater fish hit away from the boat, with very few that follow into the 8. Most of the time in the 8, I bury the lure under the surface. Mostly pacemaker and Fat Bastards. Last weekend I had a really nice fish follow in from almost all the way out on my cast. I varied the speed by burping it a couple times and the fish would just speed up on the bait, and to my surprise would not eat.... Always after the fact you wish you tried something different, and the thought against all my muskie knowledge was; would if I would have stopped the bait, ( Loon Fat Bastard ). Is this a complete NO,NO, or have some had luck? Fish was HOT HOT the entire time? |
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Posts: 661
Location: Sussex, NJ | Thats a muskie being a muskie. Sometimes you try everything and it still doesnt work. I wouldnt fully stop the bait, but evryone has a different opinion on the situation |
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Posts: 400
Location: Metro | I would agree on not fully stopping the bait. Most of the time when I do this with top or other baits the fish loose interest. It is just like when you play with a cat. When everything stops moving the instinct to hunt stops. This isn't all cases (when you are jerk pausing some baits) but I would say for your scenario it wouldn't have been the right thing to do.
I am also not an expert so don't take every word I say to the grave lol. Most of my comments are my opinion. |
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Posts: 705
Location: Alex or Alek? | Suicks are just about the only lure that i will stop completely for a few seconds if i see a fish following it. But in that case the lure still isn't sitting completely still. In my small brain it just doesn't seam right to let a lure sit completely still. |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I agree. I wouldn't stop the bait. I'd probably keep speeding it up. Maybe giving it a bit of a pop if it still doesn't hit. If all that fails, take it into the 8 and try to make it eat there.
If you just can't make it eat, chalk it up to it being a musky and sometimes they just follow and don't eat.
You're right though - it seems like topwater fish are more likely to hit out on the cast. |
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Posts: 424
Location: MN | Stopping can work. I've had a couple muskies hit on a stopped topwater boatside. Both fish were very tentative coming in. I had tried speeding up on some other similar fish earlier and it lost their interest. I twitched the baits (topraider and jackpot) a couple times and just let them sit - the fish eased up slowly, opened their mouths, and hit. Not something I would default to with a prop topwater but you don't have a lot of options with a wtd. |
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Location: MN | The only times I've seen stopping a topwater entice a strike is at night. I reel my topwater SLOW and when I have a follow I speed it up a bit if the fish doesn't eat within the first 10 ft of the follow.
I have had better luck doing a big oval or 8 on the surface by the boat vs pulling it under the water. If the fish doesn't eat with the bait on top after a couple turns I will pull it under water. Nothing like a topwater strike boatside! |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | you're better off finishing the retrieve and then go back with a completely different style topwater ... creeper, weagle, hawg wobbler ... if it showed up in-line then walk the dog and if it showed up walk the dog try something in-line. got my biggest fish this way and witnessed it working enough to believe in it. |
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Posts: 1150
Location: Minnesota. | jonnysled - 9/25/2015 8:46 AM
you're better off finishing the retrieve and then go back with a completely different style topwater ... creeper, weagle, hawg wobbler ... if it showed up in-line then walk the dog and if it showed up walk the dog try something in-line. got my biggest fish this way and witnessed it working enough to believe in it.
Yup!!! |
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Posts: 33
| Thanks, guys for the great advice, I will be putting it to the test this weekend!! Keep em Tight!!
BertLegend |
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Posts: 556
| I like to move the rod side to side about 10 feet from the boat left first and then right second so i can still have a smooth entrance into the 8 seemed to work better than speeding it up or slowing it down for me at least. |
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Posts: 572
Location: Maplewood, MN | I've always been a believer that speed is the best trigger. Here's one that ate at the boat on a sennet tackle crusader. At first I thought that fish was long gone when I crossed its face, but really I think I peeed it off! 1:57 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wngbsLknpIM |
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Posts: 1150
Location: Minnesota. | MuskieFever - 10/3/2015 1:15 PM
I've always been a believer that speed is the best trigger. Here's one that ate at the boat on a sennet tackle crusader. At first I thought that fish was long gone when I crossed its face, but really I think I peeed it off! 1:57 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wngbsLknpIM
Dominic, that was a really good vid.!! Thanks for making the effort and sharing it.
Jeremy. |
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Posts: 572
Location: Maplewood, MN | Jeremy - 10/3/2015 2:00 PM
Dominic, that was a really good vid.!! Thanks for making the effort and sharing it.
Jeremy.
Thank you! Glad you like it! |
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Posts: 33
| Nice Video, Thanks for sharing!! |
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Topwater Follows