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Posts: 272
| Howdy,
I ask this somewhat tongue in cheek so set down the flamethrower, but am I the only person who misses the days before double 10s and magnum bulldawgs?
Their success is undeniable and I always have them in the boat, but I truly miss the days where I purchased reels because of their smoothness instead of their ability to out pull a monster truck, and when my rods didn't have to be 10 feet long in order to cast a toaster oven.
Again, I'm not sure I am capable of swearing them off because they work so darn well and I have plenty of them, but its frustrating when my entire collection of rods and reels feels like its ruled by these two specialized baits.
For example, every time a new reels comes out my first thought is "can it handle 10's"? Its the most frequently asked questions on the forum when it comes to equipment. Same with rods, before I never asked if I needed highly specialized equipment to cast my Crane baits, Eagle tails and giant gliders, but now if a rod series doesn't offer something in the pounder class it seems incomplete (Legend Elite for example).
Again, the baits are great, they catch a lot of fish, and we all have the pictures, carpel tunnel, tuna reels and pole-vaulting poles to prove it. However, I do miss the days when MY muskie fishing experience wasn't so dominated by the impact these baits have on MY equipment.
I've thought about liberating myself from them and going back to the way it used to be, but I know that the moment I do l'll be three days into a trip with no fish to show for my efforts while my double 13 casting, pounder tossing ogre partner in the back of the boat has five in the boat already.
Take care,
Ruddiger |
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Posts: 897
| I like fishing out of the back of the boat as much as I can for exactly that reason. I get bored throwing bucktails all the time. Gliders, topwater, and cranks still catch plenty of fish. It just doesn't make much sense to have the person up front throwing the slowest moving bait.
That said, when the bucktail bite is on it is tough to argue with it and I find myself moving fast and throwing all tails because that's what will get the most fish.
I have a dedicated set-up for gliders/cranks/topwater. 8' HF Compre with a Revo Toro 61HS. Feels like a snoopy pole after using the 8'6" XH with 401TE all day. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | my right shoulder misses those days! no denying the success of big blades but burning them days on end w a tranx hg is a lot of wear and tear on the wrists/shoulders... both my labrums are torn already so there will be a day I will be relegated to trolling or throwing topraiders.....  |
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Posts: 386
| I'm definitely in that crowd. When I lived in Fargo and fished DL, Pelican and West Battle the vast majority of our fish came on Dawgs. Now I never throw them, because I hate throwing them. I don't mind throwing 10's but I usually only throw them on really good weather days or after dark, otherwise I'm burning a smaller bucktail. Been going back to the ole' standbys a lot the last few years and guess what....fish still eat them. I've learned over the years that hype is just that. Yes, 10's and Dawgs produce a lot of fish but so do other baits. |
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Posts: 470
| Not really..
I don't use either one, I've had great luck with double 8 spanky's and jerk/crank baits.
I'll freely admit I'm gonna try both more this year tho..
RandalB |
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Posts: 1086
| No one says you HAVE to use those baits and those rods and reels and no one says you HAVE to be caught up in the main-stream popularity of what's "in" right now. Sure...those baits catch fish. But so do a LOT of other baits. Sure...those reels and longer rods help to fish those baits for longer periods of time without so much fatigue.
Do what YOU want to do. Who cares about what everyone else is doing?
If you're a person that HAS to catch fish every single day you're on the water, then...yes...go with what the internet claims to be the best producing bait. But if you're on the water to relax and enjoy life and get away from the stresses of every day life...then why add in the stresses of feeling like you HAVE to fish this or that bait and if you fish this or that bait you HAVE to have this or that rod/reel combo?
ESPECIALLY when remembering back to the basic facts: If it's in the water and if it moves...it's food. Doesn't have to be a double-10..doesn't have to be a dawg. If presenting a moving bait in front of an active fish...you stand a good chance of getting bit.
I think the internet Hype drives people to fish certain baits. And when everyone starts throwing the same exact baits as the next guy...guess what bait is going to produce the most fish.
If everyone that muskie fishes put down the big blades and the soft plastics/dawgs for a season and started throwing ye 'ole traditional red/white daredevil spoons again...guess what bait is going to produce the most fish.
It's up to you as to what you do...what type of lures you fish...what type of gear you think you need...and if you want to follow the crowd. Or...set yourself apart from the rest of the followers and set off to go do your own thing....for who? For you.
There's people out there that have given big blades plenty of chances and opportunities to help catch them catch fish....by keeping those blades in the water, yet, they still haven't caught a single fish on big blades. They get frustrated, take the blades off...turn around and put a different bait on, turn around, cast out and catch a fish. Was it the bait switch that helped catch that fish? Or was it the speed the bait was retrieved, depth, color, vibration, sound? Or was it the timing and/or location of when/where and how that bait was passed through the water at that given moment, in front of an active fish, that maybe just entered into that area at the same time? Yes. Possibly all of the above or any one or two combinations of those possibilities. One will never know. That's the fun of fishing. Just as soon as someone creates some "rules" as to what one thinks they should be doing and how they should be doing it...someone can dispel those "rules" within the next cast.
