Muskie Baits and the Figure Eight
The big fish appeared on the back side of a rock outcropping as my buck tail passed overtop. It seemed to just appear out of nowhere, effortlessly lifting from the depths on the back side of a rocky reef. I could clearly see this freshwater giant in the gin clear water, watching it propel itself forward with such fluid motion, almost as if not trying.
I had cast my bucktail over a rocky protruding point off a small island and had barely started cranking the reel when this creature appeared. It paced my bait as I tried to keep a steady retrieve, with its nose nearly touching the back end of the bucktail. I tried to calm my racing heart, watching nearly 50 inches of muskie closing in on the boat.
I steadily reeled, watching this almost mythical creature follow it nearly the whole length of the cast. As the bait got within a couple feet of my rod tip, I tried to be fluid. Slipping the rod tip under water, I kept the blades on that bucktail spinning. I drew the rod tip towards me, bringing the bait towards the boat, making a sudden turn, sweeping the bait alongside in a gentle loop. Swinging the bait out again, I made another turn to parallel the boat. Then I made several large oval shaped loops, letting the bucktail slow, and then sped into the corners.
The whole time, this behemoth of a fish stayed locked on, inches behind the bucktail, making the turns completely naturally, spinning its lengthy frame on a dime. Watching this toothy predator chase this bait, locked onto my bait, made me not want to be a bait fish in a muskie lake
STAY CALM!
After two or three loops, trying to not hyperventilate, I made a rapid turn on the outside of my loop…..and it happened. I saw it before I felt it, an almost effortless motion on the muskies part. A slight acceleration, its mouth opened, the gills flared, and my bucktail disappeared.
I almost didn’t react, seemingly stunned by what had just happened. After my brain registered what was going on, I leaned back into the rod, set the hook, and held on for dear life as 46 inches of muskie thrashed wildly about, 2 feet off the end of my rod.
THE FIGURE EIGHT WORKS!
Safe to say, the figure 8 works. It is an often talked about strategy for muskie, and for good reason. It doesn’t always work, but when it does……hold on! The basic premise behind the figure 8 is when a muskie is following your bait, if it doesn’t hit it by the time it gets to the boat, instead of stopping your retrieve, and watching that fish disappear, you keep that bait moving right beside the boat, swinging it around in a loop of in the shape of a figure 8, hoping to entice the fish to strike. There are different twists you can put on the figure 8, and over time trying it out, and talking to muskie anglers you’ll likely pick up a trick or two.
When making a figure 8, as you draw the bait back to the boat, you stop reeling with about 2 feet of line off the end of your rod. Then sweep it along the boat for maybe 6 feet, then drive it out and away from the boat, before turning it around and finishing the loop, essentially drawing a number 8 in the water with your rod tip. These sudden direction changes can often be what makes the pursuer strike.
KEEP YOUR BAIT WET BOATSIDE
Another tip I picked up fishing with another muskie expert, is something to do every cast. While you aren’t necessarily going to do a figure 8 after each cast, each time you retrieve the bait to the boat, as the bait near the rod tip, instead of taking it out of the water right away, plunge the rod tip just under the surface, and sweep it a couple feet along the side of the boat in front of you. This may give a following fish one last chance to grab your bait, but also gives you a chance to see a following fish you may have missed. It doesn’t take any effort and can be worth it if a fish is lagging behind, below your bait or in coloured water where they are harder to see.
You can do this with most muskie rods, but a longer rod makes this a whole lot easier and more effective. Using something in the 8 foot plus range is ideal, allowing you to stand comfortably in the boat and get the rod tip underwater, and make your large sweeping pattern. With a shorter rod this can be challenging, and your motion may be limited.
The figure 8 is a fun tactic to try, and anyone that has ever had a muskie follow their bait knows the feelings and emotions it brings. It is a mind melting experience just seeing a fish follow. When you can get a fish turning on a dime, chasing your bait in circles right at your feet, it is sure to send your heartrate skyrocketing, and if that fish hits……oh boy! It is a seriously effective tactic, and the ultimate rush when things line up.