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5/08/2001
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Article/Press
Release
What
to feed Muskies
By Jim Murphy
Leech
Lake Guide Coalition
There
are countless muskie baits available on the store shelves, and many
have been around for years.
The reason these baits are still in the ballgame is that they
catch fish.
There are also several new
baits to contend with.
Some are excellent baits; others are basically copycats.
It is important to remember that a number of baits are
manufactured to catch you
and muskies second.
Only time will tell if these “new kids on the block” will
earn a place in the tackle box or end up collecting dust in the
shed.
 Muskie
baits, both old and new, fall into five basic categories: Bucktails,
Crankbaits, Jerkbaits, Topwaters and Plastics.
Bucktails
Bucktail
spinners catch more muskies each year than any other lures. Hooking
ability is the most important aspect of a bucktail.
Aside from the hooks, bucktails are light in weight and hard
for a muskie to throw.
Bucktails come equipped with a variety of different blades.
Small French blades and willow leaf blades can be retrieved
fast, and speed is desirable when you’re covering a lot of water.
Burning a bait back to the boat sometimes results in
reactionary strikes from negative fish.
Mepp’s Giant Killer, Fudally Muskie Candy, Wishtails,
Blackburn, Huntertails, and Lilytails have good track records on
Leech.
From day to day, one color or pattern might be hotter than
others might – you’ll have to establish a daily favorite.
Colorado
and Indiana blades, two larger blade-types, allow you to slowly work
a bucktail high over weed tops and rocks.
Slow presentations are preferred when fish are hunkered down
in weeds, wood, or rocks.
The slow thump of a Colorado or Indiana blade drives muskies
nuts.
In my opinion, the best “big fish” bucktail on the market
is the Eagle Tail.
It is a large bait with two single stainless steel hooks.
The Eagle Tail also features a large #8 fluted Indiana blade.
Crankbaits
Crankbaits
are commonly used on deeper ranging muskies along outside weededges,
steep breaks, and deep rock reefs.
They’re also effective for trolling, sometimes reaching
depths of twenty feet or more.
Depthraiders, Ernies, Dana baits, Believers, and Jakes are
effective crankbaits on Leech Lake.
I
do want to point out that crankbaits can be used in any depth of
water.
I have caught muskies in over eighty feet of water on cranks.
Muskies will suspend near schools of forage fish, such as
ciscoes and whitefish, which frequently hover thirty or forty feet
up in water twice that deep.
Muskies can and will come up several feet to eat these baits.
The eyes of a muskie are positioned on the upper portion of
its head, allowing them to feed up.
Twitch
baits are part of the crankbait category.
They’re best for “twitching” over weed beds or rocks.
The bait’s erratic action triggers many strikes.
To twitch, simply cast and retrieve the bait in a stop and go
method, twitching the bait during pauses.
Anglers should experiment to find the best action and
technique for each bait.
My favorite twitch baits are ten-inch Jakes, Believers and
Slammers.
Jerkbaits
Jerkbaits
are one of the more popular categories of baits on the market, and
they’ve been catching muskies for years.
Several years ago when Frank Suick started fishing the now
famous Suick bait, his success caused concern with the Wisconsin DNR.
There were meetings held to see if the bait should be banned!
Today,
there are several different types of jerkbaits on the market.
By types I mean chop baits, glide baits, dart baits, etc.
Popular chop baits are Suicks, Wade’s Wobblers, and
Bobby’s.
The best glide baits are Hughes River Baits, Vipers,
Fanthom’s and Reef Hawgs.
Many, myself included, use the Reef Hawg as a triggering
bait.
Pop it, pull it, jerk it, and twitch it.
You can put any action you desire on a Reef Hawg.
It’s designed to imitate a wounded, dying baitfish.
Dying fish will rise, fall, and roll over, trying to keep
from going belly up.
The
Squirrelly Burt also triggers strikes from neutral muskies, and
it’s a champion on Leech Lake.
Manufactures are adding plastic sections and attractions to
make them more lifelike.
The Squirrelly Burt has a curly plastic tail that does just
that.
Topwater
Catching
game fish, especially muskie on topwaters is exhilarating to put it
mildly. I
love using topwater baits for two reasons.
The pure excitement is number-one.
And secondly, topwaters just plain catch fish. Topwater baits
stimulate strikes from fish that may ignore other presentations.
Topwater
baits come in a variety of actions.
Prop baits feature a metal prop on the front or rear of the
lure.
Most feature tail props.
They can be retrieved faster than most topwaters and are good
for covering water.
Some favorites are Topraiders, Stompers, Tallywackers, and
LeLures.
It is important to fine-tune the metal prop on these baits.
Experiment with pitch until you obtain the best sound and
vibration; use your thumb and forefinger to bend a cup into the
metal.
The
“walk the dog baits” is another subcategory of topwaters.
These include the Jackpot, Z180, and the Dancin Raider.
They are worked in a rhythmic side to side action, coupled
with plops as the bait enters the water.
These baits attract great numbers of fish, but they won’t
leave you with high hook setting percentages.
Last
but not least, come topwaters, which are designed to be worked
slowly back to the boat.
Most have a small lip and tail that clacks as it trudges
across the water.
Creepers, Hog Wobblers, and my favorite, the ten-inch
Believer make-up this category.
Slow topwaters are commonly used as “come back” baits for
located fish.
Located fish are ones that followed earlier offerings but did
not eat them.
Topwaters must be worked slow and methodically, so they
aren’t the greatest for searching new water.
Plastic
Baits and Other Stuff
Plastic
baits include jigs and Reapers (lizards), and an assortment of
plastics used by bass anglers.
We can also include the Bull Dawg, which was especially hot
last season.
Plastics can be used to fish in weed pockets; on reefs; and
over steep breaks.
Fish them slowly in a rise and fall fashion.
You want to “helicopter” their flashy tails into the fish
zone, triggering strikes from neutral fish.
These baits are excellent for throwing back at following
fish.
Keep a soft plastic rigged and ready to go at all times.
Another
lure that was excellent last year was the spinnerbait.
Spinnerbaits should be used in the same manner as plastic
baits.
They are excellent when muskies are in bulrushes.
The single hook configuration allows you to retrieve a
spinnerbait through emergent vegetation without fouling.
Spinnerbaits are also good baits to troll over weed beds.
They do not get hung up and damage weeds, which is very
important.
Trolling crankbaits or other baits that uproot weeds
permanently damages important fish holding structure.
We have lost entire large weed beds due to reckless trolling
practices.
Another
aspect of muskie fishing that is important to mention is fishing
pressure.
There are more anglers chasing muskies now than ever before.
This factor has not dented the muskie population.
In fact, experts say that we have more and larger muskies
than twenty years ago.
Catch and release is the reason, which is practiced by a
majority of muskie anglers.
Fish are released to spawn and fight again.
Fishing
pressure does effect fish and we have to consider how to cope with
it.
There are many popular fishing spots on Leech Lake: Portage
Bay’s weed beds; the Pelican Island area; Walker Bay; Sucker Bay;
we could go on and on.
These spots give up numbers of muskies, as well as some large
fish.
However, fish do become conditioned to baits, presentations,
and speed of retrieves.
Last season I fished several new locations and types of
structures with success.
We have to get away from the crowds as they say.
Try new spots, different presentations, and different baits.
You could be pleasantly surprised.
Good
luck, Murph!
Jim
Murphy is a professional guide with the Leech
Lake Guide Coalition.
The coalition, which is based in Walker, MN, offers guided
expeditions for walleyes, muskies, jumbo perch, largemouth bass,
northern pike and panfish.
They can be reached at 218-547-3212.
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