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Posts: 208
| After fishing musky for 5 years i still consider myself a novice. I feel the biggest challenge in musky fishing is understanding the seasonal movement of this species and being confindent your busting baits all days in the fish zone! We all know there are windows but knowing your where you should be during those windows is the key to sucess. So my question to the experienced anglers is simple.
1. What (Bait uses in conditions)
2. Where to fish (Structure)
3. When to fish those areas
4. Why do you fish those areas at that givin time
Thanks! |
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Posts: 431
| It can be very simple. find the bait, find the fish. Outside of that, there are serious seasonal movement (spawn, transition to summer, transition to winter, etc.) However, understanding baitfish movements is key, and all of those are dependent on the body of water. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Muskies are never ALL doing the same thing. Look at most Tournaments or Outings there are lots of fish caught buy guy's doing different things. One guy could be casting slop another trolling open water and both getting fish on different coloured lures. Fish don't only strike because of hunger. |
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| Have been targeting these fish for over 35 years. There is only one real constant that I have found throughout the US and Canada and believe me I have traveled all over. There will always be some muskies relating to the deep water side of weed beds! Jerkbaits, Twitchbaits will trigger these fish to strike everywhere and all season long! |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | amen |
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| The guest above gave a newcomer to the sport the best advice I've seen in a long time. Deep weed edges are consistant fish producers no matter what your tossin or trollin. |
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Posts: 3913
| "1. What (Bait uses in conditions)
2. Where to fish (Structure)
3. When to fish those areas
4. Why do you fish those areas at that givin time"
Great questions but realize you're asking for an increible amount of information. You would be better served asking for suggestions for books or DVDs related to where and when you plan to fish and go from there.
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Posts: 3508
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
If I could make a small suggestion, I would say find the in-fisherman VHS/DVD of "The great muskie hunt Part 1"
What this video will do is take you through a season of fishing from spring to fall, which gives a vast amount of information, along with tips.
One big issue, though, is that the information you request is huge, and can be somewhat dependent on the lakes you are trying to learn. The best suggestion I could make here would be to pick one lake, and learn it. Try different things, find a pattern.
A constant that I can rely on is that "nothing stays the same and multiple patterns work on the same body of water, all through the year."
I know from my personal experience on the waters I fish...opening weekend will have me throwing 6" twitch baits with heavier hooks on the bait to make it rise slower. Twitch twitch pause, and repeat, and I will sooner or later find a fish to cove visit or hit. I target anything that has variety to it regardless of time of year, and fish adjacent to those areas as well...
One guaranteed constant: Doug Johnson would say... "Keep your lure wet." Figured FSF would have at least stated THAT one!!
Steve
Edited by VMS 2/28/2011 1:51 PM
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Posts: 2361
| VMS - 2/28/2011 1:50 PM
One guaranteed constant: Doug Johnson would say... "Keep your lure wet." Figured FSF would have at least stated THAT one!!
Steve
Well and good, most of the time, however, I and many, have been known to catch a fish or few with the lure suspended in the air, so, you tellin me you don't count those?  |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Yes! Good advice! Also what you do probably changes ever day and perhaps every hour. Best idea is to fish where the fish are. Figure that out first. Doug Johnson |
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Posts: 3508
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Dougj... 1
FSF...... 0
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Posts: 8835
| WHAT: Whatever I've caught fish on
WHERE: Somewhere I've seen or caught fish before
WHEN: Whenever I can
WHY: Because I think there's going to be fish there again
Screw all the baitfish migration, seasonal transition, water temperature, lure selection, lure color, wind, current, barometric pressure crap. If you want to catch muskies? Fish where where the fish are with lures that catch them. If you don't succeed? Tell yourself that the fish weren't biting. You'll sleep better at night..
It's only as complicated as you want to make it! 
Edited by esoxaddict 3/1/2011 7:13 PM
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Posts: 2361
| dougj - 3/1/2011 7:00 PM
Yes! Good advice! Also what you do probably changes ever day and perhaps every hour. Best idea is to fish where the fish are. Figure that out first. Doug Johnson
OK, I'll share what DougJ really told me out in the boat, what he actually said was, "Once happy hour starts, keep the bottom of your glass wet". It aint all about fishin... |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | And there, as they say, it is. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | firstsixfeet - 3/1/2011 10:21 PM
dougj - 3/1/2011 7:00 PM
Yes! Good advice! Also what you do probably changes ever day and perhaps every hour. Best idea is to fish where the fish are. Figure that out first. Doug Johnson
OK, I'll share what DougJ really told me out in the boat, what he actually said was, "Once happy hour starts, keep the bottom of your glass wet". It aint all about fishin... ; )
Such Wisdom,,,....And I can't disagree whatsoever....WOW ! fishing is a bonus.
Jerome |
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Posts: 158
| I'm no expert, but my advice for a newcomer.
Plan your trips around peek times. Moon periods, sunrise/set times, moon rise/set times local forecasts etc.
Sure it's best to fish when you can, but it's easier to plan trips this way than people give credit.
Spending every minute you can on the water, especially on a lake that is far from prime musky water, will leave you pretty discouraged.
The days that are sunny, without any weather or wind moving in, I'll fish for smallies, or pike. |
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