If you have those thoughts in your mind already of putting down the "in" products that are popular today....do it. Try it out. Can't hurt ya. Ask yourself what is most important to you...then follow your own instinct in what you want to do...do what will make you happy. Forget everyone else.
Edited by MACK 3/30/2016 10:04 AM
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | Try re-reading some of the old classic books if you need validation for yearnings of the gear of yore.
Going by memory, you'll read vignettes from legendary guides/bait makers about how musky fisherman "handicap" themselves by using tackle that would handle a 60 pound fish when the reality is that they're not going to hook one anyway, and some that hold no stock in the "big bait, big fish" axiom; believing instead that it evolved from the desire to keep small pike from hitting & tearing up their baits.
You'll have new perspectives fer shore after reading some of the classics so it's definitely worth yer time but take it all in context with respect to the era and where most of them were fishing at the time of course. |
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Location: oswego, il | I miss the days when people posted what's the best reel for a mepps #5? |
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Posts: 255
| Geez Mack, settle.
I don't miss those days because new lures are effective, just as they always were when they came out in the past, but I miss spending much less per bait and not having to research a reel purchase like I was buying the right camera, boat, or car, or computer. Found it funny to watch a guide on Madison on Keyes with an old Abu Garcia.
Used to buy a rod, reel, line, and start fishing. My biggest struggle used to be selecting line until I found the right braid back in the late 90's. |
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Posts: 1086
| muskidiem - 3/30/2016 12:32 PM
Geez Mack, settle.
Found it funny to watch a guide on Madison on Keyes with an old Abu Garcia.
No settling needed here. I'm all good. Thanks for the concern though.
What's all wrong with "an old Abu Garcia?"
Properly maintained and cared for it could last a good long time and still function as a reel when attached to a fishing pole and reel in fish. Ha! 
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Posts: 431
| I want the days before GoPro and Face book. |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | I want to go back to the days when I knew everything and nobody else knew anything as well.:-) |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | MACK - 3/30/2016 9:50 AM
No one says you HAVE to use those baits and those rods and reels and no one says you HAVE to be caught up in the main-stream popularity of what's "in" right now. Sure...those baits catch fish. But so do a LOT of other baits. Sure...those reels and longer rods help to fish those baits for longer periods of time without so much fatigue.
Do what YOU want to do. Who cares about what everyone else is doing?
If you're a person that HAS to catch fish every single day you're on the water, then...yes...go with what the internet claims to be the best producing bait. But if you're on the water to relax and enjoy life and get away from the stresses of every day life...then why add in the stresses of feeling like you HAVE to fish this or that bait and if you fish this or that bait you HAVE to have this or that rod/reel combo?
ESPECIALLY when remembering back to the basic facts: If it's in the water and if it moves...it's food. Doesn't have to be a double-10..doesn't have to be a dawg. If presenting a moving bait in front of an active fish...you stand a good chance of getting bit.
I think the internet Hype drives people to fish certain baits. And when everyone starts throwing the same exact baits as the next guy...guess what bait is going to produce the most fish.
If everyone that muskie fishes put down the big blades and the soft plastics/dawgs for a season and started throwing ye 'ole traditional red/white daredevil spoons again...guess what bait is going to produce the most fish.
It's up to you as to what you do...what type of lures you fish...what type of gear you think you need...and if you want to follow the crowd. Or...set yourself apart from the rest of the followers and set off to go do your own thing....for who? For you.
There's people out there that have given big blades plenty of chances and opportunities to help catch them catch fish....by keeping those blades in the water, yet, they still haven't caught a single fish on big blades. They get frustrated, take the blades off...turn around and put a different bait on, turn around, cast out and catch a fish. Was it the bait switch that helped catch that fish? Or was it the speed the bait was retrieved, depth, color, vibration, sound? Or was it the timing and/or location of when/where and how that bait was passed through the water at that given moment, in front of an active fish, that maybe just entered into that area at the same time? Yes. Possibly all of the above or any one or two combinations of those possibilities. One will never know. That's the fun of fishing. Just as soon as someone creates some "rules" as to what one thinks they should be doing and how they should be doing it...someone can dispel those "rules" within the next cast.
If you have those thoughts in your mind already of putting down the "in" products that are popular today....do it. Try it out. Can't hurt ya. Ask yourself what is most important to you...then follow your own instinct in what you want to do...do what will make you happy. Forget everyone else.
so 10's are a product of internet hype?
...speaking of things you shouldn't believe on the internet... |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I think his point was much broader than that.
Obviously. |
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Posts: 2026
| Not to some...
