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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | The fish camouflage post got me to thinking about this subject, especially as it relates to those open water muskies and schools of bait fish. I was also doing some end of year clearing out of my extensive magazine collection's and while going through my old issue's of Scientific American I came across a very good article on this very subject; "The Structure and Function of Fish Schools" by Brian L. Partridge (June 1982 edition). This article also reinforces what I have personnaly observed during many ocean dives, i.e., finding the schools is key to finding the larger predator's. Yes- just like the zebra herd, the school increases the individual's survival odd's. Breakaway from the herd/school and the survival odds are greatly diminished. While the bars & stripe's might help the herd/school, they can be a hinderance to the lone individual, i.e., feeding time for Ms. Muskie. On my last/first trip to LCO in late fall of 2002, I was just crusing around exploring and checking out the lake and watching the sonar- noticed some spot's where heading out from shore to deeper water from the 12 break line out there was almost a snow storm pattern, i.e., appeared to be scattered bait all the way down to ~ 20' - Then suddenly it would clear and nothing and maybe a 100' further I'd see a ball or two of bait fish ~15-20" down. Then I assumed my sonar was acting up, but I now realize the snow storm on my screen was probably dispersed cisco's and the ball's were also probably cisco's schooled because of a large predator in the immediate area. I knew the cisco's should be staging for spawning in these area's. Unfortunately that day turned very nasty very quickly and being by myself in ESOX Maniac I decided to get out of Dodge (20-30 mph S. WINDS W/ SLEET & SNOW) Loading the boat was a real bithc because the DNR had already pulled the dock at the landing. Anyway back to the school- it seems the most effective method would be to simply locate the school and fish all the way around under and or over it. It might also be productive to run a lure through the school. I think we should view the school as a attractive piece of mobile structure, i.e., something that is potentially very attractive to a muskie in a feeding mode. My real question is how do you fish schools of baitfish? What's been your most effective tactic's? Al Warner "All Water is Zalt Water" http://www.zaltnad.com | |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | Al,
If legal on the lake, trolling is a very effective way to hit these fish. That is where it is very important to be able to read your electronics and know what you are seeing. Then you can run baits in, above around and where ever else you feel they should be. By trolling, at least one of the baits can be in the "strike zone" constantly, thus upping your odds.
I know alot of people don't necessarily like to troll, but once you see all that is involved with trolling, it is actually quite an interesting way of presenting baits. There is alot that goes into trolling effectively. I'm sure if you talk to some of the eastern guys, they would agree. Capt Larry is an awesome troller out in the LSC area and Niagra river area. Mike's Extreeme is an awesome troller on Pewaukee as well.
Hope this helps!
Good Lungen,
Joel | |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Al,
Personally, I do not fish schools of baitfish like a structural element. Just plain too difficult and probably not necessary. Sure, the presence of baitfish gives me added confidence.... but have you ever tried to "chase" a school around the lake? Pretty darn tough. Jim Saric once wrote about the "balls" of cisco possibly suggesting that a predator is nearby and "working" the school. I feel there is some merit to that.... but it still doesn't tell you exactly where to cast and how to present your lure. It just says... this is a fishy area that you should invest some time. For example, the schooled up bait may be also using DEPTH to escape the lurking predators. If you try to present your lure at the depth of the baitfish... you are probably NOT in the strike zone.
Secondly, there is tracking study data that suggests that muskies that are out over deep, open water where baitfish can often be found in large schools.... their activity level is high. These "suspended" muskies are constantly moving and on the prowl out there.... not in an ambush mode like when they are on a classic "structure". This suggest to me that just fan casting and efficiently covering water is the best way to "bump" into a muskie out in the middle of nowhere... or near a baitfish school. Overall, I think just wetting your line in the general area that frequently holds baitfish is good enough.
Lastly, I'm curious why you feel stripes or bars in a preyfish's coloration would be a hindrance when isolated from the school? Seems to me that such markings would help break up or conceal their profile... making them less vulnerable. Also, the traditional counter-shading type camo (dark back, light belly) is why musky fisherman go ga-ga over lures that have some belly roll or a shimmy shake to them? When the lure moves in this way... it reveals the vulnerability of this natural camouflage? Do you think predators instinctively "know" this?
jlong | |
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Jason- I think that theres a subtle difference that everyone seems to miss, i.e., yes the perch's bars are an camouflage aid, but only in given situations. A perch swimming alone will stand out compared to say a cisco, or compared to a perch in a open water school or a singleperch swimming in a weed bed. I've spent quite a bit of time underwater on ocean reefs, & the first fish you notice visually are the loner's with vivid stripes or bars. When you walk by an aquarium w/ a mix of fish, which one captures your eye first? I think using lures with vivid bar/spots/stripes aids the fisherman in enhancing the lures ability to stimulate the predator's visual prey detection. Why else are bumblebee patterns successful? Do they know anything? Well let's not get Mr. Worrall going on that one. Yes- I think the feeding response to stimulation is instinctive. Lure movement, colors, color patterns all aid in stimulating the response. As for belly roll. What is the normal posistion for the vast majority of injured baitfish? Based on my observations it's on their side, i.e., yes -they are vulnerable, their natural camouflage has been compromised and their ability to escape has been hampered. Also they are usually struggling to reorient their body to their normal swimming position, i.e. flashing. All of these factors spell FOOD to a predator. Although I don't fish for Muskies w/ suckers, I think this is the primary reason its a sucessful fall tactic, i.e., the muskies are on a pre-winter feeding binge and the struggling suckers are tempting easy meal. I do ice fish for pike, one of my little trick's is to selectively clip fins, i.e., so the bait is struggling more. This is also why I really like the Zalts & Zam's, i.e., their ability to produce a lot of belly roll/flash with a wide variety of presentation techniques. Al Warner "All Water is Zalt Water" http://www.zaltnad.com | |
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Schools+Schooling+Muskie = Muskie in the net?