My 2007 frustration

So! I have been spending a lot of time on the water this year hucking baits. I have been seeing a lot of fish on some outings while on others I may not see a thing. My problem this year has been the follows that I can’t close the deal on. I know that this is the norm for us muskie hunters, but for some reason this year, I seem to be having a lot more follows that I can’t turn into eaters then normal. I would say that on average I boat somewhere around 4-5 fish per year on the 8. This year I have yet to have one eat on the 8. I am getting a little frustrated with this. My normal action when I have a following fish is to get the tip of the rod into the water and as the bait gets close I go into a “J” motion with the bait to begin the process of the 8. From there I make a very wide pass around the 8 while the bait is high in the water colume, as I continue around the 8, I put the rod deeper into the water to get the bait deeper and as I round the next 8, I bring the rod up high again. Typically changing speeds while doing this. I normally get the fish to hit when the baits is coming from the deeper pass to shallow, or when I change the speed. This year I can’t get anyone to eat reguardless of how I approach the 8. Anyone have any suggestions or other tips or tricks that you have found to be helpfull. I was out last night and saw a few fish, but could not get them to eat. I was thinking about this on the way home last night and I just am at a loss. The 3 fish that I have boated this year ate the bait out a long ways from the boat, but the ones in close are the ones that are troubling me. I hate to say this, but I am considering rigging up a sucker on a quickstrike rig and having it ready in the livewell for a throwback. I just don’t know if I want to mess with livebait quite yet. I am open to any suggestions, and no BrianK, I am not giving up the muskie thing to fish for cats yet

Silly question………but are you wearing “white” cloths or bright cloths this year out fishing, when other years you haven’t?

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Silly question………but are you wearing “white” cloths or bright cloths this year out fishing, when other years you haven’t?

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No, but Dan and I were talking about that about 2 weeks ago. The underside of the Ranger is white and we had a rather long conversation about the effects that could be having, but Dan just blamed it on my skills, or lack there of

Wow, 4 to 5 yr on 8’s is pretty good. I usually end w/ 0 to 2. I would keep doing what worked in the past, because whatever you were doing before was definetly working. A few of my buddies boat over 80 fish/ year and never catch a fish on an 8 with plenty of oppurtunities. One day 2 years ago i had a 10 follow day and i had another follow coming in and i was pretty frusterated w/ all the follows, so i ripped it away from the glazed donut and ripped around the trolling motor to the other side of the boat, the fish came underneath the boat and nailed on the other side, i couldnt believe it, and it was a 50. Pretty lucky, but worked. . Or get a Dick Pearson video, he nails em on 8s.

If it makes you feel any better, I’ve NEVER been able to get a follower to hit on a figure 8. Tried it many times and they always just fade away. So you’re doing way better than I am! Thinking about it, I’d bet that 75% of the Muskies I’ve caught hit within 5 feet of where the lure hit the water.

Rootski

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No, but Dan and I were talking about that about 2 weeks ago. The underside of the Ranger is white and we had a rather long conversation about the effects that could be having, but Dan just blamed it on my skills, or lack there of

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Is this the true first year of the Ranger?

No, I got it in 2005 mid summer. I did boat a few last year at boatside on 8″s, so I really don’t think it is the white hull, but who know’s

I honestly don’t think it is the boat. For one thing I think you might be giving the ability of a Muskie’s brain a little too much credit. Sure they see the boat, but in most instances they perceive it as any other stationary object. Like a tree, or swimming dock, whatever. That being said just because it registers in their mind via senses, doesn’t mean they “know” what a boat is or have reason to be spooked by it. I think more than anything it could be the amount of movement topside that spooks them. A truly hot fish seems like it focuses on the bait and nothing else, unspookable in my eyes. But a medium to neutral fish might be taking in more of his surroundings becuase she is not strictly focused on lunch, just checking it out persay. One thing that is definitely playing into the ones I have seen turn on you Bobby is shadow. We are running into a lot of instances were we are fishing East/West shorelines and structure as opposed to North/South, during primetime. Basically its seems like we are out in front of the Resort in the morning (West side, sun rising from the East), and fishing the humps during the evening (East side, sun setting in the West). Sugar is really clear, unlike the soup on Forest, when the fish used to slam boatside out there, we didn’t see a thing until they were a foot down in the water column, and I imagine they didn’t see us either.