I want to go back to Sept 26th, 2012 first bite on a dawg and I didn't react to the little tick fast enough and missed my chance. As a bonus, the Tranx wasn't as popular yet, so there must have been much more debate about what the best reel for 10s was. I'm a rebel, I prefer hardheads over dawgs anyway. |
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Posts: 255
| Keyes Abu: I respect he still used one since he likely has all the latest and greatest gear. I used quite a few of them myself, and never took care of them. Seemed ironic that a 2016 episode would have that reel used by a tried and true guide. That's all. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | latest equipment doesn't mean it's 'better'....I still use Abu 6600 Morrums from the late 90s? and they are as good or better than any of my other reels like Tranx, Conquest TEs etc... the Sweden made Abu 7000s were as good as anything mass produced today as well.... with mass production comes the bean counters trying to shave a few pennies off the price, which in turn can make the latest and greatest worse than the tried and true from an era long gone.
as far as double blades... anyone that thinks they are getting as many hits over the course of the season not using them is fooling themselves... ah well, more fish for the rest of us that use them...
Edited by BNelson 3/30/2016 10:41 PM
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Posts: 398
Location: Wisconsin | Many of you have more years of experience than me, I have only been dedicated to musky for 7 years; going on my 8th season. Personally, I started fishing after both dbl10s and dawgs were the norm, but I love throwing these large baits. It gives me more confidence tossing these big baits when they produce nice fish, and I found it harder to consistently catch bigger musky when I don't throw dawgs and dussas, or 10s. I still throw mepps, suicks, and other "classic" musky lures, but Im much more confident with larger profile baits. Just my opinion! |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | Morrums sell on ebay for what they cost new. It is they're bait casting version of the cardinal 3-7 spinning reels. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I sold a couple of my morrums for 225 to some dudes in Sweden or Norway a few yrs ago... still have 3 or 4 of em... best reels Abu made
Edited by BNelson 3/31/2016 8:46 AM
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Posts: 109
| What were some of the classic baits you guys are talking about? I've only been musky fishjng for 4 years now |
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Posts: 58
| I'm just getting back into Musky fishing. When I started and did a little bit of it 15 years ago- I had a 6'3" rod that could barely through my monster Depthraider. If I had the opportunity to get out every other weekend or so, it would probably be different. I've upgraded my setup, but I still only have one rod and reel for throwing Musky lures. I only plan on carrying 15-20 lures- 9" Double 8's, Regular BullDawg, 8" Jake's, 7.5" Phantoms are as big as I plan to go.... |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | the original baits we did well with were:
- top kicks
- crane
- cobb
- bobbies
- reef hawgs
- jackpots
- hawg wobblers
and i remember when an eagle tale was considered huge ...
Edited by jonnysled 3/31/2016 12:26 PM
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Adding a few to sled's list:
Topper-Stopper, Snodlow, Mudpuppy, BL Whoppertail, Tallywacker. |
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Posts: 222
| Yes Yes Yes Yes. Throwing that big stuff is getting tougher every year.
I throw Suicks now 90% of the time. |
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| I know there are a whole host of other factors but, the "modern" numbers are hard to argue with, even on natural, traditional fisheries! |
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Posts: 688
Location: Already Gone | Creek Chub Pikie Minnow |
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Posts: 1150
Location: Minnesota. | I might be the only one here who's never tossed a Dawg or a Dbl10 /C.G. (cause I have severe elbow tendonitis issues)..plus I'm a bit of a whimp!
I got stuck on Suicks a couple years back and have some personality probs. b/c of it... I can't seem to change it up!!
I should branch out a bit I suppose. Maybe. sometime. I guess. ;))) |
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Posts: 1286
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Some more oldies: globe, eddie, teddy. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | anyone remember the tekneek? i still have a couple of em ... |
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I think I have six Tekneeks. Great lure... |
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Posts: 2026
| I fish Vermilion almost exclusively. Only 4 years now though. I understand info stated; dawgs, dusas, and 10s produce big fish. However, you experienced guys comment on this... it seems the popularity of those baits exploded at the same time the MN fisheries were maturing and CPR was really taking hold in the musky community. A buddy of mine lived on the V during the prime. He swears by an old chewed up eagle tail, which still produces. He's not Bob M, but has lost track of how many 50+ he's caught. Last year the longest pattern was burning showgirls, not 10s or 8s/9s... Again, not arguing the fact those baits work, just wondering about it. |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | Showgirls are 8's, but your point is taken |
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Posts: 19
| Growing up in the era where big baits are king, it's very hard for me to have confidence in some of the smaller baits. I did not grow up and fish with the smaller lures to see how effective they were so all I have known is that the bigger baits work and work well. I enjoy throwing bigger baits and while smaller baits may work, it's hard to defer from something you know. |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | I have about a dozen teek needs and there is about 4-5 different variations.
