Fishing Michigan

One of the things I like about heading North is try out new things for chasing Pike and Muskie.  This year I concentrated a lot on plastics.  I worked swimbaits, large twister tails with lead head jigs and gave the standard Slug-Go a try.  No luck on the slugs, did ok on the large 8 inch chartruse/glitter twister tail, but think I struck gold on this brown swimbait.  Had several bites, replaced some tails, and glued some more back together.

While you retrieve spinnerbaits at all speeds depending on the mood of the fish, it had already begun to cool off in the UP while I was there, with one night clicking in at 39 degrees, prime feeding time.  I tried it fast, I tried it as a jerkbait, and the slow constant action of the paddle tail coming back to the boat worked the best.  Not sure what it was about this color versus the chartruse and blue shiner version, but think it closely resembled it’s most common prey, the suckers in the area.

The first pic is while fighting the fish, and trying to balance the camera.  Its a one man job in the rowboat on the lake.  The second pic is of the fish finally tuckered out, and a decent shot of the baits tail.

Cool weather, we need some more of it!  Hunters crave it as one of the factors to triggering the rut during dear season, when the bucks loose all sense,  and only have lust on their minds.  The same colder weather can be calling to the pike and muskie angler.  While its not THAT primal urge that turns on these fish, none the less,  hunger and the outlook of a long cold winter make the members of the esox family extremely active.

Recently I had a long talk with a good friend of mine in Minnesota.  He has a couple of long deserved days off coming up starting tomorrow.  Minnesota is famed for its muskie fishing, and the conversation centered on fall strategies for landing these monsters.

All lakes are different and the make-up of its structure is critical in determining how you plan to locate and land a muskie.  What can be said of the ski, more often than not, can be applied to the northern.  Apply these fall characteristics of the fish to the lake  you are on, and there is a good chance you will be able to hook up.

Colder weather means that the fish will come up in the water column.  Notice I didn’t say the fish would be shallow.  Although true during mid-day while sunning themselves,  this idea just doesn’t apply to shallow water.  Fish can be running shallow in 40 foot of water during the fall, being only 10 ft below the surface.

Morning bites can find pike and muskie roaming (patrolling shallow) the shallow flats and edges in a lake’s coastline.  They are looking for larger minnows and panfish before they head off to the safety of the weedbeds for the day.  Work some of the jerkbaits,  and topwaters to locate these critters.

Mid-morning, the big fish can be found on the weed edges, either on the shallow or deep side.  Waiting to ambush,  they lurk within the beds.  Spinnerbaits, cranks and jerks are good choies.

Noon, the fish could be anywhere.  In the shallows perhaps sunning themselves and taking advantage of the sun’s warming rays.  Over deep water doing the same thing, from five foot to the surface.  Suspended over a sunken hump or flat.  A good map before you begin fishing will help you key in on good areas to target.  A wounded looking bait can be the ticket here.  Cranks and jerks would be the first method to try.  Also, a fast moving spinner could make them strike out of sheer annoyance.

As the day progresses, reverse these keys.  As night approaches you will find yourself doing the same things as you did in the early morning.  An early night bite, although you will catch pike, is often more productive when targeting muskie.

Trolling will either be your main method or serve as a time to take a break from casting.  Use the same areas as  you would be casting in,  work the edges and breaks.  Go over those humps and the outer areas of the flats.  A bait moving at three and four, perhaps five miles an hour is more than enough to trigger these fish into a strike.  You do not have to tone it down too much for northerns, but starting out at 2, 3 and 4 mph can be more productive.

To a lesser degree with pike, but definitely when it comes to muskie fishing,  if you cast all day, your shoulders are going to get tired!  On the inland lakes thats trolling time, time for a sandwich and beverage once you get rigged up and on your way.  Besides its kind of like a good luck charm, you know once you pop the top, or bite into that corn beef, with swiss on rye,  something is always bound to happen.

On the big water, trolling can be the favorite tactic to catch these predators.  Attention to equipment and detail becomes a little more precise.  You might want to break out the boards, or run them off the mast.

