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Posts: 86
Location: Illinois | It seems like on a lot of reservoirs around me people catch muskies fishing for bass or panfish, is it true that muskies in Illinois prefer smaller presentations than states like WI or MN? I've caught a fair share of IL muskies on muskie lures, but some lakes they just don't seem to bite. Would down sizing to bass lures help me out at all? PM me if preferred.
Thank you. |
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Posts: 461
| Depends on the forage. Some of these Illinois lakes have pretty large shad. Where are you fishing? |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | I think it depends on mood more than anything. I've only caught 2 IL Muskie and they were both on a storm giant flatstick. Neither Muskie was giant. One was super small, around 22" and the other was a little nicer around 35". To some people a giant flatstick is a big lure but to other people it is on the smaller side. Depends on what you consider big. I think as long as you don't go crazy with size and stay below 10-12" you'll allow a fish of any size to take a swipe. In Illinois we can get some pretty large shad and if the Muskie aren't feeding on those they are most likely eating smaller carp and panfish that are around 6-8". I'm sure you could catch almost just as many on a bass lure but I personally just think it's more fun to throw the large artillary, and if I'm enjoying what I'm doing I tend to stay more focused.
Edited by Musky_Mo16 6/29/2018 12:36 PM
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Posts: 86
Location: Illinois | I am fishing in Central Illinois, the lake i've been having the most trouble on is Evergreen Lake. I hired a guide and still can't seem to get them to bite.
Edited by TMuskyFisher 6/29/2018 1:35 PM
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Posts: 50
Location: Southern Indiana | There are likely many more people fishing for bass or panfish than muskies, so they’re bound to catch some. |
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Posts: 53
| Evergreen is tough. It goes thru more ups and downs than any lake in the area. Personally I think there are just so many shad in there and that's what makes it tough. Id locate some of the pods of baitfish and speed troll shad sized crankbaits or cast around them ripping large stickbaits, plastics, or burning large blades. White has treated me good. Listen to what your guide told you, some days or periods that lake is just flat out tough. Stick with it, there's a state record swimming n there no doubt |
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Posts: 12
Location: Normal, IL | I moved down here in 2012, and talking to the locals about Evergreen, they all tell me that it is best to fish it in late Fall for Musky, and most troll. A couple of game wardens I spoke to suggested McMaster Lake in Snakeden Hollow. |
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Posts: 37
| lots of good lakes in central Illinois. Banner marsh area, spring and Prairie. I've had a tough time on Prairie this spring and early summer, most likely related to an abundance of shad. Not fishing now due to water temps. |
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Posts: 86
Location: Illinois | Thank you for the replies! |
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Posts: 20231
Location: oswego, il | I think today they would prefer the inlet of a mountain stream. Going to be some time before water temps get cool again. |
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Posts: 1636
| Pounder Bulldawgs can increase the average size fish you catch as well as the number of fish you catch in several Illinois lakes when the water is around 75-78 degrees. |
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Posts: 781
Location: Ames, Iowa | Up where I fish in MN the walleye guys catch more muskies than anyone. The more bass and walleye fishermen on a lake the more likely they are to catch muskies. If you have a popular bass lake those guys can't help but catch muskies. |
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Posts: 86
Location: Illinois | Thanks for the input! |
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Posts: 1636
| Good luck!
Smoker Tackle SS Shads and Musky Mania Lil Ernie's are great lures to cast and troll on Illinois lakes - year round. |
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Posts: 43
| I fish in Illinois and I would say in general most of the muskies i have caught have been on smaller lures, but I think that's probably because our average size of fish is smaller than other places (Minnesota for example).
Evergreen is a tough nut to crack. It is actually my favorite muskie lake in the state, but I have heard Illinois muskie guys with a lot more experience than me say that you will spend 3 times as much time on Evergreen for every muskie you catch compared to Shelbyville, Kincaid, and other lakes in our state. I like Evergreen because I have been there before when the lake is on and when that happens you can catch multiple muskies in short period of time. It also happens to be the only lake in the state where I have personally seen a muskie over 50 inches. However, I can attest to the fact that the multiple fish days I have had on Evergreen are fairly rare, and more often than not it is very tough. My experience has been feast or famine. It's either totally dead and I won't get so much as a follow (which happens most of the time), or it's on and I catch 3 in an hour.
Bottom line, I would probably stay away from pounders and monster medussas and go with more regular sized muskie baits. But I'm sure if you threw a pounder in front of one of those 50 inchers they wouldn't be afraid to eat it, there just aren't as many fish that size in this state.
Sometimes it seems like the bass fisherman catch more muskies in this state than muskie guys, so if you are really serious about muskie fishing in Illinois you should just take up bass fishing. Either that or just use chicken liver (I once witnessed a guy who was cat fishing at the Shelbyville spillway catch a 40 plus inch muskie on chicken liver off the bottom). |
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