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Posts: 536
| some of you might think this sounds stupid or I am thinking about it way too much but I have so many follows from big fish that come to the boat and act like they seen something they din't like and I was wondering if it might be the color of the boat, like the boat might be too bright and possibly spooking some fish! for you that think this sounds stupid be easy on me I am just trying all my options on this because I seemed to be haunted with this since I got this new boat, I used to have alot of fish follow to the boat and then just sit there or hang out granted alot would leave too but now they all seem to pretty much get out of dodge! |
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Location: Sun Prairie, WI | Thinking too much... |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | gtp888 - 2/2/2010 6:29 PM
Thinking too much...
Way too much. Have confidence in what you are doing and one will eat. If they dart off, cast again there is likely plenty of daylight left. |
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I'm afraid you might be right. I'd try painting a different color each week, and then compare the results. |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | I used to work with a guy that painted his boat from white to brown or black,he thought the fish were seeing the boat to well because the white was sticking out too much.The paint job he did was a spray can job,it looked ok but not sure if he thinks now it helped or not. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
In the lakes from the area you fish, the water clarity is anywhere from 13 to 16 feet throughout the year. I have run into this same issue, and what I have found is that with the clarity as it is, your movements above the water are easily detectable. So...with that in mind, there are a couple of things that you can do to curtail this issue: First, as you bring the lure to the boat, get that rod started into the water when the lure is still about 15 feet from the boat. By the time your lure reaches that 18 inch mark from the tip or so, have the rod about 3/4 the way to the reel under water. What this is doing is drawing the fish downward and you away from it's line of sight. Then, when you are in the figure 8 maneuver, the rod tip comes up on the outsides of the 8 and deep below you, keeping the line of sight to you at a minimum.
The other thing you can do is consider what you wear as well. Light colored shirts that will blend easier with the sky can help this as well...not as huge of an issue, but something to consider nonetheless. I used to wear a red coat when fishing on the cooler days and found fish shot off all the time, so I canned that and I believe it helped....
Something to give a go on and see if a change in technique makes the difference...
Steve |
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Posts: 536
| I have been thinking the same thing that when the lure comes up close to the surface the fish are seeing to well I was also wondering if I should'nt keep the baits lower, thanks for he word of the water clarity it always helps when someone knows where you fish the most! lol |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Can you believe one spring the clarity was measured to be over 20 feet? It's true!! Third lake in line to the east from where you put in had that reading about 3 years ago in April I believe...
Steve |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | I like green boats, but it's much more important to keep your movements as still as possible. Doug Johnson |
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Posts: 536
| dougj - 2/2/2010 8:30 PM
I like green boats, but it's much more important to keep your movements as still as possible. Doug Johnson
Any reason for liking green like what I mentioned possibly or you just like the color? |
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Posts: 8781
| If I were a muskie, and I was going to be scared of a boat that was 5 times my size, I really don't think I'd give a #*#* what color it was. I also don't think there would be any color you could paint your boat that would keep a muskie from seeing it in the water. You might fool a few of them if you painted it light blue with white cloud shapes on it. But then you'd be screwed fishing cloudy days.
Or... you could just work on your transitions going into the figure 8... |
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Posts: 536
| esoxaddict - 2/2/2010 10:37 PM
If I were a muskie, and I was going to be scared of a boat that was 5 times my size, I really don't think I'd give a #*#* what color it was. I also don't think there would be any color you could paint your boat that would keep a muskie from seeing it in the water. You might fool a few of them if you painted it light blue with white cloud shapes on it. But then you'd be screwed fishing cloudy days.
Or... you could just work on your transitions going into the figure 8...
Hahahah that's funny! but on the transitions to the 8 you are totatlly right this stuff is what I need to hear |
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Posts: 8781
| I scared off 90% of the fish that came to the boat for a few years. It was a combination of factors, actually. First was that I was never quite ready when one would follow -- they'd always catch me off guard. I'd look down and think "aw crap, there's one!" and immediately lean over, and do this abrupt figure 8. Sometimes I'd swear they left a cloud of poop in the water when they took off like a bat out of hell.
Think smooth transitions going onto the figure 8 -- you can startle a fish with jerky body movements, or you can keep them focused on the lure. It's not "reel, reel, reel, reel, CRAP, DO A FIGURE 8!!!" it's "reel, reel, reel, prepare for the figure 8, lead into the figure 8, execute the figure 8, watch the fish, make the fish react to the lure..."
I don't know that someone can tell you how to do a good figure 8. I think you almost have to screw a bunch of them up and see how the fish react before you start to figure out what keeps them engaged without scaring them into the next county. I think making smooth transitions helps, and so does making the figure 8 part of the rhythm of a cast instead of something you do after a cast. It takes some time. If fish are spooking at boatside and turning off? You are most likely scaring them away. It's not you being there -- there's ALWAYS something there when they are feeding close to a shoreline or any other sort of structure. Structure is a regular part of their environment, and so is whatever is outside the water in their field of vision. Big things making abrupt movements? Evolution has probably taught them anything outside the water that moves when they come close is out to eat them. |
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Posts: 956
Location: Home of the 2016 World Series Champion Cubs | Try painting your hull in either a perch or fire tiger pattern. If nothing else it would look cool. |
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you scare the fish boat dont
Edited by pepsiboy 2/3/2010 4:27 AM
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Posts: 909
| pepsiboy - 2/3/2010 5:26 AM
you scare the fish boat dont[/QUOTE
I agree with pepsiboy! Maybe you have a panic attack at the sight of a fish and move alittle to fast! It happens!
