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Posts: 167
Location: Ontario | I assume people fish with them in the summer. Just curious you do anything different than when you fish them in the fall.
Thanks! |
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Posts: 218
| There are a few fishermen who use suckers in the summer. The biggest issue is keeping them alive. The few I know who use them will purchase a few and keep them in a home made tank for several days before use with warmer water than the bait shops have. This will allow the suckers time to "condition" to the warmer water and at least give you a fighting chance of keeping them alive once you get them in the water. As far as techniques go I would think that most of the same things work in the summer. I spoke with Russ (Smity) Smith about this a while back. A number of years back he decided to see if he could catch a musky on a sucker during every month of the musky season. He said he was able to barely accomplish it and August was a real challenge. He has not done it since. Frankly, unless you have some particular reason for wanting to use suckers during the hot summer months I think you'd have more success moving faster and tossing artificials but it's your call. |
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Posts: 1
| I like to keep a sucker out in the summer and set it on a quick strike rig about 5 to 6 feet down. I have had success doing this as some followers make contact with it and readily take it. In fall, I do the same but set it deeper as the water temperature, after turnover is the same which puts fall fish in a different mood as they will be found throughout the water column. I put the sucker deeper, in the fall, as I am using diving crank baits which brings followers to the boat on a deeper approach when compared to the summer. |
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Posts: 243
| If you can keep them alive, fish will eat them. Actually, I've had them get eaten after they died too. Latest I've gone with a live sucker hookup has been July 2, but that was a cool summer like this one. Pretty disappointing to spend 40 bucks on suckers to have them all die immediately. Wild suckers are tougher and do hold up in warmer water sometimes. Make sure to keep air on them. |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Like others said keeping them alive is the issue. Once the water gets to about 60 they seem to do ok. I've used them in water in the upper 60's and they don't kick for long.
With that said I have had a couple dead ones hit too, but I wouldn't buy them planning on running them dead, I don't think. |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | Hard to find sucker around here and its expensive! I like use sucker for bait in cold weather. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I've had good luck w them in water as high as 75, biggest thing is to get them acclimated to the warm water before putting them on...once acclimated they actually do pretty well....as said, hard part is finding them sometimes but if you do they definitely work ...it's real food...why wouldn't they!?!?
Edited by BNelson 8/22/2013 7:29 AM
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Posts: 1036
| I rig gills in the summer. Swim all day and muskies love to eat them. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | Jerry does it all the time ... |
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Posts: 682
Location: Sycamore, IL | Gills, rock bass or perch will all work and stay alive much longer in the warm water...plus, they're cheaper. |
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Posts: 833
| ... and illegal in MN |
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Location: MN | Has anyone tried any other live bait that is legal in MN and had success? I know flathead guys use bullheads. I know a hot lake to get good size bullheads for bait.
Is there an effective way to trap your own suckers? It would be a piece of cake in the Spring when they are running but I have never really looked towards Fall. |
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Summertime Suckers