Eyes In The Night

[Musky Plug]

Hey guys,

 

Was at PAB for a few days last week with a few others for my first real outing this season. Weather was good first day was over 30 degrees and the the remaining days I don't think broke 20 with cold nights. We caught some good fish, one being a 4LB 14Oz smallie and another was 3LB 13Oz. Caught a few decent pike trolling for musky biggest being just shy of 37inches and a few others around the 30" mark and many other small guys. However they were no musky caught this trip sadly put just under 30hrs trolling in over 4 days and didn't even get a sniff. But that's part of it. 

 

So my question is, at night we took a break from trolling to try to find some eyes. We found them (or what I presumed to be walleye on the graph) only at night when the sun was down, they would school up and feed on huge schools of small bait fish. We could see the minnows swimming around next to the boat with the head lamps. Trying the catch them was impossible. Tried jigging, drop shots, cranks, harnesses, holding the jigs with minnows in the feeding area, rip baits. But still couldn't catch any. Is it as possible that they are just gorging on the other bait so theres no interest in what we were using or were we not doing the right things? Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated. 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2018 by Musky Plug

[mike rousseau]

Likely not due to bait in the water... anglers look for bait to find feeding fish 

 

that being said

 

in my experience at nigh color choice is critical... clown or bright UV paints are the ticket

 

second... baits that vibrate... cranks or spinners are the ultimate for me after dark... they will outfish live bait due to the vibrations 

 

 

 

 

[OhioFisherman]

If you were using a jig and minnow it seems strange it wasn't taken by a walleye feeding on minnows? The jig is just basically a weight? especially at night?

 

[Musky Plug]

22 hours ago, mike rousseau said:

Likely not due to bait in the water... anglers look for bait to find feeding fish 

 

that being said

 

in my experience at nigh color choice is critical... clown or bright UV paints are the ticket

 

second... baits that vibrate... cranks or spinners are the ultimate for me after dark... they will outfish live bait due to the vibrations 

 

 

 

 

I don''t have any glow in the dark baits but I did try rippin raps of various sizes as well as cranks. We just couldn't get them to go. 

 

19 hours ago, OhioFisherman said:

If you were using a jig and minnow it seems strange it wasn't taken by a walleye feeding on minnows? The jig is just basically a weight? especially at night?

 

You would think? we used jig and minnow and dropshotted them but still nothing...

[OhioFisherman]

Sort of a major temperature change ( cold front ) they can throw things off, at least for me. Sounds like you covered the bases pretty well, not sure what else you could have done.