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Hey guys just got home after 3 days fishing piegon and buckhorn lake for musky. Have fished these lakes for many years targeting bass, walleye, musky. This year we concentrated on musky managed to raise 9 fish over the 3 days not one commited, doing the figure 8 by the boat etc they would follow then sink back to the depths. What are we doing wrong? any thoughts. Heading back up in 2 weeks, hoping for better results. Hoping you seasoned musky fanatics can shed some light on this. Thanks paul
With catch and release being predominant the figure 8 by the boat may be losing punch, they could be skittish as your on popular lakes, I'd focus on the more stealthy techniques getting a bait in from a distance.
You are not alone. I found it tougher this year as well and have connected with very few fish. I think it's one of those years that kind of separates the mice from the men. I was at one camp and there were some Americans staying there. They fished very hard, out early, in late, taking lunch out in the boat. They didn't do as well as other years I was told, but they saw and caught more fish than I did, and they caught a few big fish. They were simply willing to work a lot harder than me. (Watching from a distance at times, these guys seemed to love using jerkbaits.)Quote:
Originally Posted by cuda
I wonder how many times a fish is caught and released after hitting a certain type lure and then starts getting smart and won't hit a lure that looks and acts a certain way - musky in particular because they are caught and released so often - maybe you just need to look at different type lures -
Catch a perch and rig that up.
I may be mistaken, and I apologize if I am, but is it not illegal to use game fish as a bait in Ontario?Quote:
Originally Posted by mox72
https://www.ontario.ca/environment-a...-use-live-bait
Thought the same thing joepa everybody knows the kawarthas are heavily fished for musky. I threw everything in my tacklebox to try and mix it up including the kitchen sink, still no hits just lurkers.Quote:
Originally Posted by JoePa
I have fished buckhorn many times. I find muskie fishing very frustrating there also due to the weed content. Its always been difficult to cast or troll without hauling weeds. I still go back (going the thankgiving weekend) because those same frustrating weeds provide excellent forage and cover for the abundant game fish there. When weeds are extremely bothersome I have had some success drifting and dragging a large sucker minnow on the surface over the weeds. Make sure you hook the sucker minnow (larger the better) in 2 places - mouth and body. A large dead minnow will also work.
My brother has a technique he uses when trolling. He incorporates a flasher 6 ft in front of the bait/lure. The flasher dances on top of the water and will keep the bait above the weeds plus will also attract the fish to the bait/lure. He has been successful doing this.
Good luck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TurkeyRookie
I think that list is for live bait. I may also be wrong but I don't think there are any restrictions on using a cut perch, should have been more specific.
You can't use game fish for bait - perch are game fish...Quote:
Originally Posted by mox72
FishFrenzy
Try a topwater approach, globes or top raiders should work well this time of year. It just might do the trick.
Good Luck
Don't do this.Quote:
Originally Posted by mox72
LOL sorry Mox, I know I don't know my fishing regs as well as most, but I was pretty sure on that one :)Quote:
Originally Posted by mox72
I don't either and never even thought of it as being illegal. Caught a nice little muskie in sturgeon lake as a kid on a perch that took my worm. Just another one of those things that happens all the time that somebody might have to prove was unintentional someday.....Quote:
Originally Posted by TurkeyRookie
I have also caught pike with a pickerel that I was fighting and had a muskie attack (but not get hooked) on a sunfish that I caught.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cuda
I also wonder if the baitfish population this year has anything to do with it. I was on Pigeon a few times this year and I have never seen so many massive schools of panfish. There were clouds of them on the fishfinder. Why chase a piece of wood or plastic when food is so plentiful?
Some days when fish aren't moving very fast (following low and slow) switch to a bait that has more of a triggering affect, glide bait, jerk bait, walk the dog topwaters can all do the trick. If you see a fish following one of these slowly and non comittal just stop the bait about 5-10 ft from the boat and watch how the fish reacts. A lot of times they will just angle up, line up the bait and go for the kill. It's pretty awesome to see.
Adversely in the heavily weeded up kawarthas if you switch to blades and burn them as fast as you can it sort of gives them the option to strike or miss it... Less follows that way but more hook ups. Some days speed kills.
The more time you get on the water seeing fishes behaviors on follows the better you get at reading their mood and reacting to it.
Im heading to the kawarthas for the first time this year on Friday I'll let you know what works or doesn't for me.
fiftyquest: nice bit of info.
let us know how you do this weekend.
X2 on the baitfishQuote:
Originally Posted by Andy2
Awesome advice fiftyquest will try that next weekened. Hope you have better luck post your report.Quote:
Originally Posted by fiftyquest
Sounds like you just hit a time when they just weren't willing to commit. You must be doing all the right things if you are raising fish and getting them to follow. Funny, I have fished the Tri-lakes for over 30 years and have never had one hit on a figure eight. They will follow it forever, but never munch. The lakes were also super busy this summer and the fishing pressure has definitely increased. Maybe that guy from the other post about the muskie killer was visiting our lakes this summer.
Hang in there Cuda, they will reward you if you put in the time.
I fish a lake on a regular basis and I too find the same thing .......They seem skidish all the serious attention is when something really erratic takes place Big splash from the cowgirl hitting the water ect.... and most fish I do catch are on a long cast. The biggest ones that follow are spooked by the boat ( I think ???) I try as much as I can to not move my body during the figure 8 But the always spook.......
obviously you are not a fisherman, if you are you should know the regs, if you can't read please don't take up fishing or hunting.Quote:
Originally Posted by mox72
Don't be so quick to criticize someone that doesn't know or understand every aspect of the laws or regulations. Since laws and regulations can change from area to area, year to year the average individual faces a daunting task just keeping abreast of them. I've known Co's and F&W supervisors who didn't know all the laws they've been charged to administer. So as long as an individual is willing to listen, learn and adapt to the legal requirements they'll have my respect.
make the drive to Lake St. Clair, you won't be disappointed.