How to Hold a Musky (and other info)

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

The Figure-8

"The Figure-8" is a natural phenomenon that can occur during musky fishing that does not happen with other fish species. Here's what it's all about . . .

DEFINITION:
The figure-8 is a technique used to trigger a following musky to strike an artificial bait at boatside. It is executed at the end of a retrieve by reeling the lure in to about one foot from the tip of the rod, then easing into a figure 8 or wide circular motion with the rod tip 1 to 4 feet under the surface.
Much has been written and documented over the years as to the effectiveness of this technique and slight variations of it. The change in speed and/or direction is perceived by the following musky as an escape method employed by preyfish. This sudden direction change puts the musky in a "eat or dont eat" mindset. This technique does not work 100% of the time...but it DOES work. It is especially important to execute figure-8s after every cast in low-visibility conditions such as stained water or night fishing.

Listed below are links to articles specifically addressing the Figure-8 technique
The Finer Points of a Figure 8 by Jason Smith
Boat Side Maneuvers by Scott Jenkins
Fine Tuning Your Figure 8 by Ralph Florio
Surface Bait Enticements by John Dettloff
Follows by Muskies 101
Figure 8 for Muskie by Gord Ellis
Triggering Trophy Muskies by Jim Saric

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