My pike trolling rods are the same rods I use for walleye, and because the St Croix Premier Glass series rods have the backbone .  I have two pairs of them, two per side of the boat.  You can go more, but with the 17′ boat, even with three people fishing, its more than enough to keep you busy.  If I am running some of my smaller muskie baits, then I will switch over to the muskie set ups.  The reels that go the Croixs  are the Daiwa SG 27 LCA’s, spooled with 40 lb Power Pro.

My muskie trolling rods are basically one brand, one length with only a slight variation in action.  All are Ugly Stik, Tiger blanks.  There are two versions, and would reccomend getting the ones with the stainless steel eyelets.  That way if you want to run wire its fine, but in this case each rod/reel set up has 80 lb Power Pro.  All the rods are 7 footers, two rated for 20 to 50 lb test, the other two rated from 30 to 60 lb test.  They will take a six and 8 oz lure respectively.  They normally run less than $65 dollars.  If that is a little steep and you are just starting out, then I suggest going with with a Daiwa Heartland dipsey rod.  You can choose between an 9′ or 10′6″.  A bit long for some, but plenty of strength in the rear end, for about $35.00.

First of all lets tackle the rods that you can get for fishing for Northerns.  Some of my favorite rods are actually what Cabela’s has in their Muskie lineup.  These are under the Fish Eagle II label.   Really they are undersized for muskies,  except the 7′6″ rod.  I use that rod for both, when tossing spoons and bucktails.  Some of the rods I use for pike are the bigger bass rods from St Croix.  For crankbaits they make a medium heavy in the glass crank series that is a nice fit.  I also use a 7′6″ med heavy, and a 7′6″ extra heavy.  Nothing wrong with rippin’ toothy lips.

Muskie rods, specially mine are selected for the type of fishing I m doing.  My 6′ heavy rod is for topwater, and jigs.  The 6′9″ heavy is for jerkbaits and heavy cranks.  The 7′ med heavy is for medium sized cranks.  The 7′6″ like I mentioned above is used with spoons and bucktails/spinnerbaits.  Its has a quick snap at the tip and really launches those types of baits.  Loomis used to have a nice selection of muskie rods, but I think they have downsized their product line.  Its hard to beat St Croix for the types and lengths of rods that they have available to choose from.  The Premier series has the most, and you get the basic rods in the Avid series with a better blank.

Ok,  since I started off with the reels, lets take a look at what is available in the line industry.  When you spool your reel you have two generally basic options.  One is the traditional monofilament lines, while the other would be going down the superline route.  Each has its plus or minus when you consider what to put on the reel.

Looking at pike first, what pound test would best suit your fishing style?  In a mono line, I prefer not to go below 14 lb.  Generally the line will be clear.  If I lived on a lake, and I knew that a green or camo line would best suit the water clarity, then I would choose one of those.  So if you fish primarily one body of water,  pick the line to best suit your situation.  I said, that I wouldn’t to go below 14 lb, at the same time, I am not crazy about going above 20 lb either.  25 lb would be the highest I would consider.  There are lots of lines available in making your choices.  Spinning reels need a limp line to stop from coiling, like a Trilene XL.  Baitcasters don’t have this restriction on them, since the line comes off straight, versus looping off a spinning spool.  You want an abrasive resistant line,  like Trilene XT or Big Game.  If you plan on spooling more than one reel, go with the Big Game brand,  its good and you get more line for less money.

Braids offer you several options, remember not to go by the test that line is rated for. Specially when it comes to baitcasters.  You are looking for line diameter, and it should be at least 10 lb diameter.  Some of  your better baitcasters will be able to handle an 8 lb dia, with a 30 lb test rating.  If you plan on using a spinning reel, then you could actually go down to a 20 lb test, which should be either 6 or 8 lb dia.  Power Pro and Tuf-Line Plus are excellent casting lines.  40 lb Power Pro is rated with a 10 lb dia, while 50 lb has a 12 lb diameter.  You do not need to go higher for catching Northerns.

