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Posts: 19
| What type of bait have you found to have the most success on the opener for central/southern wisconsin lakes? |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | I have to say for action, it's hard to beat a 6" slammer minnow bait on the opener. Puts fish in the boat, and we've even gotten some big females along with those giddy males on them.
However, I definitely have a weagle going from the opener on as well.
This year the fly rod is coming out as well. It's been a few years since I've put it to use for muskies, so it's time to get a few on the fly again.  |
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Location: Contrarian Island | small squirlly phantom put 32 fish in my boat in May of 08.... fish dig em. |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | On opening day my three rods are rigged with a 6" Slammer Crankbait, a Slammer Drop Belly Glider, and a DogHouse Bucktail. |
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| Any of my smaller bucktails.
And I like my 6'' jakes.
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Posts: 425
| What definetly produced best for us last season was Shallow Invader, 6" Jake, small glide bait, Jackpot (regular version), and a small bucktail (baby girl). Jake |
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Posts: 425
| But I can't wait to try my Phantom soft tail, seems like it would be an awesome early season bait. |
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Location: SE Wisconsin | 6" Slammer Minnow Baits. . . Can't say it enough. |
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Posts: 52
| small polish pike and small squirko although my wife does well with a small black eel. |
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| Monster Medussa and Pounders!
Edited by Anonymous 4/15/2010 11:41 AM
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | Phantom soft-tail. |
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Posts: 1202
Location: Money, PA | 5.5" Wiley Muskie Killer - jointed....For my neck of the woods that is.
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Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | Smithwick Rouge......Slammer bait works. |
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | I'm starting with shack attack mamouth sues & 2pounders. I've seen some big roughfish get wacked allready fishing crappies. |
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Posts: 395
Location: NW WI | #5 Mepps bucktail or a 6" Grandma |
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| Baby perch Squirko. |
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Posts: 425
| Little tip for the 6" Minnow baits...
Make sure that when you pause the bait, the bait rises with the nose pointing up. Most of the time you'll see that it rises tail up, when a bait fish goes up to the surface he's facing up, not down. One tip would be to have a light leader, or put just a tad bit heavier hook on the back. Just play with it.
Just something to consider? |
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Posts: 294
Location: Bloomer, Wi | mag dawgs have accounted for muskys 3 openers in a row, but also 1 oz spinnerbaits, have worked very well also. |
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Posts: 47
Location: Bonduel WI | Ill second the Weagel and also add a Pacemaker for opening weekend too! |
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| HELLHOUND!!!!! No doubt
The Warlock is a close second tho! |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | Joe Cal - 4/15/2010 2:14 PM mag dawgs have accounted for muskys 3 openers in a row, but also 1 oz spinnerbaits, have worked very well also. +1 My buddy in Minnesota last year got a nice 47" Tiger on a mag dawg on the opener. While downsizing is pretty typical for the opener, it definitely doesn't have to be the standard. |
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Posts: 16
| Don't know about southern Wisc. For western PA. clear water lakes, ex. Conneaut. in May, My favorite is a 1/2 to 3/4 oz jig, dressed with black bucktail and a 7" black plastic lizard. Pork eel is good too. Reapers also. |
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | 14'' jakes + 13'' believers :D |
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| JakeStCroixSkis - 4/15/2010 6:28 PM
14'' jakes + 13'' believers :D
A live 24 inch pike. |
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Posts: 13
Location: NW Wisconsin | #5 mepps is my go-to bait early season... fat raps and jointed-shads I like to throw around too... |
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Posts: 2332
Location: SE, WI. | SLAMMERS, GLIDERS, JIG & CREATURES, MAYBE A SURFACE BAIT WITH THIS WARMER TYPE SPRING.;) |
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Posts: 2686
Location: Hayward, WI | Really, whatever works for the day. The northern opener isn't until the very end of May this year, so depending on the weather up to that point, fish could be closer to an early summer pattern than normal. Anyway, I've seen fish on regular sized baits right away. Last year I caught one on opener on a DDD. Year before was on a Depthraider. I've seen fish early on Mag Dawgs and have done well with the large Hardhead. Spinnerbaits fished through the weeds also have worked pretty well.
Sometimes small baits might be the ticket, but I think figuring out where the fish are and how deep you need to run the baits are the most important things.
curleytail |
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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | a 6-8"bluegill on a 6/0, its money. |
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| 8 inch lesnar |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | Curly, for the northern opener, I'm right there with ya. Last year the Dunright swimbaits, were rock'n as were pounders and topwater. I'm usually throwing big stuff right off the bat up there. If I'm fishing lakes other than Pewaukee down here, we throw normal sized stuff right away as well. But for Pewaukee, it's hard to beat the smaller minnow baits (and gliders for the big mama fish).
