When do you guys like using fluoro vs wire? Is it a lure specific, technique specific, or is it more personal preference?
Musky Fishing
Leader choice
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Finding bait pods over open water is a nice technique. Fish those bait schools as it they were structure. Can use almost any bait. A musky can close 30 feet of space is a kick and a half of it's tail. But, if you want to get deep, big rubber baits work good, like bulldogs and medussas. Jon Bondy opened up the deep water jigging bite with his Bondy Bait. Those things are great, too.
I wouldn't call that a beginners technique, though. Finding bait requires a good graph or being really aware of the water. Finding loons, birds, little swirls on the surface...etc.
If a newbie to the sport, the best way to get fish is to learn how to fish weedlines and breaks. Find the spot on the spot, inside turn, little point, rock...something that makes part of a weedline better than other parts. And don't ignore that inside weedline.
And...bait mastery. When that bucktail hits the water, get that reel engaged right before it hits the water, get that blade going right away. Reel that topwater at the right pace to get the sound you want without rolling the bait.
It's just a ton of little things. And in the end, someone will come along with a Princess Barbie rod, bobber with a worm on it, and they will catch a fish in front of you. It's just how it goes.
Muskie fishing is a never ending bunch of self fulfilling prophecies. The bait you use 90% of the time will catch the most fish. If you fish windblown weedlines 90% of the time that’s where you’ll catch most of your fish. Etc., etc.
Its easy to fall into buying a ton of baits because you hear this one is good, that one is great, this other one is a best seller. There is no such thing as a “magic bait.” You can have all of the fad or magic baits that became popular over the past thirty years and I’ll take a can or worms and a snoopy pole and catch more of these things. The catch is that you can only fish on the Great Salt Lake and I’ll fish on a lake of your choice in Vilas County. The point here is that all the “best” baits are useless if you are not fishing where they exist. Researching location and habits is a better investment than chasing after “hot baits.”
Tons of literature exists that tell you to fish post frontal conditions, windblown weedlines, chasing forage, etc. Muskies can’t read so while they can often be located in those types of situations they might not be active fish. You can often find higher percentages of positive fish away from direct windblown stuff. Probably not as many but I’d rather target 10 active fish than I would 50 fish where only one is active. It’s just tilting the odds in your favor more.
No real secret, but the key to catching muskies is pretty simple. Time on the water. No amount of research you do will overcome time on the water. Gotta make the casts.
I'd say that if you want the odds in your favor, watch the weather. East wind is typically poor. North is meh. West is best, south is also very good. Southwest and you are golden.
Baits. Don't overwhelm yourself. Get a few baits you like and have confidence in and learn how to use them correctly. Bucktails, jerkbaits, topwater, glides, rubber...etc. For a beginner, grab a Spanky Double 8 bucktail with orange blades and black body. Everyone has black with orange because it is that good. Get a loon colored Topraider for topwater. It is the best selling bait in the Joe Bucher line of baits. Grab a Musky Innovations Swimin' Dog. Any color that you like. Hit up Team Rhino Outdoors, all their baits are customs colors of very good baits. Grab a couple, call them, ask them how and when to use them. Great guys over there.
Those are 3 great baits that are simple cast and reel baits. Get a hook sharpener and sharpen those hooks.
Find weedlines and cast to them. Wind blown weedlines can be a key. Join Muskies Inc for about $40/year. Attend their meetings, ask questions and see if you can find someone to fish with. That is how you will learn a ton.
I use 130# flouro for bucktails.
Wire for glide baits, jerk baits and big rubber like bulldogs and bondy baits.
I've had flouro get knicked really good when fish head shot rubber, so that is why I like wire there.
Wire on the jerk baits and glide baits are on there because they lead to better action out of the lure. Not saying they won't work with flouro, just that wire makes them work even better.
It's all a matter of preference. I use solid 174 lb wire for everything other than trolling where I run heavy mono. In my opinion guys place WAY too much emphasis on muskie leaders. The more bling you throw on it (crimps, ball-bearing swivels, etc) the more it will impact the action of your baits.
Displaying 1 to 13 of 13 posts
