Musky/Sounds Equation – 'skie Memery – Chunky Fall Musky
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Following-Up on Followers
We had a really good chat with Ryan McMahon and our Musky Insider PRO crew this week – lots of good info, but wanted to share a little nugget here in the newsletter.
One of our members asked for advice/tips on lazy-following muskies. Ryan is always good at taking a complex topic and simplifying it into something actionable.
Here were *some* of his thoughts:
"I like to always think of things in terms of figuring out location, then figuring out presentation, and figuring out timing.
"When a musky follows, I'm picking up on cues. Is it following on the same plane as the bait? If yes, then I'm probably in the right bait category. If I was throwing a bucktail, I'll probably stay with a bucktail (or something similar). From there, I might try a different color, a different size, a different speed.
"If the fish followed the bait at a lower plane, I'm likely going to come back with a rubber bait. Something where you can let it drop down to their level, then rip it away from them, then drop it back down towards their face.
"A big part of the equation is whether I can afford to leave the fish alone for a while. Am I on heavily pressured waters, where if I leave, the next boat is going to slide right in?
"Or can I come back later, knowing there's a reasonable chance that fish hasn't seen more baits? If yes, that's usually what I'm going to do. I'll let the fish set back up on the spot and get comfortable. From there, I wait for either light-light, dark, a moon phase, a change in barometric pressure."
Lots more goodies in the discussion (can't share too much here), including why Ryan will pay attention to the musky's tail, and how he adjusts his follow-up strategy accordingly.
Btw, registration is still open for Musky Insider PRO – click here for more info. We film all the sessions live, but the recordings (including the McMahon chat) are available to watch after-the-fact. It's been a fun year with lots of great info shared!
(It would also make a good gift for that musky angler in your life....)
The Musky/Sound Equation
Musky fishin' folks love to utilize sound to attract muskies....
We'll bend plopper fins to make 'em clank against our treble hooks. We'll add dangling wires to the front of our bucktails to create extra noise when they "tick" the blades. We'll put square clevises on round wire to create unique grinding sounds that muskies have never heard before.
If we're being totally honest, I think we'd all agree that musky anglers are an obsessive group, and sound is something we tinker with a TON....
But what does the science have to say about muskies & sound?
John Anderson (Musky Factory) did an interview with biologist Sean Landsman, coverin' that exact topic.
(Btw, Sean is going to be one of our Insider PRO speakers this winter. We're really excited to have him on!)
Some pretty interesting info that's worth checkin' out, including exactly how muskies hear sound and whether or not blaring Motley Crue on your sound system will help you catch more muskies.... 😂
Musky Memes
Alright, let's do some memes!
First up... Have any of y'all ever had this happen to you??? 😂
This next one is applicable, whether you hired a fishing guide, or you're fishin' with a buddy on his boat, on his spot, on his dime (aka a free guide trip) 😂
Not sure what the problem is here.... He might be able to cut that food bill down a bit though 🤷♂️
This last one doesn't need any additional commentary 😉
This Week's Mashup:
Mashup time!
#1 – Check out this sweet old Bucher throwback, found by Eric Nygaard:
#2 – Saw this on Target Walleye.... Not sure if we should be laughing at this dude or asking him for late season boating tips 😂 Lord knows we've "been there, done that" quite a few times....
#3 – How sweet is this underwater snap from Glenn McDonald just a few moments before the scoop???
#4 – Gorgeous nighttime release pic from Jon Shepherd.... 📸 #LetEmGoLetEmGrow
QUICK HITTERS:
– New 50 inch minimum on some WI waters (link) 🔥
– Solo November fishing for big muskies w/ Todays Angler (video)
– LOTW summer muskies w/ Devoted Outdoors (video)
– Some 2023 musky fishing highlights w/ Team Rhino (video)
– Late summer Eagle Lake ‘skies w/ AA (video)
THIS WEEK'S MONSTER MUSKIES:
Check out this impressive plus-sized northern WI bronzie from Nate Osfar 💪
☝️ For those that don't know Nate, he's one of the absolute best tournament musky sticks out there. He shared a bunch of great info when we had him on as a PRO speaker earlier this season.
The dimensions (52 x 28") are ridiculous on this north-of-the-border after-hours musky from Dominic Papineau:
Congrats to “Detonator Dean” on poppin' this extra-clean 'skie fishing with Michael Hanson. 🔥 Great job, dude!
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