Just for a wild card tonight, run the boat up on the weeds and cast out off the break. See if bringing the bait in triggers the strike. I can’t remember the last time we tried that, maybe Plantan two years ago???

That is a really good point Dan!

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Just for a wild card tonight, run the boat up on the weeds and cast out off the break. See if bringing the bait in triggers the strike. I can’t remember the last time we tried that, maybe Plantan two years ago???

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Last night I was forced to do that. With all the Rec traffic on the lake, casting in was not an option with all the surface debris. I may be doing the same again tonight if the traffic is that bad again. Good point about the shadows, now that I think about it, we have just had poor luck with the timming of the follows and where that shadow is casting, or should I say looming

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If it makes you feel any better, I’ve NEVER been able to get a follower to hit on a figure 8. Tried it many times and they always just fade away. So you’re doing way better than I am! Thinking about it, I’d bet that 75% of the Muskies I’ve caught hit within 5 feet of where the lure hit the water.

Rootski

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It sure seems like a lot of fish hit almost as soon as the bait hits the water I would agree with this for sure

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It sure seems like a lot of fish hit almost as soon as the bait hits the water I would agree with this for sure

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Like landing your bait in the preverbial ” Flaming Hoop ”

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It sure seems like a lot of fish hit almost as soon as the bait hits the water I would agree with this for sure

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Like landing your bait in the preverbial ” Flaming Hoop ”

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I should not have eaten those 24 taco’s”

On every cast pretend you have a follow. Make the turn well before you can see your bait or if a fish is following. Start the process sooner, in case they being spooked by the white boat. I started doing that, when fish were spooked at the boat, start making more bumps, twitches, increase speeds, triggering techniques that may get the fish to strike out aways instead of a glazed donut at the boat, which are boat shy anyways.

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but I am considering rigging up a sucker on a quickstrike rig and having it ready in the livewell for a throwback. I just don’t know if I want to mess with livebait quite yet. I am open to any suggestions, and no BrianK, I am not giving up the muskie thing to fish for cats yet

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No Bob, I wouldn’t think you would give up cats for…er..other way around I guess.

But I was thinking I would go with a bigger bullhead while reading your post.

For clarification…the only muskie I’ve ever caught created a mini rain storm….on the 8.

For further consultation, I can be reached at:

Briank’s Trophy Muskie Fishing Adventures.

PS I’m not kidding about the bullheads…MUCH easier to keep than suckers…and a much better price. There’s some metro muskie guys that pick up bullheads from Moores regularly.

Bass guys to…gawd, did I say that out loud!

For further consultation, I can be reached at:

Briank’s Trophy Muskie Fishing Adventures.

The boat will be leaving the driveway in 2 hours, I expect you to be there with those bullies in hand Brian, Oh ya, don’t forget the Molson Ice either

“Over! It’s not over til we say it’s over! Now let’s go, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

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It’s simple. You’re not fishing enough. You have to fish your way out of this funk. Did the American’s quit when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor??? Make sure you are watching ample amounts of porn when you are not fishing. Keep yourself hydrated with alcohol. It doesn’t slow you down like water does. Eat extra amounts of Chicken wings too. The hot sauce keeps your blood temps at the same rate as the fish.

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So Mr. Sausage Fingers, I think I should start using some of those big bronzies for bait

I have been doing all of the above, with the exception of the video watching, perhaps a portable DVD player for the boat is in order, but that may be a little hard to talk to the local warden about when they stop me. I can just see it now. So how is fishing? Well I have not seen a fish today, but this movie rocks…..Now thats a big gal

Fat, Drunk, and Stupid is no way to go through life son

Good humor boys! I am out the door, have a great weekend and stick some fish

Lars……”Watch your cornhole Bud”

Will do!!!

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instead of a glazed donut at the boat,

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What is a glazed donut?????

Bobby,send me the gps coordinates where you had all those follows and I will run an experiment to see if it is just you

I’ve got a spear you can borrow.

