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Posts: 2
Location: Littleton, Mass. | Been doing my online homework for my first musky outing. Heard lots of stuff about lures, nothing about using live bait. Is it not done? Is it an unacceptable way to take a musky? I have heard of the single hook sucker rigs that are allowed to be swallowed by the musky. A guide raised five grand for a study. Radio-tagged 14 fish that were caught on the sucker rigs. All 14 ended up dying within a year or so. Anyway, that's not what I'm talking about. I wouldn't use anything that I knew would kill the musky. I'm talking about a live perch on a quick-strike rig. Single large hook through the bait, and a treble attached to the same steel leader. Any thoughts?
Long live musky.
blackdog |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | Go for it. Check out your local regulations for using live bait that you caught. Here, I can use any fish caught by legal means of legal size on the same body of water as bait. Soak that puppy while you are casting, give 'em a choice. |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | As long as it is ok with the regs, live bait can be a great way to catch fish...... but
I do a LOT of live bait fishing, spring and fall only though. Suckers only, no other fish.
Quick set rigs are the way to go. If and when the fish hits the bait, you have about 15 seconds to hit the fish with as much might as you can. Try and get the fish to move away from the boat, and position yourself directly on top of it and set the hooks straight up. Try and get the fish to be moving AWAY from the boat before you set the hooks. HIT THEM HARD and hang on.
Live bait fishing can be good, when done right. DO NOT let the fish have the bait for more than 15 seconds or that fish could be dead. Hit them quick and hit them hard. |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | Live bait is definitely a great way to fish at times. This time of year it may be tough to keep them alive for a while, but like Mike said, spring and fall are great times to soak some suckers while casting. Drag away. |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | As long as it's legal....I agree use live bait as long as you can in the season. Usually, i find that when surface water temps get into the Mid-70's, suckers have a hard time surviving, you may want to try smaller ones or large chubs. |
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Live Bait