Jigging Muskies

  • pyake
    Posts: 167
    February 25, 2005 at 3:47 am #1245779

    I’ve been reflecting on the large suspended targets that I saw on my sonar this fall and thinking about how to effectively get at these beasts with a different presention. Also thinking about those mid-day opportunities when I have the green light from my better half but it is not necessarily PRIME TIME for muskies. Thinking about spending some time usign jigs this summer and fall. Found a few good articles on the subject and thought I would post them out here on the IDA. Would be interested in hearing experience from others.

    http://www.muskiecentral.com/waalkens/index.shtml

    http://www.gameandfishmag.com/muskiespike/gf_aa086204a/

    http://toothycritters.com/jig_fishing.html

    Chris
    Rochester, MN
    Posts: 1396
    February 25, 2005 at 9:34 am #345542

    Good articles and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

    agentesox
    Minneapolis, Minnesota
    Posts: 78
    February 25, 2005 at 6:25 pm #345626

    Are you marking bait fish pods near these targets?

    pyake
    Posts: 167
    February 25, 2005 at 7:10 pm #345634

    It was mid October and I was seeing a few pods of suspended bait fish with big hooks nearby in about 20′ of water. It was pretty windy and my drift sock wasn’t big enough to really slow down and get to them with crank baits. Didn’t even see a follow on that day, just big targets on my graph…

    pyake
    Posts: 167
    February 25, 2005 at 7:12 pm #345635

    Here is what my sonar looked like in the above photo, note the large hooks on the left hand side of the screen.

    gary_wellman
    South Metro
    Posts: 6057
    February 25, 2005 at 7:23 pm #345637

    We picked up on targeting suspended muskies in the Big Narrows on LOTW.

    We did the open water trolling for them with big plugs. It was really good action. Never thought about jigging them. The trolling was working so good for us we just kept doing that.

    Next time, I’ll have to try the jigging!!!!!

    pyake
    Posts: 167
    February 25, 2005 at 7:46 pm #345644

    I’d love to troll them too but can’t when I fish Wisconsin waters. The above photo is on North Twin.

    There are a few lakes in Michigan that I can do it and plan to try that also this fall.

    Thanks

    Also, just caught the newest episode of Linder’s Angling Edge and the second half of the show is devoted to catching muskies on plastics. They talk about reaper jigs and tiger tubes. Pretty good stuff.

    agentesox
    Minneapolis, Minnesota
    Posts: 78
    February 25, 2005 at 7:49 pm #345646

    Open water trolling cranks is always a solid plan for suspended fish. Personally we contact more fish if we’re banging our cranks off rock structure than just driving around in the basin but hey I’ve lost tournaments to the guy driving around the basin sooooo….

    I’m not a troller so I’ll usually just cast a Depthraider or Triple D at the school of baitfish.

    One thing that has worked DYNOMITE is to mark the bait fish (because the baitfish has become the structure to cast at)and cast “walk the dog” topwaters (Jackpot,Weagle,Viper) over the top of them. The action and sound those baits have are very similar to Shad or Cisco popping on the surface and the comotion really gets those big fish going.

    Another good option is a weighted 10″ Suick worked at a snails pace. Work it down and then let it hang (the weight will make it more neutrally bouyant) then work it down a bit more and so on and so on.

    Jigs? Heck yes they work on those fish also. Probably caught my largest muskies on Bulldawgs throwing them in open water. Same concept as the topwater, mark the baitfish and start rip jigging a Bulldawg or J Mac Jig.

    just my $.02

    agentesox
    Minneapolis, Minnesota
    Posts: 78
    February 25, 2005 at 7:50 pm #345647

    Oh man!!!! North Twin!!!!!

    Know it well….throw Mag Bulldawgs in the Cisco and hammer them

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