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| Last night in a space of about 20 minutes, I had two fish, one small, one very nice, miss my Lake X Fat B twice on one retrieve. The little one jumped right over the bait once, and missed behind the second time. The large fish missed behind by about a foot at 70' or so and then just missed it the second time at about 10'. Couldn't get a follow on the 8 either time.
My question is what others do when you have a miss on a top water. I keep reeling but slow down. Don't know if that is the right thing to do or not. Maybe I should speed up? |
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Posts: 1516
| what would you do if you were swimming on top of the water and just got missed? Stop? slow down? swim like heck to get away? my guess is most prey would pick up the pace. Worth a try |
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| Pepper - 9/22/2017 2:45 PM
what would you do if you were swimming on top of the water and just got missed? Stop? slow down? swim like heck to get away? my guess is most prey would pick up the pace. Worth a try
Good point, never thought of that ;>) |
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Posts: 133
| And also just come to the realization that misses on top water are a sickening part of the game!!! |
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Posts: 323
Location: Elk River, MN | Just happens. Slowest baits in the box still get missed. Maybe fish miss our bucktails and cranks just as often but we don't notice. |
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| Thuawk - 9/22/2017 3:08 PM
And also just come to the realization that misses on top water are a sickening part of the game!!!
Oh yeah, realized that many years ago. Just glad now that I am old, I no longer jerk the bait through the air when they miss like I did when I was young. And no, it is not just that my reflexes have slowed. |
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Posts: 90
| My experience, and I fish topwaters a lot...speeding them up rarely if ever gets them to go again, or gets them to go when following.
If a fish misses a bait I usually slow it down a bit, and change the direction by moving my rod to one side, then slowly to the other. If it doesn't hit or follow on that cast, I immediately throw a weagle or phantom, right back to the spot and dance it in place.
If they are continuously missing prop baits you're moving it too fast.
Edited by Lunger50 9/22/2017 4:48 PM
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Posts: 320
| Try downsizing to something like a TopRaider or Dr Evil. I've found they sometimes swipe at the FB without eating but will eat the smaller sizes. |
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Posts: 20227
Location: oswego, il | I had the hatchery manager at jake wolfe tell me fingerlings miss pellets. Sometimes i think it is the mood of the fish. I have seen mamy times where muskies will act agressive, try and don't eat. I do not think they really want to eat but are wound up. |
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Posts: 386
| ToddM - 9/22/2017 7:34 PM
Sometimes i think it is the mood of the fish. I have seen mamy times where muskies will act agressive, try and don't eat. I do not think they really want to eat but are wound up.
I would definitely agree with that. I think when they miss by large margins they're really not committed 100%. I've had fish blow through big waves to chase down Cisco Kid Top Stoppers on enough occasions to make me think if they really want it, they're going to get it. But fishing missing topwaters is all part of the game and is to be expected. |
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Posts: 90
| They become blind as they close on a meal, hence they miss sometimes. If a fish blows up on a bait..they were trying to eat it. They don't expend that kind of energy for fun. |
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Posts: 320
| ToddM, I agree. I have seen more than one fish hit a bait without even opening its mouth. They just slam it with their nose. Almost like a display of aggression more than anything. |
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Posts: 1209
| Muskies and pike will swat at a bait or jump around one because it is annoying them. I belive it was less important the speed of any rod maneuvers but more than likely the lure or (color haha) but seriously after a fish Behaves like the first one I will switch lures, but maybe not that time since it was a juvenile fish.
Edited by Fishysam 9/22/2017 8:47 PM
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Posts: 246
| Espy - 9/22/2017 4:14 PM
Just happens. Slowest baits in the box still get missed. Maybe fish miss our bucktails and cranks just as often but we don't notice.
I choose to believe that. It makes it easier to cast for hours and hours |
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Posts: 1274
Location: E. Tenn | My most memorable topwater fish blew up on a buzzbait three times
on the same cast before getting hooked on the fourth...
...bever changed anything on the retrieve.. |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | zombietrolling - 9/22/2017 8:47 PM
Espy - 9/22/2017 4:14 PM
Just happens. Slowest baits in the box still get missed. Maybe fish miss our bucktails and cranks just as often but we don't notice.
I choose to believe that. It makes it easier to cast for hours and hours
Yes... Or the 3' below the bait follows in stained water.... |
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Posts: 20227
Location: oswego, il | Lunger50 - 9/22/2017 8:32 PM
They become blind as they close on a meal, hence they miss sometimes. If a fish blows up on a bait..they were trying to eat it. They don't expend that kind of energy for fun.
