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Posts: 373
Location: Maine Township, MN | Had a blast this last weekend catching great numbers of pike on a lake that I fish. Problem is I have yet to boat a muskie on this water this year. So, in general, are the muskies close by? Shallower? Deeper? I was fishing coontail flats in the 12-16 FOW range.
Tried the shallower cabbage and only hammer handle pike were found. Did get a monster hit from a bluegill on a glide bait. They must be hungry  |
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Posts: 100
| If the hammer handle pike are actively feeding the likelihood of their being an active musky close by is virtually zero. Move on from spots where you are catching, especially small ones. |
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Posts: 667
Location: Roscoe IL | Gregoire,
Why is that? I have caught muskies in the same areas we were getting pike in Central Wisconsin waters. This just happend a few weeks ago. Had both of my kids with me chucking small spinners for pike, I bet the boys got 10 before I got a Muskie to hit. I had 2 follows and got a 40" to eat a topraider in about an hour all in the same area. This was our first spot of the day early AM. I always thought small pike were a decent meal for Muskies.. Did I just get lucky this time? |
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Posts: 540
| I used to think the same thing about catching alot of little pike in a area that there must not be muskies there right now or they already ate and are done until a buddy of mine was out with him and he landed at least 2 dozen hammer handles before landing a 47" same place, same bait, he said just a matter of time before a muskie shows up on the scene! |
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Posts: 667
Location: Roscoe IL | It's not like I'm an expert and slay them every time in these spots, so I'm wondering why move still? I will if I know why its the smarter move if I want a Muskie.. Never too old to learn something..
Seems like almost every spot we fish except out deep for suspendos were going to get a pike or two. And I'm not a suspendos kind of fisherman, we like chucking at edges. Pike are an easy target for my kids, and they love to cast at high percentage spots that are mostly weed edges or pockets on the lakes & rivers we fish.. |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | We've caught many Muskies immediately before and after catching Pike of all sizes. I don't think the Muskies were after the small Pike because they showed no interest in them. And yet the Muskies had to be hungry because they hit our lures. It seems the Muskies were most likely there for the same reason the Pike were and that was the baitfish. I've also caught a lot of Bass and Muskies right in the same area. I don't think Muskies care what other fish are in an area as long as there are baitfish to eat.
Just this past Saturday, I hooked a Walleye and two Muskies within just a few casts. And then my kids caught two big Northerns. Funny thing is all the fish hit on CJs spinner baits - even the Walleye. Funny.
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Posts: 2
Location: Indianapolis, IN | If you have active fish hitting, why move? Caught 20 plus northern outa a 10 yard circle before the musky hit on a spot this past july. I stay put! |
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Posts: 24
| I'd say stay where there are fish active.
But its summer so you may also want to try for suspended muskies. When the water is too warm muskies will move to where the water is a more favorable temperature. If your lake turnsover then there will be a thermocline thaat will have muskies in it.
I summarized much of Tony Rizzo's The Summer Muskie on my blog: http://spootville.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-summer-muskie.html |
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Posts: 100
| I have heard that the body of water also impacts whether you find musky and hammer handle pike closely associated. I was referencing LOTW and was going on the information provided to me from some very experienced anglers. I guess that is not always the case. |
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Posts: 373
Location: Maine Township, MN | I guess I was asking if there are active feeding pike in the area, how do muskies relate to them? I only found small pike in the shallow cabbage and the larger pike roaming the coontail flats. Would muskies be mixed in with either? Or would they be patrolling the edges? Just looking for what that higher percentage area would be? |
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