I have a bunch of TR Twitchers, remember when they were hot? Still a great bait, surprised they are not as popular as they were.
Edited by ToddM 3/31/2016 8:19 PM
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Posts: 379
Location: Thief River Falls MN | Cisco Kids, jackpots, harassers.. |
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Location: North St. Paul, MN | Good ol lindys muskyroller
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Location: Aurora | I wanna be in this! I wanna be in this!!
Sleight Baits, Musky Chasers, Hawg Tails & Eagle Spins |
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Posts: 3156
| No love for the Radtke minnows???? No Minneapolis Northwest sports show was complete without hearing "those guys over there are tryin to sell ya a broomstick" has he pointed at the Burger Brothers booth. |
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Posts: 2308
Location: SE, WI. | ^Yep, Caught many fish on the Radtke pikie^. One of our best days W/ Pikies, was on Pelican, Oneida County, in October! And Yes, still use them on Occasion. I can still see Gail, swishing his lures in the Horse trough. JD
Edited by jdsplasher 4/1/2016 7:20 AM
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Posts: 303
Location: Not where I want to be! | My first muskie, 1971, was on a Marathon Big Slim. Caught lots of em in the 70's on Big Slims. It was probable the platform/concept for every blade we have now. Another is the Grassels double O . First double bladed bait I can recall. |
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Posts: 267
| I don't throw the big stuff much. Just for short periods because my body just can't take it anymore. My "old" go to stuff includes Muskie Candies, Wades Wobblers, Reef Hawgs, Top Raiders, Hawg Wobblers, Jackpots and Depth Raiders. |
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Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | ToddM - 3/30/2016 4:36 PM
I want to go back to the days when I knew everything and nobody else knew anything as well.:-)
Todd- We've made full circle, so you're back there. Personally, I like the old days of using a 00 mepps on a flyrod for Gila trout!
Guy's, the days of big baits are here because gear has been designed to handle them. However, how many handmade old big baits did the old guides and muskie guys make and use over the last +100 years? There were some larger baits also made back then, mostly saltwater. Anybody have any of these old large lures? I saw a large home-made creeper at an antique shop in LaCrosse WI, it was ~10" long....using real old school hardware, hand-made copper wings, etc. I was undecided about buying it, and went back a week later it was gone.
The real problem has already been mentioned, its the wear and tear on your body throwing them all day long as you get older. The new gear helps a lot, however, most of them troll just fine on standard gear! How many walleye guys have you heard complaining about muskies t-boning their 14-16" or bigger walleye's? Do you really think its a new modern day observation for them to complain? Time on the water, you learn some things.
Its amazing to me the number of booths/guys making 10's, etc. at the fishing shows...yet there are limited number of big rubber bait makers?
In case you may have missed it...
http://www.in-fisherman.com/pike-muskie/big-muskie-baits/
Have fun!
Al
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Posts: 778
| Some pros call this the golden age of musky fishing. It also interestingly, coincides with the popularity of 10's and dawgs. Hmmmm. Kdawg |
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Posts: 402
Location: WI | Let's not forget Mud Puppies & Cisco Kid Toppers. Threw those with a 5'6" St Croix "pool cue" and an Ambassaduer 5000B loaded with 36lb dacron. |
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Posts: 104
| 6500's on 7 1/2 foot rods throwing Smity Baits, Hawg Wobblers and Mepp's Musky Killers still work fine. But for sure guys like me at the launch don't look as cool as the guy at the launch with the Tranx on a 9 1/2 foot rod with a pounder tied on the end. |
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Posts: 612
| I match the hatch with 7" to 9" perch colored baits. Works. Nothing over ~ 4 oz. |
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Location: Already Gone | Creek Chub Jointed Pikie Minnows came in different sizes, which was cool...you could dial in the size you thought would be effective. Color too.
Even if you wanted to whip out the 11 inch. I know I still do. |
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Location: Already Gone | I wanted to add the pic. These were/are very versatile baits. |
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Location: Pewaukee, WI | How about the Heddon Vamp, Flap-tail, & Crazy crawler? Now, that's talking old! |
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Location: Already Gone | Mark Hoerich - 4/2/2016 3:23 PM
Creek Chub Jointed Pikie Minnows came in different sizes, which was cool...you could dial in the size you thought would be effective. Color too.
