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Posts: 59
Location: Chicago western burbs | I am still in the process of learning Muskie fishing. I fish ontario waters, and throw lots of bucktails with 90% of the spots being rocks or rocky points. There are days we get lots of follows with no hook ups. I want to come back to these spots with a quality jerkbait. Anyone have a recomendation for northern waters with rocks. I know at the show Saric talked about having a jerkbait as your throwback lure, but I did not catch which one he recommended. Any help would be appreciated. |
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| leo jerk is probably one of the best or a minteer if you can find one |
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Location: Apple Valley | I like to throw a black Hawg Wobbler as a throw back. I know some people like to use large Tiger tubes as throw backs.
Good luck.
Brian |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | Throw a weagle back on those dudes. (not a jerkbait, but a side to side topwater). Then fish it reeeeaaaallll slow but violent. Tap that guy a few times, then let it sit. Few more times, then let it sit. Usually when I throw back on a fish with a weagle, they destroy the thing after I work it and let it pause.
I'm thinking the Howie may be a good throw back bait as well this year, but I haven't thrown it yet, so only time will tell.
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Posts: 2024
| I'll second the walk-the-dog topwater. However, your hooking percentages might be a little lower. Joel's recommendation to work it SLOW is good, and using one that sits low in the water is also a good idea. If you were going to throw a jerkbait back at a fish, you might try custom weighting a Suick to make it near-neutrally buoyant.
Typically, when we go back on a fish (especially on LOTW in exactly the same rock type situations you described) the first pass or two is with a Shallow Invader ripped and banged into rocks, followed by the zig-zag topwater. |
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Posts: 427
Location: Wausau | I have heard of using a lot of baits as a throw back - Weagle, Tube, Jerk, Glider, etc. I think another important aspect to consider is to use a bait with a different action/profile/color. Again, I heard use the same bait, just work it different. Time on the water and personal preferrance will help answer your questions. In the summer on rock based lakes, if throwing a large bucktail, I come back on a fish with a large minnow bait hitting the rocks, rip and pause...seems to work for me at times, but to each his own. Good luck - everyone's advise will work...it's a timing thing. |
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Posts: 1453
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | I've had success with tubes as well as with the same/different approach: Same bait/different color...or...Different bait/same color....the one that brought 'em up had SOMETHING they liked...figure out what it is....I'm actually going to give surface gliders a shot this summer....Who knows...on LOTW one summer we had a pig up 4X or more...finally took a tiney black/orange bucktail at boatside. |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | A lot of people talk about going slower when it comes to a throw back lure. But does anyone find success going to the other extreme? Maybe put on a small bucktail and burn it as fast as you can? You know the fish is there, now it's time to get a reaction strike. I don't find myself trying this. But logic (which you definitely can't rely on when it comes to musky fishing!) tells me that this tactic should work. You have a fish located that may be hungry or it may just be curious. But it seems that getting a reaction strike out of such a fish should be easier?
Aaron |
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Posts: 339
Location: Maryland | Aaron,Very good idea! Should work. I normally throw a bulldawg or some other type of rubber as a throwback lure. I have caught one on a super topraider on a throwback.Jerk pause jerk pause then it hit. |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | Aaron, I usually find if I'm not moving fish that if I start burning baits, I tend to get more eaters. I'm sure it would work on an aggressive following fish. I suppose you have to take into consideration the mood of the fish that followed. If you have a very negative fish following, it might not be wise to burn a bait in, but fish tube as a throw back. For a neutral fish, a bait with the same tendencies, and active fish, the same thing, an active fast bait. |
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| tons of options on coming back on fish..key to me is reading the mood/behavior of the fish that followed...to me, if they come in HOT on whatever you tossed at them the same bait is a wise choice to throw when you come back...sometimes just the change in light/weather etc is enough...why change what they almost ate before is my logic...
if you are tossing back on a fish that JUST came in lazy, then yah, go to the other extreme is a good choice, if you threw a slow glider and they came in lazy, then try something either fast or fast and erratic..
you are never going to find a lure that works on every throw back, but for your situation and rocks take into consideration that and go from there...there are tons of lures besides topwaters that can and will work coming back on that fish but if they almost ate it before, to me that says maybe just change the color of the lure and come back at primetime and see if she eats...topwater is never a bad idea to come back with of course....jerkbaits are not one of my top choices to come back on fish but they can and do work...just don't favor them in most situations |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Tuffy,
I definitely agree with your assessment. This post just got me thinking why I rarely try burning a bait for a follow up lure when I know it works under other circumstances. Even a following fish that you see a ways out, I haven’t found any better way to get them to eat than speed at that point. Prop style top water and bucktails are great for this. If there’s what seems to be an aggressive fish that I can see at 15+ feet from the boat, I’m relatively confident I can get them to eat if I just crank up the speed and don’t run out of space. This even works on what appear to be negative fish.
I first got confidence in burning bucktails about 15 years ago. Fishing a highly pressured lake where follows were easy to come by but getting them to eat was a different story, the best method was speed. Go out there and burn some bucktails until your arms fall off and you were going to get bit. So why not as a follow up bait? 15 years later and I'm just asking myself this now? I guess I'm a little slow on that one. Definitely something I’m going to try more often in ‘08!
Aaron |
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Location: Windy City | Aaron You're definitely right on that one.. I raised a nice fish on my home waters last summer on a Jackpot. Fish was so close to hitting the Jackpot . I clipped on a smaller sized bucktail and burned it at mach speed and she absolutely smoked it. My PB as well. Had to share after reading this thread.
Tim
Edited by one last cast 1/22/2008 11:18 PM
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Posts: 431
| I've had a lot of success throwing a 6 inch jake back at fish. Just seems like the wide wobble and bite size snaci will make a bucktail/topwater follower strike. |
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Posts: 1046
| One other way to attack that situation that is completly underfished is a 16" range Delong eel. The rip/flutter has pulled fish many a times when everyone is saying sawed-em, sawed-em, they just wont eat. I know its bigger/little slower but it will convert and I NEVER see anyone else throwing this bait. Beware of the clearwater fairy tales and experiment with many different colors. It can be a trip saver, give it a try. I will almost bet that you will be the only one happy. |
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Throw back lure