looking for some pointers for catching tiger muskie
Post By: fishuntilimdead Posted: 6/21/2012 1:13:47 AM Points: 5
I'm going to head up to evergreen lake this Sunday and was hoping someone could give me some pointers on how to fish for tiger muskie. I've been wanting to fish for them for years. Anything helps! Also does anyone know how well the browns are biting?
Reply by: mx491 Posted: 6/21/2012 8:32:15 AM Points: 193
Id get there very early in the morning and look for them cruising the shallows. Lure wise, its hard to say sometimes they will take smaller trout lures like hd's smaller rapalas, and crankbaits. while other times they want the big pike spinners and swimbait type stuff. Throw everything you got at them
Mx491. Thanks for the info!! Although I'm having a brain fart at the moment. What does hd stand for? I guarantee I know the lure I just can't remember what that abbreviation is... Also should I use a steel leader?
HDs are made by dynamic lures. And no, dont use a steel leader. Those fish are picky enough as it is, you dont need a piece of metal hanging off the front of your lure. I would use a flourocarbon leader.
At both dusk and dawn over the years I have seen them perpendicular to the shore within 4' of the bank. I usually fish with a "do all" open faced 8lb test rig and have donated a lure each time one has attacked. It never gets old and is dam near the best 10 seconds of your life before they brake your line. This year having a young child and walking the lake often, I have yet to see a single muskie waiting in the attack position, go figure. If your casting at one that is visible, keep your drag VERY loose and get ready for an exciting run!
mrjoe, I may have rescued one of your lost soldiers last year by the bridge walkway at Evergreen. He looked like this one, but with a deeper diving bill and a swivel on the split ring:
Reply by: Lucius Posted: 6/22/2012 10:38:29 AM Points: 372
Don't get discouraged, be persistent, and be ready to make a lot of casts. Remember a good day of muskie fishing, you see fish (whether that be follows or they're just cruising) a great day is you actually catch A fish, a phenomenal day is you catch more than A fish. Now, new mexico is the only exception to this rule as for whatever reason the muskie survival rate from hatchlings to adults is a freak of nature. Just remember at any given moment, your fishing day can go from bad to great even if it is the last 15 minutes of the trip. As I like to say, it only takes 1!!
I've hooked 4 or 5 big fish carolina rigging super flukes moving dead slow. Those times I fought them there was no doubt it was a big fish. I doubt it was a trout, maybe a rogue 18 pound brown but most likely nope. I saw an older guy bouncing a 6"-8" tube slow off the bottom when he got smacked. After that I went at it with a million different lures, I got maybe 30-40 follows over all the time I spent fishing for them but only hooked those couple. All the fish that I hooked were all the same Carolina rig, they followed absolutely everything else. Send pics if you get one, good luck!!
Ensure you make at least 10,000 casts... Here in Colorado you may need to tack on a few more. BUT, if you really want one, keep trying and don't give up!
I have yet to catch one here in Colorado, but back in Wisconsin and Minnesota they were a blast!
