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Posts: 20
Location: N.E. Ohio | What would you guys say is the most important asset to a lure or type of lure when fishing muddy water? (a river in Ohio) Visibility is usually at 12inches.
-Loud topwater?
-Black colors? (been using black crankbaits)
-Vibration? (double 8 or 10's bucktail?)
-Big water movement (bulldawg?)
I've been fishing this river 5-6 times now this summer and only have a 30" pike and 1 ski follow on a shallow perch raider to show for it.
The best action we had was my fiance' landing a fat 37 on a garden slug on a bobber... yes a bobber and a hook on 8lb test. I'd like to think a bait fish was nibbling on the 1" slug and muskie came along and ate everything in one gulp....
her fish made my year... but its time I get a hook up on that water!
Thanks for any comments!
Edited by BaddFish 9/3/2009 7:51 AM
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Posts: 1083
| Vibration and a bait that tracks straight, giving the fish a much better chance to hone in on the bait with the fish's lateral line. No erratic moving baits, no walk the dog topwaters, no gliders, etc. That's not to say that those types of lures won't work, it's just your hooking percentages or chances of the fish contacting that bait will be lower. Up your odds with baits that track straight. Doesn't have to be limited to just bucktails. Lots of great, straight retrieve crank baits out there that work great too.
Edited by MACK 9/3/2009 8:25 AM
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Posts: 463
Location: Sw Pennsylvania | Give the double 10s a shot and maybe some big chatterbaits. These baits both have alot of vibration and can be retrieved a steady pace. |
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Posts: 20
Location: N.E. Ohio | Mack- Excellent points! Thx very much. I do have a tendency to use walk-the dog lures alot, just cause they're fun and I "feel" like I'm fishing harder... I guess not smarter though.
I'm going to be leaving these lures at home so I can't get the urge... I'll be cranking alot!
Hey allegheny river kid- Do you find that ski's will hug shorelines? As to ambush baitfish...
I've been trying neckdown areas hard- with no success.... Lately I'm concentrating on cuts in banks, etc..
just trying to find them lurking in a hide out.
River ski's is more like hunting then fishing! good times!
Thanks again. |
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Posts: 463
Location: Sw Pennsylvania | BaddFish - 9/3/2009 12:33 PM
Mack- Excellent points! Thx very much. I do have a tendency to use walk-the dog lures alot, just cause they're fun and I "feel" like I'm fishing harder... I guess not smarter though.
I'm going to be leaving these lures at home so I can't get the urge... I'll be cranking alot!
Hey allegheny river kid- Do you find that ski's will hug shorelines? As to ambush baitfish...
I've been trying neckdown areas hard- with no success.... Lately I'm concentrating on cuts in banks, etc..
just trying to find them lurking in a hide out.
River ski's is more like hunting then fishing! good times!
Thanks again.
At times they will hug banks especially if there is structure like wood. Try to find current breaks where fish can get out of the current but are close enough to grab an easy meal floating by. If you have any weeds in the river you fish you can bet there will be a fish using them at some point throughtout the day. I've found with river musky they tend to stay out of the main flows for the most part, eddys and shallow flats have there time . Outside or inside bends in the river often create a slackwater area where silt will settle in, there can often be a suckers and carp milling around through the muddy bottoms, muskys wont be far behind. Also the tail end of islands are a good place to spend a little time. If the water has low vis as you describe the fish can be comfortable in real skinny water. Good Luck!
Edited by allegheny river kid 9/3/2009 8:42 PM
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Posts: 20
Location: N.E. Ohio | Thx again allegheny-
The problem I have is that I'm fishing above a dam and between shallow spots.
The area between shallow spots tends to have a ton of wood and a few deep holes... Over a 4 mile stretch there are
three deep holes that I focus on: 16'/ 14' & 14'.... I've fished these deep holes to death
with nothing to show.. My follow was in high water conditions up river where its normally 2' and rocky- I had the follow when it was 4.5' and dirty and moving fast...
The two shallow spots usually can only be fished with a canoe so I'm stuck in a 4 mile stretch of average water depth of 8-9'
But having that follow in muddy shallow fast moving water has taught me alot- that muskies are opportunistic feeders!
Do you find that muskies WILL go to the bottom to eat suckers etc... or are they just hovering above and when one takes off maybe 2' above the bottom they get nabbed? I've been focusing on the upper third of the water column- its time for me to focus on the middle and lower third.
Thanks for your comments- its nice to talk to someone about river skis!
Edited by BaddFish 9/4/2009 7:23 AM
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Posts: 8
| I FISH THE ST CROIX ABOVE THE STILLWATER BRIDGE WHERE THE WATER IS MUDDY AND STIRRED UP FROM THE BIG BOATS, I HAVE HAD SOME LUCK WITH HELLHOUNDS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY MAKE A LOT OF NOISE IN THE WATER. I ALSO USE ALOT OF BIG BLADES LIKE THE 13 BLADES WITH ALOT OF VACCUM. TRY THAT I THINK YOU WILL HAVE SOME LUCK. |
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Posts: 909
| Fish the 4 to 6 feet of water with structure! I bet you'll find them!
Brian |
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Posts: 20
Location: N.E. Ohio | I fished the river for only 4 hours this morning with my future father-in law and he picked up a
dink- his first muskie... It was fun, and I was happy for him- he finally caught something with me!
It hit in no-man's land, (in the middle of the river, with no structure or anything)- it was in the bend... |
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Muddy Water fishing