|
|
| How many of you guys catch fish on the eight with regularity? This winter my figure eight numbers have been incredible. I can't get a fish to hit away from the boat. My last three trips out, I've caught ten fish on figure eights. Including my boat partner's fish, that's 16 fish in the boat on figure 8s in three days. I can't believe it. In a normal season, I'm lucky to boat two to three fish a season on the eight. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | Matt,
This winter has been a little weird with the figure 8 fish for sure.
In a typical year, my clients and myself usually catch about 20-22% of my fish on the 8, so with a little jr. high math, that is about 45-50 fish a year on the 8.
Now in the past two weeks, it has been almost 90%......
Weird stuff man. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 502
Location: Lincoln UK | muskie are not the brightest of creatures, maybe it has taken this long to realise what they are meant to do and why you do it. |
|
| |
|
| Figure 8's work maybe 10% of the time for me, most fish follow to the boat and break off. Many I can get back up but most don't commit just then. If they wanted to eat, they would have. I just try to come back later and grab them in a more positive mood  |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2361
| I think that figure eight fish are a higher percentage of the catch when
you fish cranks/bucktails/surface bait tandems.
when you fish the above in an educated population(so to speak)
when you fish in weeds and when you fish with the boat positioned above a cover/fish location line
when you are fishing clearer water
when you fish higher density populations
I don't have a lot of figure eight fish on the baits I fish most of the time, usually the fish break off, but would have more IF I used more cranks, although in my opinion, overall I would have less strikes to show for my time. |
|
| |
|
| It seems on eagle, these past 4 years, my numbers show that between Weston (my oldest son) and I, we catch in excess of 70% of our fish in figure 8's.
It is practiced science...and I feel the # 1 key to success on Eagle Lake.
Just my 2 cents worth!
Donnie  |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I had quite a bit of success on 8s this year, more than usual, in fact. The big Violent Strike seemd to call them to the boat, more than 50% of my hits on that lure came at boatside. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2361
| How many blind figure 8 fish, might be the question. |
|
| |
|
| Most of the fish on eights this Fall/Winter would be way underneath the bait and come up on it the second or third time around.Even had one follow around five times, go underneath the boat and poke it's head out to grab the bait as it passed by on the inside turn and suck it in. Way Cool. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Here's something I'm seeing on the NW Angle part of the LOTWs.
For many years I would catch the occasional fish on the figure-8, maybe 10% of the total fish caught or so. Seems that if a fish was ready to hit it would do it before it got to the boat?
However, with the ever increasing fishing pressure in the past 5-6 years I find that I'm catching a much higher percentage of the total boat fish on figure-8's. Not only me, but clients also. I'm sure that we had 50-60 fish this year that where caught on figure-8's. One day 6 of 7 fish came on figure-8's. Most figure-8 fish are caught on bucktails, topwater, or spinner baits. A very low percentage came on jerk baits or crank baits. I'm sure that I personally caught 35-40 fish this year on figure-8's.
That said I do not do blind figure-8's (big waste of time), instead I do an nice smooth "L" and look to see if there's a fish behind my lure. If there is, I figure-8, if there isn't I cast again. The biggest thing is to watch for the fish and to know what to look for.
Learning to do a figure-8 correctly will put lots of fish in your boat!
Doug Johnson
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 2361
| Matt do you actually think these fish are following or just there and coming from underneath the boat. You fish that 6 fish per acre water don't you? |
|
| |
|
| Josh Bovorosky of lindners angling edge does a fantastic demonstration on how to get the most out of a figure 8 if you ever get a chance to attend one of his seminars
Matt with that hot streak head for a roulette table and bet the '8' |
|
| |
|
| The most important tool an angler can LEARN.Practice doesn't make perfect, PERFECT PRACTICE makes perfect.Boatside manner includes the 8,but so much more.One of the things that really seperates muskie fishermen/women from other anglers.Being ready.Mentally and physically.Trigger it to eat.Therein lies the challenge.Speed kills.Speed up in the straightaway and they kill it on the turn.No "banana" L, but if a fish is on it, get 'em close and then.....RIGHT TURN CLYDE!1st trigger.I had fish this year "head it off at the pass".Right on it and like they almost anticipated the turn, then cut it off and ate.All of my bigger fish this year except the 54, ate on the 8.She would have too, but putzboy(me) blew it .Had her right there on 2 full passes.Good thing for the hypnotic 6" Reef Hawg.Vindication.I love this topic. Steve |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | I'm sucking, compared to you guys. Out of all my fish, only one has come off of the "8".had a lot follow around, alot. and had more fish interested in an oval, rather than the "8". but maybe I'm missing something. I am a Peterson, so I am prone to mistakes (who said that?) |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2011
| I have found the effectiveness of figure 8 ( I actually often use a large oval) be very effective on some lakes and poor at best on others....LOTW is a great place to get fish to commit on 8's and as Doug J already said a proper 8 and always looking BEHIND your bait will put many fish in the boat. Anyone else fish Iowa much???? What is up with our fish? 30+ fish PC 3 on 8's and 30+ on Iowa Great lakes - zero on 8's ????? weird! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | I think DougJ and Jonesi nailed this question.
I've become addicted to the figure8... and now actually build my search bait tactics around it. When I cast a bucktail, I now EXPECT to catch the fish on the Figure8... and anything that hits one out from the boat is just plain stupid/suicidal.
As for Matt's "cold water" question.... I'm not sure what to say there. I've experienced times where the fish light up on the 8's in 37 degree water, but it hasn't been the norm. And... baits I'm tossin' those times of the year are designed to trigger strikes away from the boat.... so my 8 success in cold water is pretty dismal.
jlong |
|
| |
|
| F.S.F. To answer your question, I think quite a few of them followed the bait in, but way underneath it. I call it the mirage follow. I think I see a ghostly image way down there, and on the first turn the fish to move up on the bait, but the second, third, or even sixth or seventh turn they nail it. This was in water temps right at the freezing mark. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 619
Location: Seymour, WI | One of the things that has really improved my figure 8 is that instead of having the bait come in perpendicular to the boat, I now sweep the rod out to the right or left before the bait gets to the boat. That way instead of making a sharp L at the boat, I'm making a really big smooth oval. Before I started doing this most of the fish that were following would flash off when they got to the boat. But now my oval is so big and smooth that the fish don't really even notice the boat. Getting them to go into the eight is the key. Usually if you can get them to go into the eight instead of flashing off at the boat they will hit. Eight foot rods are a big plus.
Grass, |
|
| |
|
| "Practice doesn't make perfect, PERFECT PRACTICE makes perfect." sez Jonzie.
Man, I wish i would have met you on my swing through your parts. Just to say "Hey"; I don't expect to impress you much and likely ditto minus one on the return.
About 30% of the few fish I boat come on the 8. Most fun in the dead of night, half drunk and all dark. |
|
| |
