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| How important is it on your waters to downsize during the early season? Or is it?
Here on the CAVE we have been downsizing almost completely for several years, I wonder sometimes if that is not a mistake.
The last few years I have been studing the results of the PMTT and Cabin Fever Challunge. Larger baits have taken most the top spots. However we have been suggessful downsizing but not taking to many big fish. However the BIG BIG early season muskies here are taken by bass fisherman.
Is it lure size or presentation?????
I wonder!!!!!!
Give us your opinon.
Tony Grant
MuskieFirst Southern Field Editor
KYMUSKIE.COM |
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| Depends on how early in the season your talking. Real early, Feb./March, I've done well with downsized baits, but once april rolls around, I do better on normal sized baits. |
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| I agree with Tomy. We do well with Husky Jerks, tubebaits, and jigs through around the opener if it has been a cold spring. If things are warm, and the fish have spawned over a week before the opener, big stuff is good. I usually start big, then downsize if needed. Just me. |
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| I agree much depends on the seasonal weather. I tend to go with regular baits and downsize if needed. Remember, these fish haven't seen a lure in several months in the north land. They are also hungry after the rigors of spawn and little feeding activity during the winter. I want to present them with a big easy meal. If that doesn't work, give them a snack. Good plan mix your presentations if you have a partner, find out what they want.
Good luck, Murph! |
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| There's a lot to be said for that trap thing in lakes with shad. From what I can discern the muskies and the shad are the first ones in the shallows, with the panfish and other rough fish still out yonder. I tried the trap thing last year with some coaching tips, and have to say I found it a mixed bag. I have decided to go big this year instead. I am going to use a 12" suick as my baseline bait and work up from there. I am going to use baits so big that an errant cast may kill an innocent passing boater(look for me in the news). Please send me your excess 3 and 4 ounce baits, my knots aren't so hot. [;)]
www.70degreestomorrowandthebackdecksopenbutcoveredwithslimebynoonI'llbetya.com |
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| Size matters?
I thought it was the motion.
Presentation, location, then size perhaps?
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| Early in the spring I will almost always through smaller lures.
First off, most of my better spots are shallow and a large lure will run to deep compared to a small lure. Our 5 inch minnow has been a great opening day bait for twitching up in the shallow warmer water. (under 4 feet)
Second, after sitting around all winter long, my body just can't handle the big stuff right away. (getting old sucks!) Last year my son wrestled until the end of March and I worked out with him through out the winter. When I fished the PMTT on Cave Run, I could really see and feel the difference in my shoulders and back. After reading Jim Saric's article in MH, I plan on wrestling with him a lot more this winter. |
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| Read Tony's Artical in M. H. went out and spent 60$
on small baits that rattle and now I read this !
Oh well it's only money [:((] |
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| Don't get me wrong the small lipless crankbaits produce, produce in great numbers. I too try to keep both a large lure and small one going out of my boat. But it seems the larger fish come from different places than the smaller ones taken on rattling baits. Mind games on which areas to work get to me, go with the higher percentage bait or hit the spots that typicaly hold bigger fish just harder to get their attention during this period.
My biggest spring fish came on a Burt in 14 feet of water, yet I give those types of spots little time.
Can't wait tell the outing here to get educated!!!
Tony Grant
MuskieFirst Southern Field Editor
KYMUSKIE.COM |
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| I think a lot of it has to do with the size of the main forage base. On Kinkaid Lake, the shad run a little bigger on this lake than other reservoirs I fish, and we always are successful on large baits, even in the spring. My number one producer has been the 10" Jake in the early spring. I also like to use large baits because the water is usually very murky in the spring, and a larger profile lure seems to be more visible to the fish. I find that rattles are important for me too. The bottom line is, even though a muskie is a muskie no matter where you fish them, each lake is going to have differences according to the forage types. I have also always lived by the theory that in the end, big baits = big fish!! |
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| Tony: In the case of my lake here in Maryland, we have Tigers only. In their case, it makes all the difference in the world. I noticed a while back that spring Bass anglers catch more Tigers by accident than mostTtiger fisherman do on purpose. Last year I downsized to minnow-sized lures and had a much better spring. I keep in contact with guides all over the country about natural musky fishing. It seems that downsizing does work in the spring wherever you live. Of course the fish don't read the same stuff that we do, do they!!!!! [:bigsmile:] Afterall, Muskies eat whatever they want! [:p] |
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| Chad Cain hit the nail on the head. It depends on the forage base. If the lake only has big forage, then by all means use big baits. But if the lake has concentrated schools of thin fin..like the Cave.. then small is the way to go.
