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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | With the Southern WI opener approaching, what are going to be your keys to success the first time out on the water. What structure are you targeting? Why? What if Plan A fails? Do you have a back-up plan?
For me I'll be starting out with some trout at around 4 30 am but once a limit is achieved I'll be chasing muskies. I'm looking to target current breaks, eddies, or any place where there is a distinct cover to hold a fish. If this plan fails I'll be looking to find some shallower, perhaps sandy bottom areas in hopes the fish have sought out the warmest water. |
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Posts: 8865
| First time out? If there's any emerging weeds, I'm going to fish them. Shallow bays and south or West facing structures are where I'd expect to find the warmest water if the sun is out. As a general rule, I'm looking for warm water -- inlets from shallow feeder creeks, shorelines ajacent to marshy areas... Pretty much anywhere where there might be water that's heated by the sun. Spawning areas for sure, they're either on them or really close by. If none of that works?
Follow the baitfish I guess. I'm really not so concerned with being sucessful on opening day, as weird as that sounds. I'm really just so glad to be fishing I'm happy to get a follow. Just seeing a fish sitting there is cool. It's kind of like when you come home after work and your dog is all excited to see you. By 9:00 he doesn't care if you're there or not, but that first 10 minutes after work you're his favorite thing in the world... |
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Posts: 2865
Location: Brookfield, WI | I think the most important thing will be to get together with as many M1sters as possible the night before at Smokeys. Everyone should eat well and laugh a lot. That way some real positive muskie fishing vibes will emanate out across the waters of Waukesha County, and possibly even beyond.
Then the next day you drag a couple suckers and do some casting. How could the results be anything but positive?
Kevin
Stay tuned, I'm just getting organized. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Kevin, your already a finely tuned muskies vet. You spelled out exactly what I had in mind. Smokey's Muskie Shop will be holding some major MOJO Friday night.
Saturday will be fun as usual. Sticking muskies. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I'm heading down south and will follow Mike around. |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | Steve, if you're following Mike around, all you'll hear is "man, those dudes are tearing it up on the 'other' lake, maybe we should have gone there."
heh heh heh. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | I'll be casting toward Joel's trolling motor! His pattern shall be my pattern, if I can keep up with him! m |
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Posts: 1316
Location: Madison, WI | I'll be at Smokey's on Friday night taking it easy. Then Saturday, I'll probably tie a baby depth raider to my ankle and swim trolling. |
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Posts: 2865
Location: Brookfield, WI | Magruter - 3/29/2007 6:58 AM
I'll be at Smokey's on Friday night taking it easy.
Scott, you just need a good base. Last year you probably didn't have a good base.
Kevin
Transitioning out of pizza season. |
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| stay tuned...MuskieFirst will be publishing an article in the very near future that features techniques and tips for success during the early season/opener with a focus on nothern Iowa/Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
regional guides Adam Oberfoell, Jeff Hanson, and Joel Michel are all contributing their expertise to help with your success in early '07.
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Posts: 2089
| Have Fun! We'll all be geeked up with high expectations, but keep your eyes on the prize.Enjoy the time with old friends or new and take in the whole experience.See with more than your eyes.Take a deep breath as you step outside in the morning.Nothing like the smell of a "new" season! The whole system is full of life.Enjoy!! Steve
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i always tend toward dark river water and hope for some moving water ... over the years it's been productive for us and with the exception of a very few times (typically with the pool not moving) we've enjoyed success. it's been a cadence thing for us with slow moving gliders and twitch baits and we've found you just can't fish too slow ... if you're working slow, slow down a little and repeat the process until you've driven yourself nuts. i've seen some of the most lethargic slow motion hits ever this way and it's fun in it's own way.
otherwise, if you're lake fishing or as the season moves forward into mid-june i'm looking at finding new weeds in the north or northwest sections of water playing my own bst that the water there gets the most direct warming effect from the sun angle and weeds tend to develop there first. the first green and healthy weed growth is the key for me and all the other fishes seem to follow suit as do their predators ...
once this pattern is done and the lake fully develops the weed structure throughout i'll start finding the routes from feeding locations close to deeper water and work the alleys am. and during the day near or in the basin and then move to the edges and on top at night ...
it's been a logic that has worked over the years and i suppose this year i'll follow a similar path and hope for good results.
other than that ... jonesi puts it in perspective ... i'm fired up about the tradition we have for opener especially since i missed last year being in China. can't wait to get together with the same old friends that have been a part of it for 8 years now since i moved back home. |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | I may be a bit different than others in that I target the deep break, and adjust from there. I usually find the larger fish in the deeper water off the first major break around the 12-15' depth. Some years it's money, others it isn't. Running Triple D's or Warner's are my bait of choice, but have had action with gliders and topwater as well. #5 Mepps run slow and deep have produced on occasion also. If I am finding fish here I will also venture into the basin, and usually get action there as well.
If I don't contact them on the break within the first hour or two I then head shallower. Bucktails, Shallowraiders, Depthraiders, walk-the-dog topwaters, and some gliders will get the nod, as well as a Wild-X.
