The late fall is the best time to target big pike and muskies (Esox) on lakes with a forage base of cold-water species like tullibee and whitefish. Wired2fish staffers bust ice during one of the last remaining nice days of the open water filming season. They show us how to use a combination of artificial lures and live bait (suckers rigged on quick-strike rigs) with the aid of Garmin Panoptix LiveScope to find and catch big toothy critters. This is high-percentage predator fishing at its finest. *Full tackle and gear listing below.
Pelagic forage like tullibee and whitefish vacate deep, open water for shallow structural elements to spawn when water temperatures reach the low 40s. This annual spawning ritual concentrates big predator fish in shallower water, making them an easier target. Team Wired2fish outlines its strategy of using LiveScope to target individual fish on key main-lake structures. When fish are located, they employ a 1-2 artificial and live bait punch to cover down on the range of potential fish moods. The results are impressive!
TACKLE & GEAR
KEYS’ SET-UP
KYLE’S SET-UP
MITCH’S SET-UP
ELECTRONICS
BOAT SETUP
OTHER GEAR
