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Posts: 410
Location: Wakefield, MI | My dad calls me this morning to go fishing, so I head over to their house and we get our stuff together and head out to the lake, get there about 7:30 and it doesn't look like it's going to be that good. Too much sunshine and a really clear lake, we never seem to do good in those conditions but we head out anyways. My dad ends up catching a 34" on a Twin Teaser Tail and a 30" (about, didn't measure it) on a tandem spinner bait on the figure 8 (he was seriously going for almost 2 minutes before it finally took the lure, took a few swipes but missed and left a couple of times but came back and he finally got it). We had one fish follow and go into the figure 8 on 4 casts in a row with 3 different lures over submerged cabbage, another in open water do it twice (bumped my lure on the figure 8 but didn't hook up). Total of about 15 follows (most of them staying for a few turns of the figure 8), a couple probably close to 40" but most high 20's to low 30's. I've never had good luck on the figure 8 before, maybe I give up to early or something, but I've never seen anything like this, think I learned a few things.
What can you do about a fish that keeps following up (the one that we had follow 4 times) but won't hit? We tried everything we could think of, I used the same lure for two of them (Salmo Slammer), my dad used two different lures (tandem spinner and Depth Raider), we were using long rods and going as deep and wide as possible, trying to speed up and slow down, but it wouldn't hit. I figure it must be interested if it keeps coming, but why wouldn't it hit? | |
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Posts: 334
Location: Madison, WI | If you can figure out why it stayed interested but didnt eat it then maybe when you get a chance you can figure out why sometimes people get skunked. It happens, keep on trying. What I have found is that if I continue the same speed into the 8 as on the retrieve it will keep a lazy follower interested. Most lazy follow lose interest REALLY EASY if anything changes to dramatically. On the first turn if the fish seems like its losing interest I will speed it up, but only in an upward "fleeing" motion. I do not have the same luck with lures sped up going deep or staying at the same depth on the first turn, it usually only works on the upward turn. After that If the fish hasnt eaten it I then try going deep on the next turn, but usually that first upward motion does the trick. Im sure there 1,000 different tips or techniques for doing the 8 or big circles. Just try to focus on the movements of the fish, learn to read it and sense what it may or may not want. ....and lastly, your description of your potentially "bad conditions" is what I LOVE to fish in. My biggest fish have come from bluebird skies with very light wind (0-5mph). That or rainy windy conditions, love both end of the spectrum. Ill fish in any of it. | |
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Posts: 410
Location: Wakefield, MI | That's one I didn't try, bringing the lure in more of an upward motion. It would make sense, why would something dive deeper closer the fish? I'll try that next time I'm there. My dad did spot the fish before we casted for it, we were fishing the other side of the boat and he turned around and saw it cruising below the boat.
I never seem to do as good in the sunshine, but I sure do like fishing in it more on a nice 60* day than in a cold, crappy rain. | |
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Posts: 79
| I have to agree with esox about moving up in the water column on the turn. I have seen baitfish do this many times. They start out at a normal swim rate and when, I asume, they realize they are being stalked by a predator they speed up and try to come back over the top of their persuier. I have seen seeminly lazy following muskies come unglued when this happens so I started trying to imitate it in my figure 8. I couldn't believe how many more followers became eaters. | |
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Posts: 1220
| I said this on another thread a week or so ago, and I still believe it, so I'll say it again. I think there is an opportunity to often get fish in this mood to bite "on the way" to the boat by changing up what you do during the retrieve. Let's face it, on a blue-bird day, you see the fish coming and he (she) sees you and that huge thing in the water that doesn't belong there...totally the worst when the water doesn't have a ripple in it. Still, you find yourself in a situation where there is some measurable interest. My choice is to interupt the normal pace of your retrieve and attempt to take the bait away from the pursuing fish. Don't just reel as fast as you can but use a full sweep of a nine-foot rod to maximize the increase in velocity. It's really just like dating--you run away from the girl and she will chase you. Those of us who are married know we can't run fast enough to get away!!! | |
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| When a musky is following a "figure 8" I try to raise the bait and run it back over the muskie. Right as the bait is going to pass over them they more often than not will strike. Try it you will be amazed. I was given this tip approx 25 years ago by a very experienced musky guy and it is for real. By the way he taught me to make an oval instead of an 8. | |
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Posts: 153
Location: Storm Lake, IA | steve heiting wrote an article on dead sticking minnow baits. (Salmo) If you do a Google search you will probably find it
I did have a little success doing it on slow lazy fish up on Lotw. | |
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Figure 8 practice