Even if you wanted to whip out the 11 inch. I know I still do. ;-)
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Posts: 1938
Location: Black Creek, WI | Just remember the FUN FACTOR. There are lots of different ways to catch a musky (as proven by history). When you reach the point in your "career" that you begin to choose HOW you catch your fish.... then the FUN FACTOR becomes most relevant. If you are still worried about getting "out fished" by your buddy.... then forget the Fun Factor. Your ego isn't ready yet... and you'll have to man-up and toss whatever it takes to compete (which may not always be a 10 or Dawg). This year I plan to fish Topwaters more, simply for the enjoyment. Will it cost me a few fish? Probably. But that's my choice in order to enhance the Fun Factor for me. Heck, some days I think burning a 10 or tossin' a Dawg are FUN. When it's no longer fun... switch to something else. Pretty simple. |
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Location: Already Gone | I really like this post, Jason. In a fishing world now filled with glittery boats, TV shows, Go Pro's, and internet boards loaded with one-upmanship, I have to smile when we pick up a few nice fish each season with an older bait.... on our own schedule...on some out of the way water no one else thinks is any good. It's alot of fun.
This game is supposed to be fun and relaxing to the mind....it still is in my boat. |
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| As in just about any kind of business or sport, there is very little that is truly new. I remember fishing with a buddy back in the late 1970s when he pulled out a home made bait someone had made for him. It was a replica of the Suick, but measured almost 14" long. It was made of balsa, through wired and coated with epoxy. It had the biggest trebles I had ever seen at that time. It was relatively light for its size but when it hit he water, it sounded like a log rolling off a river bank. My thought was, "well, with all that noise, we won't see anything today". The spot he chose to try it out on was a stump bay where he had a large musky follow the previous weekend. We worked the bay, me with a bucktail and him with that giant bait. After about 10 minutes I looked up to see how the lure looked in the water just in time to see a giant hit right at the boat. It's head had to be a least a foot long and it shook the lure back and forth, getting both of us wet before throwing the lure over the top of the boat and into the water on the other side. I had to apologize to my buddy for doubting that huge lure. He did catch some fish on it over the years, but given the equipment of the time and the challenge of working it with those short rods, he didn't throw it that much. |
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Posts: 458
| big Johnson silver spoon with a plastic trailer. |
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Posts: 92
| Double tens and bigger always have a place in my boat and they undeniably catch fish , however that being said i use a lot of single bladed homemade bucktails and double 8's . These catch plenty of fish for me and the big stuff is relegated to night use for the most part. I do however still use the big rubber a lot ! My shoulders have been tore up for years but the off season prep keeps em ticking!! I think that is by far the most important to keeping yourself going. At 49 i feel i have an easier time now than i ever did just because i prepare better in the winter with plenty of weight training, and am gearing towards the "work smarter not harder" mantra as i age.
Edited by Muskydanno621 6/22/2016 6:37 AM
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Location: Eagan, MN | I still love a Reef Hawg. So did my PB fish. |
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Location: St. Lawrence River | At 24 I started getting serious when I was 16-17.. I've never known another way/era. My dad still prefers fishing with 7'6 rods and smaller baits though. |
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Location: Minnetonka | After reading this thread, I realize there are so many original individuals throwing everything but 10s and Dawgs that I should just continue throwing 10s and Dawgs because nobody actually throws 10s and Dawgs anymore.
What I miss are the first days of 10s and Dawgs when muskies destroyed them with reckless abandon.
What I look forward to are the days after 10s and Dawgs when muskies are reintroduced to old lures, which has apparently already arrived.
Jason Long pretty much nailed it, though. Nice.
Edited by Hammskie 6/22/2016 9:06 AM
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Location: Black Creek, WI | FYI... first fish of the season for me was on a Topwater. Fun Factor! |
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Posts: 548
Location: MN | OK here's my same old statement.
Are they catching fish because they work so much better .... or are they catching fish because they are always in the water?
As in confidence lure. |
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Posts: 1938
Location: Black Creek, WI | Nick, One before the other. There has always been a "new bait craze" amongst musky fisherman. Remember when the Topraider first came out? I do. It was a better mousetrap than my Tallywhacker... and it wasn't long before everyone and their brother were using Topraiders. Still a good bait, but not as good as when it was first introduced. I'm sure this bait is what inspired Lake X to create another better mousetrap with the Fat Bastard, Cannonballs, etc. Are fish more vulnerable to NEW baits? Perhaps. Then word gets out and those baits get heavily fished by many anglers. Still good baits, but once the novelty wears off (fish get conditioned?), they aren't what they used to be. The lure may remain a staple item, but it becomes just another tool in the toolbox. Will this cycle ever end? Nope. |
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Posts: 548
Location: MN | jlong - 6/22/2016 10:34 AM
Nick, One before the other. There has always been a "new bait craze" amongst musky fisherman. Remember when the Topraider first came out? I do. It was a better mousetrap than my Tallywhacker... and it wasn't long before everyone and their brother were using Topraiders. Still a good bait, but not as good as when it was first introduced. I'm sure this bait is what inspired Lake X to create another better mousetrap with the Fat Bastard, Cannonballs, etc. Are fish more vulnerable to NEW baits? Perhaps. Then word gets out and those baits get heavily fished by many anglers. Still good baits, but once the novelty wears off (fish get conditioned?), they aren't what they used to be. The lure may remain a staple item, but it becomes just another tool in the toolbox. Will this cycle ever end? Nope.