When using monofilament for muskie, start with 25 and 30 lb, and don’t be afraid to use 40 lb mono.  Up on St Clair,  they use a wide variety of sized lines, with a slight twist.  They will troll with a leader made up of fluorocarbon or hard mono.  Hard mono got its start in saltwater fishing, and has been adapted locally.  These leaders range from 80 to 100 lb test.  You would think the line would be visible because of its size, but really is a blur when you are trolling at speeds ranging from 4 to 7 mph.

Muskies reels tend to be spooled with 50 lb all the way to 100 lb superlines, and everything in between.  My reels are spooled with either 65  or 80 lb Power Pro.  The reels that I use for small cranks and spoons/bucktails have 65 lb, while the jerkbait and heavy crankbait rods have 80 lb.  The lighter line works for the smaller baits, while the heavier lures cast well with the larger diameter line.  The jerkbait reels  have the heavier line because yes some of the baits are fairly large, but also because muskies sometimes strike in front of the baits, and like the extra thickness.  Kind of a “just in case”, and “piece of mind” kind of thing.

next up: rods

Trolling reels are much the same as the casting reels with some differences.  As far as companies go, the reccomendations are the same three; Daiwa, Ambassadeur or Shimano.  The reasons why, and their applications set them apart.  There is one kicker brand at the end.

Why a Daiwa, simply because of their track record and the performance of their linecounter reels.  Folks are begining to realize it is just as important to know the amount of line you have it out, as it is in walleye fishing.  If you want to consistently put the baits back where they have been getting hits the reel can do it.  The drag is the key here, if the reel can handle a 300′ run by a 20 to 30 lb salmon, it will serve you well for muskie fishing.  The reel you want for muskie would be the SG 47 LCA, and for pike the SG 27 LCA will get the job done.

The Ambassadeur line up has a uniquely built reel.  The C3 7000 is a lot like a Ford, they are BUILT TOUGH.  Hopefully there isn’t a copyright infringement in me saying that!  The reel is solid, and when you see it you can quickly understand why.  Metal, metal and more metal.  Although not a linecounter,  the reel will suit you well for regular trolling, but really shines when using ball weights off the side or behind the boat.  Very similiar to using downriggers,  and somewhat related to fishing with bottom bouncers,  the heavy weights can quickly get the baits down to the strike area.

Shimano has a graphite bodied reel, the TR 200, which can do what the 7000 can, but at a cheaper price.  You should be able to find these reels for under $70 any place.  They used to be only $60.  A good reel, just not built like the big C3.  They also have a linecounter available that has been gaining in popularity, the Tekota series.  A well built, but spendy reel, the 500 LC is the choice for the dedicated pike guys, while the 600 LC would be your muskie reel.  Both of these reels are their linecounter models,  but they are also available without that feature.

Finally the kicker,  Penn has long been known for building some of the best saltwater reels on the market.  If the drags can hold up for deep sea fishing, they will hold up extremely well for muskie fishing.  The GTi 310 and 320 are your pike choices, while the 320 and the GTi 330 are your muskie choices.  Its all about the drag and pure cranking power when you use these reels.

When you look for a pike and/or muskie reel  consider these characteristics;  bearings, gear ratio, dependable drag, line capacity and contruction.  Spinning reels are not your first choice, you really should want a baitcaster for these critters.

Bearings are pretty important for the action on the spool as well as the handle when you crank on it.  Are more bearings better,  the answer would be generally speaking yes.  There are pitfalls to watch out for,  some companies will load up 10, 12 or 14 bearing into a reel.  If you plan on spending $600.00 or more on the reel, then that number would be worth considering.  If the reel only runs $80.00 and has that many bearings, it should send up a red flag.  Buyer beware!  The quality of the bearing itself will come into question, as well, as the external construction. 

Why is gear ratio important?  Its because it will be a determining factor in how fast you will be retrieving the line back to the reel.  Some baits should be really hummed through the water, while others need you to take up slack quickly, and others need the extra beef and torque to handle bigger baits.  When we get into the rods, I’ll talk about matching up to the right one to best perform the desired task.

