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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | Just curious how many guys are out there chasing open water fish. It's well known there are some big girls out there, how are you approaching them? I've seen, and tried many differant presentations, but it is still something I need to lear A LOT more about. I've trolled them, thrown topwaters, and gliders for the most part. It was interesting to see fuzzy duzzits coming into play while I was on Webster. What's been your best approach? |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | It all depends on the bait fish man.... Location, Location, Location....
If the bait fish are 1-5 feet down, over 30 feet of water, you want to throw something that will only get down a max. of 2-3 feet.
If the bait are down 5-10 feet you will want to use somethign that will get down 1-6 feet
IF the bait fish are down 10-15 feet, you will want to use something that will get down 6-8 feet
If the bait are down 20-25 feet, you will want soemthign that gets down 15-18 feet
Never go below them, always stay above them.
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| Approach pods of baitfish as structure and fish around them as you would any other structure. As Mike says, in general stay above them. Contrasting the hatch is generally helpful, same shape/body as the bait, but flashier colors to stand out  |
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Posts: 2014
| Mike is right on - this year I have paid complete attention to baitfish and its paid off big. On lakes where shad are a forage base it is really all you need to key on - when the shad are shallow fish shallow and so on.
Haven't tried open water techniques on LOTW - but might be an interesting thought.....Too many shallow fish crushing topwaters to take the time. - Might just have to do a little experimenting this year?
Or just wait till fall when they come shallow with the cisco. |
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Posts: 1245
Location: Madtown, WI | do you do it even when all you see are those stupid 3 inch shad??? Are they keying in on these small shad?? I don't fish shad lakes much...but the one I fished in IL seemed to only have the small shad jumping....
Cory
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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | Cory, depends on wether they are threadfin or gizzard shad. In PA we have the bigger ones, the gizzard shad, on Cave run for instance, they are threadfins, I think.....there is now smoke coming out of my ears.
Edited by tomyv 4/28/2005 2:55 PM
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Posts: 152
| I spend 90% of my time fishing open water. Mike is right about staying above the shad or ciscoe. The only time I don't is when I am not finding active Muskies, then I stagger my lines at depths below, at, and above the baitfish. Look for balls of baitfish, something is eating them. The large, flat schools are being left alone. Work around the schools becouse Muskies that are not actively feeding will be someplace close. Yes, Muskies do eat small shad, and they also eat other fish that eat small shad. When I fish in Wisconsin where I can't troll I do the same thing casting countdown lures. One of the best is a weighted Grandma. I like catching them casting a lot more than I do catching them trolling. Later |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | The lake I fish the most has barely any weeds left from the crayfish invasion (Muskydr knows which one) I still catch fish along the steep breaks, the cribs, and mid lake humps but it seems much tougher to fish than in years past when the weeds were ok. I think this lake has great potential for open water fishing and will definately try it some this year, the fish have to be there following schools of perch and walleye. |
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Posts: 170
Location: Valparaiso , Indiana | Open water is easy. Find the bait. Wait there.The hungry muskies will come. It's as easy as that. I catch about 80% of my fish in open water. |
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Posts: 2361
| jmuskieking - 4/28/2005 10:29 PM
Open water is easy. Find the bait. Wait there.The hungry muskies will come. It's as easy as that. I catch about 80% of my fish in open water.
You forgot to add the part about making sure there are 6.46 musky per acre... |
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Posts: 170
Location: Valparaiso , Indiana | Yeah, that helps too.  |
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Open Water Fishing