Muskie Lures

How to Wake the Sleepy Muskellunge

To land that monster muskellunge you need to know which of the many muskie lures give you the best chance to do so. Mixing things up can result in success depending on the time of year and location. Be smart about it and remember fish get used to the same presentation over and over. Read on, and arm yourself with the knowledge to land that record muskie this season.

The fish can be hard to predict. It seems like even muskie have a hard time figuring themselves out! There are a number of factors that come into play while trying to figure out which muskie lures will work. You must take into consideration the time of day, the time of year, water clarity and the changing weather systems. Using these to help narrow down the disposition of the fish will give you an idea of where to begin.

If you are fishing a region with many muskie anglers, be aware what they are using. Quite often muskie hunters will use the same lure and presentation as “the guy in the next boat”. Too much of the same presentation will slowly turn the fish off. Consider using something different if you hear your fellow anglers are all employing the same strategy.

Having said that, we all know that one muskie a day is a pretty good day for a muskie hunter. The hunt is what it is all about. Be patient. This underwater predator is scattered thinly throughout the water systems. Landing one is an achievement.

There are times when the fish are active, and times when they won’t move for anything. This is when you need to get creative. This is also when you need to put your mind to work. It is time to out-smart the muskie and show the fish who is boss!

When muskie are lethargic you need to really concentrate on your presentation. Quite often the fish will simply tuck themselves out of site. When you do get near them, they can be deep in standing weeds or under significant structure. When they are in these places, they have little intention of moving. The good news is you probably have a variety of muskie lures in your tackle box that are just what the doctor ordered. To really entice the fish, consider modifying your jerkbait a little!

The key is to get your jerkbait to have the ability to suspend itself mid-water. This can be done a couple of ways. The first is by experimenting with the weight of your line. Try adding a few slip-shots just off the leader on the fishing line. You will have to test this a little to get it just right. The intent is to mimic the reaction of a baitfish when it sees a predator.

In virtually all cases a baitfish will immobilize itself when a predator is near. The slip-shots on your line will allow you to retrieve your lure as you would normally. The key part of the presentation is to bring your retrieval to a dead stop. If you have your line weighted properly your jerkbait should be suspended in mid-water.

The fish you are hunting most likely have never seen muskie lures presented in this fashion. Think about it, normally when you stop your retrieval your lure either sinks or rises (depending on what you are using). By giving muskie lures the ability to suspend, you provide the closest thing to reality for the fish. And man, can they bring it when they strike a lure in this manner.

Another approach to produce the same results is to literally operate on your muskie lures. By using a specialized “screw in weight set” you can modify the weight of the lure itself. Your local tackle store should have these. By the way, this method works best on wooden muskie lures.

The first step is to find the center of gravity on the jerkbait. When you have located it (often by taping weights to the lure and testing it in water) you are in business. You will know you have found it when the jerkbait suspends itself in an upright position. Test it out on the side of the dock in shallow water before you go out.

When you know the required weight and the spot to put it, simply screw in the specialized weight. The weights come in a variety of sizes. You should not have any trouble matching the weighted screw with the results of your tests.

Now get ready to wake some sleepy muskie!

Retrieve your lure in a quick fashion – mimicking a baitfish fleeing a predator. This can get a muskie to follow. By stopping your retrieval and allowing the lure to suspend – it can be irresistible to the muskie.

Don’t be afraid to rip the lure from time to time when you are bringing it in. The panicked presentation this gives your lure often will get the muskie to come out from hiding. When the lure suspends, its is exactly what the muskie is hoping to see, which often persuades a strike.

For those slow days muskie fishing don’t be afraid to alter your muskie lures a little bit. By imitating baitfish suspended in mid-water you will often get a muskie to strike. Experiment a little and give yourself an advantage over the other guys in the boat. You need every edge you can get while muskie fishing!

Good luck out there!

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