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Posts: 161
Location: New Jersey | Hey everyone, I'm new to the board, still fairly new to musky fishing. I've read a lot about rattlebait fishing and was wondering if anyone had feedback as to why or why not it would work in New Jersey. We have no natural reproduction and hence no closed season. I've been out a couple times this year and water temps are barely breaking 40 degrees. I tried throwing Rattlebaits the last time, but something just seems off about burning a 4-inch lipless crank in cold water. Was also wondering what size Rattlebaits everyone uses (the bigger Tony Grant or Musky Town or the small Bucher or Windel's) and if I need to scale my gear down. I was throwing the Bucher traps fine with 80 pound braid, but not sure if this affects the action. Any feedback would be righteous. |
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| What lake are you fishing? |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | BenR - 3/12/2013 2:53 PM
What lake are you fishing?
maybe jerry can help |
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Posts: 161
Location: New Jersey | I fished Mercer two weeks ago and Mountain and Furnace this past Sunday. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | They work.
Don't tell anybody but I have used them early in the season in N. Mn. and caught a few nice muskies.
3/4 to 1-oz. early in the season with a 7 strand leader or an 80lb. Floro leader.
50-65lb.test line works best on a fast tipped rod. Works for me.
Jerome |
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Posts: 58
| yeah man, i fish soutwest PA n have heard about guys catchin musky on rattlebaits early season round here. prob. wanna upsize ur hooks on 'em, the ones outta the packs r junk, but dont go to big it can really effect the rattle, lost a solid mid 40 fish last year on one cuz i didnt change the hooks, straightened it rite out, they will work tho!!!!! |
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Posts: 1220
| OK, this is from my bass fishing, but stuff usuall translates. It's an early spring bait for bass too just as it is often all done at Cave by the time the PMTT musky guys get there in April. Yea, I know, not always...but mostly. You see traps and suspending jerks real early in the bass tourneys then notso much. Part is that fish like bait, as opposed to creature like baits are in the water first and what is there for your predators to eat...matching the hatch as they say. But, the trap is at its best in emerging grass, again that's what come first. The weeds grow from shot to tall,,Doh! The emerging grass and the cold water appeal of a narrower wobble coupled with the ability of this bait to bounce off the bottom better (cuz no lip) is where it's at. So, I'd say forget about where you can use this bait and concentrate on WHEN! Basically early and cold water. Marty Forman |
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Posts: 147
Location: Northern New Jersey | They work in Jersey.... you dont have to burn it. Ever play with a yo-yo? |
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| A couple of NJ lakes I have fished have some really nice early season shallow bays, I did not use rattle baits here, but I am guessing they would work. The fish stack up in the shallow water pre-spawn. BR |
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Posts: 241
| Why early season only? I'm going to give the a run in mid-summer when 90% of the guys are burning bucktails. I'm thinking this might give the fish something just a little different.
Who knows if it will work. I just don't understand the "early season" only appeal to these baits.
Backdraft |
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Posts: 1220
| I once rode along with a bass pro fishing Guntersville AL in the " very early" Spring. He, and virtually all the other pros in ten or more boats very closely packed in together all had on the very same red trap with black perch pattern. By the time I finally realized the pro had ten keepers caught and culled by the time I had my second "dink" of the day on my prized Bagely Balsa B, I woke up the part of my brain that had failed and went with the flow. Absolutely, you can " change it up" fish the double ten right till ice up, right after ice out, and still catch fish. You just don't have the odds in your favor like you do in June and July. |
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Posts: 241
| Junkman,
Can you expand on this:
"Absolutely, you can " change it up" fish the double ten right till ice up, right after ice out, and still catch fish. You just don't have the odds in your favor like you do in June and July"
Sounds like solid information - I'm just not sure what you mean.
'draft |
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Posts: 2024
| I am pretty sure he means you can change from "proven" early season presentations by doing something different, but you probably won't get the same result. Meaning you may not catch as many fish. |
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Posts: 241
| Got it.
I was thinking about throwing my rattle baits all year as an alternative to bucktails. I guess that fits in the same category.
Throwing something other than what is proven is "feast or famine" decision.
Backdraft |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | Slammer Crankbaits offer rattle crank baits in 4", 6", & 7" sizes.
www.slammertackle.com |
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Rattlebaits in Jersey?