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Posts: 7036
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Is a follow a pattern, is a small fish in the boat a pattern? Is one big follow, a pattern? Are 2 follows, a pattern? What if none of the action is from "hot" fish?
When do you feel you've figured out a PATTERN that is worth sticking with? |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | The real question is this....When you think you're on a pattern, how do you know when to leave it if its not panning out?
Example. I'm on LVD tossing small #5 Aglias in black and orange in 4 fow....I see one fish right off the bat....now, I think I'm on a pattern right, I had a follow,..how long do I fish this "pattern" before its deemed a failure? You don't want to leave it too soon....you don't want to stick to it too long. Is one fish enough to make you stick with a bait or area for 3 hours??
Its easy to look back on a 12 hour day and say....Hey, that black Rizzo Whiz with the nickel blade was hot...saw 6 fish with it. But predicting a pattern while fishing is the tough part. Do you guys look back on previous patterns and use them on future outtings? |
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Posts: 723
| If you have raised a fish, thats a start. If you catch one,even better. But if your buddy is throwing a spinner, and youre throwing a suick with some slow pauses. and youre the one seeing-catching-releasing all the fish, then you've got something.
A pattern doesn't develop off of one fish following or one small one in the boat, each fish is individuall, but they may all want something similar(speed,bright green w\pink dots) you get the picture.
If I have raised multiple fish or have caught one or two on something Im throwing, I feel its worth my partner investigating further into a similar action, color, or presentation. the funny thing is usually by the time you figure out your "pattern" the day is over with.
I just fish, leave the brain at the boat landing. |
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| I think a pattern would consist of numerous fish boated over a course of atleast a day or two with other fish contacted...other than that it is a blind squirelllllllllllllllll.Ben |
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Posts: 7036
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | a blind squirrel possibly, but a one-legged duck? |
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | I agree with Ben on this one. However, I think a pattern for a day is also possible, I.e what is working today on a given body of a water. Most important is to always remember one of my favorite sayings for Muskie Fishing, "The only rules are, they are no rules". |
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Posts: 619
Location: Seymour, WI | Great question,
My fishing trips are usually spaced out every other wk over the course of the season so it seems like I'm always searching for the pattern each time I go out.
The more I fish, the more I think that the first fish you contact is the pattern. If I contact a fish now I try to replicate the presentation or type of structure in as many different spots as I can find on the lake. Even if the fish was "not where it was supposed to be".
So many times I've fished the whole day only to realize at the end of the day that the fish really are in shallow weeds or holding under docks even though I didn't think they should be there.
It's one of the toughest things about musky fishing.
Grass, |
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Posts: 32883
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I look for patterns that I have established over the years that are seasonal, like the slop fish on Pelican, reed fish on George, shallow weeds on Crescent, etc, and then look for active fish each day exploiting the patterns that SHOULD be set up because of water temps and overall conditions. A daily pattern for me is established for real when I see multiple fish in an area on a certain presentation. If I catch a fish on a specific bait, but can't get another to move on that lure, I have someone else throw another design as I experiment with different speeds, movements, etc. trying to find a way to recreate the fish caught. If I move two on a specific design, I make sure everyone else cycles that lure regularly, and at least one of us has it in the water all day.
For me a pattern is water temps, winds, sky conditions, lure style and color, loaction location location, and moving fish at certain times during the day. Moen held a consistent slop pattern on Violent Strike Willow Mags for over two months this summer. |
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Location: Minnesota | Slamr,
You bring forward a great question. Perhaps this simple fraze will assist you
Once is luck twice is coinsidence three's a pattern.
Make sense? |
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Pattern is a pretty complex term. The eternal optimist keeps doing the same thing and expecting different results. Muskie fishing is not for eternal optimists. To me a pattern is locating the fish and then figuring out the trigger. They are mutually exclusive with respect to success, i.e., you can't have one without the other.
"I want to suggest to you today, that unless we have a tolerant attitude toward mistakes - I might almost say "a positive attitude toward them" - we shall be behaving irrationally, unscientifically, and unsuccessfully. Now, of course, if you now say to me, "Look here, you weird Limey, are you seriously advocating relaunching the Edsel?" I will reply, "No." There are mistakes - and mistakes. There are true, copper-bottom mistakes like spelling the word "rabbit" with three Bs; wearing a black bra under a white shirt; or, to take a more masculine example, starting a land war in Asia. These are the kind of mistakes described by Mr. David Letterman as Brushes With Stupidity, because they have no reasonable chance of success." John Cleese
Have fun!