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So! I have been spending a lot of time on the water this year hucking baits. I have been seeing a lot of fish on some outings while on others I may not see a thing. My problem this year has been the follows that I can’t close the deal on. I know that this is the norm for us muskie hunters, but for some reason this year, I seem to be having a lot more follows that I can’t turn into eaters then normal. I would say that on average I boat somewhere around 4-5 fish per year on the 8. This year I have yet to have one eat on the 8. I am getting a little frustrated with this. My normal action when I have a following fish is to get the tip of the rod into the water and as the bait gets close I go into a “J” motion with the bait to begin the process of the 8. From there I make a very wide pass around the 8 while the bait is high in the water colume, as I continue around the 8, I put the rod deeper into the water to get the bait deeper and as I round the next 8, I bring the rod up high again. Typically changing speeds while doing this. I normally get the fish to hit when the baits is coming from the deeper pass to shallow, or when I change the speed. This year I can’t get anyone to eat reguardless of how I approach the 8. Anyone have any suggestions or other tips or tricks that you have found to be helpfull. I was out last night and saw a few fish, but could not get them to eat. I was thinking about this on the way home last night and I just am at a loss. The 3 fish that I have boated this year ate the bait out a long ways from the boat, but the ones in close are the ones that are troubling me. I hate to say this, but I am considering rigging up a sucker on a quickstrike rig and having it ready in the livewell for a throwback. I just don’t know if I want to mess with livebait quite yet. I am open to any suggestions, and no BrianK, I am not giving up the muskie thing to fish for cats yet

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Same goes for me this year. All the fish I’ve actually caught have been quite a ways from the boat. Usually I can pull about a 50% avearage on the followers. This season I’m batting 0.00 on the follow!

Bob, I feel your frustration I have only had one fish in my entire life hit on an 8 and it scared me so bad I forgot to set the hooks But I was out a few weeks after the opener and I was talking to a guy about this same thing, because while I was up on Eagle lake last year I had 6 follows and I couldn’t get one to commit. The guy I was talking to said, That he never does an 8, instead he does the oval with all the other depth changing and so on, but he said that there are more, and longer strait a’ ways in the oval so he can just burn that bait. He also mentioned that there is to much of a chance to mess up on the 8, and that the biggest fish have an easier time contorting their bodies in an Oval. I don’t know how true this might be but about an hour after I talked to this guy is when I had that fish hit my bait. I saw the fish and I just went into the oval and she nailed it.

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It’s simple. You’re not fishing enough. You have to fish your way out of this funk. Did the American’s quit when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor??? Make sure you are watching ample amounts of porn when you are not fishing. Keep yourself hydrated with alcohol. It doesn’t slow you down like water does. Eat extra amounts of Chicken wings too. The hot sauce keeps your blood temps at the same rate as the fish.

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You are too funny Alvin Although I’d have to agree on the alcohol. It loosens you up a bit and helps you get rid of your inhabitions

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Bobby,send me the gps coordinates where you had all those follows and I will run an experiment to see if it is just you

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….Bring a case of beer and I will show you first hand there Danny

Bob

This year seems to be a season of frustration for many… Lots of folks would die just to be seeing fish like you are… Been a tough go for myself on some area lakes as well, feeding windows are short lived and it seems the real active fish are suspendos… Luckily I have one body of water that is producing well, with 18 fish in the boat and 4 of those coming on 8’s. I have a white bottomed boat as well, so I am sure its not that or you.. Its the fish themselves..

For one, and I know you already know this.. But triggering the fish prior to the 8 is really key.. Seeing the fish and then speeding, zig zagging the bait, plunging the bait deeper and then coming up before you come into the 8 really seems to turn the fish on more and usually elicts a strike for me even prior to making a full rotation of the 8 or circle… But those are the fish that I see beforehand.. Are you seeing them a ways out? Clearer water or stained?

Either way, your technique in the 8 sounds solid.. The fish, even if they are coming around.. Could be more territorial then in feeding mode… Seeing em bump the bait with their mouth closed.. slapping the bait.. Frustrating, but sometimes that is what they are doing, just pushing our lure outta the way… At least we know where they live and can come back for em.. Night is key right now… And this is no joke.. One theory I have to why fishing is slow for most fishing traditional structure is because of pressure.. Increased pressure in the past few years and to the present have made a lot of fish move off spots in search of different daytime haunts, where they are coming back up to feed at prime times and during the night.. IMHO.. ie short feeding windows, etc..

But from the reports I have been hearing, MN waters are heating up good now.. Water is to the point where they have the feed bags on.. Just pound the water and stick em…