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Posts: 67
| The new Plastic 7 inch Slammer looks like it will be hot this spring!! I loved the proto types last season and really look forward to using it for opener!!! |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Really can depend on the season. I'd agree with Tanner that a 7" or larger lure can be great, and this season(if this weather keeps up) it could be no holds barred. I like to run some of my bigger cranks, not as much for the size, but for the fact that I can get them to running depth and keep them there in a slower manner.
Do the new plastic Slammers have basically the same action as the old wooden ones? Similar buoyancy and depth range for the most part? I'd be interested in trying one, and had forgotten they were making plastic ones now. |
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Location: SE Wisconsin | I'm surprised no one mentioned Reef Hawgs. . . Now that's a great May lure! |
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Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | Slammer 6" walleye and perch baits have alway's produced fish on Pewaukee. Sanks has put fish in the boat and countless number of follows tossing these. Live sucker's will produce as you never have to worry about this bait.
Netman |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | Jason,
I haven't thrown the 7 or 10's yet, but the 6"ers are just like the wood ones. Very bouyant for twitch'n super shallow stuff. I'll try to throw the big ones this weekend for a bit to see how they fish as well. |
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| Walleye pattern Livid Fish....new color...gotta field test it!!!
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Posts: 19
| I love phantoms early and late in the year, I will have to pick up a softtail before I go out. Does anyone else big on throwing bulldawgs early? I guess I've always thought of them as more of a fall bait but out on the fox chain the last week, that's the only thing we raised one on while throwing mostly minnow-baits and gliders. Thanks for the input
Edited by JoeC 4/18/2010 11:07 PM
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Posts: 185
Location: On the water | I'm probably going to throw a lot of AHL Turr-bos and Politicians. |
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Posts: 966
| Muskie Train MX6 - Twitching
Spanky Firefly - Bucktail
Squirko- Jerkbait
B.S willy one eyed willy - surface
Jeff Hanson
madisonmuskyguide.com |
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Posts: 4266
| Kingfisher twitch baits. Wish I had some of his shallow running Rippin Shads.
I also like to use his 6-7" jointed minnow lures and reel them slowly enough that they will sometimes leave a bit of a wake trail.
When you are on a busy body of water, this could be the best time for you to use some sort of Creature/Jig combo off the weed edge when everyone is fishing over their heads. Don't be surprised if you catch some bonus bass and pike with this approach. I like a stand-up head and a Creature that is long enough to be seen while it is sitting still on the bottom. I just love feeling that "THUMP" and the anticipation as I reel up the slack before I set the hook. Tha calm before the storm.
Beav |
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Posts: 1220
| small sticks, plenty of rest-stops. Marty Forman |
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Posts: 654
Location: MPLS, MN | 7 1/2" Grandma twitched or Double Cowgirls |
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | Is there an opening day??? ha ha ha ha ha . We started out this season fishing the last two days of Michigans season March 14th and 15th . put 6 Muskies in the boat on a small southwestern Michigan lake. Crane 205 got two and Our 6.75 inch Little Claw twitch bait got 4 including a nice 45 inch pre spawn female. Then we went to Indiana where the fun never ends. Three trips to an Indiana Muskie lake produced another 9 Muskies with our Little Claw producing another 42 inch fish. We tested a new 4 inch Shallow suspending twitch bait that put 6 muskies in the net and moved over 20 in one day. This new lure is going to really run up some numbers this season. Its heavy so it casts a mile if you want to. Its is tough because its hard wood and wire through ,and it suspends in shallow water. We have a thread going in Basement baits on this new lure. Check it out. The lower peninsula opener is this saturday and I have had to rush more into our lineup at my wife's request. I am assembling hers today. Any way our favorite lures for early season spring fishing are Talonz Little Claws, Crane 205 and 206's , small bucktails of our own making and Mepps musky killers, Shumway flashers, small bulldawgs, Little Hoosier Glide baits, small Phantoms, and now our new Shallow Suspending Rippin Shad has moved to the front line. Its going to continue to be great year. Mike and Michelle King |
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Posts: 727
| 9 inch weighted suick |
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Posts: 425
| JoeC - 4/18/2010 11:06 PM Does anyone else big on throwing bulldawgs early? I will cast them in the open water around the schools of baitfish for the early season open water bite. But other than that...NO! |
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| the new plastic slammers work better than ever, they run true right out of the box. plus they will last alot longer. im sure the new prizm colored baits will get there attention to. |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Come on Joel we all know you got those 6" slammers for walleyes! 
Favorite opening day baits vary each year. U.P. opener for me usually has me throwing a Talonz Little Claw. That is an absolutely great twitching bait! For the northern WI opener I make the decision what to throw when I get to the first spot. On the way there I pay attention to the graph, temp, and water surface for clues on what is happening. Usually I reach for one of the following:
Fish Stick HD
Triple D
Ace Crankbait (minnowbait)
Hardhead
Jointed Shallowraider in perch |
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Posts: 63
| I'm gonna go big right out of the gate. If they don't like that then I'll down size.
1. Home made supermodel.
2. 12" curly sue
3. 7" Phantom soft tail |
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