# Mosquito Frustration



## Pender (Jul 11, 2018)

Help
I'm sure there is a trick to keep a minnow on a jig head longer than three casts. I watched a couple of local guys that were wading put a dozen hard casts on before the minnow was lost. What is the secrete?


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## Eye Dr (Mar 23, 2010)

I hook it through the bottom of the mouth and out through the middle of the skull. It kills the minnow, but you’re moving it back in anyway.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Yep, don't lip hook, send the hook down it's throats and up out of its skull.. don't cast like a mad man either.


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

I have other reasons to be frustrated...LOL spent last night in a boat on the north end and 3 of us did everything we could to get a fish in the boat... and failed.


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## Harvest Time (Sep 29, 2015)

Check out video 55 seconds in. I did this last time out and never lost a minnow.


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## Harvest Time (Sep 29, 2015)

Harvest Time said:


> Check out video 55 seconds in. I did this last time out and never lost a minnow.


Let me correct myself, rarely lost a minnow.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I always put the hook thru the bottom lip and then the nostril of the top area. They stay on the hook and stay alive longer. Usually, I'm crappie fishing though, not walleye.


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## Pender (Jul 11, 2018)

Thanks for the advise, I definitely see I was not hooking the minnow the best way for multiple casts. I feel your guys frustration on getting skunked a Mosquito this weekend. I emptied my tackle box at that lake thinking something gotta work but never did. I will say this, I saw a guy wading catch the biggest walleye I have ever seen and that motivated us for a few more hours. Had to be close to 30"


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## HAAS16 (May 29, 2017)

Pender said:


> Thanks for the advise, I definitely see I was not hooking the minnow the best way for multiple casts. I feel your guys frustration on getting skunked a Mosquito this weekend. I emptied my tackle box at that lake thinking something gotta work but never did. I will say this, I saw a guy wading catch the biggest walleye I have ever seen and that motivated us for a few more hours. Had to be close to 30"





Pender said:


> Thanks for the advise, I definitely see I was not hooking the minnow the best way for multiple casts. I feel your guys frustration on getting skunked a Mosquito this weekend. I emptied my tackle box at that lake thinking something gotta work but never did. I will say this, I saw a guy wading catch the biggest walleye I have ever seen and that motivated us for a few more hours. Had to be close to 30"





Pender said:


> Thanks for the advise, I definitely see I was not hooking the minnow the best way for multiple casts. I feel your guys frustration on getting skunked a Mosquito this weekend. I emptied my tackle box at that lake thinking something gotta work but never did. I will say this, I saw a guy wading catch the biggest walleye I have ever seen and that motivated us for a few more hours. Had to be close to 30"


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## HAAS16 (May 29, 2017)

Where was the guy wading at that caught that big walleye?


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## fmader (Aug 8, 2018)

Like others said... into the mouth and out through the back of the head. If you can get it close to either side of the back bone without puncturing it, the minnow will live quite awhile. As far as it staying on the hook goes, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. You can get a good 50 casts if it’s on good (though, I’d rather have a bite before then). Then you’ll fling it off first cast. Then fumble the next minnow into the water. Then you’ll start sweating at the third minnow lol. 

Yeah, I would have liked to have seen this monster walleye. I’m curious as well to where it was caught. Not that I would plan on fishing there, I have my own spots. Seems that there are so many more waders this year than last year. It looks like the Maumee off of many of the easily accessible “hot spots”.


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## Alleysteel (Feb 12, 2017)

I got 2 last night and a crappie. One on a jig and minnow before dark . One after dark and the crappie on rapalas.
Both walleye had several fish in there bellies. I'm wondering if there is a ton of baitfish in the lake this year, and maybe that at least part of the reason it's been a harder sping then normal.


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## Bluewalleye (Jun 1, 2009)

There are a ton of little perch and bluegills in the lake


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## OptOutside440 (Feb 3, 2019)

fmader said:


> Like others said... into the mouth and out through the back of the head. If you can get it close to either side of the back bone without puncturing it, the minnow will live quite awhile. As far as it staying on the hook goes, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. You can get a good 50 casts if it’s on good (though, I’d rather have a bite before then). Then you’ll fling it off first cast. Then fumble the next minnow into the water. Then you’ll start sweating at the third minnow lol.
> 
> Yeah, I would have liked to have seen this monster walleye. I’m curious as well to where it was caught. Not that I would plan on fishing there, I have my own spots. Seems that there are so many more waders this year than last year. It looks like the Maumee off of many of the easily accessible “hot spots”.


I'm always amused about these hot spots from shore, because maybe the fact they are hot spots is because they are easily accessible?


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## fmader (Aug 8, 2018)

OptOutside440 said:


> I'm always amused about these hot spots from shore, because maybe the fact they are hot spots is because they are easily accessible?


Something like that. I saw 8 guys standing inside a 20 yard circle off the 305 boat ramp the other day. The cemetery is... well I don't even check there anymore lol. Imagination Station is a great spot prior to April 1st. As soon as they open those gates to the parking lot, forget about fishing there for the rest of the season. The Facebook groups have exposed Mosquito quite a bit. I don't recall this amount of waders last year.


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## Outasync (Mar 5, 2016)

A good trick is going later. No ones out at midnight.


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## ducknut141 (Apr 26, 2017)

We went to Mosquito today surface temp 49.5-50.5 deg. Ended up with 21 crappie and 1 walleye all trolling. Fished water 7 feet to 21 feet south of the causeway. Best was #5 flicker shad 125 back off of big boards. Walleye came from lead core 100 feet out. We ran 0.8 to 1.3 mph speed over ground.


