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Author Topic: Understanding Tigers  (Read 22419 times)

SPINNERBITE

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #15 on: Mar 15, 2008, 09:27 PM »
If you troll, keed your lines 15 to 25 feet behind the boat.  they look for food in that area.  As far as structure goes they relate to it as the dinner table.  Hanging just outside waiting for an easy meal.  Also a large 8-12 inch sucker on a drag pole behind the boat as you move and fish can pick up fish.  There is no best bait when I startted I filled the box with about $300.00 worth of stuff just to try out.  I switch lures often looking for the color and presentation they are looking for.

I'm guessing by reading your post that these fish....dont necessarily hide in structure, say timber vs. hang around it?
They relate to it but not in it?
As for lures for someone starting out.....you've got to have some go to lures....ones you feel confident about throwing
when you show up at a new spot.......would you start at the surface with a topwater......then work your way down...bucktail
maybe crankbait....or do you use a certain bait for raising fish.......then coming back later and smack'em with something else?

SPINNERBITE

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #16 on: Mar 15, 2008, 09:33 PM »

 vertical presentations for Neutral / negative fish. 


Would you expand on this a little .....are we talking big plastics here?
Swim shads...maybe large jigs and trailers?

mud_n_fun

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #17 on: Mar 15, 2008, 09:35 PM »
There is no secret bait. You start of with what you think will work and you go fron there.

mud_n_fun

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #18 on: Mar 15, 2008, 09:37 PM »
These are jerk baits, bucktail spinners  and anything topwater.

SPINNERBITE

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #19 on: Mar 15, 2008, 09:59 PM »
These are jerk baits, bucktail spinners  and anything topwater.


Let me ask you this ........which one of the baits listed above has produced the most fish for you?
I fish for anything that swims and whatever I'm going after I've got go to lures to start with.....I've
aquired a TON of crap along the way that dosent work too.
Musky fishing in my opinion is an exspensive sport.........if it was the only thing I did .....things would
be different :) I realize I'm going to dump some money again.....but I would like to do it with a little
thought behind it ........finding out from members like yourself who are already involved in it......
that way I wont end up with a TON of exspensive crap ;D

mud_n_fun

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #20 on: Mar 16, 2008, 10:21 AM »
topwater seems to do the best.  the splashing and the bubbles may get more strike because the fish can't tell that it is a lure and not a real meal.

SPINNERBITE

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #21 on: Mar 16, 2008, 07:11 PM »
topwater seems to do the best.  the splashing and the bubbles may get more strike because the fish can't tell that it is a lure and not a real meal.

I'm going to do some more research.....like any type of fishing its an ongoing thing.......the NYDEC still stocks'em every year at 10" long
Other than a few guys (and I mean a few guys ) that are trolling for them in this one lake...........and the rest just getting lucky fishing
for pike......I dont know of anyone actively pursueing them...........never ever acyually witnessed anyone throwing baits for'em....guess its
up to me.
I'll be talkin to ya.......I'm going to check out some topwaterbaits......and see what you think..... :)

mud_n_fun

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #22 on: Mar 16, 2008, 07:52 PM »
they are addictive once you have caught once  you catch one you gotta have more

SPINNERBITE

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #23 on: Mar 16, 2008, 08:09 PM »
they are addictive once you have caught once  you catch one you gotta have more

I've caught one and only one in open water........came on a rattlin rap (firetiger) casting parallel to the shoreline.......
instead of casting to the shoreline.......I was fishing for pike.....it was in the spring......pike where shallow relating
to whatever structure along the shoreline.........the tiger was off the edge of the drop away from shore......
it was between 12-15lbs.  beautiful color to it .......almost an aqua green to blueish along the back and stripes.
This is were my problem started.......I'll target a species......figure it out .....get my fill of it.......move on to something else.
This may take 1 month........6 months.......a year or two before I want to go after something else...........
I havent figured this fish out........other than throwing out a boober and sitting there forever waitin for a bite......constantly
working towards a goal is what makes me tick I guess.......until I have some success (and figure these fish out)....I wont rest...
These fish started really huanting me bad last fall.......and I beat the water.....got plenty of pike and bass......but Mr. Toothy never
showed himself.......but guess what......my boat is coming out of storage April 1st........and I'll be looking for him

HAPPY-HOOKER

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #24 on: Mar 23, 2010, 07:33 AM »
I only target them in the Winter and I did OK this year.  I just started fishing for them.  I did a lot of research and I mean a lot and I formulated a game plan.  I fished 2 times, first time I only caught a Walleye.  Second time I made an adjustment with bait and I hit this one!
I have never met anyone who targets them.


FishinNY

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #25 on: Apr 11, 2014, 09:00 PM »
I only target them in the Winter and I did OK this year.  I just started fishing for them.  I did a lot of research and I mean a lot and I formulated a game plan.  I fished 2 times, first time I only caught a Walleye.  Second time I made an adjustment with bait and I hit this one!
I have never met anyone who targets them.


