MuskieFIRST | Having hard time locating fish (river) » General Discussion

Muskie Discussion Forums

You are logged in as a guest. ( logon | register )

Moderators: Slamr	View previous thread :: View next thread
Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [30 messages per page] Muskie Fishing -> General Discussion -> Having hard time locating fish (river)

Message Subject: Having hard time locating fish (river)

lifeisfun

Posted 10/27/2009 6:00 PM (#406684)
Subject: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Location: Ontario

Lately we are having hard time locating fish on the river.
Water temperature 45F-48F
Tried deep and shallow without much success. Found clouds of bait fish but no luck catching toothy critter

Got 2 fish about week ago 26" and 34" in 5 FOW both in the same spot on double cowgirls but nothing since.
Any tips from PROs ?

Thanks

esoxfly

Posted 10/27/2009 6:40 PM (#406694 - in reply to #406684)
Subject: Re: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Posts: 1663

Location: Kodiak, AK

It's been rough here too casting. Trollers and jiggers have done OK. Fish just seemed to maybe have turned on the last two days, but nothing definate.

Riverguy

Posted 10/27/2009 8:26 PM (#406712 - in reply to #406684)
Subject: RE: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Posts: 8

Look for baitfish concentrations around any creek mouth dumping off colored water in....JB

Roughneck1860

Posted 10/28/2009 3:20 PM (#406818 - in reply to #406712)
Subject: RE: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Posts: 295

Location: Southern Ontario, Detroit River and Lake StClair

Riverguy - 10/27/2009 9:26 PM

Look for baitfish concentrations around any creek mouth dumping off colored water in....JB

Bingo.......that's the ticket. Don't be afraid to fish on or just below the surface either. A lot of guys get stuck in the "its fall go deep" track of mind and that's not always the way to go. We get plenty of fish in 40 degree water on slow moving top waters when there's bait schooled up at creek mouths.

Good Fishin'
Tim

lifeisfun

Posted 10/28/2009 5:43 PM (#406832 - in reply to #406684)
Subject: Re: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Location: Ontario

Thanks guys - you gave me motivation to try again!

allegheny river kid

Posted 10/28/2009 6:20 PM (#406835 - in reply to #406684)
Subject: Re: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Posts: 463

Location: Sw Pennsylvania

Have you tried throwing gliders and other slower moving jerkbaits? Its always a producer for me in colder river temps, they tend to hit them on the pause or when they come towards the surface near the boat.

lifeisfun

Posted 10/28/2009 7:40 PM (#406843 - in reply to #406684)
Subject: Re: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Location: Ontario

I did, perhaps not slow enough.

Ranger

Posted 10/31/2009 4:03 PM (#407231 - in reply to #406684)
Subject: RE: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Posts: 3829

I caught my PB on the Menominee River in the Yoop. I found a spot where there was a brief steep drop in a heavy current area in about 18' of water. I trolled over and over and over that spot one day, just looping around and hitting it again and again with different baits. An onlooker would have thought I was crazy. But in the third or fourth hour I was able to bring a modified grandma juuuusssst over the drop off and BANG there she was, 48" and between 30# and 35#. I bet I went over that spot 60 or 80 times before she moved for me.

This musky didn't relate to baitfish at all, she was positioned in a killer ambush spot for whatever passed overhead. And here's the lesson I think I learned: The very biggest river fish are found by locating structural spots on spots where the current brings the food to the fish. The bigest girls don't chase baitfish in a river if they can find a location where 1) she exerts little energy to hold herself in place and 2) she waits for the current to bring the food to her doorstep.

muskie24/7

Posted 10/31/2009 7:41 PM (#407257 - in reply to #407231)
Subject: RE: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Posts: 909

pm sent!

Zoom - | Zoom 100% | Zoom + | Expand / Contract | Open New window

Click to expand / contract the width of this image

(Fall 48.jpg)

Attachments
----------------

Fall 48.jpg (17KB - 132 downloads)

lifeisfun

Posted 10/31/2009 8:01 PM (#407259 - in reply to #407231)
Subject: RE: Having hard time locating fish (river)

Location: Ontario

Ranger - 10/31/2009 5:03 PM

I caught my PB on the Menominee River in the Yoop. I found a spot where there was a brief steep drop in a heavy current area in about 18' of water. I trolled over and over and over that spot one day, just looping around and hitting it again and again with different baits. An onlooker would have thought I was crazy. But in the third or fourth hour I was able to bring a modified grandma juuuusssst over the drop off and BANG there she was, 48" and between 30# and 35#. I bet I went over that spot 60 or 80 times before she moved for me.

This musky didn't relate to baitfish at all, she was positioned in a killer ambush spot for whatever passed overhead. And here's the lesson I think I learned: The very biggest river fish are found by locating structural spots on spots where the current brings the food to the fish. The bigest girls don't chase baitfish in a river if they can find a location where 1) she exerts little energy to hold herself in place and 2) she waits for the current to bring the food to her doorstep.

Great lesson !
It's hard to make the decision if it's better to cover the water or
just hammer trusted spots

I never have much luck in the fall.
This year I got my largest fish ( 52") as a first catch of the year,
it will be miracle if I can get one bigger than that before winter.

Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [30 messages per page]

Search this forum
Printer friendly version
E-mail a link to this thread