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Posts: 2361
| While out not catching the last musky of 2003, which incidentally was an incredible 43lb., 51 1/2", butterfat, fish, I had this sudden insight which was probably so stupid it has to be true. When you do shortline trolling is it possible that the musky reduces things to the lowest denominator and recognizes the boat as a school(undefinable in its structure with no members clearly differentiated)and the baits as ???? stragglers?
This makes the speed/shortline thing much more congruent in producing fish, simply because bait scatter does not occur in clear water without suspended populations and yet fish will still come up to hit the baits even without this "scatter". | |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | I agree with you, maybe it is over thinking the situation. We are talking about a fish with the brain smaller than the size of your little fingernail. We are asking alot of "cause and effect" thought processes to occur in such a cerebral pee-wee "brainfart on a good day is my best" fish. | |
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Posts: 32885
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Maybe the muskie recognizes the boat as anything BUT a disturbance. Any disturbance that runs through schooled bait on the top, which will happen now and again, might become a food source if the event is repeated enough times. I think what might be more likely is that the muskie simply reacts to a boat as part of a stimulous, but part of the normal environment. A bait close to a boat is fair game. How much positive stimulous a boat has is a great question. I have a MarCum 560 coming this winter that I will have installed on the rig next year so I can actually SEE what is going on under the surface. This camera has a unique lens that rotates 360 with a wrist worn remote. I can film up to an hour at a time, just leaving the camera and my Mini DV unit runing. MuskieFIRST is going to use some of the footage in a website production about follows, strikes, and muskies at boatside. Nice fish you were fishing for but didn't catch, by the way. Any pictures? Every time I photograph that particular subject, I get a shot of the guy in the back of the boat, for some reason. It is 13 degrees here with 30 MPH winds right now; all I can do is look out the back window at my 2050 and dream. Oh, one more thing: I agree with SVL's post, too.  | |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | I don't have any trolling experience (plan to change that eventually), but have thought about the "speed trolling" presentation to learn new ways to improve my casting presentations.
I think FSF is on the right track... in that the answer to its effectiveness is probably very simple. I do not think the short line aspect of the presentation does anything to elicit strikes, but simply helps keep the lure shallow at high speed and offers some more control when fishing heavy cover. Personally, I think that speed trolling triggers strikes predominantly due to the SPEED. After reading tons of boring, complicated research on the Lateral Line I have learned that the faster an object moves, the easier it is for a musky to detect, target, and capture. Considering that speed trolling allows you to travel faster which increases the amount of water you can cover and the probability of you crossing paths with an active fish willing to react to your attention-getting presentation.
If that isn't the answer...... then I have no clue.
jlong | |
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Posts: 32885
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I would agree that speed is part of the overall stimulous, but even at 6 MPH, the lure is moving very slow in comparison to what a baitfish is capable of. I find the fish I have under observation don't pay any attention to bait zooming around the tank at all. Instead, they target prey by ease of attack, in other words, location. AND, by the way, I have had to remove evry single ONE of the minnows I put in the tank that become ill or are injured. The pedators simply ignore them completely and key on what appear to be the healthy, harder to catch prey. | |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Under certain conditions I've often wondered about (and even attempted to) run my partner's and my bait in the immediate vicinity of each other just for the additional triggering effect. Baits of 2 different families/styles would help one or the other stand out as the more desireable meal/target. Obviously, it takes the right chemestry between 2 anglers to do this. You wouldn't figure this would work well fishing with someone who has a big ego. I like the "team" aspect of musky fishing. As you already know, most anglers give the "net man" as much credit as themselves. I like working "with" my boat partner to get a fish to the boat. If that means leaving my bait on my rod tip for a few casts or even setting the boat up for their next series of casts that's what I try to do. "Big boat traveling at 5+ mph and a shortline bait running behind" or "2 anglers running their respective baits next to each other." What do you think? | |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | Muskies are like Deer are like Women..
Seems the more we think, study, and learn, the more there is to know, the more we find out we Don't know and the more we realize we will Never figure them out. Just enjoy 'em! | |
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Posts: 32885
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Muskies, Deer and the Women (especially the Women). I have spent much of my life trying to figure out all three of them; muskies, women, and deer, in no particular order. Some people are like that, just never satisfied with what happens, always trying to figue out the 'why' and the 'why nots' even though there may be no answers ( especially with the Women. Those are not answers I seek, what I seek are secrets, and the Women intend to damned well keep them that way). I will be crazy eventually from this; I know. That's OK, I guess. No one can say I went mad from anything but a legitmate cause. And when I do, I can finally act a bit loony, as it will be expected.  FSF is a seeker as well, and will suffer the inevitable fate, unending hours on Muskie water seeking another cause/effect relationship to a follow or a strike. Jlong has already passed the point of no return. Though we are doomed, as our minds twist and break we will be smiling the smile of those who are close, SSSSSOOOOOOOOO close to the answers.... THAT is what made Sponge as he is, and THAT is why he is away for awhile. Heck with this, I am going to go to the movies and see a film well rooted in my reality. JRR had it right. Frodo lives!! | |
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Posts: 20216
Location: oswego, il | Having a brain the same size as a musky, I condition that strikes are triggered by the boat which cause abnormal distressful baitfish movements becuase of the boat passing by. I condition that thess movements make baitfish less aware of their predators and easier prey. | |
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Maybe we are overthinking this...