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Posts: 63
| I live in Iowa and fortunately have open season all year round. I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to target ice out muskies? Do you wait until a certain water temperature? Any bait or spot suggestions? It is hard to read up on much online about this topic as a lot is related to places where muskie season is closed. Thanks! |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Cast to the edge of the ice, work your bait back slow. m |
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Posts: 32892
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Smaller cranks and rattle trap style lures or a jig and creature always did well for me. |
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Posts: 2017
| At ice out, and first two weeks after, many of the fish are near the deepest water in the lake, more times than not they are extremely lethargic..it’s not an easy time to catch them.. glide baits and suspending cranks fished with pauses way longer than you think you should pause the bait has brought me some success. Think how can I make this as easy as possible for a musky to eat, strike zone is tiny so work areas meticulously, good luck |
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Location: Northern Illinois | as stated rattle traps |
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Posts: 53
| The 2 best prespawn ice out tactics I have found. 1) burning lipless cranks as mentioned 2) fishing suspending stickbaits slow. I'm talking up to 10 seconds on pauses. Husky jerks and pointers work great. With both tactics make sure you size your leader appropriately to the lure. Bass size stuff can be the ticket at ice out. Find the shad, a little sun can heat that shallow water in a hurry. |
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Posts: 20229
Location: oswego, il | I don't fish pre-spawn Muskies much anymore. More often than not an excersize in futility. They can be caught but with being preoccupied and on the shad based lakes a slow lethargic population that dies off during that period gives muskies an easy meal that doesn't need chasing down. Lucky for me there is a giant lake nearby full of concentrated schools of very stupid silver fish and a great jigging bite for lake trout during that time. |
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Posts: 866
Location: NE Ohio | i like suspending minnow baits worked slowly in the warming bays and below dams during the walleye run. |
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Posts: 25
Location: South Central PA | I fish rivers here in PA. Ice out can be a great time. Like all the other responses - find where they wintered and pound em with what everyone said to use. I have never tried the rattlebaits though - may have to buy a few and give them a try. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | https://www.muskyhunter.com/archives/325
all u need 2 know. m |
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Posts: 25
Location: South Central PA |
Thanks! Great article! I really liked that they explained the "when" and water temp. |
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Ice Out Muskies