| Most anglers think big when hunting lunker | | | | proved to me that these preditors can be |
| muskie, but if you want to catch more muskie | | | | caught on lighter tackle and smaller |
| think smaller baits and tackle. I caught my | | | | baits.Conventional thinking tells us that in |
| biggest muskellunge while fishing walleye | | | | the fall; the remaining muskellunge, are |
| with a plastic worm in September. More often | | | | large, therefore bigger is better. However, |
| than can be considered coincidental people | | | | my experience is that smaller baits are often |
| catch a lunge while fishing other species. | | | | the perfect morsel for that elusive |
| Most anglers look to heavy tackle, large | | | | luncker.Equipment And PresentationWhen I say |
| baits and trolling as the way to catch | | | | smaller baits I am referring to large or |
| muskies. Personally I become bored or just | | | | oversized walleyes jigs. As mentioned this |
| tired of trolling all the time.Now one of my | | | | approach evolved on a body of water with a |
| most successful tactics used especially in | | | | large population of large walleye. Now using |
| the fall is used for fishing large walleye | | | | the idea that big baits means big fish or |
| and at the same time muskellunge. I use | | | | walleye. I began tossing 5 to 6 inch plastic |
| medium size tackle and large walleye baits | | | | shad-bodied jigs along weed lines. I landed a |
| especially jigs. Fishing weed lines, drop | | | | number of big walleye, but to my surprise, |
| offs and shoals as you would for walleyes | | | | the muskie were also going for the same bait. |
| will also attract as many lunge as walleyes. | | | | The big plastic jigs became an important part |
| The first time I realised this I did have | | | | of my muskie fishing arsenal. All large |
| some success for large walleyes and had just | | | | plastics work just fine.Colour seems less |
| caught and released a nice 7 pounder that was | | | | important than creating a real flash. |
| followed to the boat by a large muskie.The | | | | Two-toned baits, mainly dark and light |
| only change I made was to make sure I was | | | | combinations, create more flash when drawn |
| using wire leads and good stong swivels. | | | | through the water. Adding some metal flake |
| Using 6 inch plastics worked just fine and | | | | also ads that extra flash. Just experiment |
| the result was a fun great day of fishing. In | | | | and you will find a combination that will |
| all the two of us caught and released 9 | | | | work for you and get that strike you want.I |
| walleyes from 5 to 8 pounds plus 5 muskie all | | | | generally use ball-head or stand-up-head jigs |
| in the 15 to 20 pound range. Although not the | | | | with medium gauge wire hooks. |
| lunker; that most anglers look for. But it | | | | |