Staying versatile and not doing what you are told to always do is what I have found to be my key opening weekend in northern WI. I contact just as many fish in deeper water as you may in shallow water most years, and in most cases the fish are larger in the deeper water (larger females seeking out deeper water after spawn). |
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Posts: 2865
Location: Brookfield, WI | I like Jonesi's thoughts. I'd like to make him an opening day sandwich. Or two.
Kevin
Stay tuned. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | travis ... what's been your experience with those tactics if the spawn happens later in the year encroaching on the opener (within a tight timeframe) ... i'm interested to hear your results as it relates to the timing opener is "from the spawn". one of the big reasons i head for dark river water is to stay away from the lockjaw reports i seem to hear from a late warm up on the lakes ... my question is as clear as mud but i think you get what i'm trying to ask ... consistent, better, or worse or no effect relative to spawn timing.
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Location: Contrarian Island | Travis said it well in one sentence..be versatile...you never know where they are or what they want...Cory how about a few years ago fishing behind you and the mrs that goofy lure i was throwing and moving and catching most if not all the fish on that day! try the usual suspects, if that doesn't work break out the weird stuff...this year I really want to try some Red Octobers and other tubes the 1st couple weeks...rigged some up with a lighter weight in them to really "hang"
start in shallow weeds and flats and move out from there.... |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Hey sled how quick of a current are you working your slow Auto's in? |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | we'll go right into the stump fields as the areas warm up where the current isn't as much of a factor and i assume the muskies are eating smallies that are popping the tadpoles out of the stump tops and then we'll work the eddies using the foam line as the structure upstream ... two very different sections and velocity on the same river ... and do well both on the water holding side downstream in and off the stump fields and then up near the water feeding area of the river focusing mostly on the current edges and eddies ... the river we fish can move pretty quick. the orientation of the fish into that current line and the shoal's point are pretty easy to find. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | it's interesting over the years that most of the bigger fish have been caught in the upstream areas closest to the strongest current.
and also interesting to note that without current in the same colder water early season situations have made the same places act like the dead sea ... i think the fish are lazy that time of year and want to be "fed" |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | Sled, I think that pre spawn you can definitley target those fish on the deeper breaks. We were out last week and they were holding outside of the shallower spawning areas. After the spawn definitley as well.
One thing to do if you have multiple guys in the boat, is to have one guy casting inside out. I don't always throw cranks when doing that, but minnow baits have gotten some fat chicks to come and play. One thing I noticed about that is they like to eat 8s when doing this.
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| pre-spawn fish on deep breaks adjacent to spawning areas hitting on a figure-8???
yep, Joel knows about that...
(06-04-08 Joel Michel.jpg)
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 06-04-08 Joel Michel.jpg (116KB - 113 downloads)
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Sled, even though the timing of the spawn may have some effect on the "lockjaw", I think it is the initial waether of the day that makes a bigger difference. Sunny, warm days have been much better on the breaks than the colder, overcast days. Early morning is also much better for the deeper holding fish, as well as later in the day. I'll be honest in saying I don't have the fish figured out on when exactly they will hold on the breaks and deeper versus being shallower. Two years may be identical in water temps, day of weather, etc... but the fishing couldn't be more different. Hence staying versatile is important.
Keep in mind one thing with a later warm up. Crappies, suckers, bass, and other panfish move up in the shallows later as well, therefore are often on the breaks prior to sliding in shallow. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | My pattern has been to target the first good green weeds and start there. Glide baits, twitch baits and suckers are consistant producers.
The last 3 years my brother and I have boated 5 legal muskies by Sunday afternoon every opener. Guess what we will be doing this year?
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Usually focus on the river as I live near one. The spawn is almost always over with by the southern openner and a fish or two is normally ready to go, and commonly a scrappy male is the first fish to grace our net. As far as tactictry, it depends on the years weather(length of time in days or weeks from spawn)/water levels(current velocity), and daily weather/water temps. When north, my first weekend is usually the second weekend in June, and it is straight to open water for us, as that is our best time to be out there fishing 'high'.
That said, just knowing that each year is different, that the hot pattern from last openner may not hold true and to not beat it to death, and that it sure is nice to be fishing with something other than a tipup or light spinning outfit, makes for a better day.
Edited by Reef Hawg 3/31/2007 9:17 AM
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Posts: 3926
| It' like the opener of deer season, but you have months instead of weeks. I don't care if I don't score right off the bat, patience and persistance will eventually pay off in diamonds. Just being on the water is enough to make me happy. Time passes, I reconnect with the One Love, and my soul settles down a bit. Fish are candy sprinkles on the icing of the cake. |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | That is still one of my favorite pics that ever graced M1st. Sweet fish Joel!
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Posts: 556
| Magruter - 3/29/2007 6:58 AM
I'll be at Smokey's on Friday night taking it easy. Then Saturday, I'll probably tie a baby depth raider to my ankle and swim trolling. hey tie a pair of double 10's to your leg for more of a work out
Edited by guts 4/1/2007 1:01 PM
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