Toothy Critter Success Thread, Part II - 2015

[PACOFRANSICO]

Slay,

Go to a shorter leader the action on a Buford gets better the shorter the leader is. I keeping under 4 ft flyline to fly. Also go with a looser packed head on the Buford's also.

 

[wgmiller]

slay12345 wrote:
I know WGMiller suggested angel hair for flash and movement.

I took this out for a "test drive" the other day and am very happy with how it casts and fishes. I didn't get any activity, but it satisfied my curiosity on how it fished. I'm looking at tying these up in other colors as well. Very easy tie (although the angel hair is a bit messy!)

4/0 with Fish Mask for a head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYlueOmLkXs

 

[TD55]

Like Paco said. leaders for musky should be short. They are not leader shy I often times think you can tie fly right to fly line and catch fish. keep the leader under 5 feet or less for more buoyant flies. If you are making a big buford head the hair you are using is probably belly hair or the coarse stuff at the bottom of a bucktail which is super buoyant. Try body hair it spins great and is a little less course but still gives you the bob and weave action and pushes a lot of water.

As far as synthetics go I am not a fan. Often times they get wrapped up in the roof of a musky or pikes mouth and you never actually get a hook in the fish. They just open their mouth and your unpinned. They make great looking flies but I want to maximizes my chances of sticking a hook in their face with every strike. I think where synthetics can excel is intermixing them with bucktail.

 

[Fredrick]

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I had a good night a 44 incher and and 2 footer 5 casts later. My first 2 fish outting. Both on bucktail game changer.

 

[GenCon]

Paco, that is one fine fish right there. Congrats.

GenCon

 

[Fishidiot]

Wow! Nice tiger.

Caught from shore? Now is prime time to find both pike and muskies in close in lakes.

 

[dc410]

Wow! Congrats, Paco. That's an awesome fish.

 

[pro4mance]

Great fish Paco, to quote Bill Murray "I want to party with that guy"

 

[Fredrick]

Nice fish .... Post some pics of the fly

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Thanks guys. Both fish were on this bucktail game changer.

 

[Maurice]

Fredrick wrote:

Fredrick, you should post that video on Facebook and watch the cat ladies go nuts.

 

[TD55]

One from this weekend.

 

[wgmiller]

Fishidiot wrote:
Caught from shore? Now is prime time to find both pike and muskies in close in lakes.

Marburg and Long Arm have been calling my name. I gave Long Arm a shot for an hour or so the other day, to no avail. And then the wind came... I trail run at Codorus all the time and Marburg has just been looking "fishy" in the Black Rock Flats!

 

[Fishidiot]

A very nice tiger and now a nice purebred on the fly - some great motivation! Water temps are still pretty cold around so there should be some decent close-to-shore fishing in lakes for at least another couple weeks or so.

The Susky, however, has been high and muddy for a good while but it and other rivers should be getting better now too, I'd think.

 

[Muskiemusic]

Tco fly shop is the bees knees! They have some muskie flies also. I've been throwing 80lb flo but I've been thinking of switching to the 40lb wire... I'm worried that when it happens I'll lose it with a bite off after all that work it would drive me crazy...

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I made the switch to 16 & 30 pound tyger wire this year. I hate loosing flys and fish swimming around with them to bite offs. It's always on the strip set. Fish eats you set and bag your stripping in a bare leader.

With wire it's bomb proof. I've got 2 Muskies and 1 pike on same wire. Just watch the kinks while tying it.

 

[CPRASAP]

Muskiemusic,

I'd highly recommend checking into Knot 2 Kinky wire. I've been using this wire for about 3 seasons now and it has been fantastic!! I have not had any of the issues with kinking that I've had with other wires that I've tried over the years. I tend to use the 25lb for my topwater (walk-the-dog type) and 35lb for everything else. I connect that wire to my tippet usng a Invisa swivel. I got the idea for this setup from Bill Sherer at wetieit.com. Since using this rig, I have not looked back.


Jay

 

[Muskiemusic]

Yeah I'm having trouble with my wire line kinking . I'm going to give this a try . Thanks for the advice!

 

[CPRASAP]

You got it man, good luck. Also, if you do try the Knot 2 Kinky, I've had good luck just using a standard Clinch Knot. I even have no problem leaving a bit of a Tag End once tying the knot. The fish don't seem to care at all. You just have to keep that in mind when grabbing your line for whatever reason. That wire can stab you pretty easily. Its all worth it as far as I am concerned. LOL