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Posts: 12
Location: Delafield, WI | Had some pretty good "action" last few nights. Last night as an example we had follows from 7 different fish targeting about a 500-700 yard stretch of fringe weeds in 11 feet of water just off the thick weedy flats near the sand/mud breaks in 14 feet of water. This stretch is adjacent to spawning/stocking areas where they're loads of at the beginning of every season stacked to start the season.
Most people have been targeting this same stretch of fringe weeds and throwing from the break to the fringe edge perpendicular or 45'n. The last couple trips out we've taken a alternate approach and positioned the boat just inside the fringe with the thick weeds at the edge of the flat directly under the boat with perpendicular and 45 degree casts OUT towards the break bringing them back to the fringe. The last 2 trips (3-4 hours in the evening) we've moved a total of 15 fish (range of sizes--different fish).
THE ISSUE: We're now holding the tentative theory that these fish are sitting in the fringe with their noses out and just before we go into the 8's these fish will come in low and slow from the side/front (perhaps under and just in front) of the boat "gliding" up to the bait from off to the side. A few of them will go around once or twice but a majority of them "stall" and then kick off heading out off the break. We're wondering if the boat weren't present and in a perfect world the bait could continue it's path, would those fish come in behind the bait and engage. Issue is we're out of room and now need to go into changing direction (8's/circles) and the fish see this as unnatural so they saunter off.
We tried "paralleling" these stretches and we've tried pushing up even a little shallower to give ourselves more room, but then we don't move any at all. We can go back down the break (180 and change directions for different casting angles OR big motor back and start again) and as soon as we go back to that "casting out" with our original boat orientation we see fish again shortly therafter.
Fished during the minor last night, and sunset both times. Last night was extra juicy with storms present, but only 1 small runt attempted to eat and partner pulled bait away as it wasn't worth hooking a young one.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO CONVERT: Fishing in the AM? (Haven't been able to do that yet). Tried sticking it out past dark last night. We've tried variety of baits, colors, cadences, and profiles. Do we simply need to keep targeting them over multiple days this way and eventually they'll go?
With temps going up rapidly this week and bluegills in the middle or almost done spawning the musky will be at the base of the breaks or over basin stretches in no time from past experience. We've been able to catch them in subsequent seasons early in the season and early summer when they finish this move off the break or out in the basin, but this in between time we usually have a grinder or 4 before basin trolling starts. This is the first season we've got action from fish during this in between period but just can't get them to eat..yet. Thoughts? Experiences? Critics? Suggestions? |
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Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | One trick is to switch to a lure that stays out there longer, like a slow walk the dog or creeper syle surface bait or big bladed spinnerbait that can be kept up in the water column while reeling slowly. |
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Posts: 23
| What lures are you using? What worked for me in the past when I had lazy follows , I downsized to smaller lure for some reason around this time they like to nip on smaller lures specially in Wisconsin . If you are using glide baits I suggest 3-4 second pauses between your twitches and speed up once you get closer to the boat that should trigger a bait.
Edited by MuskyMaciek 6/8/2021 12:12 PM
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Posts: 12
Location: Delafield, WI | This is why I enjoy reading on this site. You can learn a lot if you ask! Thanks for taking the time to respond guys. Interestingly enough I think 2 baits we need to consider that haven't thrown is a smaller profile bucktail with a larger blade that we can keep in the strike zone longer. It will be painful but we'll also get the glides back out. Appreciated and we'll report back! |
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Posts: 8772
| Why not fish the outside edge and stay about half a cast further out? If I understood your post, you're drawing them into the weeds from the break, or even off the break some and running out of real estate trying to convert. Absolutely play around with lure selection. Maybe have the guy up front throwing a smaller bucktail and add some speed just in case, and have the guy in back throw something with some hang time. You're getting them to follow, you know where they are at. Now figure out what they want. |
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Posts: 2009
| make the assumption you have a follow every cast, a well executed simultaneous speed depth change as your bait comes to the boat along with a " hang the bait/ eat me here" moment....will likely trigger some of these follows....I could come along and show you - LOL |
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