|
|
Location: MN | Since moving to the Twin Cities, I have been amazed by how many sucker fisherman there are on local waters. I came from areas where suckers were rarely if ever used and I am surprised by the local popularity. I am curious how many people use suckers and how many people do not or refuse to use them. |
|
| |
|
| i would like to add the option,no i dont use sucker and will never try it,because that's the best way to kill a musky |
|
| |
|
Posts: 443
Location: Indiana | Suckers are great to use as a secondary presentation where multiple rods are allowed. Sometimes meat is all they want.
When used incorrectly, fishbag is right. But with todays modern rigs and techniques, it is no more deadly than using artificials. |
|
| |
|
| Absolutely awesome technique for catching post turnover muskies in the metro. The arguement about them killing muskies is nonsense. I have deeply hooked so many more muskies using artificials in the summer as compared to using quick strike rigs I have lost track of the actual number. In fact the only deeply hooked fish sucker fishing was when I gave circle hooks a try, never again. If you want to be a purist in the fall and cast until you can't feel your arms have at it I'll be the one catching muskies. I am guessing all the muskie purists are the same guys puting a leech and/or a minnow on a jig to catch walleyes. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | DJS pretty much sums it up. |
|
| |
|
Location: MN | Artificials year-round for me and nope:
"I am guessing all the muskie purists are the same guys puting a leech and/or a minnow on a jig to catch walleyes."
It's been many seasons ago since I threw a line for anything but muskies. I would argue it's the other way around.
Edited by Mak51 11/26/2009 10:45 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 2068
Location: Appleton,WI | i havent used them for a few years in the fall since ive trolled mostly,but ive always drifter with them in the fall and will use one in the summer if i know a big girl is around.just add ice to the live well to keep them kicking. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 654
Location: MPLS, MN | Don't use them, doesn't interest me. Also, maybe I'm too much a tree hugger but I don't kill things unless I'm doing it for food and since I don't eat muskie no need to kill the sucker. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 469
Location: Downers Grove, IL | I love using suckers but my biggest problem is that I'm always hesitatant to leave the deep water and push shallow in the fall. I'm wondering if those fishless days of working the breaks could have been more successful if i wasnt using suckers. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Like a lot of guys I just use them in the fall. Read a MH article two years back about using smaller sucks on spinning gear in the spring and working the bottom. Tried it on two occasions that spring to no avail and like a whimp gave it up--im sure its worth the time to perfect that technique and should work on developing that presentation. Tha( said, there is NOTHING like picking up a rod with a 3-4 foot fish throbbing on the other end sucker in mouth, trolling over the top of it, getting her to move away, often times watching her swim away from the boat (how cool is that) tightening down the drag...and all that happening while your heart races in anticipation of the main event, the HOOKSET..and find out if it was meant to be or if she swims off...man, that is some kina' exciting. About the poor sucks..they were hatched for that purpose, we're just fulfilling their destiny. |
|
| |
|
Location: Twin Cities | DJS - 11/26/2009 7:10 AM If you want to be a purist in the fall and cast until you can't feel your arms have at it I'll be the one catching muskies. I am guessing all the muskie purists are the same guys puting a leech and/or a minnow on a jig to catch walleyes. Now there are some bad statements and assumptions if i've ever read them.
|
|
| |
|
| So I guess if you don't use suckers for muskies you don't use minnows or leeches for walleyes either, my bad. Keep casting! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1938
Location: Black Creek, WI | Wow. Some huge assumptions and stereotypes being made here.
I don't use suckers for one simple reason. The FUN FACTOR just isn't there for me. When the clicker goes off, I think to myself "another @$%@#$%@#$ snag!" and it makes me cranky..... whereas my boat partners who may be soaking a sucker thinks "Big Fish!!!".... and gets an adrenaline rush.
