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Posts: 50
| Hey hows it going guys Im a rookie when it comes to fishing muskies my biggest problem is locating fish. I read everything I can get my hands on and research everything I can find. But when it comes to actually finding fish on the water I come up short. Not really sure where they should be at certian times of year. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Chris |
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Posts: 1023
| Where do u live/fish? |
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Posts: 50
| I live in illinois. I mostly fish the fox chain. |
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Posts: 2097
| Corners of weedbeds, points. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | a couple ideas for you.
early season, find where life starts first ... warmest water, newest weed growth and oxygen (current/wind are your friend). think about the sun angle and what part of the lake gets started first. know what direction the wind has been blowing the days prior to fishing and fish the face of it. get comfortable with working your boat in the wind and learn to enjoy it.
as the season progresses stay tuned in to water temps. and key in on where you find 68-74 degrees and also considering that fish generally move from spawning bays to secondary structure, then primary points and into deep water humps or use adjacent feeding areas as the season progresses. know structure and especially that which is adjacent to deep water. when looking at your maps find deep water and then get really good at identifying points, current saddles, humps and weed-lines associated to it.
boat position is ENORMOUS so make sure you are casting so that you are hitting the edges and not crowding spots by using your electronics and getting to know the depth of water that weeds grow to (usually based on water clarity).
also know how to see deep water grass on your graphs if you are on lakes with it present.
when cold fronts come and the going gets tough, crawl up into the soup and start ripping baits through it.
hopefully some other guys will tune you in to their fall fishing location keys ... i get busy and don't fish late as much as i used to based on the rasslin' season getting started. kid graduates so will be back out there again later in the fall starting this season.
good luck on your season ... time on the water and confidence are your best tools.
change is a big thing to plan around too (moon, sun, weather change) ... less hours at quality time can be better than pounding for hours. when you do come across fish take the time to get a feel for where you are and what's going on. |
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| Chris78 - 4/27/2013 9:53 PM
I live in illinois. I mostly fish the fox chain.
honestly man, an angler is often as good as the lakes they fish. Fox Chain is a tough body of water, especially for a rookie. get in the car and drive north and fish where more fish are, you will be surprised how much more you learn
It's really as simple as that |
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Posts: 50
| Thanks for the advice guys. Sled thanks for taking the time to nail it down. Lots of awesome information to think about I really appreciate your input.
Edited by Chris78 4/27/2013 10:39 PM
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Posts: 292
| just like sled said,boat control is a big one.also watch whats going on while your fishing.the chain is ahard body of water due to its fishing pressure. watch other boats when coming up to a spot and follow a different depth line or use a different bait , also my favorite is take your time to pick apart the structure .are you fishing alone?
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Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | There are some good guides on the Chain, consider booking one. And remember the fish move around depending on time of year (especially in IL where you can fish from ice out to ice up) and the available forage. |
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Location: Illinois | Join a tourney on the chain- it's a fun way to learn the system and cheaper than hiring a guide. Fox River Valley May 18 www.frvmuskie.com IMTT Jake Wolf June 8 www.illmuskie.com They're fun & a great way to research a body of water.
Edited by muskellunged 4/28/2013 9:32 AM
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| Don't be discouraged. What you are doing is just hard. There ain't that many muskies. Moreover where you fish has a great deal to do with your success. You would probably find many more skis at LOW than near Chicago. How tough is the pressure on the Fox Chain? |
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Posts: 504
Location: Ludington, MI | Don't drink Jobu's tequila shots. |
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| With shad, and carp in those systems, the fact that they warm quickly, and are inundated with boating and fishing pressure, don't be afraid to both cast and troll open water/deep water structure. There are enough fish that move up, spawn and head back out deep, grabbing nothing more than a snack in between. On second thoughts, since trolling is legal there, it is likely that that population of fish has already been decimated, and you'd better stick to casting the weed edges(kidding, of course).. |
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Posts: 50
| Thanks for the input guys I really appreciate the advice. I do plan on going out a couple times with a guide this year to learn more and figure out what I've been doing wrong. Thanks again for the help. |
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Posts: 504
Location: Ludington, MI | In all seriousness, pick up Saric and Heiting's Complete Guide to Musky Hunting. And listen to Sled. |
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | Read all you can read and hire the best guide in your area or where ever you go and cut the learning curve in half.We are all there to help not just put you on fish there's a lot more to it .the best
of luck and always calm waters to you |
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| Spring - Can't go wrong with Emerging weed bed, casting both to bed and out over open water. I prefer to use small to medium size glider jerkbaits like phantom softails
Summer - 15 Feet of water; casting to weed beds and Reefs. Burn a Bucktail as fast as you comfortably can
Fall - 20 Feet of water; Casting or trolling Reefs and the greenest veggies you can find. Crankbaits like depth raiders and beleivers are great, as well as larger jerkbaits.
There are so many extra situations that may come into play like weather, moon phase, wind, sun penetration etc. that its really hard to give specifics. but the ones above I feel are you're best bets to start with. |
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Posts: 833
| My advice is, along with the above, to commit yourself to the technical details. SLED brought up a huge one, which is boat control. Also how you cast, your accuracy casting, your posture, how your boat is organized, etc. All of these little tiny things add up to extra fish over the long haul.
Another big thing to learn is seasonal progression. Look up on the internet for articles on "Muskies by Degrees" there are two really good ones by Steve Heiting (on fall fishing) and Bob Mesikower (sorry for spelling) that give a broad idea of what the fish tend to do across the range as the season changes. Then learn to adapt this to your local body of water. All systems have nuances and the only way to learn is to be out there, but the above articles provide a very general framework which you can then refine with your experience.
Good Luck and enjoy the ride. |
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Location: sneaking out to get on the water ;-) | Boat control, time on the water, and good equipment. Then more time on the water. It's also nice to have several bodies of water then usually even if one of them is off one of the others should have something going. |
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Posts: 93
Location: Des Moines IA | I would also add as the season warms up and boating and fishing presure increase I would try and fish on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings and you will have better sucess. I have had success with a night bite just keep a eye out for traffic and make sure all lights are working. The Fox Chain can be a nut house on weekends.
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Posts: 50
| A huge one is retrevial speed. Cold or warm water, don't be afraid to change it up. Even negative fish fall prey to a quick moving lure and it doesn't have to be a bucktail. Speed is one of the most overlooked aspects of musky fishing, period. I was out with a guy last year and I was smoking in my lure. He told me that was just too fast, and watched in awe as I boated 3 fish in a few hours. It was during a cold snap last fall. So basically cold water doesn't always mean slow and warm water doesn't always mean fast. Play around with it some and you'll be amazed at the results.
Edited by enice 4/29/2013 5:03 PM
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Posts: 8774
| What Sled said!!
The Chain has it's own set of challenges, but muskies are muskies anywhere you go. Consider yourself lucky - you're learning on what is arguably one of the toughest bodies of water to fish. If you can consistently find and catch fish, everywhere else will be easy in comparison. |
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Posts: 50
| Thanks again for all the input and to those that replied. I really appreciate all the info and have alot of info to try. |
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Tips for a Rookie...