I found this link on the internet and check out this pike and what it ate. I have also seen similar pictures of muskies with a huge fish down their throat. I have always wondered what would happen if you were using a 22"-24" bait in a body of water with large muskies? Who knows…..
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That is crazy! Im sure muskies would hit really big lures, but I dont know how fishable they would be. Ive heard that they like prey about 20% their size so a 20 pound musky would really like a 4 pound bait!! I have caught 18-20" muskies on magdawgs so Im sure 30" baits wouldnt be out of the question for big skies just dont know if we would be able to handle casting them. Then again you also hear those stories of monster fish caught on little bass baits or walleye minnows.
That is pretty cool! I'm not sure why the pike had trouble? once they get the fat part of their prey past the gills so they can breathe they are usually home free. It probably just wore itself out getting the whitefish to that point though. J- remember that 20% rule is for length, not necessarily weight! So that 20 lb muskie- lets say its 42"- most commonly eats fish 8-9" that weigh less than a pound. But they certainly can and do eat bigger things.
I think of musky feeding behavior the same way I approach pizza buffets. I (I'll call myself a 48 incher) sit at my table (i.e. a cabbage patch) and watch the buffet line (weed edge) for my preferred meal. If there is one slice of pep/mush (4" perch) left, I am going to hold. BUT- if that same lonely slice of pep/mush walks by on my brothers plate right in front of my nose (the darwin award goes to that 4" perch)- WHAM!!! Its gone in a blink and I didn't have to spend any energy to get it. Then they bring out a fresh green pepper and onion (24" walleye), I'm not moving- don't want that crap. But then a whole double pep/double mush/bacon (16" white sucker) gets laid down on the buffet- I coil up in my booth and spring at the opportune moment and pile that baby 3 layers high onto my plate before anyone else in the joint even thinks about touching it!!! I choke that down and a couple more plates, and I'm full. Lots of good pizza is still left on the buffet, but I'm satisfied. Until- wait, Pete just brought back a plate and he's got a tiny extra cheese/sausage (3" cisco) piece right in front of my nose… I may be pretty full, but I can fit another tiny bite down and I don't even have to move for it- BOOM!!!
I'm pretty sure that's what a musky's whole day is like… 😀
Pete and Duke have a peak feeding window of about one hour after dark. This bite can be incredible. There's no sense in getting too creative in your bait selection when this feeding frenzy is occuring. Just throw your best hooking pep/mush and you will get bit. Be sure to set the hook immediately to be sure not to gut hook one of these pigs.
This is great! Now I happen to have had the pleasure of witnessing the LeBaron brothers feeding frenzy with some top notch Pizza in the UP. These guys absolutely devour good pizza. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to witness this. You can just see and feel the excitement in their eyes when the talk of great pizza comes up. Smiles on their faces! If Pete and Duke were 48" musky they would both have healthy 25" girths and large baitfish, pepperoni and sausage, would swim in constant fear.
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Duke…
You have never been more articulate… Marry Pizza with muskie fishing and you get a true piece of literary artistry… [smilie=bow.gif]
I am laughing my A$$ off… [smilie=hahaha.gif] You guys have no idea where this is actually coming from or what it really means until you have witnessed the LeBarons partake in a pizza feeding frenzy. [smilie=jawdrop.gif]
As I read this I have visions of Duke eagerly stuffing in the last piece of his own 18" pie with a drip of reddish colored grease dripping from the corner of his mouth nearly down to his chin…
It was a sight to behold… There will be other public viewing opportunities to witness perhaps just a glimpse of their true potential, such as the lure swap in December or if you catch them at the Gino’s Pizza Spectacular while the Chicago muskie show is going on.
They actually go to Chicago that weekend for the pizza, and while they are there, take in the muskie show.
The only way to truly understand what this is all about is to arrange for a private viewing…
Do we need bigger baits?? Im sure fish would be able to eat them. Heres a picture of a 50"+ fish with a 2 pounder (yes 2 POUNDER) just engulfed. The bait is around 27" long with tail I believe.
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And heres a picture of a 2 pounder next to a magsuperD.
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Who would be crazy enough to buy and throw a 2 pounder??? 😀
Heres the story where the picture came from.
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"jasonvkop" said:
Do we need bigger baits?? Im sure fish would be able to eat them. Heres a picture of a 50"+ fish with a 2 pounder (yes 2 POUNDER) just engulfed. The bait is around 27" long with tail I believe.
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” />And heres a picture of a 2 pounder next to a magsuperD.
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” />Who would be crazy enough to buy and throw a 2 pounder??? 😀
Heres the story where the picture came from.
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Jason,
What kind of idiot buys a 26oz bait? Hard to believe.
Well, sometimes in certain places bigger is better. Johnny Dadson sent me a picture about 4 years ago and asked me if I could build him a 20 plus inch deep diving lake trout. I said yea no problem and it will run too!! But why the heck do you want a lure that big?? The picture he sent me which I can no longer find was of a monster Georgian Bay Musky that had died . When they opened her up she had a 22 inch Laker in her stomach. I said ok, Ill build it. Since then I have sold 11 other 21 inch Deepthreats to several different guys who have caught a lot of Muskies on them. But No one has stuck a real big fish over 50 pounds on one yet. It seems that 47 and 48 inchers just attack that lure. One of my clients runs his in the shipping channel in Lake St. Clair and he sticks some nice fish on them including one over 50 inches.
Joe Bednar was a whitness to a mid 40 inch class fish that attacked a 15 inch Dragon Claw twice in 15 seconds. Once when I was pulling it in after trolling and once when I flung it back out and jerked it.
My take is this, I use bigger stuff in big water where I feel I need to have my lure noticed from farther away. Also big waters generally mean bigger fish. I have taken nice fish on 10,12,13, and 15 inch lures and can say that every musky fisherman should have at least a couple of big baits in their box. I think in general though that 12 inches is as big as I like to fish in Crankbaits. Mike
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