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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Thought I'd create a little poll about figure-8 fish, as there's always lots of posts about how to do it. Doug Johnson |
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Posts: 63
| I would say of the 55 muskies (I think that's right) I have logged, close to 25 of them have come on the 8. My largest came on the 8 last year, a 48.75" tiger. Thinking back, many of my larger tigers have been on the 8. Like you have to entice them that last little bit to take it. |
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Posts: 243
Location: South Central Wisconsin | Doug, you get good at them fishing the angle. Seems way over 60% come one the 8. Unfortunately I haven't been up to see olé Frank in a number of years. Hopefully someday I can get back up your way. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Interesting Poll, DougJ. However, I'd have opted to use percentages rather than hard numbers.... as not everyone has caught a million muskies such as yourself ;) |
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Posts: 1828
| 14 were caught boatside of the 53 on which I have stats. About 26%. I should have had 3 in the 8 last night, but either the fish I see are smarter/weirder than the ones on GoPro videos, or I still suck at the 8. |
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Posts: 2334
Location: Chisholm, MN | I'm not sure how many exactly, but it's probably more than 50 percent that eat right at the boat or in the 8. By far my favorite way to catch a muskie! |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Jason: I agree, but it gets harder to figure out as you need both total fish caught and the number of fish caught on the 8. It's a high percentage on the Woods. |
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Posts: 2017
| lots of them on the 8 ....really depends on the bait - roughly 70% of bucktail fish are on the 8 ....WTD topwater maybe 5%. |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Most of my fish have hit on the figure-8. It seems the fish usually fight better when they hit at the end if the cast though. Sometime they just want to shake their head when they hit at boat side. When that happens, about all one can do is put them in the net or watch them shake the hook free. |
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Posts: 1283
| Do you guys F8 every cast or just when you see a follow? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | achotrod, minimum do an L ...water clarity dependent..fish can and do come up from below the bait/boat and wack it when it changes direction and you had you not done at least the start of the 8 you never woulda seen em....
many fish this year are coming up at the boat to wack it on the first turn of the 8.. do that at least ever cast.... |
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Posts: 1283
| I try to when water clarity is bad, or I know its a spot that holds fish, but if its clear and I dont see anything I tend not to and recast. Just wondering if thats a big mistake on my part. |
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Posts: 2334
Location: Chisholm, MN | achotrod - 6/24/2014 3:45 PM
I try to when water clarity is bad, or I know its a spot that holds fish, but if its clear and I dont see anything I tend not to and recast. Just wondering if thats a big mistake on my part.
Yeah, I'd say it's really important to figure 8 at least partially after every cast no matter the water clarity. They can come out of nowhere on the clearest lakes. I've had it happen many times.
Edited by Kirby Budrow 6/24/2014 4:01 PM
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Posts: 2017
| I think doing at least a partial 8 is a good general rule...conditions determine what makes sense IMO - sometime I'm doing 2 full 8's after every cast (night time).. sometimes I'm not even fishing my bait all the way back to the boat ( super clear water - top water on shallow flats) |
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Posts: 334
Location: Madison, WI | achotrod - 6/24/2014 3:45 PM
I try to when water clarity is bad, or I know its a spot that holds fish, but if its clear and I dont see anything I tend not to and recast. Just wondering if thats a big mistake on my part.
I would at least do an L turn and give it a chance to entice any late biters. I always do a circle at minimum regardless of clarity. After doing it all summer I find that when im river fishing and chucking walleye baits I find myself doing a start of an L hahah 
Edited by EsoxAddiction 6/24/2014 5:21 PM
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Posts: 1283
| Thanks for the advice! I will make more of an effort every time. Just so hard when you dont see anything and want to get the bait back out asap. |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | To add to ea's comment. Most of my fishing is done on a lake that is ridiculously clear. Were talking like 12-15ft in some areas. Now I always do at least one full circle. I used to be like you where if I didn't see anything I'd just say eff it and re cast. But the few times that I actually did that, I saw fish approach the boat as my lure was mid flight on that said next cast. It happened to me 3 times and I said never again. Not to mention with the increasing pressure and popularity of this sport, the fish are becoming harder to catch. Can't cut corners anymore and expect to have the same productivity numbers. Haven't you ever seen a musky come from under the boat during an L turn or 8, a direction that not only were you not looking at, but couldn't see if you tried? That fish then attempts to hit the bait, or does successfully. You would have never seen that fish, and would have lost your chance. This situation was one of my three FML moments
Edited by FAT-SKI 6/24/2014 8:37 PM
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Posts: 1283
| Ive had a good amount of follows, and some bite at the boat but every time I try and and get them on the 8 they run away like scared school girls. Ive never had one come from under the boat besides bobber fishing as a kid. I dont normally fish deep water so that may have something to do with it. |
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Figure-8 fish caught