# Figure 8's



## TIGGER (Jan 17, 2006)

Do all of you guy's do figure 8's after each cast? I was told you should in case one is following. Also how many guys have caught them doing this?


----------



## ChachiSnips (May 4, 2005)

I generally do just out of habit anymore. I've had a couple hits on figure 8's, but my best experience came from a pike. My dad and I were out for muskie at a place in Canada we always go to and it had already gotten dark. I was using a big jitterbug and when I brought it in I was asking my dad about figure 8's and was doing it while talking. All of a sudden the fish slammed it and scared the crap out of me and my dad. Fought it for a few minutes, thought it was a muskie. When we got it in it ended up being a good pike (~35 in.--most pike we catch are usually in the mid 20 in range). Great experience once I stopped shaking.


----------



## Bulldog1149 (Feb 26, 2006)

I figure 8 or at least "L" every time. I have a had a couple boat side smashes, but my best experience was bringing in a 27" northern ( ended up being dinner) the northern was under the boat because of the drift and when i pulled up to get a look at what I had he was getting trailed by a "HUGE" 50++. I was in about 5 feet of clear water and I was able to have him follow thru one whole figure eight in hopes that I would get to see an awesome show. He pulled off and left me with my knees shaking.

Also, completed my figure 8 one time and looked over to BS with my buddy. I was using an old sucker colored suick that was water logged and was nuetrally bouyant. When i looked back at my lure with slack line a mid 40"s fish had it sideways in his mouth. I reacted by a heavy straight up hookset and ripped the lure right out of his mouth. ********always set the hook to the side and then hit freespool**********

you gotta love skis.


----------



## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

Yep 8 after every cast. It can seem like a waste of time doing it after every cast but the 1 time you don't do it will be when a muskie was following. The first muskie I caught hit the lure just as I was starting into the 8.

When we were at the muskie show a couple of weeks ago, Steve Heiting was giving a seminar and he said that he had a fish follow him in, and he then did the figure eight 37 times on that 1 fish, and never got it to go. He insisted that you figure 8 after every cast.


----------



## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

One thing about the toothy guy he is not afraid of the boat! When the 4-5 footers start swimmin around ya you dont make long casts.  :B


----------



## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

i wish i new about figure 8's when i was at pyme i had a giant musky follow my crank


----------



## twistertail (Apr 10, 2004)

I have caught a few pike doing it. Its pretty cool to see them hit right by the boat like that.


----------



## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

ive only been musky fishing twice, i had no pravile on musky lures so i put on a rattle trap, i got the line tangled around the back hook, and the lure spoon around like a spoon, it looked pretty cool, but i was reeling in fast to get a recast, and wouldnt you no it, big muskie comes up and hits it, i am in shock, missed it 3 times, before i got a hook in em, but it got out in a few seconds....
still today the coolest thing i ever seen....
hats off to you muskie fisherman, its a blast


----------



## FutureClassicChamp (Jan 16, 2006)

always always always always always figure 8. figure 8 in your sleep! even if you dont see one behind your bait. they could be under the boat. you must complete at least 2 full 8's. some of my best fish have come on figure 8's and it is the biggest rush youll ever have. there are a couple minor details that can help you trigger the lazier fish. first, your rod must always go in the water.....the deeper the bait your using runs, the deeper you want your figure 8 (this is the reason we use long rods. i use nothing shorter than 7'6"). you MUST start the 8 with a sharp 'L' (which was mentioned before). the L motion should be the most erratic and fastest part of the figure 8 and most of the time you will get them to commit on it or right after. you can change depths (ie. on one side of the 8 you go deeper than the other). if you have a big fish following, you can use a figure 8, but i think its better to just go in one big circle. the big girls dont have the same turning radius as the smaller fish. vary your speeds. if you absolutely cannot get that fish to commit and she swims away, have a throw back rod ready. usually i like to have some type of soft plastic ready like a tiger tube.


----------



## TIGGER (Jan 17, 2006)

Will the muskies tend to follow the 8 for a longer or shorter time based time of year? Will the muskie swim off slow or tend to blast off when not interested? Weatherby had metioned that a muskie followed an eight for 37 cycles, is that very rare? One last question on the AVERAGE how fast will the muskie hit once the eight is started (like one or two passes)?


----------



## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

I don't think time of year plays a part in how long a muskie will follow the 8.

A muskie may swim off but that does NOT mean they are not interested. Keep keep keep keep doing the 8 after they swim off sometimes they just swim off to get a different angle to the bait and the really big girls swim off just because they can't turn their big bodies in a short enough radius to hit the bait.

I would say following for 37 cycles is rare but I have seen them do it for 10 before commiting, or swimming off.

There really is no average of how fast they hit. If they are on you may not even get through a full 8, if they are slow going it may be 37. lol

There are different things you can do to "help" get them to go. As Future stated you can vary the depth. You can very the speed. Do the 8 in 1 direction and then go the opposite way. All kinds of things. Just experiment a little the next time your out.


----------



## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

I always figure eight when Muskie fishing after a cast but I have found from experience and from attending a Muskie fishing school in Wisconsin put on by Fenwick that if I see one following the lure I try to pull the lure away from the fish. The Muskie figures it's trying to get away and 9 out of 10 times it runs after it and slams it. Muskies don't like things trying to get away from them.


----------



## fffffish (Apr 6, 2004)

Make as big of a fig 8 as you can. A big muskie can not make sharp tight turns and you will pull the lurer away from him if you make to small of a turn


----------



## skipjack11 (Apr 12, 2004)

I probably only figure eight about half my casts but when I think of the percentage of fish I've caught on a figure eight while casting I have to admit that's a mistake.  I'll have to blame it on pushing 60 and having a bad back. When I get tired I switch over to trolling for a while. I've never tried trolling a figure eight.


----------

