Most anglers think big when hunting lunker muskie, but if you want to catch more muskie think smaller baits and tackle. I caught my biggest muskellunge while fishing walleye with a plastic worm in September. More often than can be considered coincidental people catch a lunge while fishing other species. Most anglers look to heavy tackle, large baits and trolling as the way to catch muskies. Personally I become bored or just tired of trolling all the time.

Now one of my most successful tactics used especially in the fall is used for fishing large walleye and at the same time muskellunge. I use medium size tackle and large walleye baits especially jigs. Fishing weed lines, drop offs and shoals as you would for walleyes will also attract as many lunge as walleyes. The first time I realised this I did have some success for large walleyes and had just caught and released a nice 7 pounder that was followed to the boat by a large muskie.

The only change I made was to make sure I was using wire leads and good stong swivels. Using 6 inch plastics worked just fine and the result was a fun great day of fishing. In all the two of us caught and released 9 walleyes from 5 to 8 pounds plus 5 muskie all in the 15 to 20 pound range. Although not the lunker; that most anglers look for. But it proved to me that these preditors can be caught on lighter tackle and smaller baits.

Conventional thinking tells us that in the fall; the remaining muskellunge, are large, therefore bigger is better. However, my experience is that smaller baits are often the perfect morsel for that elusive luncker.

Equipment And Presentation

When I say smaller baits I am referring to large or oversized walleyes jigs. As mentioned this approach evolved on a body of water with a large population of large walleye. Now using the idea that big baits means big fish or walleye. I began tossing 5 to 6 inch plastic shad-bodied jigs along weed lines. I landed a number of big walleye, but to my surprise, the muskie were also going for the same bait. The big plastic jigs became an important part of my muskie fishing arsenal. All large plastics work just fine.

Colour seems less important than creating a real flash. Two-toned baits, mainly dark and light combinations, create more flash when drawn through the water. Adding some metal flake also ads that extra flash. Just experiment and you will find a combination that will work for you and get that strike you want.

I generally use ball-head or stand-up-head jigs with medium gauge wire hooks. It’s surprising how well a single hook can handle even a large fish. Often you will hook the fish in the gristly flesh in the corner of the mouth. Jigs also make landing and releasing muskie easier; there are then no large treble hooks flopping around to damage the fish or you. Deeply hooked fish can be released by clipping off the hook with pliers.

Single strand wire leaders seem to work best especially along weed beds. I use a hay-wire-twist to attach the wire to the jig head at one end and a small swivel at the other. Watch for kinks in the wire, but these leaders are more weedless than the standard models because of the snaps and swivels.

I prefer a medium action 6-foot spinning rod and a reel spooled with 12 to 14 pound test monofilament. A medium-heavy bait-casting outfit also does the trick, in both cases make sure the drag is working properly.

Even if you prefer the conventional approach, keep a lighter outfit close at hand for when muskie follow, but don’t hit, or they strike short. Using lighter tackle and a jig is also a good approach when there are two of you fishing muskie. One angler throws conventioinal baits, and the other throwing jigs. Then you are always ready to react to follows and misses.

Vary the speed of your retrieve when jigging up muskie. I have had luck in late fall, by using violent rip-jigging motion. It’s tiring, but effective. Experiment and you will find something that works for you.

When battling a muskellunge on light tackle, be careful not to fight it to exhaustion, thereby increasing the chance of delayed death if you plan on catch and release. Ideally, you should release a fish by simply grasping the single hook with a pair of needle nosed pliers, while it’s in the water at the side of the boat. Cut off the hook if the fish is hooked deeply. Muskie fisheries are a fragile resource, so do your best to release that muskie no worse for wear. Now next season that muskie will be ready to fight another day and make that day a great day for another angler.

There are different kinds of fishing. You can fish for sport if you want to keep it and put it on the wall as a prize. You can catch fish and throw them back. You can catch fish to eat. You need the proper supplies, some know how and good company.

There are different styles of fishing and each one uses different equipment. There is bait casting, spinning, pole and line, spincasting, and flyfishing. You need to choose between different types of poles, rods, hooks, and bait. Depending on what type of water you will be in, saltwater, freshwater, or ice you will choose a pole with different types of reels and line spools. Depending on what type of fish you will be catching, you have to choose from a variety of hook sizes. You also can choose between various kinds of sinkers and bobbers, to keep your line steady in the water so the fish aren’t startled away. You also have to keep in mind what kind of fish you will be trying to catch.

If you are going to fish at a specific location and don’t know what fish you are looking for, it can make it more difficult to catch the fish. Using certain types of bait will attract certain types of fish. You should learn which fish are in the type of water you will be fishing in and what kind of bait they will respond to. There are also different lures available. A lure is what a person fishing uses to get the attention of the fish not scaring it away, but drawing it closer.

There is certainly a lot to learn about fishing. All states have different regulations regarding this. Before you go fishing, you should find out if the place you would like to fish allows fishing. Sometimes, you might be required to show your fishing license in order to be permitted to fish.

You should take an expert along with you to help you learn the skills and local regulations. This is also a safety precaution, as it is a very good idea to bring a partner along with you just in case something goes wrong. Even though fishing itself is not a dangerous sport, there are some mishaps that are possible. Pack a first aid kit, and always wear a personal floatation device. If you are wading, you need to know how deep the water is and you should wear long boots and protective pants.

Fishing is a fun way to kick back and enjoy yourself. Sometimes you can even caste your line, and set it down and read a book, or tap a nap. When there is a nibble, it will be sure to get your attention. You can catch a whole new hobby, hook, line and sinker!

When it comes to Shimano fishing reel parts, you never really have to look very far to find the right parts you need to get up and running again. Shimano has long been synonymous with fishing and is well recognized around the world. Originally founded in Japan in Kansai in the early 1920’s this company initially specialized the production of precision bearings and gearing.

Shozaburo Shimano had a vision at the time when he first started his company, and that was to produce the best product possible at a good cost to the consumer. With the Shimano fishing parts division that is currently considered one of the finest departments in the world, this vision has found its way to its expected and anticipated destination. Shimano fishing reel parts can be found in just about anywhere fishing reels are being sold, and they also offer an extensive list of replaceable parts for your reel so chances are you will not have to replace the reel all together.

Should you need fishing reel parts, there are actually a few routes you can go to get yourself back on the lake quickly. You could go to an authorized Shimano reel parts department in your favorite local sporting goods store, or you could go online and deal with them directly. If you are looking for quality reel parts at great savings, going online to their site is definitely a step in the right direction. Shimano has a great group of knowledgeable staff on hand to help you find what you need for your reel, and they carry a very large stock of parts for just about all of their lineup of fine fishing reels.

This company prides itself on the fact that it can offer you quality reel parts, for some of the reels that may not even be in production today. This will allow you to save on that favorite reel, should you not want to purchase a new model. This makes for a great service department, and you will never have to be disappointed with the online ordering that is provided from the sight. You can look online today and find the right parts for your prized reel, should you not be able to find what it is you are looking for, they will be happy to recommend a replacement reel that will be the closest match to what you currently own.