Why ''Sound'' Matters – Esox Stomach Find – Some Sweet GIFs
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.
Four Notes: GIF Edition
Here's a few musky GIFs and some notes to go with 'em.
Note #1 – Pausing hard baits still works....
Folks have been doing it for a long time with crankbaits, jerkbaits and dive-and-rise baits.
This underwater view from @jdeboer4 doesn't end in a strike, but it shows how much a "pause" can peak the interest of a mildly curious musky:
Note #2 – Some muskies are just sooo dang hungry....
Here's a perfect illustration from John Vogeler. This 'skie comes in at a 100 mph and lunges at the bait – cool clip!
Note #3 – Mille Lacs might have some of the most beautiful muskies on planet.
Big girthy gals with amazing patterns.
Awesome underwater release shot from Ben Stone:
Note #4 – Speaking of beautiful, there might not be a more beautiful place to target muskies than the Rocky Mountain region.
Gorgeous tiger from Fishing Colorado, but how bout that backdrop???
Tick, tick, tick....BOOM!
Sound matters.
Most of the best musky lures have sound working in their favor.
Many of the most popular bait modifications aim to either improve hooking percentages or create more/different noises.
Common Example: Adding an extra split ring to the front hook of a Lake X Cannonball Jr. so the hook clanks against the prop as it spins.
Sound is PARTICULARLY important for bucktails.
That's why we've seen more innovation the last several years in things like clevis design, as opposed to skirting material/design.
Some lures like the Kramer Bros Ticker have taken sound a step further:
The Revolution Ticker pairs a blade that starts and spins VERY easily, with a wire "ticker" that adds a ton of sound as it contacts the spinning blade.
The Result: A sound that's completely different than traditional bucktails.
Another variation is their Woodtick, which has a buoyant wooden body behind the skirt. This allows anglers to fish it very slowly, creating a presentation that's unlike what you get from most bucktails.
Slow roll + "ticker" sound = Very unique
Sound isn't the end-all-be-all, but it definitely matters.
Moral of the story: When you're thinking about lure choice and modifications, keep "sound" in mind. Whether it's a squealing clevis, clanking hooks, vibrating wire or a clattering ticker.
Survivor: Season 45
John Mertz probably should have named this little bullhead "Jonah" after it survived the belly of a northern pike he filleted:
Not musky-related per se, but John made a good point in his post:
"This was a pike stomach content thing, but, honestly, how many muskie stomachs do you want to see opened anyway, right?!"
Crazy that this little guy would come out kicking after literally being digested alive for who knows how long!
This is yet another example.... when the apocalypse finally hits, the only survivors will be cockroaches and bullheads! 😂
This Week's Mashup:
Mashup time!
#1 – We LOVE random musky-themed finds. Dave Martin saw this on the wall of a Mexican restaurant and sent in for us to share – excelente:
¿Dónde esta los pesca grande? 😉
#2 – How sweet was this Ebay find from notorious tiger wrangler Ryan Elizondo. Sounds like 'Ole' was from the Twin Cities and has since passed. Cool to see his legend live on via his sweet gold throwback jacket.
#3 – Check out these fresh TRO/KO custom colors in a buncha Llungen fish catchin' cranks. Clockwise starting from the top left: KO Glitter Bluegill, KO Crappie, KO Yellow Belly Walleye, KO Pink a Boo Gold, and KO Hot Perch.
#4 – Really cool paint-on-wood musky depiction from Piper Nunn:
QUICK HITTERS:
– Fishing a new musky lakes w/ Todays Angler (video)
– Musky catchin’ action w/ 54 or bust (video)
– River musky float trip w/ Smiths Fishing (video)
– Eagle lake musky fishing w/ AA (video)
– Musky fishing in MN Metro w/ Ben Stone (video)
– More Eagle Lake musky chasin’ w/ Midwest Outdoors (video)
THIS WEEK'S MONSTER MUSKIES:
We highlighted Jimmy Lacerte a couple weeks ago, showing off a few of his sweet catches this season. Turns out we jumped the gun a little bit, because the dude just popped another Canadian giant! 💪 This one is his new PB, measuring 58 x 24.5''.
Congrats to Brett on boating this crazy impressive 56 incher fishing at Tamarack Island Lodge this past week. Amazing fish!
Adam Oberfoell was chunkin' and windin' The One bucktail when this nightstalker decided to pay him a visit – great fish man!
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. 🤙
Want to see more from Musky Insider? Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for bonus content throughout the week!
Send all business inquiries to josh@muskyinsider.com