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## reelwonders (Apr 10, 2016)

Agree with a lot of the convo about the bite being goofy this spring. It's been a combination of odd weather, but the fish are starting to get into a more regular routine. I still see a bunch trying to spawn in the rocks and shallows, but a fair portion are done spawning and ready to eat again. Getting a bite while they spawn is damn near impossible. This weeks tally is 3 nights fishing, 10 Walleye, 6 keepers, 4 fish lost, 2 slab crappie and 1 dink largemouth.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Exactly! Luckily they all don't spawn all at once. The ones starting to bite now are the early spawners who have had a chance to recover and are starting to feed again. 

Over the years I've been told a couple of things about Mosquito by old timers. About wading I was told that just because you caught them in a certain spot last night doesn't mean you will catch them there tonight, or tomorrow night, or the night after that! They don't move up onto the same spots every night. If they do move up where you are you'll probably catch some because they are coming in to feed.

Another was about the best time to fish. I was told to look for the dogwoods blooming in the woods alongside the lake. The walleye bite will really heat up then! If you can couple this with a SW wind, you could be in like Flynn! 

These could just be "old timer's tales", but they do seem to have a grain of truth in them.


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## BuckeyeHonk (Apr 7, 2019)

People who fish the Ottawa river never give up fishing hot spots.


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## rapid-sept (Jul 25, 2014)

BuckeyeHonk said:


> People who fish the Ottawa river never give up fishing hot spots.


what part of Ottawa river


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## Moozboy (Mar 31, 2017)

Heard the dogwood bloom theory also and it seems pretty reliable, always done well all over the lake when you see the bloom


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## reelwonders (Apr 10, 2016)

buckeyebowman said:


> Another was about the best time to fish. I was told to look for the dogwoods blooming in the woods alongside the lake. The walleye bite will really heat up then! If you can couple this with a SW wind, you could be in like Flynn!
> 
> These could just be "old timer's tales", but they do seem to have a grain of truth in them.


Sage words there my friend. Last night I got 3 13” dink’s a couple 17-19 and a pig 25” plus a bonus crappie! Pics are attached but check out what’s blooming in my front yard (and my wife thinks I put it there to “looks pretty”!)

For the week I’m at 4 night fished, 17 walleye, 9 keepers, 4 fish lost, 3 slab crappie, 1 dink Largemouth, and 1 very aggressive 5” rockbass that took a 3” bait!


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## Michael Foster (Mar 26, 2019)

reelwonders said:


> Sage words there my friend. Last night I got 3 13” dink’s a couple 17-19 and a pig 25” plus a bonus crappie! Pics are attached but check out what’s blooming in my front yard (and my wife thinks I put it there to “looks pretty”!)
> 
> For the week I’m at 4 night fished, 17 walleye, 9 keepers, 4 fish lost, 3 slab crappie, 1 dink Largemouth, and 1 very aggressive 5” rockbass that took a 3” bait!


Are catching all the walleye wading? We went trolling last night one walleye five crappie that’s about it.


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## reelwonders (Apr 10, 2016)

Michael Foster said:


> Are catching all the walleye wading? We went trolling last night one walleye five crappie that’s about it.


Wading


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## StormsWarning (Jul 1, 2012)

It might be worth an trip out tommrow forecast calling for 63 degrees, water temp should he about 53 to 55 maybe.


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## BuckeyeHonk (Apr 7, 2019)

rapid-sept said:


> what part of Ottawa river


Near Mattawa


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## Searay (Feb 12, 2007)

buckeyebowman said:


> Exactly! Luckily they all don't spawn all at once. The ones starting to bite now are the early spawners who have had a chance to recover and are starting to feed again.
> 
> Over the years I've been told a couple of things about Mosquito by old timers. About wading I was told that just because you caught them in a certain spot last night doesn't mean you will catch them there tonight, or tomorrow night, or the night after that! They don't move up onto the same spots every night. If they do move up where you are you'll probably catch some because they are coming in to feed.
> 
> ...


I heard when the willows have leaves the pan fish will bite...


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## LOTC (Jan 16, 2012)

In addition to dogwoods blooming, when apple buds are the size of a squirrels ear.


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## Wow (May 17, 2010)

Thanks for the tip. I'll be wading out there with 20 or so personal friends. --Tim


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## rapid-sept (Jul 25, 2014)

BuckeyeHonk said:


> Near Mattawa


we fish reservoir decelles on the upper ottawa river south of cadilac qubeck


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## stormfront (Feb 18, 2016)

buckeyebowman said:


> Exactly! Luckily they all don't spawn all at once. The ones starting to bite now are the early spawners who have had a chance to recover and are starting to feed again.
> 
> Over the years I've been told a couple of things about Mosquito by old timers. About wading I was told that just because you caught them in a certain spot last night doesn't mean you will catch them there tonight, or tomorrow night, or the night after that! They don't move up onto the same spots every night. If they do move up where you are you'll probably catch some because they are coming in to feed.
> 
> ...


I've always used the Dogwoods blooming as to when I would wade for crappie. You are so right about walleye wading. I started back in the 70s, mostly at Pymy, and have had some sensational nights and seasons but only a few consecutive days of great fishing. From years of wading, it always seemed that the peak was at the New Moon in April but the last few years have been tough for me. It seems as though everything has changed at Pymatuning but my buds wading Mosquito have remained consistent.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

I always heard it was the forsythia blooming.


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