Tonka Muskies

[Trailblazin]

Calvinist - The Marv's spinnerbiat was black/yellow and gold blades. The Shallow Invader was my trusted crappie color.

All follows and the 47.5" were olding right on the edge of the slop/weeds in 3-6 ft of water.

Did also see some explosions in the slop as well!

[Tonka Boy]

Fished the west end from 6:30 to 8:30 last night. I had 1 good follow, but not able to coax it with a figure 8. I did however see muskies surfacing in each spot fished so I know numbers are coming real soon!!!

Northerns are stil hot as ever! If you're looking for a hot bite with some decent, mid to large norts, Tonka is it. They seem to be at the high point of the cycle and very active.

Almost seems like this cold front kicked Sept. patterns into high gear??? Everything is active, hmmm...

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Tonka Boy

[CALVINIST]

Tonka Boy,

Are your northern incidental to muskie fishing, or are you targeting them specifically? Because I never catch any while fishing muskies.

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Calvinist
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[Tonka Boy]

Calvinist,

I'm not targeting northerns, but have been getting them while either muskie or bass fishing. I'm surprised to hear you're not picking any up?? I'll try to e-mail you some specifics soon.

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Tonka Boy

[markkstanley]

The northerns must be a west of Tonka versus the east end. I don't target them either because I know I'm going to catch a few anyway but I am impressed by the size this year. I think Tonka Boy has it right. We've got a fall pattern already going.

[Doonbuggy]

Was fishing for a mixed bag this weekend and was fishing a big wall of milfoil when I spotted a nice muskie; probably 42-45". He saw me and swam off a bit.

Of course I then proceed to put on a muskie lure and literally as I'm changing lures there is this large explosion right in the milfoil!

I figure I was just a little late in getting that lure in front of him! There were bluegills everywhere so I have a feeling he took out one (or more).

He was in a classic position - about 5' of water. The milfoil came to an inside point and he was right there on the end of the point.

DB

[TMan]

Calvinist - the answer is yes, that's normal for topraiders, depthraiders, and shallowraiders eyes to come off of Bucher products. I guess Joe doesn't think it matters too much. I don't either, as I never replace them and haven't noticed a difference one way or the other. They still catch a t of fish. Now if it changed the action, I'd care....
TMan

[muskieboy46]

was out this morning from 6:30 till 1:30. A couple northern, a couple boils and blowups, a follow, and a muskie bite at the boat that should have been caught.

muskieboy

[FishHawker82]

Hey neighbor, sounds like you had a great evening. I was out last night on the reef west of carson bay and only got one hammerhandle on a bucktail. I was wondering wherebouts you got into these muskies. I am headin out again thursday and I don't know much about the lake. Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[HUSKIN FORA MUSK]

Fishhawker is that you?

[HUSKIN FORA MUSK]

Tonka Boy,
If you see muskies surfacing, do you cast to them repetitively, or give up on them after a few casts?

[HUSKIN FORA MUSK]

Trying to get UBB code to work.

[Neighboor]

Went out with a buddy from work yesterday afternoon. I got a 42 incher doing a figure 8 by the boat and my buddy got a 40 incher. Both on bucktails. other guys I work with were out in a different boat and got a 41.5 and 35 incher.

It was good afternoon. Lots of guys fishing

[FishHawker82]

Sho tis. By the way, why do you care bout ubb code? Mines on. No dice on the huskin 2nite, sorry buck. Maybe maybe this weekend we'll hawk into some ski's on tonka. Till then, watch over those pesky jack rabbits for me.

[CALVINIST]

Was for muskies on Tonka for ski's this AM...nada. Weather a factor?

What is the best strategy for fishing post-front muskies? Do topwaters still work under that circumstance? Slower retrieve on cranks? Work an area faster?

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Calvinist
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[Tonka Boy]

Huskin,

When I see a muskie surface within casting distance, I'll make a few casts past the fish and work it over the spot. It has been my experience that a muskie will typically show interest in the first few casts, if at all. If they do show interest, and have not been hooked, I'll beat the spot up.

Without any sort of action, I make a mental note and come back at a later time or date. It doesn't always work, but have nabbed a few this way.

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Tonka Boy

[HUSKIN FORA MUSK]

Mark K,

You say you cast 15 to 20 times and change lures a few times, do you vary lure types then? Maybe locate with a topwater, and then throw a bucktail or a spinnerbait if the fish missed on top?

[Trailblazin]

I'll vary lure types (changing colors, going to top water, etc...) and /or simply vary presentations with the same lure. I'll beat a spot to death - I have no idea how many casts I make, but a good hour working a spot is what I do.....

