Fall muskies...let's jig some up
By Phil Schweik
With only a few short months left until Mother Nature turns our open water playground into an ice bowl, it's time to really turn the focus up on that big musky you’ve been hunting. With all the techniques available to anglers, one method that most anglers often overlook is jigging for muskies.
Ron Hall with ta nice fall musky he caught with Guide Phil Schweik while jigging.
Most fall muskies are relatively dormant and lethargic. The majority are located either suspended over deep water or resting lazily on the bottom of the lake or river. They are not going to travel far to chase prey and surely not going to charge up a long way to attack a passing meal. Most of the time they are not going to exert any more energy than the meal that they are going after is about to provide them.
Hooksetters guide Phil Schweik with a good fall jigging musky.
Here is where jigging for muskies comes into play. Jigging enables you to work your lure in a jigging motion right in their face. The key to this presentation is keeping your bait moving very slowly and at the correct depth. With the water being cold and the fish sluggish, they are not going to chase your bait very far if at all. Unless you make that bait…easy pickins.
Brian Munson from Madison with a nice fall musky.
To find your fall jigging muskies, use two methods:
- For the suspended muskies you will use your electronics to locate suspended baitfish and the muskies that are associated with these schools of baitfish. You may even get lucky and find a lone musky or two just hanging out at a certain depth. Once you have located your prey you will want to work your bait at that level or just above it.
- For muskies that are lying right on the bottom you will again want to use your electronics and look for depressions or drop-offs in the contour. Once you have located these types of areas let your bait sink right to the bottom and slowly rip your bait upwards in a steady but limited motion. You will want to use six inch to one foot rips imitating a dying fish that is trying to get off the bottom of the lake or river. This type of motion is more than muskies can take; when presented right in their face they will almost always attack it.
One of the best lures for this type of jigging is the Echotail made by Vibrations Tackle. The Echotail is made just for this type of presentation. The vibration and flash that this lure gives off when it is jigged is unbelievable. When this lure is worked slowly and at the correct depth it is hard to beat. With several colors and sizes to choose from the choices are limitless.
Next time you are heading out targeting fall muskies and your usual presentations just don't seem to be working, give this new lure a try. You won't be disappointed.
With that nice musky being released back into the water, maybe you’ll even...dance a jig.
Again.
Connect with Phil Schweik and Hooksetters Fishing Services at www.hooksetters.biz.