|
|
| Last weekend me and my two buddies spent a whole day casting in 30-70ft with mag dawgs and crankbaits. I have some questions after that day specifically about open water fish.
1. Do these fish live in packs? I had a high 40" follow my bait back to the boat and leave, so I casted back in the direction. A fish that seemed smaller followed the lure in the very next cast.
2. Anyone ever get one in the 8? I had about 5 fish that would come flying out of nowhere just to stop and sit still right by the boat when I did a figure 8. Then they flipped me off with their tail and left.
3. Should I except fish to remain in the areas I had the follows throughout the year? I waypointed the follows, but nothing seemed special about the areas. Couple follows from 40ft, one from 55ft, and two from 70ft. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 46
| As your coming into the 8 drop your rod 4-5 feet into the water. Then then quickly bring your bait up to the surface and into the first turn. It really seems to make them aggressive. |
|
| |
|
| Harriet should be trolled and those fish will turn into biters. Do NOT expect them to be there all year . |
|
| |
|
| Guest - 6/10/2013 9:02 PM
Harriet should be trolled and those fish will turn into biters. Do NOT expect them to be there all year .
I wish my t motor pushed me faster. Can only get up to 2.5 mph and shouldn't expect more than a couple hours at that speed. Otherwise I would be all over trolling. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 553
Location: 15 miles east of Lake Kinkaid | 1. Yes; what you described is common.
2. Yes; keep the bait 5-6 feet on your 8.
3. No. Do any other spots you fish hold fish all year ? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | I don't know if the fish live in packs. But they defiatly swim in packs. I was out fishing our mutual home lake last season. When I came to one of my favorite spots, I was close enough to see that there were a few different fish holding on one inside edge, 6 in fact. None were huge, but also none were small. They kind of swam in rotation around eachother. I was almost to intrigued to even fish. I just watched em for about 25 minutes before they all left.
Or this one times last year. I was out open water casting. I got a follow from one fish, she left then a different one came from under the boat and missed. When I didn't see anymore I stopped the 8, only to look on the other side of the boat to see two more right at the top of the water about 6ft off the boat. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 173
| It's the sparkles on that Ranger. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 96
| Spencer Berman is a good guy to talk to about this open water fishing. He seems to have it nailed down and is really good to talk to. I chatted him up during the offseason on facebook about open water fishing and how to apply it to my home waters. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL | 1. Do these fish live in packs? No they "school", let's get the terminology correct.. and they do so according to size. Your not going to see on too many occasions where you catch a or 10 big fish off the same structure situation at the same depth as the yearlings.
Q)2 no opinion or interest in the question or the answer. The how's of fishing have been beat to death and are not an important part of landing a fish. We must become better in locating fish and understand why with the given weather and water conditions at the time on any body of water we find ourselves on first, before we can ever say what works best at that specific time.
Q)3 seasonal movements are an important part in location. There is something there in 40', 55' and in 70'. Look closer  |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1220
| I'd really like to hear a few more comments on the concept of muskie as a "schooling" fish. I'll say up front that I am about as far from a fisheries biologist as you are going to get, have no science behind this statement...but, I always thought a musky was "not" a schooling fish-more the opposite. Naturally, I've seen them congregate every spring below dams like there was an annual meeting, and I watch them bunch up in a river where they do "their thing" near here every spring. But, I actually think the "pack" term is more apt when several choose to share a particuallrly choice place of ambush. I guess what I am saying is that one or two muskies just below a "school" of baitfish, more or less babysitting them, is more the case in open water than running into a true school. Again, I am not saying this as a "teacher," just under the impression that is how it is. I'd really appreciate the real 4:11! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3871
| I suspect that pods of baitfish always pull a few predator fish after them as thy wander open water. Muskies and other stalkers. Those baitfish can be anywere from the suface to the termocline. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3150
| Nolan
if you want to learmn more about metro/city open water fish talk to or hire Josh Bovorosky,,,like guest said dont expect that pattern to last long the city muskies change their habits quite a bit after the water temps hit mid 70's which should be today.
are you REALLY out on harriet fishing open water or just following around babes on sailboards  |
|
| |
|
| happy hooker - 6/19/2013 7:00 PM
Nolan
if you want to learmn more about metro/city open water fish talk to or hire Josh Bovorosky,,,like guest said dont expect that pattern to last long the city muskies change their habits quite a bit after the water temps hit mid 70's which should be today.
are you REALLY out on harriet fishing open water or just following around babes on sailboards :)
They know where the muskies are |
|
| |
|
| AFTER MORE THAN 15 YEARS OF DIVING ,THE MOST MUSKY I HAVE SEEN IN THE SAME SPOT IS 4(3M 1 F),SO TO ME IT DON'T LOOK LIKE SOMETHING I CAN CALL A SCHOOL.
OPEN WATER MUSKY ARE SUPPOSED TO LIVE LIKE IT ALL THEIR LIFE,THIS IS THE INFO I HAVE FROM A GUY WHO HAVE MADE SOME TELEMETRIC STUDY.THE REASON?ONLY THE FISH KNOW
Edited by bladeno20 6/19/2013 10:11 PM
|
|
| |
|
| The past couple of years I have been fishing quite a bit of open water, and have managed quite a few fish comparing previous years not fishing open water. Schooling sure I think they are schooling the bait fish they are relating too. I think you would be surprised the amount of fish that stay out there a lot of the time, and at certain times I believe the majority are out there. I do think they are still relating to some type of structure even in 30 to 70 feet of water, the fish don't have to sit on top of the structure to be relating to it and it can be a subtle as a slight depth change. It is not uncommon for me to get follows or catch multiple fish in one area, and it seems when throwing very large baits the fish that come in right on it are difficult to convert. As you described flying in out of no where, these fish "some anyway" I believe have followed on a previous cast and kind of set up on the bait below the boat. You really have to pay attention and have confidence in your electronics pay attention to where you are seeing fish in the water column and choose the right tool, don't be in a hurry to leave an area. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 50
Location: Hobart, Indiana | If you must know the answer to your questions then read "Musky Strategy" by Tom Gelb. Its a good read from the master of open water fishing.
Edited by RugerShooter 7/27/2013 8:33 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 41
Location: PA | Really can't comment on the open water casting situation but as far as the open water trolling bite goes I do believe the fish group up and get active in spurts. Lots of multi fish in short periods of time with lots of idle time in between. I experience this on most all bodies of water I have fish. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL |
You don't have to have a degree to see the obvious.... So when you catch 10 muskies or 54 off one spot, I think we can say theres a bunch of them there. Call it what you will, I'll stick with the original terms, a lot less confusion...
Btw, the bait uses structure too. |
|
| |