I do not agree. It isn't about fun either. I have seen muskies extend alot of energy and not even try and eat. I have seen many fish miss a bait during a day all exibiting the same behavior. Why would a muskie exert a bunch of energy following and nipping a bait in the winter at water temps near freezing? They do it. |
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Posts: 255
| Fish that really want to eat find a way. fishing is not natural and throws them off, and sometimes we manipulate them. There are very detailed things about fish we'll never understand. Why they follow a stick. Why they hit the deadest sucker. Why they turn on a dime, or hit the prop. Change something, go back later. Give up. Cast 8 more hours. It's a boring thrill ride. I would have cast back with slower retrieve, then a phantom. And missed. |
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| its been my experience that big fish 48+ don't miss and shorter than that but rather plump fish rarely miss . I just think some fish are better than others at hunting topwater and maybe any lure type and forage. |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | mnmusky - 9/22/2017 10:30 PM
its been my experience that big fish 48+ don't miss and shorter than that but rather plump fish rarely miss . I just think some fish are better than others at hunting topwater and maybe any lure type and forage.
Hmm.. so some that jest do better than others/are more coordinated/adept than others. Jest like us, one big spectrum and we're all on it.
I can dig that. |
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Posts: 789
Location: Delavan, WI | Ive had as many as a dozen fish blow up on a surface bait in a single night over a 2hr period landed 1. Not sure if it was all individual fish or a couple blew up on the bait more than once either way wanna talk about being frustrated. Its just a part of the game kinda like baseball players don't get a hit every time they swing the bat but they still keep at it, eventually they will get that home run and eventually that musky will find the lure in its mouth
Topwater fishing is as exciting as it gets but if you want more hook ups throw a bucktail, Topwater just are not the highest hooking percentage bait but when you do hook up and it sticks its a different level of satisfaction. These are just personal opinions but I bet there's a couple other guys on here that will agree with me |
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Posts: 328
| Simple.Frustrated reincarnated muskie fishermen at work.In my next life as a 60 incher I'm really raising hell with U. |
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| The thing is that I do think they want to eat. I have caught fish on the eight with a top water that missed by a foot or two on the retrieve. In fact the first fish on a top water this year missed by at least two feet but ate on the eight after I had made 4 or 5 figures eights without seeing the fish. So I always approach as if they want to eat but need help ;>). |
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| dickP - 9/23/2017 7:35 AM
Simple.Frustrated reincarnated muskie fishermen at work.In my next life as a 60 incher I'm really raising hell with U.
That would be a great challenge...What lake might we find you haunting?
Keep in mind though, if caught, you could spend eternity on a wall.  |
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Posts: 20227
Location: oswego, il | mnmusky - 9/23/2017 7:51 AM
dickP - 9/23/2017 7:35 AM
Simple.Frustrated reincarnated muskie fishermen at work.In my next life as a 60 incher I'm really raising hell with U.
That would be a great challenge...What lake might we find you haunting?
Keep in mind though, if caught, you could spend eternity on a wall. ;- )
Who's not skin mounting that fish!?!?!?!?;-) |
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Posts: 328
| No chance of catching me.I know all the tricks.Only risk will be going too hard on those boatside 'misses' where BIGS almost land in the boat.Wear your life jackets. |
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Posts: 2274
Location: SE, WI. | dickP - 9/23/2017 7:35 AM Simple.Frustrated reincarnated muskie fishermen at work.In my next life as a 60 incher I'm really raising hell with U. Dick, I won't be tossing a headbanger after you bug out....you know all my tricks with those;)....Fair warning Mr. 60"er. JD
Edited by jdsplasher 9/23/2017 11:50 AM
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Location: Ontario | mnmusky - 9/22/2017 11:30 PM
its been my experience that big fish 48+ don't miss and shorter than that but rather plump fish rarely miss . I just think some fish are better than others at hunting topwater and maybe any lure type and forage.
I'll second that! |
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Posts: 5191
| Throw a jig or a walk the dawg topwater.
Edited by 0723 9/25/2017 8:25 PM
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Lunger50 - 9/22/2017 4:26 PM
My experience, and I fish topwaters a lot...speeding them up rarely if ever gets them to go again, or gets them to go when following.
If a fish misses a bait I usually slow it down a bit, and change the direction by moving my rod to one side, then slowly to the other. If it doesn't hit or follow on that cast, I immediately throw a weagle or phantom, right back to the spot and dance it in place.
If they are continuously missing prop baits you're moving it too fast.
This. Generally, topwaters are not a speed game. I've had very little success as well using speed as a trigger on prop baits |
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