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Clear water Muskies

PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:39 pm
by Rowboat
Dear Larry,

The past week I have been out Muskie fishing a few times on a clear shallow river in Virginia. I have seen over 10 muskies on each trip but haven’t been able to trick any into biting. I have thrown everything from small tubes on the bottom to noisy topwater baits. What recommendations do you have for getting more bites?

Thank you for your time,
Michael

Re: Clear water Muskies

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 6:58 am
by dahlberg
What are the water temps? What have you been throwing that they followed?
L

Re: Clear water Muskies

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:52 pm
by Rowboat
The water has been between 45 and 60 degrees. I haven't been able to get a muskie to follow a bait back to the boat. The only bite I had was on a 7 inch smoke colored tube but the fish barely had it in its mouth. Other then that I have just been able to see them. They seem to be concentrated in a 100 yard stretch that is anywhere from 8 to 10 feet deep which is easily the deepest water in this particular stretch of the river.

Thanks again,

Michael

Re: Clear water Muskies

PostPosted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 8:32 am
by dahlberg
Hi M
One of my immutable laws of angling is that, "you cannot catch a fish that knows you are after it."
If you can see those muskies it's a sure bet they can see you also.
Make a super stealthy approach and super long casts. Any number of tactics might work, but I'd begin with a glider of some kind worked downstream, with the current.
good luck,
L

Re: Clear water Muskies

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 11:25 am
by Rowboat
Thanks for the advice Larry!

Out of curiosity what is the coldest water you have been able to catch a muskie on a topwater?

Re: Clear water Muskies

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 9:12 am
by dahlberg
I've caught them on top water when the temps are in the mid forties. It's not the approach I would recommend.
In rivers when the temps drop into the low fifties and below, I've found a lure presented with the current rather than against or even across, can make the difference between catching lots and catching none.
best
L

Re: Clear water Muskies

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:19 am
by Rowboat
Thanks for the great tips and taking the time to answer my questions!

Clear water Muskies

PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 2:22 pm
by Hyvver
Using my 798cxi SI yesterday in a lake about 20' deep that was a bit coloured up with suspended mud in water. Visibility about 2-3 feet.

Found that clear mode showed 0.2 feet depth while max mode worked normally

Why might that be ?

Thanks


John

Re: Clear water Muskies

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:15 pm
by Trimmer308
Rowboat,
I don't mean to butt in on the conversation but I have encountered that scenario and while no can know exactly what might trigger a strike
and in my case I wasn't in gin clear water, however, I have had success using both a hair jig with a rubber trailer hopping the bait and letting it fall slowly back to the bottom the one I had success with was about 7 inch over all including the trailer, I also have had success using a suspending jerkbait something that you can get down five or six feet and work like a Rouge.. that's in water about 42-45 deg. I'm mostly fishing Cave Run Lake in Kentucky we can usually catch fish year around if the water doesn't freeze.

Trimmer