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| When do you adjust to breaking out the c-4 or the 7000 and start ripping in your baits? |
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| When the temps are in the 70's for sure. That's a no brainer. I was ripping baits this year with the temps in the 50's just making longer pauses with the bait. It seemed to work ok. |
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| Jason, for me speed is the last resort. I don't care what time of year it is I will start slow and continue to fish slow until I have exhausted all options fishing slow.
If nothing moves with a slow presentation I will move to a weed edge and put on a bucktail and fish fast over the tops of the weeds. The only lure that I like to fish fast with is a bucktail. Believe it or not, the smaller the bucktail the better. Good luck and God bless. |
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| The only time I have caught fish slow is in in late fall with a bulldawg. All my other fish has come from working a lure fast be it trolling or casting |
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| Hi Jason,
Well, I was never one to burn baits through the water until this year. I was fishing one of my favorite lakes up north and I couldnt get any fish to move. I knew in my gut that they were in the area, but I didnt move a thing. I clipped on a custom made bucktail by Chris Drury of Voo-Doo Tails, and just started crankin' like there was no tomorrow. Bam, up comes a mid 30's fish and the rest is history. This coming from a spot that normally glide baits & jerk baits always work. Maybe these fish are getting wise to me? (LOL) |
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| A good friend of mine catches many large fish burning bucktails on dead calm bluebird days. Now if I could only get Don Hunt to try this once in a while! Wait a minute... Donnie's the one doing it. It's worth a try.
I believe the theory behind it is the same theory as some of my trolling buddies subscribe to... cover water and make them make a decision - no time to think about it.
Personally I believe there are times and places where slow and slower works best as well as places and times where speed thrills. It's figuring out when and where to use them that keeps us pitching baits.
Craig Eversoll |
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| When the muskies what the eat them.
In spring I have done good with small spinners "burned" over the weed tops on sunny days. Jason, you know how good this works in the summer when it's hot and dead flat![;)] |
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| I try slow and fast in any type of weather. The fish usually tell me what they want, providing that I'm fishing the right spots. I found out that in cold weather pike can be aggresively chasing a bait fished very erratically at high speed. |
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| Jason, I burned all baits this year with a great season to boot! Fall is the only time I slow down, but only a bit...
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| I usually experiment a little all year long here in MN. I have caught fish burning in baits in early June and in late November.
You would be surprised the number of late season trollers I talk to that seem to go faster and faster every year in November. They catch big fish too!! They seem to play the numbers game and cover alot more water in searching for active fish. It works!!
My fastest fish have been a 47" caught trolling a 10" jake at 7 MPH and a 40" caught trolling a raddog spinnerbait again at 7 mph. I believe both fish were caught in July.
You GOTTA hear the line clicker scream when you get hit at that speed!! It's very cool!!
One of my favorite things to do with a tail rotating surface bait its speed it up as soon as you see a bulging fish behind it. You can tell at that point if they are going to eat or not. If they accelerate, you can probably get them to hit, if they don't forget it.
It's fun playing cat and mouse with a follower when you have some room back to the boat. I catch alot more "humpers" since I started doing this.
Seriously try it next year, I'll make a believer out of you.
Good Luck,
Brett Waldera |
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| I feel speed is most effective when muskies are in an ambush position such as weeds or wood, because as Craig mentioned it cuts down on the time they have to make a decision or study the "prey" before making a commitment. I like a large signature like that created by a Colorado blade.The body size is not that important and can be trimmed for less drag. I squeeze weights on to the shaft to help keep the bait underwater.
Another situation where speed and erratic action have produced is in the second half of clear water suspended fish retrieve. I use a slow first half of the retrieve and then visualize the fish following the bait. Then I add the speed and try to really "bust the bait loose" with as many crazy moves as I can create.Its produced so many quality fish for me over the years that I know at lest experentially that it provokes strikes when a straght vanilla approach wont. |
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| 7 mph....WOW!!![:bigsmile:] |
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