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| I really like these baits, but im having trouble with the hits. Last week a high 30s came and at my mag dog when I did a sweep right next to the boat, set the hook, and my bulldawg came flying out of the water. Next day, im casting I feel a slight tick on the line, just as I feel all the time when due to hitting weeds, and just the bulldawg dropping ticks my line a little. So anyway, I feel a slight tick, then as I go to make my next sweep and all the sudden a fish thrashes on the surface and as my rod loads, the lure flys out, again. If i set the hook on all the "ticks" i would look crazy setting the hook every other cast, but when I least expect it, it was a fish! How do you judge whether the tick, on thump was a fish? I have the most trouble on a pull pause retrieve, when the line gets somewhat slack. Thanks Guys. PS using a pro mag dawg. |
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Posts: 2024
| I had the same thing happen last week, robbing me of my first musky! At least I got to try out the bottle of mend-it that I bought. |
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Posts: 133
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Experience is going to be your best teacher here... |
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| A hook set doesn't cost a thing....when in doubt, SET THE HOOK!!!! Who cares what you'll look like!!! |
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Posts: 287
Location: Oconomowoc, WI | I agree the prior post...set the hook on anything.
One thing that has helped, is using shorter more subtle pulls. I know a lot of guys talk about "ripping" bulldawgs, and I'm sure it's a trigger. It's just that it's tough to be in a good hook-set position with really big rips or pulls. |
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Posts: 2024
| Oh I set immediately, as I could tell it was a hit and not weeds. But it either only had the tail in its mouth, the hooks didn't penetrate, or its mouth was open or it was spitting it out right away. The tail was chewed up and almost torn off, so I think it missed and only hit the tail. |
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Location: Eau Claire,WI | I can not stress the importance of a SHARP hook with dawgs!!! |
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Posts: 1023
| Just the nature of the beast. As you fish them more, you will just sort of know it is a fish - just a sense and u set the hook. In hindsight you won't even remember how it happened or how u knew.
Sharp hooks, and in the fall do less to the bait. i find i can just impart enough action in the fall using erratic cranking. Keep the rod pointed at the lure and line tight. Use gentle pulls here and there. That's what I do anyways but you can fish a dawg any way u want and catch fish. My buddy just straight reels them and he almost always outfishes me, (even though he isn't as good as me:).
I miss more in the summer with sharper pulls.
I love dawgs and curse them at the same time. But they attract fish:)
Landry |
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Posts: 2024
| That's exactly how I was doing it. Had downsized from a magdawg to a regular dawg and had just sharpened the hooks. I am religious about sharp hooks and figure 8's btw. 2 casts into the weeds and felt a large tug, set, and it didn't hook. It's maddening to miss it. I was on Vermilion this summer and had 6 follows and none would bite, this summer was with a friend who guides up there. Went up there again a couple weeks ago and the weather didn't cooperate to get out but for a few hours 1 day. I did have 1 lazy follow shallow on a topraider, then this miss. Now, I am stuck in Arkansas and am not able to musky fish until next summer. LMB aren't near as fun as even seeing a 40+ inch musky. If I didn't have a great kid here I really do think I would move home... |
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Posts: 624
Location: S.W. WI | The thing about Dawgs is.... they get eaten!!!
Try to keep in contact on the pause while Dawg is dropping betwwen pulls, you'll feel a tick, or line will just go slack (most often), or they'll try to pull you in... any of these require a hard hookset. When using an 8 oz chunk of rubber the fish has alot to throw and the nature of the beast is sometimes with all that weight flying around they will come unhooked. I loose fewer fish on dawgs than other lures cuz I think IMO they hold on more than they do a hard bait... so I have time to reel up and slamm em. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | The fun part is when they push them ahead, go to pull/rip the bait and get nothing but slack...Reel fast and hope for the best lol |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | feel pressure...even a little PULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! |
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Posts: 909
| Hooksets are FREE!  |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Set the hooks on anything unusual,.... Ticks,weeds, rocks, Dawgballs ,Cisco's, bait fish,........ anything that feels different,....... But,....... Super sharp,... and I mean Super Sharp Hooks,,,, will improve your odds greatly with Big Rubber.. |
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Posts: 38
| agreed razor sharp hookx, make it a habit |
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| If your not setting the hooks when you hit weeds you are gonna miss alot of fish. When Im using a Bulldawg in the fall its normal for me to have 50-100 hooksets in one day. It can really make my back sore but its better than watching a muskies flop off that I thought was a weed. |
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | Never ...never ...never put anything in the water with out sharp hooks
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Posts: 906
Location: Canada | DonPursch - 11/24/2012 4:26 PM
Never ...never ...never put anything in the water with out sharp hooks
^^ that
And again, set the hook on everything and and anything. |
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Posts: 246
| Then sharpen them again when you set the hook like a madman on a hit which turns out to be a rock. |
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Posts: 1
| You will no when you get cracked!! Try using a higher speed reel if your sweeping your bait, keep hooks ultra sharp |
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| Practice makes imperfect, but it does help. I had a nice 39 hit right at the boat, and I ripped the hookset. The fish had the lure so tight nothing moved, no hooks in her. The fish opened her mouth and swam away. Another fish, 42, hit while the lure was fouled and I didn't know it until it was under the boat. Got her in the net though. Dawgs catch fish, so you put up with the frustration of tangles. |
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