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Posts: 157
| Recently I've been in the worst slump that I can remember. No strikes, few follows, zero fish in the boat. It's been 31 hours since there was a musky in the net. What are some of your longest slumps and what did you do to get out of them? |
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Posts: 20266
Location: oswego, il | Fish another body of water. Fish are usually biting somwhere. |
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Posts: 157
| Since my slump started I've fished 6 different bodies of water. Everything from deep and clear to a river to a shallow dark body of water. |
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| Have you ever tried perch?
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Posts: 159
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I just made my fishing partner stop bringing bananas in the boat. After 16 straight fishless outings we put three muskies in the net in one morning. Bananas are the worst. |
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Posts: 294
Location: Bloomer, Wi | dont know if any of them 6 lakes you fished you had fished before, but i go to a brand-new-to- me lake and I think it forces you to think more about where the best spots are on the lake. Or.... try ares on the lakes you have been fishing that you've never given a try before. That actually paid off for my dad and I, he said " what about that spot?" we tried it and 4 cast later he was calling for the net. |
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Posts: 247
Location: Uxbridge Ontario | I break my slump0 by catching a Muskie... I dont know who you other guys do it. LOL. Just kidding.
Usually go back to the basics. Throw smaller lures in natural patterns or something that has always been a producers. If you are throwing #10 double blades, switch to like a single blade mepp muskie killer, if you are running 9" jakes or grandma's try 6"; stuff like that. Sometimes I will packup and move to a lake with better numbers and smaller fish (stop chasing the bigs guys) to gain my confidence back. You would be suprised how much confidence plays into even the simplest of tasks... like watching for follows and always being ready. Those have been my bad habits.... i guess along with constantly changing lures every few casts to find soemthing that works. Just go back to the basics.
Edited by HomeTime 7/21/2010 11:53 AM
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Posts: 723
| 31hours without a ski in the net? thats a slump? hehehehe
ive got 9 solid days with a 42 to show for it,
then 14 half days with nothing to show for it,
then 3 more solid days with a 43.5 to show for it.
31 hours isnt really a slump, guessn more of a speed bump
my buddy just had his first hit of the season,
im talkin fishin from may1st till now,
he's put quite a bit of time in and finally had one cut loose on him
this weekend, well, it got off.
Now thats a slump!!!!
this year has been extremely tough for some guys, and
awesome for others.
i came into the season with a plan, had them all figured out,
so I thought...... hehe
one year i went almost all summer without much of anything, went to canada for a week, did pretty well, came home, and all hell cut loose,
ended my season with something like 59 legals. of which had a 10fish day myself,
id say the biggest change i made after canada was PMA, you know youve got it when you start calling your shots.
my Stepdad is on a 2year drought. the guy never ever missed a fish, or had them get off. ever! then all of a sudden, he loses 2 nice ones in a row, 1 about 46, the other about 48. no biggie right? then he loses a 50+ last spring. well since then he hasnt even had a chance at a fish. well, a strike anyway, has had them follow n whatnot. im feelin for him right now.
31fishless hours, oh how i wish it were that little for me right now.
this time last year i had already put the hurt on some hefties.... |
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Posts: 87
Location: Minnesota Metro | My current slump is going on 3 1/2 years now, but granted I haven't been able to fish much. I've had fish come off, but haven't actually landed one in the boat for that long. It doesn't help I haven't been able to get up to Canada for a few years now either. |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | I got my PB Walleye (26") last month fishing for musky... but I've yet to boat a musky this year. 
I don't get out much either but when I do, it isn't like I'm not trying. Confidence is definitely a major factor. After the first hour or two with nothing to show for it... I'm already getting that, "Here we go again..." feeling. By the 4th... maybe 5th hour... my casts aren't quite as long and determined. Accuracy is a bit off... and by this point, I'm second guessing every single thing that I'm doing. It's hurting...
I'm hoping that this Saturday I break my losing streak and finally boat a 'ski this year!
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Posts: 458
| Maybe hire a guide for half a day and pick his brain. |
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Posts: 272
| Thirty-one hours is nothing. That's not a slump.....that's a cold front.
-Eric |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | You'll pop 3 on your next outing. It will even out. |
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Posts: 20266
Location: oswego, il | You can switch up tactics too. I always error on the side of fast and erratic and those types of baits seem to trigger fish for me when others fail. |
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Posts: 684
Location: Sycamore, IL | One word: downsize-It seems that when I want to shake the skunk from the boat I switch to bass/pike fishing...talk to the bass guys and they will tell you of all the accidental muskies that they boat/ break off. My cousin got two sub 30" last week on scum frogs deep in the slop...not monsters but still muskies and fun on light tackle...hope this helps/don't give up!
Matt |
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Posts: 305
| If not fishing suspended fish, try it. If not hitting the shallow slop, try it. Go super fast. Jig high percentage spots. Have fun catching some panfish and, if legal, deploy as baitfish next to boat as you cast. If all else fails throw bass lures with light leaders and just fish through the "other fish" and the skis will come. Fish with someone with a different style. You might each learn something. Basically, keep it fresh and interesting. |
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| Can you troll where you're at? |
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Posts: 646
Location: In a shack in the woods | find a fatty. They Make it easy to bust a slump.lol
It's been 20 days since I've caught a fish until tonight. I'd seen fish but couldn't get one to eat. Granted my trolling motor was in the shop for quite a bit of the time. Was fishing cabbage tonight and not seeing a thing so went out to 24-28 foe where there were suspedo baitfish and after 20 mins with a pounder had a 38". I've never been happier with a 38" fish.lol
Edited by bassinbob84 7/21/2010 10:48 PM
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Posts: 999
| I have resorted to what used to work before the big blades craze, wouldn't you know it has paid off twice this season. |
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Posts: 1301
Location: WI | I had 2 weeks of vacation in June. You know, when it rained every day except for 2 of them. Both my casting reels broke so no cowgirls (confidence bait). Brutal mind games. I went back to what used to work, and hit a small numbers lake.