We use small baits on Pewaukee most of the year, because our forage is 4" perch and golden shinners. |
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| Reading all the above posts have to charitably disagree with all the "small bait in the spring fisherman". I think big baits are less limiting on the big fish side and more limiting on the small fish side. Small baits more limiting on the big fish side and less limiting on the small fish side. Now the question is where do you want to set your limits?
ie the small fish may be less likely to hit a 10" jake than say a rattletrap
but the big fish are more likely to hit a 10" jake than a rattletrap
the other thing to think about is that if you do hook a larger fish on the rattletrap or small bait you may land him if hooked in the right spot in open water, but you have more tactical problems landing a big fish on a small bait than landing the same fish on a larger bait.
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| At what point do you start using the "large lures" again if you use smaller stuff in the spring? |
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| welcome back mauser! How are you?
I usually notice that it's rather the opposite here in Belgium and Holland. Northerns tend to go for larger baits and really odd lures in the spring (may, openingsday of the season is the last saturday of May) and prefer smaller lures in the summer. Only by November/december they go for big lures again until the end of the season which is the last day of March. |
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| Down sizing has become a sociallly accepted term in this modern day society, ranging from corporate staffing reduction, food comsumption, top heavy "from birth" women + now fishing baits....just how far this term can be taken relies on ones' ability to go forward w/ a word + scramble it like an egg on a spring morning. Personally I prefer to use the term "DOWNSCALE" since most fish have scales + it is easier for me to pronounce...if I wish to use a larger bait I shall refer to this usage as "UPSCALE"....an example would be "Hey dude, time to upscale since the downscale baits aren't producing the desired results + we have to back for dinner in 2 hrs". These 2 terms roll off the tongue + make one appear much more intelligent than he really is; hence the reason I use it! No matter what term you use remember....we are all in this together + hopefully we can all continue to work toward the common goal of educating 1 another in this difficult world of ours.[:sun:] |
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| I never "downsize" in early season. But then in Ontario opening day is the 3rd weekend of June. Usually by then the fish are done spawning, and looking for something big to eat.
I suspect that the downsizing idea is due to a fairly large number of muskies being caught by people fishing for something other than muskies (walleyes, bass, panfish, etc.) during the early season. I would guess that this is a function of fishing effort (lots of hours, by lots of people) than a better way to do it. We have caught lots of big fish on big baits on opening day.
I would also guess that small lures in general would tend to produce small fish. Smaller fish trend to be males. Male fish trend to be ready to bite sooner than female fish after the spawning riggors, so in cases where the season is open during spawning or slighty after spawning small lures would give you more action, but with a slim chance at a big fish.
Doug Johnson |
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| As an old Bass guy turned Muskie addict, I tend to throw large but not ultra large baits in the Spring. My reasoning for this is that there are no young of the year in the early Spring. As the Spring hatch grows larger during the year the forage size changes a lttle and the lure size goes down until the heat of the Summer when water temp dictates larger lures and faster speed. This all made sense to me when I was primarily after Bass. But now I am not so sure my reasoning is as sound. Just a little more info to add to the kettle.
Hope this makes sense some how......
Let Em Go...Let Em Grow.....Mike
www.iloveslimepackedwienies.com |
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| Unless the forage base of the lake is small I stick with the big stuff. My thinking is if you can fish a big bait in the fall with 40 deg water why not big in the spring. An eight inch bait really isn't that big when you consider what you are fishing for.
go big or go home[;)] ,
toddb |
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| Jason,
Good to meet you at the Chicago Show SWAP MEET. Tell me, given your Pewaukee GOLDEN SHINER forage, any opinion as to what jerkbait is the most effective imitator of a big golden shiner?
Thanks,
[email protected]
a/k/a Regis Thompson, Albany, NY |
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Early season down sizing