Brian |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | It's not your boat. I've got a white hulled boat, often with an 8' Power Pole sticking down into the water and have had fish shoot out from under the boat to hit a bait. And I'm with Eaddict on this too. I used to scare fish by lunging into the figure 8, or by doing the "oh crap!" reaction and scaring the fish. As soon as I learned to calm down and be ready for a fish on every retrieve, I got tons more fish into the 8 that didn't spook. |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | It hasn't seemed to make much of a difference for me...on the other hand, the U-Boats generally leave me alone now. 
S.
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| You are doing something wrong if you are getting big follows and not catching them...it's not your boat...it is something YOU are doing. |
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| I can't speak for all big fish, but most seem to be fairly "smart." We see quite a few big fish during the day. Unless it is a moon phase or some other transition during the middle of the day, like weather change, they usually don't bite. Once you have their address go back at dusk or after dark and your chances of getting those fish to eat goes up considerably.
Edited by muskydeceiver 2/3/2010 9:16 AM
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Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | I have not seen how you do your figure 8's and ovals, but here is something that I have noticed people doing over the years. When they see a fish rushing their lures that start bringing the lures towards the service instead of driving it deeper in the water column, Bringing it towards the surface will allow the fish to see you and your boat.. I run into this with clients all of the time. Also, once they get the fish next to boat and they get started on their 8's or Oval's they make the mistake of doing it at a frantic pace. For myself, I have noticed that I have had way more success driving my rod tip in the water and making my directional turns at a smooth non threatening pace. One of my good buddies looks like a lunatic when he does his 8's. There is water spraying everywhere. I think I have only seen him actually hook up with a few fish next to the boat over the years. Most fish just dart off, probably something like what you are experiencing.
If you are getting a lot of follows with no hook ups. I would down size your lures and try burning the hell out of them., Go for the reaction strike.
Boat Colors? I would not let that get into to head to much. I think it is more about keeping you body movements smooth and relaxed. So the fish does not feel threatened when it approaches the boat.
Edited by Dave Williamson 2/3/2010 9:23 AM
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Posts: 7038
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | sorenson - 2/3/2010 8:43 AM
It hasn't seemed to make much of a difference for me...on the other hand, the U-Boats generally leave me alone now.
S.
It's the zig zagging pattern that you do while trolling that throws them off.
And to the color of the boat thing: I caught a really good number of fish from a bright white boat. Then switched to a dark green/black boat, didnt catch many fish on the 8 or otherwise. And now I fish from an amazingly sparkly silver/black boat, and the fish dont seem to be scared by the sparklies. |
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Posts: 97
Location: Pickering, ON | As has been said, it isn't the boat.
Remember, these things will hit a lure running 5' from a spinning prop and a boat doing upwards of 5mph while trolling. In fact, sometimes they seem more curious about the prop and boat than the lure.
Now, that being said, I might consider putting a few perch and sunfish decals on the bottom of the boat. It would be funny to be casting away and then hear a thump on the bottom of the boat.
Startled partner: "What was that?"
Casual response: "Musky hitting the stickers on the bottom of the boat instead of our lures"
Unstoppable laughter ensues. |
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Posts: 1636
| I'm convinced muskies are afraid of whatever color red the 1994 16ft Nitros were painted... also known as the "Russ Boat."
Any other red is okay.
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | sorenson - 2/3/2010 9:43 AM It hasn't seemed to make much of a difference for me...on the other hand, the U-Boats generally leave me alone now. S. Sorno - That is awesome, I love it! If I ever repaint a boat I'm going to steal that idea. It looks like my favorite Predator cammo. I've fished out of various color boats and there seems to be a difference when fishing out of a white boat vs. something dark(er). The percentage of eaters has been higher for me (and others) when fishing from a white boat. I look at it this way... fish are white on their belly to break up their outline from below - why wouldn't we want a white bottom boat? |
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Posts: 73
| Who says Musky's are scared of boats at all, no matter what color? Simply because the sometimes they turn away when they get close to the boat? ("Uh, oh...that's a BOAT! They might want to put me in there.") Not likely.
I don't think the boat has a thing to do with it, as they wouldn't know a boat from buoy. Maybe they just don't like PEOPLE. I turn away from a few myself on a daily basis.
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Posts: 1220
| I used to think this was a crock of crappolla until I ran into an unbelievable paint job last Spring up in Sturgeon Bay. The guy's boat was painted just like sky and that goes for the big and kicker motors too--not really appealing to the eye either, no offence meant. I was telling my boat dealer about it when he told me the guy gets service at the same joint and that he spent several thousand dollars getting that wrap that includes clouds too. I thought it was nuts until I became convinced that wearing a sky colored shirt was having a real effect on my fishing. I now believe that if you keep what gets in the way with the sky to a minimum, that you are making a difference. Marty Forman |
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| No science behind this, but I would avoid a white bottomed boat if at all possible. I have known several guys (myself included) who have drastically improved catch rates after switching from a white bottomed boat to another color. Same lakes, same lures - more success without the white. No explanation as to why - just relaying some on the water experience.
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| No science behind this, but I would avoid a white bottomed boat if at all possible. I have known several guys (myself included) who have drastically improved catch rates after switching from a white bottomed boat to another color. Same lakes, same lures - more success without the white. No explanation as to why - just relaying some on the water experience.
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Posts: 291
Location: Minneapolis | Guest - 2/2/2010 8:29 PM
I'm afraid you might be right. I'd try painting a different color each week, and then compare the results.
Thanks for the chuckle, guest! |
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