Tail water musky question

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mike_richardson

mike_richardson

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Any tips or advice for targeting tail water muskies. Looking to hit up some instead of trout for the trout opener.

Any insight on patterns, and tactics would be greatly appreciated.
 
Looking at the patterns you tied up already seems like you got some good ones. Try your crayfish pattern to your minnow and panfish patterns. Just to start Muskies aren't really afraid of you so when your stripping your fly they may follow it in right to you. So I would never pull the fly out of the water right away. Remember figure 8 with the fly or big circles. No this is just not a boat technique. Always look behind the fly cause that where you see them. As for stripping the fly, they still will be a little sluggish so I would go slow to a medfast.
 
Thanks! I was thinking that I should maybe tie a few creek chub and sucker patterns as well. I though maybe about reducing the size on the flies as well. I am going to try and tie musky flies all next week.
 
Chubs,suckers, panfish, all great. Don't reduce go bigger. Muskie hits flies that push a lot of water. They do like commotion. I went from 7in to 10in next is a 12 in to a 15in fly.
 
If the tailrace you're targeting has seen significant spillway overflow recently (which is likely) that is a good sign.

For flies, I'd vote for smaller sizes - in the range of 4-9 inches - that utilize a lot of white or silver flash materials. This is because tailrace predators this time of year are likely feeding on baitfish that have themselves gone over the dam. This would include a lot of shad or similar surface schooling baitfishes that are in that size range and silvery colored.

However, I wouldn't overthink muskie flies too much. Fish what you've tied and stick with it. Persistence usually has a lot more to do with musky success than fly patterns.


 
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