Dependable drags are a must, doesn’t matter if  you prefer using a monofilament or braid/super line.  What is the best way to determine if a drag is sound coming out of the box?  The best way for a person starting out is to ask around, look at various forums online.  Tell the folks you are a nugget, just starting out, and you will get a ton of responses.  Most folks are there to share ideas and lend a helping hand when they can. At the end of today’s topic I will reccomend some good ones in a couple of different price ranges, and they will be solid reels.

Line capacity will range from 200 yards of 14 lb to 130 yards of 20 lb test.  When you see this posted either on the reel or the box it comes in, remember they are rated by their line capacity when dealing with monofilament.  Regardless of the type of line you choose, for better castability, remember to fill the spool all the way.  Later when the types of line get discussed, there will be trick to filling the spool with braid that I will bring up then.

Construction is key.  Look for all metal frames, you will want something that can take a beating and literally keep on ticking.  The line guide is something you really want to pay attention to, as well.  On most bass reels (low profiles) the guide will stay in place on the cast, and only move on the retrieve.  Avoid this when at all possible.  Specially when using a super line this can cause problems on future casts.  What happens is that the line can become cross wrapped and actually buried in the row.  This will make the line snap when it catches on the cast, often resulting in your bait breaking off and sinking before you can save it from going to the bottom of the lake.  You want the guide to go back and forth on the cast, as well as the retrieve.

There are several good pike and muskie reels available these days.  I prefer the Ambassadeur reels from Abu Garcia.  The venerable C3 series is time tested and often recommended.  These have a 5.3:1 raitio.  The C4 has more speed at a 6.3:1 gear ratio.  The 5500 and 5600 sizes are good for the pike as well as the muskie.  Most prefer the 6500 or 6600’s when fishing for muskie.  Shimano makes an excellent reel in the Calcutta 400,  while Daiwa makes the Millionaire 300.  The Ambassadeurs will top out about 90 bucks, while the other two will be around $200 and slightly more.

Fall and esox fishing equals heart pumping action.  Esox is the latin prefix that comes in front of longer fancier terms that refer to Northern Pike and its bigger cousin, the Muskellunge.  These two toothy critters are at the top of their food chain wherever they are found in the lakes in North America, and fall is prime time when it comes to hunting them.

Why is the fall bite considered “Prime Time”?  It is because these fish tend to put on the feed bag to help sustain themselves  through the winter’s lean months.  Now is when they are most aggressive.

I had planned on doing a preview of Steelhead fishing throughout the state, much like the “Salmon Week” we had a short time back.  Unfortunately, with the warmer weather we have been having,  these silvery rainbows wont hit their peak for another couple of weeks, if not another month from now.

So, this will be Esox Week.  Taking a hard look at when, where, equipment and how to use them.  Wednesday will be all about reels.

There are so many different terms when it comes to fishing,  specially muskie fishing.  You have follows, boils, rolls,  and now the “nudge”.  I was thinking about this up north, and after several occurances I decided to give it a name to add to one’s vocabulary.

When casting out spinnerbaits, specially inlines like Northland’s Bionic Bucktail, or one of my new fav’s, the Mepps Musky Maribou there were several times where the line seemed to go slack just for a split second on the retrieve.  Each time, there were not any weeds hanging on the baits.  It didnt take long to realize it wasn’t weeds, but fish taking swipes at the bucktails.

I have had muskie and pike bump cranks before, (hmm, another new name, “bump”) but when this happend, it was like they were “nudging”  the baits forward causing the line to have that momentary slack in it.  This was confirmed a few times when the ski’s would follow the bait in after the initial contact.

This had been going on for years,  but I finally had a name for it pop in, the light bulb going off.

How can I possibly tie in the sport of chasing muskies and the auto guru Henry Ford you might ask?  Well back in the early days of the Ford company,  to help keep costs down for the consumer, there was only one color option available on the Model T.  To paraphrase Mr. Ford,  ” You can have any color you want, as long as its black,”  The same held true in the world of muskie fishing,  long time hunters of this freshwater barracuda said you could have any lure you wanted to catch a ski,  but it better be black.

As in the case of the Ford color schemes available today, so is true of the muskie lure. Colors available today range from the traditional black to such names as walleye, firetiger, blue mackerel and clown. 

