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Posts: 402
| This is probaly what I struggle with the most, so you guys that do good at it what are some good secrets? Just find out what everybody is catchin them at and on what, or isn't that always good enough? Thanks |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | Putting together a pattern is alot like doing a puzzle, all the pieces are there, you just have to arrange them. Note all of the conditions/variables that are present when you move any fish. Structure, bait, water temp, wind direction, cloud cover, etc. Keep fishing areas with similar conditions as the areas you are moving fish. Sometimes you will find it is a structural pattern, sometimes it is a wind pattern, and sometimes it is a special bait they like that day. After systematically eliminating different variable as to what are triggering the fish you will have a working pattern.
Example, on the opener we started out moving fish immediately in shallow weeds. I shifted to a spot with shallow rock and current and boated a fish. Keeping that in mind, I started fishing shallow wind blown areas and there were fish there, rocks, weeds and points, they were using all of them. After not seeing anything out of the wind or in deeper water, we put together a working pattern of shallow wind blown structure.
Some days it takes just a couple spots to find a pattern, while others you never do figure it out, but all it is, is eliminating variables that are making fish active. |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | One way to get on a pattern is by looking back at previous success. This can be related to water temp, cloud cover, lure color, ect.. It can be hard to establish a pattern sometimes, so simply chucking lures all day is about your best option.
Being on the water as much as possible will help out with this. Also talk with the local bait store owners, local guides, watch the fishing reports, and ask questions. |
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Posts: 148
Location: DES MOINES, IOWA | That is a problem, everybody has off and on.Especially tough if you aren,t fishing your local lake, and vacationing some where else.If it takes me 1/2 of my vacation to locate feeding fish, it sure is not going to be as good a trip as others.Knowing the basic pattern, for the body of water, for that time of the year, is a must before you even start fishing.The problem, I have run into is, I had the pattern down, but because of feeding inactivity, moved away to fish different structure, and basically screwed myself.Where I fish, the most common questions from other Musky fishermen is what kind of structure are you seeing fish, and catching fish, which I have found brings almost 100% honest answers.Of course the beginning guys want to know what you are using, and exactly on a map where you are catching them, which I have heard some real humorous reponses by especially the locals. By the way, the beginner questions usually can get answered by the same locals, if you buy the pitchers at the local watering hole.By about the third pitcher, I usually know where, with what, and what time of the day, and saved myself a lot of useless non-productive time on the lake.It,s kind of like hiring a guide for $25.00.  |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | You also have to keep in mind that you are musky fishing, not bass, crappie, bluegill, ect.. fishing. Sometimes these fish just don't want to eat what you are throwing at them. Stick with it and you should find success.
Anybody that fishes with me knows that I stay where the fish are and beat it to death. I don't waste a lot of time running all around. I stay where I know there are fish, and just simply cast over and over till one makes the mistake.
Here is an example: This saturday I was fishing a weed line, on my first past I raised one fish. I turned the boat around, and raised 2 more fish. I turned the boat around and saw nothing, on my fourth pass I saw the same fish I raised the first time. Finally on my fifth pass down a 40 yard weed bed, I raised a 45, I keep on her, and finally fish came out to eat. She missed the bait, but at least I had a shot at her. I spend over an hour on a 40 yard stretch of weeds, and raised 7 different fish with one big one. I stay where the fish are and beat it to death. |
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Posts: 622
Location: Seymour, WI | I think this is a great topic. Something that I struggle with on the water is trying to put together reliable pattern before the day is over. For those of you who fish alot, would you say that one fish caught or raised is a pattern? If you raise or catch one fish from under a dock or burning a bucktail over the weeds, do you beat that pattern up until it's over or do you think it takes multiple catches to establish a pattern? The more I fish the more I think that when you're musky fishing one fish raised is in fact a pattern and you should try to replicate that pattern in as many similar areas as quickly as possible. I'd like to hear some other opinions on this.
Grass, |
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| No expert, but I have to admit I think finding patterns is pretty hard also. I read stories on this board of people catching 10-15 fish in a weekend and just scratch my head. I go fishing on some pretty decent action lakes and am happy usually just to see a fish much less catch 6 of them.
Im not trying to say people dont catch that many but it just seems hard to fathom when my buddies and I are on an action lake
for 3 straight days and nobody has a fish in the boat or much less even a strike.
I think if you catch a fish your on a pattern. Is it the right one? No idea but if I go out fishing and catch a musky I think the day is a HUGE success. If I caught 15 in a weekend I would probably have cardiac arrest or something.
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Posts: 124
Location: Rice Lake,WI | Great posts! Grass if it is a quality fish,yes I'll keep throwing untilI know it was an isolated instance and start digging in the box. Sometimes the "hot bait" bite only lasts a few days and it's back to the drawing board. Try new areas every so often as one never knows when a new spot will pay off. Everyone agrees with the variables such as weather,time of season,the individual lake,previous experience etc. The biggest and one that increases each season.....ANGLER PRESSURE! Small lakes that one had patterned down to a "T" all of a sudden it isn't that easy to fool the girls anymore with anything other than perfect presentation with the location. Kind of going off on a tangent but I'm on my way back....patterning a larger lake versus some of the "potholes"....hhhhhmmmmmmm. Heavily fished lakes require efficient tactics that make you pay even more attention to where and what you are doing. Cover structure thoroughly and adjacent water also as sometimes they just slid off the cover and are holding deeper or suspended a few casts away. I like to stay where the fish are too but moving has got the net slimey more than once especially when you get that feeling...Fish like you mean it and get on em' man! Have fun! Keep chuckin' and you will figure it out!