I still feel like it burned me out a bit for the season, but things have been better this month. I've found that trying new spots takes the stress off. You have less expectations so you're not as dissapointed if you don't catch anything, and you're learning something.
Another thing I did was break out my flyrod and go catch some panfish. Very relaxing, and pretty constant action.
Edited by JKahler 7/21/2010 11:41 PM
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | JKahler - 7/21/2010 11:31 PM ...I've found that trying new spots takes the stress off. You have less expectations so you're not as dissapointed if you don't catch anything, and you're learning something... Bingo. It's tough when you fish all day long chucking bait after bait after bait on a lake where you KNOW you've both seen AND caught big fish... and the last few times you've been out there, nothing you're doing is working. I really begin second guessing every thing that I'm doing and it plays tricks on your mind. It's a very big mental game and I think it's important to remember that perhaps it isn't you that day... maybe it's the fish. |
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Posts: 383
Location: SE Wisc and Vilas County | i would say pick your best lake and your best three to four spots and work them hard. make sure your on the water during key moon times. the fish didn't leave you just need to figure out what they want to eat. |
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Posts: 619
| i would be so happy w/ a 33 incher right now. i have been all over working weeds, rocks, you name it. actually fished 24 hours straight last week one day. i havent caught a fish in the last 8 days out. only 3 follows. fished 6 different lakes too. WOW, its almost hard to do that bad. |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | All I do is just keep fishing and try different things. I couldn't find a thing on the deep edge this past weekend and ended up finding some nice fish in 2-6 ft of water. Caught one and coulda, woulda, shoulda had a couple more. Saw one state record class Tiger too. Prettiest fish I've ever seen.
Although, sometimes the fish just aren't biting and all one can do is either change lakes or stick at it until they start moving again. Or go home and turn on history channel and watch some cool WWII 3D footage.  |
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Posts: 541
| Mr Musky - 7/21/2010 10:26 PM
I have resorted to what used to work before the big blades craze, wouldn't you know it has paid off twice this season.
dido, when the big blades don't work I've been throwing single smaller blades and it has been paying off a little not big time but a little! |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | I went 3 out of 4 hooked and landed 2 on the morn of 7/11, had my first follow since this morning, 8 days between putting 2 in the net to seeing another fish.... Not just me on our lakes it's everyone..... |
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Posts: 2076
| shaley you have to be doing something wrong-those are "stocked" fish - they are supposed to be so aggressive they jump in the boat
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Yea I know, but someone forgot to tell the fish that..... |
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Posts: 36
| I musky fish three trips a week and I only have three in the net so far this month. One was trolling a Super Shad Rap and two were on a Cowgirl in the night. My partner fishes for bass and got a nice Musky this month on a tiny ½ ounce Rattle Trap and also had some follows but he doesn’t figure eight because he doesn’t want the fish to swim off with a lure in his mouth after breaking his light leader. I used 5 ½ inch X- Raps in the spring and did really well with them. The fish in my Aviator hit the small 5 ½ inch X-Rap at night but I’m to thick headed to stick with the small lures and usually after 15 minutes I put on my most expensive, biggest stuff hoping for a big chubby female. I probably would catch twice as many Muskies if I stuck to smaller presentations. |
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Posts: 572
Location: Maplewood, MN | you want a slump? this is my third musky season. not a musky in my career. first season i made it out close to 15 times. last season about 7 times. this season about 10 times so far. nothing. first day this season, wisconsin, about 20 casts into the morning, i lose a 40"-44" fish at the boat. granted i'm fishing metro lakes makes it challenging, i'm suprised i'm still casting. |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | The most important thing is to get on the water and fish. I'm in a week and a half slump now. Haven't been on the water in that time and have nothing to show for it.  |
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Posts: 89
Location: Breezy Point, MN | I wrote an article in Musky Hunter called "Bust a Slump" a few years back, Shoot me an email with your email address and I will forward the article to you. I am actually in a slump this year myself! Everyone else in my boat is catching fish, yet I keep raising them with no eaters! You have to keep a positive mind set and work through it. |
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Posts: 73
| I don’t know that I’d call 31 hours without a fish a ‘slump’, as much as just calling it Musky fishing. 2-3 days without a fish not so uncommon. I try to stay with I have confidence in even during the dry spells, but there have been a few exceptions.
I fished for three days on a favorite numbers lake this spring with only a few follows. I hit all of my favorite spots several times and threw lures that had produced in the past. On the third day I stopped by a local tackle shop and bought a really noisy top water that was like nothing else I had. And I decided to throw it in a bay that I’d never fished before, and had been told by a guide that had been devoid of Musky for a while.
“Bang”…two Musky’s in the boat in ten minutes in that bay with the new lure. Go figure…maybe it was the 'conditioning' thing?
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Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | 31 hours is not really a slump in my book. I also do not count others in the boat catching fish and not me as MY slump. I always have theories why real slumps begin. A slow streak like you have can turn into a slump if you let it. Look at it this way, without knowing the water you fish or anything about your boat control, concentration levels etc...it could be nothing more than you are hitting your spots after someone else has gone through them.
I go to confidence baits, even sometimes ones I know the fish just love to follow. I do make sure I hit new spots as pressure will move fish. I pay allot of attention to boat control on the spots. Propably allot more things too, but the only other thing I come up with right now is hit the "spot on the spot" first. Do not work your way to it. I believe fish under pressure do get wise and can relocate if they know or feel something not right. If you know the best spot, hit & get it first. |
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Slumps and how to break them