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Posts: 536
| here is a scenario for you, one that I run across with some muskie lakes I know! let's say the lake is fairly round shaped, 15Ft break lines all the way around with lilly pads and drops right off to 40-50' to the middle, alll the way around. Water clarity is poor. Lots of crappies and walleyes, panfish ect with a healthy population of northerns too. No whitefish or tullibee. How would you go about fishing this lake for muskies. Go into detail please and also what weather situations would you be really looking for the most. Thanks! |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | I'd probably go around in circles. |
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Posts: 47
Location: Bonduel WI | Pointerpride102 - 3/27/2010 5:49 PM
I'd probably go around in circles.
If that lake is that small do it. being that sharp of a break i would throw deep and shallow diving crank baits. I would also throw a bucktail or spinnerbait(a heavier one to work deeper), don't be afraid to throw some topwater either, depending on water temp. As far as bait color match the hatch. Seeing the water is darker use bait that will either make a lot of noise or give some flash. Note that everything i would be throwing would be right into the edge of the Pads. |
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Posts: 25
| I am not an expert but I would use a sloppy pig in the pads and at night throw a dark topwater over the deep open water. For in the day same thing for the pads and cranks or deep bucktails and spinners. |
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Posts: 425
| With a small round lake like that without a lot of structure, the wind direction will play a BIG part in where the muskies are positioned.
Jake |
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Posts: 536
| this is interesting guys keep them coming please! also I have heard instead of throwing towards the pads perpendicular to position yourself parrellel with the pads and throw along side them and keep moving forward all the way. any truth to this anyone know! |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Lots of truth to that. I fish several lakes that fit that description. Spinnerbaits in and along the edge of the pads produce. |
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Posts: 208
| Pointerpride102 - 3/27/2010 5:49 PM
I'd probably go around in circles.
Good One! |
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Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | Figure out what the forage is. I would guess it's suckers, bullheads, crappies and perch. Remember crappies will suspend, so open water fishing is an option if the muskies are targeting them. Suckers really like the rock-muck edge. Find fish cribs and bottom content transitions (like rock to muck) and try these areas. If the lake is stained, I wouldn't worry about sunny or cloudy too much. Playing the wind never hurts (same goes for moon IMO). Also, don't be afraid to double-down on your drifts. Go through an area two, three, even four times if the spot looks good. If you are unable to find any subtle features, try trolling a lazy S over the breaklines around the lake. |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | sworrall - 3/27/2010 8:26 PM Spinnerbaits in and along the edge of the pads produce. +1 to this. You can't go wrong with some heavier spinnerbaits in this kind of cover. Pearsons Grinder, Rapid Squirrel, etc, etc.
Edited by PSYS 3/28/2010 12:21 PM
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Posts: 327
| I'd listen to Sworrall ... I've fished a few of the lakes he's referencing . And I've done pretty good using his advise !! Spinnerbaits that can cut through the pads will make your day !! In the pads/weeds and work the edges of the weeds and you will catch fish !! |
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Location: Lake Tomahawk, WI | I've had great luck fishing suspended on these types of lakes, and many times this will be where the better quality muskies are. The absence of ciscos/whitefish doesn't matter, the panfish will suspend. Plus muskies in these environments will change locations a lot and use the middle of the lake as a type of travel corridor. Also, grass beds can sometimes be found in water from 15-25 feet and would be worth looking for as they also hold a lot of forage fish. Hope this helps.
JS |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | find the mud bottom, you'll find the suspended crappies. |
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Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL | The circle idea,,, best suggestion, so far...
1st we need answers to a couple of questions. Are these lakes tea colored or are they a yellow green? I'm gonna assume they are a yellow green because of the 50' depth. You say light penetration is minimal with the "good" water color, this equals weeds growth to shallow depths this also equals good shallow fish movements under good weather conditions, cast and or troll the weedline and the 15'.
Are you saying the 15' break drops into 40'? Is this a natural lake or an old gravel pit, I haven't seen many if any natural lakes with this color water with this sharp of a break,,25'- 30'? especially all the way around. What size is this lake, how many acres?
Edited by jerryb 3/28/2010 10:18 PM
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Posts: 536
| jerryb, thanks for the reply. The water is more lighter brown but similar to the yellow green like your saying. It is a natural lake in a very hilly region kind of. I think deepest depth is actually 45'. But yes it does pretty much drop right off at the 15' break. There is one place where it drops off a taste slower but not a whole lot. The lake is probably 150 acres only but holds some real good fish, I caught a 40" northern there once trolling with a rapala magnum during fishing opener before muskie season and that early there is less pads and stuff. I figured I would probably be targeting muskies different espicially later on when their season is going. |
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Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL | LLS,
Assuming it's NOT root beer colored, & if the lake has the fish you think it has it would be a great lake to take the inexperienced fishermen, kids, wife,, ect.. This lake is desirable not for the potential huge fish but numbers and it's a relatively easy lake to fish. There are a lot of good things about lakes such as this, it's small size, which makes it a piece of cake to figure out if the fish are going at the time you arrive. If it has the good color this means under a bad weather condition you might still be able to get a few, where if you went to a deep clear lake or tea colored lake you most likely would have a very difficult day. Have fun! |
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Posts: 350
Location: WESTERN WI | Giving the limited info, I would work the main break line shallow (1st stick) and have a 2nd stick bomb the depths for fished that have moved off the break-suspendos, if they were a 3rd in the boat they would cast parallel to the break to get those that are holding tight, always focusing a(at least least this time of year on those fish that are getting ready to spawn either in the shallows are those are are getting ready to spawn that may be holding a little deeper. |
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| I have always found that there will always be larger fish in the slop, the inside line...especially on lakes like this. You can also fish the other ideas no doubt...I just love fishing the shallow gardens....BR |
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Posts: 720
| All great advice here. I'm not going to add much other than to say I would try to key in on any and I mean any subtle changes to the weedline. Any little protrusion or indent in the weedline is going to attract fish. If it were me I would start with that. Look at the entire weedline as structure. Changes in structure always helps. |
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| Pointerpride102 - 3/27/2010 5:49 PM
I'd probably go around in circles.
Pointerpride with another worthless addition of his 2 cents. . . Never heard one solid response from this guy?? |
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Posts: 402
Location: Eagle River, WI | Follow the wind, find the baitfish, and fish open water. If you get a consistent wind for a couple of days you will find baitfish schooled about a cast length out from the deep edge of the weeds. Bulldawgs, Super D's, countdown depthraiders and triple d's all work good.
Don't fish to deep though, you might be surprised how high up in the water column these fish will suspend out over open water. Usually whatever depth they are holding on, on the weed edge they will follow right out to open water. |
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Posts: 402
Location: Eagle River, WI | In addition, if the lake has a very defined weed edge almost every Joe with a musky pole will be working that edge. Try something different than everybody else is doing and it might make your whole season. |
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