Stupid Boater vs. Musky Angler – Sucker Tips – Top 5 September Lures
Be the FIRST to see Musky Insider every week by signing up for the email version of this newsletter. It's 100% free and we will never sell your email address! Click here to sign up and never miss another issue.
How NOT to drive a boat....
Labor Day weekend is the last big summertime holiday, so lakes are usually jam-packed with recreational boaters. Not the best time to chunk a bucktail, but it's worth a try if you're not stuck at your in-laws. 😂
Here's a great example of what could go wrong:
You can watch the full video on Ben Stone's YouTube channel. Pretty wild.
Musky Fishin' with Crappie Boards?
Raise your hand if you're ready for fall muskies! ✋
Water temps are droppin' and the trees are already starting to turn in some parts of the musky world. It won't be long....
We've still got some time before the livebait bite starts to heat up, but here's something new from the Angling Edge crew on chasin' fall muskies with livebait:
Definitely worth a watch for the tips and a few nice fish. Also, Jeremy Smith explains when & why he likes to use a crappie-sized planer board for sucker draggin' on structure.
Bet you'd get some sideways looks from your buddy if you brought a bag of these into his boat. 😉 They're not Headlock approved, but work great as a "bobber" when you're working the edges of structure.
Don't knock it till you've tried it!
Best September Musky Baits
It's been a stellar season for many of you, but the best fishing of the year is still ahead of us! Nothing beats girthy plus-sized fall muskies. As water temps change, so do the tactics and presentations needed to catch'em.
If you're looking for some September bait selection advice, TRO and Jeff Van Remortel gotcha covered – they just shared an awesome video on the topic. Here's a quick overview of Jeff's top picks:
1. Phantoms
First on the list was the 6" Phantom Soft Tail. Jeff notes the "quintessential" glide bait bite happens during the bookends of the season – as water temps are warming in spring or dropping in fall. He prefers soft tails > hard tails for the extra "squirreliness" in the hindquarters.
2-3. Rubber
Another go-to option is rubber, ie. Bull Dawgs, Medussas, etc. Jeff loves snapping 'em over shallow cabbage this time of year when muskies are looking for a bigger meal.
Bigger CAN = better, but Jeff recommends downsizing to smaller models when the bite is tough or he's seeing fish that follow and won't commit.
4. Cannonball Jr.
Don't sleep on topwater during the fall months, especially September! Jeff likes the Cannonball Jr. for targeting big fish and aggressive strikes.
5. Suicks
You can't make this list without including a Suick. Jeff prefers the 10" weighted wood version because it runs a little deeper, has a larger profile, and is a little more forgiving when you're trying to get 'er tuned just right. He recommends going to the plastic versions if you're fishing rocks.
Super solid list – there's a few baits we'd add to the list (tough to keep a list like this to 5 baits), but that can wait for a future email!
Metro Musky Action
Just got done watching a quick video with Pat McSharry and John Hoyer on Tonka. Some good info and a solid low-40's metro musky, but I can't help rolling on the floor laughing at the onlookers in the background:
The boys are trying to shoot a show, finally get one in the boat, and Buddy in the black boat needs to drive up to get a closer look. 😂
Can't blame a walleye guy for getting fish envy....
QUICK HITTERS:
– Nice cast-2-catch musky w/ Chas Martin (video)
– Revolution Reel Seat Demo w/ Jason Smith (video)
– Green Bay pike restoration project (link)
– 16yo catches 52.5" musky (video)
– Modifying a Bobbie Bait for a different action (video)
THIS WEEK'S LUNAR TIMES:
(Times based on Minneapolis)
THIS WEEK'S MONSTER MUSKIES:
This 52.25" LOTW porkbelly was patrolling an isolated reef when Barry Butlerbounced a Jointed Shallow Raider (white belly perch) across her face. #chomp
This blade-eating sea snake hit Chris Venneman's black bucktail on the figure 8 and hit the bump board at 52-inches! Impressive specimen 🤙
Cool story on this beauty – after seeing her TWICE on a sand-to-weed transition, Tim Norris and his buddies used the Lake Labs hands-free voice assistant to determine the next moon phase. They came back 90 minutes later on the minor and got crushed on a Fat Bastard! Moon made all the difference.
Lake St. Clair kicks out some serious muskies, as Joel Neubeck found out after netting this 52" Esox masquinongy on the Canadian side of the lake.
Want to see more from Musky Insider? Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for bonus content throughout the week!