Al
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | I am a huge believer that almost every pattern you run into in the musky game is prey or wind related, or probably both. Find the preferred baitfish in a system and you usually have the pattern figured out. Throw a little wind or current into that structure element and my oh my what a pattern you have developed.
Most patterns are consistent for the season from year to year to year. Right now I can tell you that on Pelican next year I will catch a bunch of fish off the rocks and sand flats in August fishing topwater. Why can I tell you that already? The perch will be there and the muskies won' be far behind, and I throw a lot of topwater (not necessarily a part of the pattern). If I have a southwest wind and a front coming in, that pattern is almost a lock.
I think the secret to finding locational patterns is figuring out why the fish is there in the first place. Try to figure out why a fish is holding in a location and start putting the pieces together. Location is of the utmost importance when "patterning" fish. Throw a good bait in front of the fish and chances are you too will be on your "pattern".
The extremely odd thing is that there will usually be several patterns working together on your body of water at one time. Not all fish do the same thing at the same time. That is why I am a big believer of keeping it simple, fish good baits over good spots and your rod will get bent. |
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Posts: 389
Location: Presque Isle Wisconsin | Another way to look at it is( and has ben alluded to here ) permanent patterns vs. temporary patterns. A permanent pattern would be fish related to deep water humps in a specific lake usually all season long.A temporary pattern would be wind blowing into a certain shoreline for two or three days that usually produces fish under that specific condition.Your pre -fishing routine should take factors under consideration that influence either permanent or temporary patterns.Ideally you would have a temporary condition that aids a permanent condition such as bait fish being present (temporary) aiding a permanent pattern deep water humps ( permanent Pattern)THats a simple example but it illustrates how your lake choice can be thought out before you go fishing to maximize the chances of success. Experentially I have noticed that certain lakes in my area will almost never produce muskies in an east wind (permanent pattern ),while other lakes seem to love an east wind.One lake in particular loves an east wind combined with overcast skies (temporary pattern) and Ive combined those patterns with great success on that lake.Heres another example: I have a lake that has really thick cabbage beds off one shore related to deep water ,however muskies will only relate to it at new moon periods and then only at night (trust me Ive fished it for 50 years ).The cabbage is there permanently and always looks good,but unless the temporary conditions listed are present you will never catch a muskie there-never-.this is what makes muskie fishing a great sport and always will.It pays to listen and ask questions in this sport as you have seen other guides do in this paricular thread.Thats what does and make them good guides.Ive learned certain patterns from every possible source,clients,people that live on a certain lake,bait shops etc etc.Because I dont know it all and never will and im not afraid to ask questions or take suggestions from any source. |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | I've never been very big on patterns on the LOTWs, except for very broad seasonal patterns. There are so many different types of structures that produce at almost any time of year that I have also most given up on daily patterns. I simply fish good spots regardless if it's a reef, a point, a bay, a weed bed. a saddle or what ever, as long as it or something similar has produced fish in the past.
On a lake like LOTWs (many probably many other large shield lakes) to think every fish is somehow doing ths same thing would seem to be contraproductive. To try an establish some sort of a pattern and assume that this is the only way to catch them on very large lakes or river systems would seem to restrict your fishing success.
Doug Johnson |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | My buddy(fishing partner Greg) and I have sometimes mused and joked about the subject while Musky fishing together.... We'll sometimes use it as an excuse to overcome pride on certain days when we just don't see everything the same. Sometimes(and we all do it) we won't really work together on a particular day. Be it a spot choice dissagreement, or how one or the other is working the spot or series of spots, it just doesn't sit well with the partner. One person gets on fish... gets on multiple fish...... Other partner soon switches to that same tactic...lure....color of lure(the toughest one for the proud and sometimes angry....hehehe).... Partner who got on the fish looks over in pleasureful disgust at the direct ripoff. Partner who switches to follow the other exclaims.. 'Two fish is a pattern man....sorry'.
Now, 95% of the time we are both on the same page when working to find fish, just thought i'd add a funny that we've had going on for years.... |
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