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| Some lakes you hear people saying smaller baits work better. Why is that?...
I have fished a couple lakes where I was told not to bring anything big...even early spring through late fall... And yes on these lakes there are a high population of 33"-40" fish...Than you hear of guys catching mid 30" fish on double 10s....Is it because the food they normally eat in the lake is small?.....I just cant bring myself to use rattle traps on muskies..... thanks everyone.
Edited by SVT 7/8/2008 7:22 PM
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Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | Pewaukee is a small bait Lake. Bagleys DB4,6's and Stroms thundersticks trolled at 2.5mph work well for this lake. Pewaukee has a lot of small gills and perch....go figure. Try fishing some small 6" Jakes and shallow Raiders and see if you can get some follows when casting the shallows, if nothing cast some small cranks off the breaks and weed lines. This will sometimes give you an idea of what there eating. The smaller soft plastic is another option retrive is faster in the shallow and let it drop off the breaks.
I'm no expert but I fish a small bait lake.
Bruce |
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Posts: 431
| Those are words of wisdom "you are going to catch most of your fish on what you cast the most". And true. It's all about confidence. If you like throwing small baits, throw small baits. If you like matching the forage, match the forage. If only certain baits caught all of the fish, there wouldn't be nearly as many lure manufacturers. |
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Posts: 1636
| Throwing your confidence baits does not necessarily put the odds in your favor (IN MY OPINION). There is a time and place for everything. You may want to reconsider throwing that Rat-L-Trap Ryan  |
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Posts: 1316
Location: Lebanon,Mo | Rattletraps won the Pomme de Terre Fall Tournament two years ago and then was won last year with 8-10" baits.I think you need to be as versatile as the fish themselves. |
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Posts: 2024
| You simply have to ask yourself, "Is this presentation going to put fish in the boat for me today?" If the answer is yes, then obviously just stay the course. If you're unsure or it's a new lake and word is the bite is coming on smaller baits but you're not comfortable throwing them, then it's time to reevaluate your tactics.
Adaptation is critical to being a successful fisherman. |
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Posts: 4266
| I've seen days when the small lure/ Pewaukee Lake scenario played out that way. Fish followed large lures, but smaller lures were eaten. At the same time, people always tell you to check the local bait shop and you'll get an idea what colors and sizes of lures are most popular. When you walk into Smokeys you wouldn't get the impression that Pewaukee Lake is a small lure lake, but if you walk around for a while you will notice that he does stock more small lures than the usual muskie shop.
I think that different lures and techniques work on all lakes at different times of the year.
Not muskie fishing, but I fish The Mississippi River year round. In spring I can catch walleyes on bare hair jigs that resemble streamer flies. During the fall I will do it again, but I will also catch fish on 5 and 6 inch plastic shads that they won't touch all year until late fall. If I only fished the fall, I would think that it was a big lure fishery, but I've fished there long enough to know what lures work when. When I fish Pewaukee in the fall, I take the normal fall arsenal, but I always wind up carrying some DB3's and some small Depthraiders as well as some 6" SuzySuckers and some 5" and 6" hollow swim baits rigged weedless on 6/0 EWG hooks. All it takes is 3 hours of no fish on large lures and I'll start working smaller lures into the lineup because of the small lure reputation.
I don't think that you have to match the hatch with muskies like you do for other fish, but there are different times of the year when I've seen small lures work, but at the same time, as others have said, right around then someone smacks one on a 10" Suick.
How long does it take for a reputation to stick, anyway?
Beaver |
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Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | I have to also mention that I just boated a 46" swine casting a 10" Hawg teaser, but the we also tease them with a Rouge or Rapala light tackle in May. For the most part and I'm sure that I'll get the backing of most of the guides from the lake that they troll small baits and that what produces the numbers of fish.
I'm heading out tonight for the last night of casting for the summer and I'll still have a arsenial of Jakes, Triple D's, and Suicks to go along with the topwater and soft plastic.
Remember SMOKIES has a policy of allowing you to try a bait before you buy it, and don't forget about the Benifit this Saturday the 1st Annual Monkey Island Tsunami Muskie Invitational, I think that there's still spots open........
Bruce
Edited by Netman 7/9/2008 6:52 AM
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Question About Bait Size...