Posted by MuskieKid Other ideas: As mentioned in the last post, this year I'm going to try "swimbaits" on Tigers. These are saltwater plastics that look like fish with the weight and hooks embedded in them. I believe that will work - stay tuned. In a couple of reservoirs (I don't fish them)near Baltimore (50 miles from me), they stocked Stipers (we call them Rockfish here in Maryland). These fish are getting as big as 40-50 pounds!!! The DNR attributes their great size to the forage they have planted in the lake. You guessed it - Rainbow Trout. The successful anglers are catching them with Rapala minnon-type lures. Black/silver & rainbow trout are popular colors. I bet the same methods would work in your lake. They mostly troll , but do cast for them in deeper water. Shad baits: Are there shad in your lake? You might try using shad look-a-likes (Super Shad Rap in silver color). Live bait (a dirty word to some people): I know of a local fisherman that uses bluegills for Tiger Musky bait. He drops them out behind the boat and lets them swim around while he casts. He does get a Tiger this way occasionally, usually in the 36-42" size. I have no idea if he uses a hook harness. You might want to contact your local DNR biologist and ask them about the fish. They sometimes themselves fish for Tigers and may be able to help you out. Shocking tests don't always work for Tigers, but the DNR may be a good source of info. for you. Although I mentioned fishing for topwaters early in the morning, my favorite fishing time is usually around 5:00 pm. I've had better luck then than any other time. Wondering: is it possible for you to troll at all?
on 2/6/2003, 6:46 am
Message modified by board administrator 2/6/2003, 6:10 am
Sounds like you have tried just about everything. You have to remember that I fish an electric-only lake so my speed is limited. However, I use two electric motors and go about 3 mph trolling. I have caught them wide open and very slow. One other method I've tried (early in the morning as the sun is coming up) is to let a Muskie-sized BLACK topwater plug (the kind with a propellor in the rear)about 100' behind my boat and move the boat very slowly. As I move the boat I twitch the lure very gently. Occasionally I will get a blow-up on the lure. I've never had any luck using topwaters in the afternoon. They do hit a figure 8.
Since you have rainbow trout in your lake you might have a lot of luck with these if you can imitate their color with these baits. In the western states (mainly California)this method is very hot for giant Bass. The DNR has stocked Rainbows in their lakes and it has resulted in some really big fish being produced (up to 20lbs).
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