| Most anglers think big when hunting lunker muskie, but if | | | | it proved to me that these preditors can be caught on |
| you want to catch more muskie think smaller baits and | | | | lighter tackle and smaller baits.Conventional thinking tells |
| tackle. I caught my biggest muskellunge while fishing | | | | us that in the fall; the remaining muskellunge, are large, |
| walleye with a plastic worm in September. More often | | | | therefore bigger is better. However, my experience is |
| than can be considered coincidental people catch a | | | | that smaller baits are often the perfect morsel for that |
| lunge while fishing other species. Most anglers look to | | | | elusive luncker.Equipment And PresentationWhen I say |
| heavy tackle, large baits and trolling as the way to | | | | smaller baits I am referring to large or oversized |
| catch muskies. Personally I become bored or just tired | | | | walleyes jigs. As mentioned this approach evolved on |
| of trolling all the time.Now one of my most successful | | | | a body of water with a large population of large |
| tactics used especially in the fall is used for fishing | | | | walleye. Now using the idea that big baits means big |
| large walleye and at the same time muskellunge. I use | | | | fish or walleye. I began tossing 5 to 6 inch plastic |
| medium size tackle and large walleye baits especially | | | | shad-bodied jigs along weed lines. I landed a number of |
| jigs. Fishing weed lines, drop offs and shoals as you | | | | big walleye, but to my surprise, the muskie were also |
| would for walleyes will also attract as many lunge as | | | | going for the same bait. The big plastic jigs became an |
| walleyes. The first time I realised this I did have some | | | | important part of my muskie fishing arsenal. All large |
| success for large walleyes and had just caught and | | | | plastics work just fine.Colour seems less important |
| released a nice 7 pounder that was followed to the | | | | than creating a real flash. Two-toned baits, mainly dark |
| boat by a large muskie.The only change I made was | | | | and light combinations, create more flash when drawn |
| to make sure I was using wire leads and good stong | | | | through the water. Adding some metal flake also ads |
| swivels. Using 6 inch plastics worked just fine and the | | | | that extra flash. Just experiment and you will find a |
| result was a fun great day of fishing. In all the two of | | | | combination that will work for you and get that strike |
| us caught and released 9 walleyes from 5 to 8 | | | | you want.I generally use ball-head or stand-up-head jigs |
| pounds plus 5 muskie all in the 15 to 20 pound range. | | | | with medium gauge wire hooks. |
| Although not the lunker; that most anglers look for. But | | | | |