My post was pretty much food for thought.
I have my own answer and it follows what your saying.
Kind of like everyone is adding a little bend to the double 10's to get that click.
If they didn't come out with new lures all the time what would I spend my hard earned dollars on??> lol
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Location: oswego, il | I do believe fish get conditioned to baits. Anyone who has fished Webster over the years has seen those progressions. Baits that burn white hot and burn out. Pure bait craze. The magdawg, fuzzy duzzit, swim bait, kickin minnow and bass minnow bait crazes that produced then fell off.
Edited by ToddM 6/22/2016 12:58 PM
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Location: Detroit River | I have both in my box but I'm planning on taking them out to make room for lures I have confidence in.. I've only caught a few on 10's & have NEVER caught anything on a Dawg.
Edited by Zib 6/22/2016 2:11 PM
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Location: Detroit River | Juhas - 3/30/2016 4:47 PM I want the days before GoPro and Face book. That would be great. I could have my November spots all to myself if that were the case. |
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Location: NW WI | How about a Burmek B1? I admit to buying one new and I still have it. Great action.....just never got any fish interested in it.
Edited by Ifishskis 6/22/2016 3:27 PM
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Posts: 170
| A few years ago I was up at AML for a short stay and the last afternoon I was out with a buddy and I stuck a fat 49.5" on a black/chrome Vibrax. Nice way to end the trip and on the last run out...well, we went in for dinner and a crown and coke and was going to pack up. Buddy was up for the week and he said let's do one quick run before I head out. Jokingly, both he and I said, only one bait for me after sticking that last fish. I said no problem...black Vibrax it was. Went back to the same piece of structure as we saw another good fish there. Boom, I stuck a beautifully marked 46". Needless to say, a few more Crowns went down which led to a "little later" start in the AM than I was hoping for...LOL
And the double 10's were flying all week...you never know.
Edited by JimLang 6/22/2016 3:02 PM
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| No I don't miss them one bit |
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Location: NW WI | Ifishskis - 6/22/2016 2:40 PM
How about a Burmek B1? I admit to buying one new and I still have it. Great action.....just never got any fish interested in it.
And YES I miss the old days. |
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Location: oswego, il | Zib - 6/22/2016 2:26 PM
Juhas - 3/30/2016 4:47 PM I want the days before GoPro and Face book. That would be great. I could have my November spots all to myself if that were the case.
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Posts: 92
| The numbers are hard to refute as said above. That being said i like my 8's and single bladed tails they still catch plenty of fish and i save the double 10's for night time and a few other conditions. Love the rubber still but my shoulders don't. Off season conditioning is the key to keeping the shot shoulders hucking the big stuff at 49 for me. That and equipment that makes it easy like St Croix big nasty. Much less effort involved in tossing that big stuff with the right rods. Its the old work smarter not harder mantra for me as i get a bit older. |
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Posts: 778
| How about a new twist here. Twenty years in the future, guys may ask the question, "Do you remember the days of the 10's and dawgs, and all the big fish that were caught?" Who knows what kinds of baits will be used in the future. kDAWG |
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Location: Contrarian Island | to JLongs posts... catching fish is FUN to me... I throw the bait I think has the best chance at getting a hit...yah, throwing topwaters is fun and all, but if they are not hitting them throwing topwater 8 hrs with no hits is no FUN (to me)...my 1st 5 fish this season with some bigger ones were all on topwater... that was FUN... but if I had caught all 5 on a dawg, that would be fun too.... catching fish is why I am on the water... if it's a double 10, a topraider, or a banjo minnow I could care less what gets the job done.... I do however miss the days pre double 10 as it made guys 'think' more that I see guys doing now... simply clip on their fav double blade and that's all they throw...to me it has taken some of the 'thinking' out of the sport....
Edited by BNelson 6/23/2016 11:41 AM
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Location: minocqua, wi. | to me the days before had more to do with how old i was and who i fished with ... some great memories. our pattern was to find fish with gliders and go back to catch them on topwater. we'd spend the week at LOTW building a milk run that almost always paid off on last light. we had a tradition for the last night that you gave your fishing partner an ugly bait to throw at a fish we'd seen earlier in the week. i made the choice to make my buddy kevin throw a bulldawg knowing that it was a silly bait at the time ... fish ate it LOL. it was the original small size in black and green ... i may still have it laying around somewhere. |
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Posts: 1938
Location: Black Creek, WI | Brad, Yes, catching fish if fun. However, I think catching fish the way YOU want to catch them is even more fun. There are days when there are dozens of different ways to catch a musky, so why not choose the way that is most fun to you? If people think Double 10's and Bulldawgs are only or best way to catch fish on any given day... then they are not catching as many fish and having as much fun as they should be. Sometimes fish location will rule out some presentation options as well. My point here is this. My first fish of the season would undoubtedly have eaten a small bucktail had I chosen to use it. I chose to offer up a topwater because I felt it would be more fun. In some case, the bucktail may be the better option yet I'll choose the topwater AT THE RISK OF NOT CATCHING THE FISH, only because I want that specific experience to be on topwater for the fun of it. As many fish as you catch, Brad, I figured you would be all over this by now. Getting back to the original post, I don't believe Dawgs and 10's are always the BEST lure to use. Good tools, for sure, but not the only tools we need. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | if topwater is the most fun for you and you don't mind not catching fish then throw topwater all year! I love topwater and get lots of hits on topwater, but at times they want the bucktail, or crankbait, or dawg, or whatever.... I let the fish tell me what they want...to me, catching them on ANY bait is fun... to each their own...
