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| Already looking forward to the first few opening days in canada for 2012. We always have great walleye in very cold early seaon open water but are frustrated that with the cooler springs we have been having that the pike/musky are hard to find that early. What advice would you provide for locations in cooler water and baits? Our frustration also applies here also in the U.S. with the cooler springs. Thanks Rip |
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| If you're a pike angler you are not going to complain about cool water in the spring. It's when the water warms up, that the pike angling gets tough. I would just look for new weeds, and fish the area of the lake that has been free of ice the longest. (Usually the north end?) If there aren't any new weeds in, look for downed wood. For baits I would try my standard 1 ounce spoons to start: Len Thompsons, Dardevls, etc. If they are in shallow, a nice minnow bait for Mr. Big Pike is the 6" Bomber Long A. You can guess the color.
Muskies? Again new weeds would be my first choice; and a 6" minnow bait like Grandma or Jake. The 5.5" Wiley is also a good choice. It's brought some big spring fish to the net. |
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Posts: 944
| This spring we had some of the coldest water temps we have ever had for opener. Hardly any weeds were up at all. The best bait for this that i found was a baby squirko especialy if the fish were not active, would not see very many but what we did see ate the squirko. One day we only saw 2 but they both ate it(48" and 42").If the fish were more active they would eat the 6" big game twitch bait and the squirkos. Don't be afraid to go super shallow
good luck,
Jeff Hanson
madisonmuskyguide.com |
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Posts: 360
| One of my favorite baits to throw early season is jointed believers or swim . I usually just straight retrieve
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| Thanks for your advice. We have always thrown suicks for years at the same multiple spots and had great luck. As the springs have cooled and the weed growth is noticeably not as fully matured at the same time each year we have had less luck. We have moved depper and shallower without the same result. Should we try a completely different approach and/or bait style? |
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