Late Fall Sucker Tips – New Musky Attire – Some A+ Memes
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Meat Fishin' Tips
We still have a LOT of fall musky fishing ahead of us! 🙌
Here's a few quick & interesting videos you might find valuable if you're planning on fishin' meat this month:
First, we have a recent video from Gregg Thomas showing how he rigs a sucker:
He places an emphasis on having a sleek rigging setup with T shape trebles, and also having good coverage on the sucker with one hook on the side near the "shoulder" of the bait and another on the opposite side near the anal fin.
Meat anglers are always maintaining a delicate balance between too much hardware (less bites) and better hookup rates (converting those bites into fish in the net).
This is a continuation, of a similar concept that we explore a lot deeper in "The System" class, where we discuss how certain baits have excellent hookup rates (ie. bucktails), but other baits might have better triggering capabilities (ie. glide baits) but offer significantly lower hooking percentages.
Many anglers understand some of these concepts at a base level, but what's more important is what you do with that information!
Okay, let's look at the next video.
Pete Maina posted a short video this week, talking about how he occasionally likes to re-set the hook on sucker eaters – here's his explanation:
"You try setting the hook with the fish facing away as fast as you can, but sometimes you don't get a good enough hookset. If you still see the sucker T-boned in the musky's mouth (it should be gone), you MAY have the musky hooked, but there's a 70% chance you don't.
"So what you want to do.... with the bend of the rod up high, as soon as the fish gives you an angle moving away, you want to drop the rod tip, create some slack, make sure the drag is tight on your reel, and you want to get another good snap-set at that point.
"Most of the time you're going to save the day."
Okay, last video.....
Does anyone remember this old throwback clip we shared a few years ago??? 👇
This isn't a particularly helpful "tip" per se... unless your family is out of town for the weekend. 😂 #shhh
Musky Memes!
Meme time, ladies and gents 😊
Do any of you need to "break up" with your buddies for a few weeks during the fall musky season??
No matter which slide you take, we hope you catch something this weekend! 🤙
Anyone else sometimes forget about the random lures you bought 5+ years ago that looked cool/interesting at the time??
Seems like half the musky community could relate to this last meme.... 😉
Old "Musky Shooting" Law Changed
Did you know that back-in-the-day, some anglers would shoot muskies during the fight, usually with a small-caliber pistol??
This was mostly before folks started practicing catch-and-release.
Well, they eventually made a law in Wisconsin to prevent anglers from carrying guns on the water and using them to finish 'skies and other fish.
Btw, check out this old school photo of the deed being done:
Anyway, it sounds like some WI folks wanted to repeal the law. Not because they want to start shooting muskies again, but because it's "too vague" and could be interpreted a number of different ways. Not to mention, they already have newer laws in place that prevent folks from shooting sport fish.
Here's how the old law reads:
"No person may possess or control any firearm, gun or similar device at any time while on the waters, banks or shores that might be used for the purpose of fishing."
Sounds like the outdated law ☝️ is getting removed.
Super random, but we thought some of you might find it interesting. You can check out this writeup on Outdoor Life for the full story.
This Week's Mashup:
Mashup time!
#1 – Here's a quick little GIF made from Bob Parteka's video, documenting the stocking process of future 50-inchers into the Green Bay system.
"On October 21 & 22, 2024, volunteers from Titletown Muskies, Inc. were honored to assist the Wisconsin DNR with fin clipping ~15,000 fall fingerling muskies at the Wild Rose Fish Hatchery for immediate release into the Green Bay watershed."
#2 – Check out these super slick Shallow Swimming Invader colors from the Taps & Tackle crew. Clockwise starting at the top right: Blotchy Sucker, Red Horse, Switch Perch, and True Cisco.
#3 – Joe Raymond wins the award for best dressed musky dude this fall 🔥
#4 – Diggin' this toothy release photo from musky guide Todd Schulz:
QUICK HITTERS:
– Snowstorm musky fishing (video) w/ Todays Angler
– Warm front fall musky patterns (video) w/ Smith Fishing
– North Dakota ‘skies (audio) w/ Road Rules podcast
– Fall musky hunt (video) w/ 54 or bust
– Eagle Lake musky fishing (video) w/ Prairie & Shield
THIS WEEK'S MONSTER MUSKIES:
Props to Joshua Gessler on poppin' this non-Tonka metro musky fishin' solo:
What an absolute tanker sent in by Jamie Pistilli. Gotta love those big-bodied eastern 'skies. 💪 Great fish, man!
Feast your eyes on this last light beauty sent in by reader Matt Walne:
Big congrats to Alex Stevens on catching this big ole bruiser, fishing with his buddy Ryley Hanson this year. #tanker
Wanna be featured in Musky Insider? Send in your recent trophy musky photos by replying to this email. You might just see your pic in next week's newsletter. 🤙
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