You have as many options today for the type of lure you want, as you do a sedan, stepside, mini-van, coupe, crew cab, and sports car.  Although, a plain jane Mustang GT 500 in black would be sweet, on a personal note.  You have jerkbaits, swimbaits, shallow and deep cranks, chickens,  topwater and flies.  Then there are the cross-over baits,  see….still keeping that auto theme going.

Something growing in popularity, specially on Lake St. Clair and inland lakes in the spring are the use of flies.  As the fish come shallow to spawn,  the use of flies becomes more pratical for the fly fishing enthusiast.  Sure you can use a sinking line to get deeper, but how practical really is that concept when you are fishing in 30 ft of water later in the summer?  There are poppers, streamers, dry and wet flies available on the market to choose from.

Topwater baits are just plain fun to fish with for any species, and even more so, when it comes to muskie fishing.  They are effective in the spring or fall, and even mid summer over structure.  Morning or evening, and over weedbeds during the heat of the day.   In the pic there are several black lures,  they do creep in, but with topwater lures, its not the overall color scheme that is important.  Look at the belly of the lure.  Blacks, flat yellows, dark greens and browns are good on clear days where the sun provides a good contrast.  On overcast days,  or in stained water, give me some whites, bright orange and yellow, and even some neon colors.  In keeping with the auto theme, there are even hybrids available, the bottom two lures are examples of a topwater and bucktail mix.

Love the big splash of big spoon,  and the side to side wobble on the retrieve.  For working weedy areas there are Johnson Silver Minnows, Weedless Dardevles and Northland makes a 3/4 oz trailer bodied spoon too.  The Dardevle’s cousin, the Red-Eye is another good choice.  Spoon weight go as high as 3 oz to as low as 3/4’s of an ounce.  This is one case where black wont be seen in my spoon tray.  Give me blues and whites, coppers, silvers and golds, red/white, greens and yellows.  Think I even have a pink or two in there.

Shallow cranks are used mainly for casting, but they can be trolled and jerked as well.  Thats the cross-over.  Lots of baits can be used for another tactic.  Look at the big Original Floating Rapala,  it makes an excellent jerkbait in shallow conditions.  Perch and bass colors work here, brighter colors can be seen or noticed at long distances.  Holographic scale stickers have been applied to lots of crankbaits lately for that extra flash in the water.

Jerkbaits are a fav of many muskie anglers, with good reason, they catch fish.  I have more Suick Muskie Thrillers than any other brand.  Some are weighted so they suspend in deeper water, but all come in sucker, black, perch, cisco and firetiger.  There is a Mania Burt that is another example of a crossover bait,  it has that large twister tail attached to the end .  That blue mackerel Mag Rapala is an example of a shallow crank being used as a jerk.

These two all plastic baits are the next generation it seems in muskie baits.  You can also employ large swimbaits that are available in suspending models.  The Witch on top, and the Eel on the bottom come in many colors, can be retrieved or jerked.  Go for natural colors in bright days, and brighter colors in stained water as well as overcast days.

Large crankbaits range in size from 8 inches all the way up to 14″.  Some like the Believers (made in Toledo, OH) have dual eyes, one for running shallow, and the other for deeper waters.  I like natural colors that reflect baitfish like perch, pike, bullfrog, ciscos and walleye.  On the other end of the spectrum, metallic finishes really do catch the fish’s attention from a long way off.  In the middle you have redheads, clowns and other colors that dont look like much of anything, but still produce fish on a regular basis.

The chicken, bucktail or spinnerbait, whatever name you want to give them, just call them one thing in your tackle, you cannot do without.  To be so versitile and effective, while coming in such a wide range of colors and styles, is really amazing.  You can retrieve slow or burn ‘em,  churn them just under the surface or let them sink to reach the depth of the fish.  Favorite color combinations with blades are white and silver, black and silver, or black with gold blades.  Bionic Bucktails with their holographic baitfish image blades like those on colorado’s made for walleye fishing really flash.  Then you have your bright colors, greens, yellows and oranges that highlight the lure.

Just like a Ford, although black is a classic no matter how you twist it,  those other colors work!