My choice to not use suckers has nothing to do with being a purist, fear of harming a musky, or feeling it is unsportsmanlike. They are just too much work and commitment for my liking. Those committing to a single sucker line in MN have some major PATIENCE and desire to catch a fish. Good for you. I can't even bring myself to drag a second line......  I guess I'm just too lazy?  |
|
| |
|
Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | That is what is great about muskies. How awesome is it that you can catch one species of fish and some many different ways. One day you can be throwing topwaters in 2ft of water and the next you might be trolling suspended fish over 100ft. I think sucker fishing is just another tactic that works and is just another feather in the cap of the guys that are using them. I know that I do. |
|
| |
|
| I think its an absolute blast |
|
| |
|
Posts: 20254
Location: oswego, il | I have no problems with anyone who soes not want to fish suckers for whatever reason. Good for you. I spend my hard earned time and money to musky fish and I want to put my best effort forth to catching them. I do not feel I should limit my ability to catch a fish. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Lost one today on a suck--man that dude took off like a rocket and stripped off 15 of line b-4 I evenpicked up the rod---my daughter Hannah was one jacked up 11 y/o waiting to take the handoff but wasn't meant to be. Hannah got chilly toes so we got off the water after two short hours but we had fun anyhow-- |
|
| |
|
Posts: 8834
| I'd rather cast, and WILL cast under any conditions where I feel that gives me the better chance at a quality fish. But I ain't dumb, either. Sometimes live bait is the best way to catch muskies. I'm not a fan of sitting there waiting for something to happen, not by a long shot. But when that clicker goes off? It's not like catching a fish on a figure 8 or watching one smash a topwater bait, but it's awfully entertaining!!
I don't get the critics. It's FISHING you a-holes, who cares how someone else does it unless it's illegal? Bad case of muskie envy??
Edited by esoxaddict 11/27/2009 8:15 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 80
Location: Geneva, IL | Click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click... uh?
Must of dropped it.
Edited by CrappieKid 11/27/2009 10:27 PM
|
|
| |
|
| I have a suckers hanging over the edge on a quickstrike rig in the Fall on one pole while casting lures with another. And why NOT have one hanging over the side of the boat to up your odds? I'm absolutely certain that I've picked up several Muskys on a sucker that had followed in a lure but wouldn't bite on it. I'd use them all season long if they'd stay alive in the warmer water. But they die too easy for my hard earned dollars when the water temps get above 55 or so. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Nothing beats a clear lake running suckers shallow enough that you can see them clearly and just watching. I've had fish hang around the sucker for 45 minutes or more. Drifted an entire bay having a fish follow the sucker the entire way. Figure 8'd the sucker and had fish go through it time after time after time. But I guess that isn't exciting. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1220
| You are unlikely to hurt a fish with a single treble quick strike such as a "herbie rig" for several reasons. One is that you only have one trebble hook instead of two or three that are common on artificials. Next, is that with the trebble set 2/3 or farther back on a sucker, the predictible hit will be that the fish will T-bone your sucker and not even have a hook in its mouth until you make a proper hookset with the fish moving away from you. The whole operating premise of the "Quick-strike" approach is that it is "QUICK." Therefore, you are never waiting for a fish to swallow your sucker. The whole thing will usually happen in a short period of time and often very close to the boat. Most times you are lucky to have enough iron in the fish to get him to the net. Marty Forman |
|
| |
|
| Hawkeye - 11/28/2009 1:03 PM
I have a suckers hanging over the edge on a quickstrike rig in the Fall on one pole while casting lures with another. And why NOT have one hanging over the side of the boat to up your odds? I'm absolutely certain that I've picked up several Muskys on a sucker that had followed in a lure but wouldn't bite on it. I'd use them all season long if they'd stay alive in the warmer water. But they die too easy for my hard earned dollars when the water temps get above 55 or so.
Useing two lines in MN is illegal in the summer...thats why  If it were legal Id do that. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Starting in mid-Oct, I wind drift 3 suckers and don't even cast. Sorta like trolling, its a game of constant adjustment.
If you don't like your suckers, save em for me. |
|
| |
Suckers or No Suckers?