If I have a follow but no eaters, I'll leave that spot and come back a few hrs later usually with some success!

[CALVINIST]

Wow, I had no idea I should be working fishy areas so thoroughly. Thanks Trailblazin !

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Calvinist
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[Tonka Boy]

Trailblazin,

You say no eaters??? Are you fishing muskies?? Just kidding, I know what you mean (ok, I'm bored here at work).

I just wanted to add that there is no perfect solution as far as putting your time into a single spot. Sometimes it pays to beat it to death, other times it pays to wait and come back. You just have to let the fish dictate their mood. Good luck out there everyone!

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Tonka Boy

[FishHawker82]

Huskin, sounds like a husk of an idea. Lemme check in with JB. I will see if I can nab up on a locater aswell. I say early, dawn-ish, Saturday sounds nice if it aint rainin.

LET 'ER BUCK

[Neighboor]

Fishhawker,

I was fishing on the lower lake (east). Points, submerged humps and inside turns out of the way of boat traffic. boat in deepwater 18-25' throwing up on top of the foil. Fish really like to hang out and cruise along the milfoil curtain as I call it. This curtain seems to hold alot of other fish too and provides excellent cover from predators and prey.

If you have a follow I will do a quick figure 8 but if he isnt' interested and moves on, so do I. Mark the spot and come back just before dark and throw em something big and dark in color. YOu may have to move in shallower because they will move shallower into the evening. At sunset into the dark try the inside weedline 3-8 feet.

Good posts on here from all.

[muskieboy46]

I dont change my presentation at all. I keep my lucky lure on and let the rest of the people in the boat test out different lures. (havent been outfished yet)

[cupper]

Strategy-type question:

This is piggybacking on what tonka-boy just covered... When I find a spot that looks good I have a hard time letting it go and moving to the next one. I find myself making many casts with many different lures and before I know it, and hour is gone. My question is: How do you know you have thoroughly fished a spot before you move on with-out having to spend forever and a day there.

I know this shows my inexperience, but any advice will be greatly appreciated. I am bound and determined to get my first ski this year and I think I can with your help and more time on the water.

p.s. Was out yesterday morning before the wind blew in and saw alot of surface explosions on the outside of milfoil but I only caught a 30" pike.

[HUSKIN FORA MUSK]

Tonka Boy,

Thanks for the info. Fishhawker, JP and I are staying home for the weekend, so maybe we could try and chase down a ski or 2 real early on saturday or sunday.

[HUSKIN FORA MUSK]

cupper,

Not a bad pike. If you don't mind me asking, did that pike hit a larger muskie bait or were you fishing with downsized tackle hoping for bass, muskie, pike hookups?

[CALVINIST]

That's a good question Cupper. I guess I take the opposite approach and work areas fairly quickly...have never pounded a spot for any length of time...perhaps my approach of working quickly is flawed. What do the experts think on this one? Cup, if you ever want to get out sometime on Tonka and work it over, let me know. I have only caught two muskies in my life, none over 38". My goal this year is to get one at least 40".

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Calvinist
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[Giant_Jackpot]

What is the definition of working an area too long? Who the heck knows? I talked to the guys from Kentucky that won the PMTT on Tonka in 2001 and they fished the same weed bed both days, all day. Go figure…………

[markkstanley]

RE how many casts to throw on a good spot? Remember the goal is to find active fish. Most of the time muskies are just hanging out and not feeding - which is why we get a lot of follows. I've been told by some DNR types that it only takes about a half hour for a musky to chow down and then it's back to the couch to digest. So I don't tend to throw 50 casts to an area. If fishing alone I might throw 15 to 20 total casts switching lures a couple of times and then move on to the next spot. If there's a feeding fish in the area a few casts will attract it.

You can annoy an inactive fish to hit a bait but generally, just like a teenaged son, they will ignore you. I think figure 8s work because of the annoyance factor. The musky follows out of curiosity and then just gets to too much stimulus at close quarters to resist. Kind of hard to achieve the same level of stimulus at the end of a cast. I know because I have tried it. Have even hit them on the head in shallow water with no reaction.

[CALVINIST]

Tonka Boy,

Do I understand that in your last post you are talking about a spot where you see fish and/or previously had a follow? What about when you want to work a shoreline from point a to point b, and it is pretty lenghty? Will you sit on any particular spot that looks fishy, but haven't seen any fish, or do you work the area over briskly?

BTW, Ill be fishing the west end of Tonka tonight. Oddly, I have done very little evening/night muskie fishing this year.

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Calvinist
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