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Lures,
Lures, Lures!
by Jason B. Isaacs
If you walk into a tackle shop, look in a Musky tackle catalog or surf
to an internet website dealing with Musky Fishing you will
undoubtedly be inundated with lure and bait choices. Not only is the
novice Muskyman faced with choosing between dif-ferent
methods of fishing (casting v. trolling) and different types of baits
(jerk, crank, topwater, plastic) many other of variables exist
when it comes to lure choice. I don't
know about you, but I love lures. I just love to look at them, read
about them and most of all use them. Also, if you are like me
you may even sometimes delude yourself into thinking that you need more
lures. The chain of thought goes something like ".
. . well, I would hate to get stuck on the water and not have one of
these if that is what they want , or (admit it) . . . man that is so cool,
if I were a fish I would surely eat that thing. Look how pretty it
is!" I hope in this article to share with you some observations &
suggestions I have discovered about lures:
Jason's
Theories of Lure Selection
1. Do
not worry about having everything in your tackle box that you "may
need" If you don't have one of what they are hitting,
the
tackle shop on the lake probably will. Buy what has worked for you and
what you know works on that body of water for your
tackle
box now. Buy anything exotic the day you need it. (You may never need
it again.)
2. If
you use the same lure day in day out, that is all you will catch any
fish on. Remember this when the pro's are pitching that they
caught x
amount of Muskies on such and such a lure. The lure may be good, but
evaluate it for what it is.
3. Stick
to what works. Sure, experimenting is good, but never allow it to
completely replace your proven baits and methods. Don't
be like
the guy who dropped his watch under the stairs and was searching for it
and the cop came and asked him what he was do-
ing.
The guy said he had dropped his watch under the stairs and the cop said
why are you looking for it out here on the sidewalk?
And the
guy said the light is better out here on the sidewalk! The Muskies don't
care how you want to fish or what you think looks
good.
In other words, look where the watch is, not where the light is better.
4. A
hungry Musky will hit almost anything. This has been proven time and
again in West Virginia. In fact, an older lady fish-
ing for
trout caught our State Record in Stonecoal Lake! (Powerbait I think).
Is that an excuse to begin fishing with Powerbait,
tiny
treble hooks, and trout size line? Not at all. Same logic applies to
the newest hot lure. Beware of the lures ads that show
photographs of huge Muskies caught on a particular type of lure. One
catch does not a great lure make. (Also, pay close attention
to the
ads. Most do not say that the fish was actually caught on that lure. I
have seen the same guy in the same clothes with the
same
fish in several ads. Obviously it is physically impossible for all of
the lures did not catch the fish.)
5. What
works in Wisconsin/Canada does not necessarily work in Ohio or
West Virginia. My good friend Danny Wade said this
to me
last year, and I guess I always knew it to be true. Many of the great
Musky Publications are published in either Wisconsin
or
Canada. Those two areas comprise some of the best Musky country in the
world! A majority of the lakes in those areas have
natural
Musky populations. These fish are much more aggressive than their
southern cousins in WV and OH. Not that the baits
advertised in those magazines will not catch Muskies (also see #4
above) but they may not be as good as advertised when taken
to your
local waters.
6.
Remember, some lures "catch fisherman as well or better than they do
fish." This is a comment I have heard several times over
the
years in Outdoor Magazines. With all the mystique of Musky Fishing,
this has really become doubly true. Make sure you not
only
know some verifiable facts about that lure overall, but how it has fared
on your lake. Be careful not to exclude newer lures
that
have not been tried on your lake yet, but also be cognizant of the fact
that the hottest new lure may not get the results it did
up
North. Lure
collecting is fun, but I will take fish picture collecting any
time!
Jason
B. Isaacs
Danny's Footnote:
Jason is a good Muskie
fisherman and friend from the great state of West Virginia. Jason has
written some articles
for us of which we
will feature from time to time. Its always good to get insights
from fishermen from different regions.
Thanks. Jase!
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