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Posts: 131
Location: Kalamazoo, MI | This is a question that has been on my mind for some time. It seems to me that some of the biggest musky of the year often come on small baits. Ive only been at this musky game for a few months now, but in that short time I know of at least 4 articles ive seen where fish >48" came on lures that were <4". Ive heard several stories of fisherman catching hog muskies will crappie or walleye fishing with small minnows. In the short time Ive been fishing for musky, my longest to date is a 41" that came on a bucktail. The biggest fish Ive witnessed firsthand being caught, was a 42" that came on a musky sized jitterbug. My heaviest fish was a 40" that came on a rattle trap. None of those baits were over 6".
Are baits like the 18" wishmaster, and the 22" bull dawg really more productive at catching the hogs? Do most large musky ignore the smaller baits and just never make it to news articles?
Anybody have any thoughts/opinions on this? What was your largest (longest or heaviest) musky caught on? |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Some of my largest Wisconsin fish were caught on smaller baits, say 6" and under. That is probably because I throw them alot. I have a 54" on a 4" creature. Does that mean huge baits won't work? No, I am sure they will. |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | That's interesting, because nearly all of the tigers I have caught here in Utah have been on smaller baits also. I was beginning to think it was a peculiarity basically attributed to tigers. I have countless hours pitching 'traditional' sized muskie baits (remnants from my days living in Minnesota) with absolutely zero luck. As soon as I down-sized my presentations, I began to get fish. The biggest bait that I have had any luck with is a super ShadRap. Most of my boated fish have succumbed to a J-13 Rapala.
Available forage size should give an indication of what the fish should take, but in this case, the bulk of the diet consists of perch and crappies. Intuitively, that would suggest that I use bigger (8-10") baits to match the forage size. It just doesn't seem to work that way for the majority of the fish I have caught. I guess I'm just going to keep letting them tell me what they want - I just have to pay attention good enough to hear the message! |
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Posts: 1247
Location: On the Niagara River in Buffalo, NY | Size of Lure will depend upon the time of the season and the size of the baitfish or prey that the Muskies are targeting.In early spring in Ohio the crankbait of choice would be a small AC Shinner,looking more like a Bass offering,but that is the size of the baitfish that the Muskies are targeting.In late November in the Buffalo Harbor on Lake Erie when the water temprature is below 45 degrees,the Legend 13" Plow or 18" Wishmaster is the better offering,the Muskies are targeting Walleyes.But on the same fishery thru out the summer and early fall 9" crankbaits,Trophy Divers,Depthraiders and Perchbaits are the best offering.
Capt. Larry D. Jones |
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