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| Up here in WI's northern zone the muskie season hasn't opened yet. Does anyone use their muskie tackle for Northerns? Are there any differences in how you fish and the choice of lures?
I'm going to try to stay away from known muskie water, but I've been told that there are muskies in the lake that I want to fish for pike. Any maps or DNR info that I have seen say no muskies there. Who to believe? Check it out myself?
-ost | |
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| I fish 30# superlines and a Medium Heavy 6'6" 'bass'rod for Pike this time of the year, as the average fish is under 4#.
It wouldn't be much fun to crank them in on my 8' rod, and it would look like I was fishing muskies.
I fish lakes for pike that have muskies, including Pelican, but don't really catch many muskies as the pike are not where the vast majority of the muskies are right now, and I am fishing with Baby Creatures and small Violent Strike spinnerbaits. | |
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| Your Muskie stuff works just fine for northerns. When we go to Geogian Bay to fish for skis, they can be a pest, but fun to catch when the Muskie fishing is slow. Trolling last year we boated a 43" northern just as the sun went down. The fish was a pig, 23+ pounds. A northern that size will get the heart pounding. We are going to get a repo done of that one. | |
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| There was the same story floating around the Boulder Junction area for the longest time about how this particular lake-there were no muskies in it. Well, a friend of ours who also guides in the area, went to that lake with 2 clients and started to throw little 4 and 5 Mepps at the Northerns in the lake. After a while of casting the boy of the party caught a 55" musky out there. It was the biggest fish caught for all the tourneys they have there. As a side note this fish was kept, unfortunately....but it is choice. So it doesn't matter where you fish in my eyes because who knows about a guy that supposedly lives on a lake, I bet that if that guy likes muskies so much he might just get some somehow and release them into the lake.
As far as equipment goes, I have a Falcon spinning rod 6'6" Medium Heavy with a Sedona 2000 on it and its handled numerous amounts of everything. My uncle caught a 39" musky on it trolling spinnerbaits for Northerns. I would definitely down-size from what you would normally use because of actually enjoying the fight, but make sure you have strong enough line!
Hope this helps!
Brett Carroll | |
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| Bass spinnerbaits and topwaters work from what I have heard from friends that live up in Northern Wisconsin. The use med/heavy bass gear and do well popping pike, smallmouth and a muskie or two by mistake. | |
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Northerns with Muskie tackle