Edited by BNelson 6/23/2016 1:33 PM
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| I miss the days when they first came out and every big fish seemed to crush them with reckless abandon haha. If I could go back in time I think I'd be unemployed the first couple years of the cowgirl and be a traveling musky fishing hobo sticking 50's every other day |
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Location: oswego, il | I am with Brad on this one. the fun is catching. The fun bait is the one putting me in the best situation to catch them. I do not throw top waters and bucktails much but I have caught fish on them. I throw more erratic stuff that people are not throwing. Part of the reason people today throw alot (not every circumstance) bucktails and top waters is because it is easy. Cast and retrieve. I have seen it may times, I am catching fish on the crazy stuff, my partner wants to try and after 10 minutes they retreat to the comfort of they're bucktail. I fish alot of pressured water so my confidence is to present something they do not normally see.
Edited by ToddM 6/23/2016 3:14 PM
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Location: Black Creek, WI | BNelson - 6/23/2016 1:32 PM if topwater is the most fun for you and you don't mind not catching fish then throw topwater all year! I love topwater and get lots of hits on topwater, but at times they want the bucktail, or crankbait, or dawg, or whatever.... I let the fish tell me what they want...to me, catching them on ANY bait is fun... to each their own... ; ) Topwater is not the most fun for me. I prefer catching fish in the figure8 on blades. but, I like new challenges and the visual excitement of a topwater strike now and then. My point is... we don't need Double 10's and Dawgs to catch fish today. Thus, there is no need to MISS THE DAYS BEFORE they were introduced. And that... is the topic of this discussion. If you miss those days... simply put down the Cowgirl and pick up a Shumway Flasher. Both catch many many fish.... in many of the same situations. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | agreed, topwater is a blast... I love it as much as anyone... and I agree we don't "need" those lures to catch fish but I also believe the # of fish, and the # of big fish would be less in my boat if I wasn't throwing those lures...
muskies are not smart, they eat whatever moves, from a 3" rapala to a 2 lb bulldawg... fun to catch no matter what lure or tactic.... |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | jlong - 6/23/2016 4:24 PM BNelson - 6/23/2016 1:32 PM if topwater is the most fun for you and you don't mind not catching fish then throw topwater all year! I love topwater and get lots of hits on topwater, but at times they want the bucktail, or crankbait, or dawg, or whatever.... I let the fish tell me what they want...to me, catching them on ANY bait is fun... to each their own... ; ) Topwater is not the most fun for me. I prefer catching fish in the figure8 on blades. but, I like new challenges and the visual excitement of a topwater strike now and then. My point is... we don't need Double 10's and Dawgs to catch fish today. Thus, there is no need to MISS THE DAYS BEFORE they were introduced. And that... is the topic of this discussion. If you miss those days... simply put down the Cowgirl and pick up a Shumway Flasher. Both catch many many fish.... in many of the same situations. Part of this discussion reminds me of a discussion we had on "Nut" many years ago about stages of an angler. One of those stages (the final stage) was that the catch itself doesn't matter, it's the how that's more important. So yes, someone may not care if they're not catching fish (not saying jlong is that way) and they may want to throw topwater all year because that's how they want to catch fish.
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Location: Contrarian Island | everyone is different..some may not get to that point Will..personally my mindset is if the thrill of catching fish diminishes to the point the "how" is more important I think I'll give up the sport.. . getting skunked is no fun...maybe some day my mindset will change but for now... the fun part is catching them...
Edited by BNelson 6/23/2016 3:59 PM
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Location: oswego, il | I agree with Brad again, I do not care for getting skunked. I have a friend of mine who only wants to target big fish over 50" and will only cast. He never used to be that way. He can fish days without a follow and trips without a fish. I have another friend who won't troll and won't fish for anything but muskies. He would rather wash baits all day than catch one trolling or catch a bass. |
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Posts: 159
| Funny from my experience---10s and 9s ---double blades----far out perform Dawgs from my personal anicdotal experience....