JT |
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Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | 14, what you need to do is start fishing new water. Your home lake just does not produce consistently and gets quite hot in the summer. Hit those two bigger lakes to the south of you, the mad chain and yellowstone. Also hit that one north of yellowstone. |
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Posts: 7123
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | I'm with Mike on this one...owners of slower tillers probably are better at this technique.....if I know (or in my case, think I know) where some quality fish are, I'm not going to run around looking for the "active" fish. My belief is that I can usually put myself where fish ARE if I'm not too concerned with trying to hit every concieveable idea out there. And if I know where they are I have won at least 1/2 the battle....with the other half, the HARD half being there when they decide to eat.
The ONLY muskie truism that I ever heard from my father was: You cant keep a muskie off that wants to eat, but a muskie that doesnt want to, only dynamite is going to put them in the boat. I feel like I try to make my best educated guess on where the fish SHOULD be, then I go after them in those spots. If they want to eat when I'm on those spots, its a good day, if they dont, I usually dont think that I was in the wrong place, just at the wrong day, or the wrong time of day.....
Just like I only carry about 10 baits in the boat (out of the over 100 I own) I only hit the water with the mind to try a few different spot/pattern options any given day. It probably limits my imagination, and it does bore people to fish the same spot for 2 hours (back and forth on an edge), but it makes me feel confident in what I'm doing....otherwise when I'm running around all day, I feel defeated that I couldnt "figure out the fish". I also like to fish SLLLLLLLLOOOOOWWWWWW with gliders, jerks and topwaters that move slow (pots) so I dont really want to be hustling through spots, doesnt fit my style.
Some days it works, somedays it doesnt. Somedays I guess right, somedays I dont. Its the challenge to guess right and pin a fish or two that keeps me muskie fishing. |
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| I agree w/ many of the above--patterns can make your day, weekend, and tournament--they have for me! Yes it is possible to have ten plus fish days on a numbers lake if you find the spot where they are hot, the right pattern, or simply just luck out and the fish are really hot. Trolling has been my ticket to big numbers days excepting a few very exceptional casting or sucker fishing days that were unbelievable. Big hurricane systems off the coast hundreds of miles away, very large storm systems heading your way, very exceptional moon patterns coupled with environmental patterns all contribute to exceptional days along with astute angler observation, patterning, and just plain luck. I've been on the lake when my one of my buddies boats and I were having these exceptional days and talked to others anglers who fished differently or in a different section of the lake and didn't even see a fish. The same has happened to me--zero fish day and yet another boat across the lake on a small bay popped six! Although these days are exceptional they are basically luck coupled with great attentiveness that pays off in the end. If you're not on it, move around and ask around and try many different baits, styles, and techniques to find a pattern. Maybe it's a slow but just maybe, you'll find the key to a day of a lifetime! |
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| Johnny I agree. I was told a follow equals a great day. I'm not calling anyone a liar, but reading some of these fishing reports are hilarious. "raised 25 and boated 6 today. 47" 44" 38" 49" 43" and a small 35". I am new to Musky fishing but I have been an avid bass and trout fisherman and I've been hunting these things for 5 weeks without a catch. I've missed 2, the last one on a long cast. If the fishing is that good where these reports are being made, I'm moving. |
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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | I have been hunting these things for 10 years. And days like that are in fact possible. Is it the norm? NOPE. But I've had days like that, my personal best day was boating 13, on a numbers lake, new moon, good weather. It's all about putting the pieces together. And obviously a little luck. The people who put countless hours on the water (not myself), can get into these patterns and make it happen. |
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| 5 weeks without success so you say others are lying? Some people go a whole season without catching a muskie, and a few unlucky souls go years before they catch their first fish.
Places where you can legitimately move a ton of fish in a day and catch a few.
-Indian Chain - Ontario
-Canyon Lake - Ontario
-LOTWS - Ontario
-Webster Lake - Indiana
-Barbee Chain - Indiana
-Wingra Lake - Madison, WI.
-Lake St. Claire - Michigan/Canada
-Lake Chatauqua - New York State
*and thats just a really quick off the top of my head list
Why do you think Muskie fisherman are willing to drive all over the country to chase big fish or action waters? Cause they're hard to catch, even by the "pros"! |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Very good things mentioned already. One thing I keep in mind is not to get stuck in a rut. I am big on suspended fishing, but I will not fish myself to death if it is not working. If you are not seeing fish with what you are doing, switch tactics. Nothing in the weeds, move to rock. Nothing in rock, move to mid lakes humps. Nothing on the humps, move to wood. And so on. Depending on how much time you have to develop a pattern should dictate how much time is spent on spots. Having multiple people in the boat also helps in finding the "magic" lure or color. Don't run three people in line throwing the same/similar lure unless the fish are eating it!
Yes looking back on previous occasions can help in finding a pattern some days, but don't rely on it. Just because last year at this time you caught fish on a cucumber gives you reason to throw that same cucumber all day long regardless of what it is producing.
Stay versatile, and keep an open mind. That is the best tip or trick anyone can give to develop a pattern. |
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| I just reread my post and I apologize if I came off negatively. I fish long and hard and I do enjoy the challenge and I have learned a lot just by reading this forum. I guess I am feeling a little bitter because I want to be good at this sport and I'm not yet. Again I apologize for my above post I'm not calling anyone a liar, just better musky fisherman then myself. Good luck to all. |
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