I'm in NY myself just south of the Adirondacks. I decided this winter I wanted to find a tiger as I did well with the other game fish for a change of pace. As you did, I did so much research, I though my head was going to explode. I knew what lake I was going to fish and knew where I was going to set up before I got there. I set up between two islands off a saddle towards deep water. It was a pretty quick break and I must have made the right decision for that particular day. I caught one and so did my fiancé. Hers being the bigger one at 36". Mine hit on a large shiner in 8 fow suspended half way down. Hers hit on a 14" dead sucker in 12 fow a few feet off the bottom. I'm still a long ways from figuring them out, but I couldn't be happier ended the ice season like that. Now to find them in open water!
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panfishman13

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #26 on: Apr 13, 2014, 11:55 AM »
i've got a lake with a healthy population of Tigers, and i'm looking to fill out that slot in my life list.

this past winter i caught several 10" trout that have quite literally passed through the jaws of death. other prey in the lake are bluegills, perch, and small bass. it's illegal to use live bait here in Idaho, so i was a bit stumped as to what baits i should use under my tipups.

i probably won't target them this summer, but if i catch sight of one while i'm fishing for bluegill, i'd like to be prepared.

FishinNY

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #27 on: Apr 15, 2014, 12:55 PM »
i've got a lake with a healthy population of Tigers, and i'm looking to fill out that slot in my life list.

this past winter i caught several 10" trout that have quite literally passed through the jaws of death. other prey in the lake are bluegills, perch, and small bass. it's illegal to use live bait here in Idaho, so i was a bit stumped as to what baits i should use under my tipups.

i probably won't target them this summer, but if i catch sight of one while i'm fishing for bluegill, i'd like to be prepared.
What about store bought frozen herring?
I am Muskies Inc.

Fat Boy

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #28 on: Apr 23, 2014, 08:48 AM »
Rivers:  The tigers basically behave like pures.  Concentrate on current breaks and creek mouths, and any cover that breaks current.  In more slack areas, they can be anywhere.  The like to cruise behind schools of suckers, but are opportunistic feeders.  They will hang in cover like any other predator.  These fish can literally be anywhere.  Don't always focus on the shoreline.  In gentle current, they could be away from shore out in the middle, maybe holding on a bolder or behind a ledge, or even a gravel bar.

Use musky lures, and have a selection of different types and sizes to cover the water column.  If you are just starting to buy lures, these are good choices:

Bucktails - great for warmer weather and at night, late spring through early fall...but, don't be afraid to toss them during the colder months.  Spinnerbaits, pretty much the same thing.  Have a good selection of sizes.  Small ones may work when larger ones don't, and vice versa.  Always do a figure 8.  

Crankbaits - like Jakes, Grandma Lures, and such can be cast or trolled.  Muskies, including tigers, often will strike at changes of speeds, so working the crankbait with jerks and pauses often will trigger strikes.  But if I had to start off a good crankbait selection, I'd get the Bucher Depth Raider and the Shallow Raider.  They're mid sized baits that catch a lot of fish, and will cover the water column from 15' up.  Crankbaits are good all year long.

Gliders/Jerkbaits - there are a zillion of them out there, but they offer that same erratic action that triggers strikes.  The Phantom Softtail, Magic Makers, and Mantas are good choices.  I'm not a Suick fan, but my buddies catch plenty of fish on them.  I guess that's a confidence thing with me.  These work great when the fish are active...especially cooler/colder months.  Another thing about these is that you can either do figure 8s or jig them at the end of your cast.  Learn to walk the dog beneath the surface with the gliders, and try different speeds and work different depths.  If you aren't seeing fish, slow down.  If you get follows, try speeding up to produce a bite.  Or, try stopping and letting it sink...my buddy's refer to this as the "death pause" and can be as deadly as a figure 8.  

Big Soft Plastics - magnum and regular Bull Dawgs, Super D's, or Chaos Medussas are a must have.  They work well when casting deeper water.  You can jig them, crank them, or use long pulls.  These are great for working deep water (casting).  Figure 8's or jigging at the end of the cast too.

Topwater - I like the Whopper Plopper and the Bucher Top Raider.  Large prop baits work well, as do walk the dog style baits.  Summer is prime time for these.  But during colder weather, if they are following gliders and not hitting, try a topwater.  At the end of the cast, also do figure 8's, and plunge them deep and work your 8 to the top.

Lakes:  During cooler months most of the above applies.  During warmer months when lakes develop a thermocline, troll to that depth.  Grandmas, Depth Raiders or Jakes for mid depths, Believers (shallow), and Plows for deeper water...


On every cast make sure you do a figure 8 with the bait 2 or 3 times.  They will hit will doing it.

Great advice.  I can't stress this enough.  Even if you are trolling, and you pull your lures in to check them to see if they are fouled, do a figure 8 before bringing the lure into the boat, even if it's fouled.  Muskies don't care.

A couple more notes:  
If you have two rods rigged, have a follow up lure ready especially if you've had a hot follow through multiple 8's.  Something different on the next cast to the spot might trigger a bite.

Muskies, including tigers, are very adaptable to their environment.  They can handle more current than you'd think.  There was a video that someone let me borrow about trolling for muskies, and they had a camera rigged to their down rigger.  Muskies would cruise up to their baits with little effort at 5 mph, and actually follow the lures for a long time before hitting or deciding to move off.

Another thing though, is that having a stout XL or XXL longer fishing rod for muskies and the right tackle is very helpful if you're tossing the bigger baits.  Not only do these rods make life easier on your shoulders, they're also great for doing those deep figure 8's at boatside.

And finally, persistence pays off.  Remember where you had follows or encounters with muskies at various times of the year.  Chances are, they'll be there again one day.  And worse case scenario, you get to fight some huge northerns!

Good luck!

FishinNY

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Re: Understanding Tigers
« Reply #29 on: Apr 23, 2014, 06:44 PM »
Thank you very much for the very detailed write up! Because of it, I have some more ideas for this year.
I am Muskies Inc.

 



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