Not to mention--Am I the only one that hates casting Dawgs---even Mag Dawgs---having to lob them out there--rather than the good rod load snap on a cowgirl or Jr...to me casting Pounders takes all the fun out of Musky fishing---never felt that way about Cowgirls or Jrs...
In my opinion Dawgs are by far the least fun bait to cast and work and fish with....
Perhaps the best thing related to Musky fishing I have read in a long time--was the above quote---Im paraphrasing---10 years from now we will be talking about how many fish we all caught on Cowgirls and Dawgs--as some other baits will have taken there place in the cycle of new baits...much truth to this I believe....Im guessing it won't take 10 years...
Oh and almost forgot the original question--Yes I miss those early days for me when all my fish were caught on small mepps and Bobbies----and Suicks--and Tallywakers/Teasertails/Hawgwabblers/Hawgbusters....
Edited by Storm Strike 6/23/2016 5:31 PM
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| I started about the time people were still laughing at bulldawgs, and a bit before anybody had ever heard of a cowgirl. I miss being that young. I miss the newness of it all and still being ramped up at the end of the day because I saw a fish. I miss the excitement of getting a new lure or a new color and really believing it was the ticket to catching a pile of big fish.
I don't miss thinking double 10's were going to outfish all my old #8 Shumway Flashers every day of the week. They don't. More than a few days where the only fish we caught were on something smaller, even with 10's in the water all day.
I'll throw bulldawgs when I have to because I feel like there's no better choice, just like ripping the hell out of a grandma. I'm still out there to catch fish. But I'm not going to spend a lot of time throwing a lure I don't enjoy fishing. Having a fish blow up on a tail prop 3 times in a cast is a lot more fun than the ones that rip the tail off your stupid bulldawg that you never even got to see. If the fish are really going on a certain lure? I'm not stupid - I'll throw it all day. But if it's a slow day, I'm going to enjoy my fishing. |
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Location: Minnesota. | jlong - 6/23/2016 12:40 PM
Brad, Yes, catching fish if fun. However, I think catching fish the way YOU want to catch them is even more fun. There are days when there are dozens of different ways to catch a musky, so why not choose the way that is most fun to you? If people think Double 10's and Bulldawgs are only or best way to catch fish on any given day... then they are not catching as many fish and having as much fun as they should be. Sometimes fish location will rule out some presentation options as well. My point here is this. My first fish of the season would undoubtedly have eaten a small bucktail had I chosen to use it. I chose to offer up a topwater because I felt it would be more fun. In some case, the bucktail may be the better option yet I'll choose the topwater AT THE RISK OF NOT CATCHING THE FISH, only because I want that specific experience to be on topwater for the fun of it. As many fish as you catch, Brad, I figured you would be all over this by now. Getting back to the original post, I don't believe Dawgs and 10's are always the BEST lure to use. Good tools, for sure, but not the only tools we need.
I'm so there...!! |
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| jlong - 6/23/2016 12:40 PM
Yes, catching fish if fun. However, I think catching fish the way YOU want to catch them is even more fun.
I'm doomed because after about ten years and not even 100 fish yet, I pretty much only want to catch them boatside or on top. I love to see the strike. Catching them way out on the cast is less than half as fun.
Yesterday even after four fish on other baits, I stuck with bucktails for the evening because I wanted to get one at my feet. Kind of weird but that's what I wanted. And I know it probably cost me a fish or two.
I'll still take a big one any way I can get it though! |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | agree with the boatside and on-top comments ... that's why smallies have my heart. topwater smallies are an absolute blast! |
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| Sled, I don't fish for smallies but I can understand why they would be fun on topwater. Last summer I was fishing a Klack buzz bait over a thick weed bed and what had to be at least a four pound smallie rocketed out of the water on one side of the lure, went 2 feet or more in the air, did a 180 and landed on the other side, never touching the lure. I couldn't help but laugh, it was so fun to see. There was a family fishing for panfish in a nearby boat and one of the kids had seen the fish and shouted out, "that was cool!". Couldn't have agreed more. |
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Location: Minnesota. | North of 8 - 6/24/2016 9:27 AM
Sled, I don't fish for smallies but I can understand why they would be fun on topwater. Last summer I was fishing a Klack buzz bait over a thick weed bed and what had to be at least a four pound smallie rocketed out of the water on one side of the lure, went 2 feet or more in the air, did a 180 and landed on the other side, never touching the lure. I couldn't help but laugh, it was so fun to see. There was a family fishing for panfish in a nearby boat and one of the kids had seen the fish and shouted out, "that was cool!". Couldn't have agreed more.
You should try them on a fly rod. They're the "fightingest" fish ever and my very favorite... |
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Posts: 246
| All smallmouth think they are the biggest fish in the lake. |
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Posts: 3156
| I miss the days when gun shows wern't all glock and AR 15 related.
Edited by happy hooker 6/25/2016 2:54 PM
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