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Posts: 26
Location: Chanhassen, MN | I'm a second year musky hunter and I fish a very clear minnesota lake 8-10' clarity. I'm wondering what would be some good baits and colors to start with ? I'm thinking small bucktails like Mepps Musky Killers.
Any words of wisdom.
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Posts: 419
Location: Appleton, WI | You're right on to assume that the Mepps Musky Killers will work well on clear water. If you tullibee, cisco, whitefish, trout, sucker, and smallies in the system than whites, silvers, blacks, browns, and blues work very well for color combinations. Every body of water is somewhat different as far as fish preferring a certain forage size, but in the lakes in Wisconsin which I fish the smaller baits seem to work better. Speed is also a factor when fishing water that is more clear. Typically you want to be moving baits along a pretty good clip in clear water. It'll often times ellicit a strike much more effectively than a slower moving target. Don't let the fish eyeball it too long.
Some baits that I've done well on clear water systems are Triple D's, Bagley's DB 08's, Grandmas, Cisco Kids, Reef Hawgs, Mepps Musky Killers, Eagle Tails(in the smaller size), and Bulldawgs. Go with natural colored baits and you should be on the right path.
Really work your baits erratically and try to get the fish to hit the bait away from the boat. It's almost a futile in trying to trigger fish at boatside during a figure eight in gin bottles. Cover water like a madman, and don't be afraid to fish over deeper water structure. Work deepbreaklines and venture out in no-man's land you may be surprised what you'll find.
catch ya later,
Krappie
Edited by Krappie 4/9/2005 3:11 PM
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Posts: 26
Location: Chanhassen, MN | Krappie
Thanks for the info, I'll definately work the baits faster. I do have a couple of eagle tails. So I'll try them to. I did purshase a 6 & 8" reef hog at the MN muskie expo. I want to work these and a couple of phantoms I bought last fall.
Great fishing | |
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Posts: 15
| Most of the lakes I fish are around the 8'-10' with an occassional 15' clarity lake in the Itasca county area, so I know what you are up against. Mepps bucktails are a good choice but I prefer Musky Bucks (Blue Fox Vibrax). They come with #5 or #6 Indiana spinners and slimmer hair profiles which is good for speedy retrieves and I like the wire shaft between the tandem tails for adding weight (use a rubber core sinker and pinch it onto the shaft). Another thing to remember is you have to stay off the structure more on clear lakes so you want something you can't cast far and well and be able to do it in windy conditions. Also the weight will help keep your bucktail further down in the water coloumn even though you are reeling fast. I mix natural colors with flash characteristics, like glitter paints or "foil" colors. Early morning, late evenings and cloudy days are your friends , which is typical for almost any muskie lake but especially for clear lakes. Rapala Super Shads, Grandma's, Jakes, all of the tradition crankbaits and jerkbaits work great. You just need to match the bait to the mood of the fish or what you think the fishes moods might be. Good Luck this season! | |
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Posts: 2089
| Clear water=huge strike zone.Active fish are usually using the upper part of the water column.10' down over much deeper water isn't a problem.Draw 'em in and stick 'em with speed/erratic retrieves.Good luck and have fun.Good info above re: baits.Don't worry about starting small either.The fish will be far enough along .10" Jake or Mag Dawg over "open" water adjacent to primary structural elements.Oh and Mn. fish like gaudy colors on some clear lakes.Stupid fish. Steve | |
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| Is pink a gaudy color? | |
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Posts: 152
| Pink and fluorescent red are great colors. My buddy got a 46 and a 43 on pink last week, and I got a 42 and 42.5 on a black head with a fluorescent red body. I also lost a mid to upper 30's and had two hits that didn't get hooks on black and red. I also got a 42.5 and a 43.5 on a bleeding spotted sucker last week. Fluorescent red head and lip,yeh, I paint the lips too. | |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Good stuff already mentioned! I like magnum bulldawgs fished along steep, deep breaklines and over humps. Also throw them a lot over deep water fishing for those suspendos. I like solid black, black/silver, and the blue/silver. If the sun is out, throw the blue/silver. Speaking of sun, don't be afraid of it. The sun draws the ecosystem up in the water column, thus bringing the muskies with. I actually fish deeper in the water column on a cloudy day versus a sunny day. Just opposite of what you hear all the time I know, but it works for me. Blues are great on sunny days in clear water.
Like Steve mentioned, big strike zones in clear water. What this means is fish your baits erratically to get the fish's attention from afar. Due a lot of rips, pulls, pauses, whatever it takes to get that baits jumping around and flashing. I like baits with white bellies/sides, and prism to aid in making a flash to attract fish from a distance.
If there are logs in the lakes along the shores, fish them! In clear water systems muskies really like hanging in the logs, even if it is only a few feet deep.
My choice of where to fish on clear water is suspended. It is perhaps the most consistant pattern weather it's sunny or cloudy, and there are some big fish out there! I then like humps and deep breaks in the 25-35' area. | |
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Clear Water Baits