Muskies and Current : Lures that make the grade
The morphology of a musky is made for current. Sleek and streamlined coupled with explosive speed are the hallmarks of a moving water apex moving predator. There is no debate that in their earliest days muskies as species started out their existence in the streams of rivers of the north. While muskies eventually took to the “good life” and established themselves in lakes, it is undoubtedly ingrained in their DNA to take advantage of current.
In many lakes and reservoirs subsurface current is present in varying degrees. At times it may be obvious due to large neck downs or damn release, while at other times there are subtle currents that savvy musky anglers can capitalize on. But keep in mind not all musky lures interact well with moderate to heavy current. And it should be noted that muskies using current as a means of feeding often have expectations of where and how natural prey will enter and exit these current areas. With this in mind let’s take a look at a few musky lures that contend with and present well in current.
1. River Run Manta
The name says it all, the River Run Manta is a glide bait build to work in current. From the lazy flow of a small stream to serious moving outflows below damns the River Run Manta has a pronounced side to side action. The Manta’s design allows this lure to dart side to side retaining its action up stream against current. This can be a valuable tool when muskies are using wind blown neck downs and rivers with heavy current.
2. Livingston Lures Kraken
The Kraken can be dialed in with its adjustable weight system allowing anglers to target current areas with prefect speed and depth control. Current at times will push lures along making them present poorly and in unnatural ways. Taking advantage of the versatile weighing of the Kraken allows anglers to tweak things so their lure works flawlessly. Working the Kraken in a jerk bait fashion in slack sections while transitioning to rips and pulls in swift sections can quickly illicit strikes.
3. Big Fork Sand Cats
Sand cats are a bit of a mix between a dive and rise lure and a crank-bait. Rips pulls and simple reel turns will cause Sand Cats to dive and wobble. The buoyancy of a Sand Cat makes it a great option for quick aggressive retrieves in current areas. Using a mixed bag of rips, pulls and jerks will make this lure highly erratic and unpredictable. Used in this manner, Sand Cats can be deadly when muskies are actively predating in current areas.
4. Willow Leaf Spinnerbaits
Large frame spinner baits that feature willow leaf blades contended well in current areas. Lures like Steve’s Meat Grinder from Figure 8 Lure Co. and the oversized Spanky Baits Whiplash are far better options for current areas when compared to inline buck-tails. The blades on inline buck-tails are often hard or impossible to get started when current is present. Using spinner-baits ensures that your presentation has action throughout the entirety of the cast.
While targeting muskies in current is more complex than having the right lure, this short list is more than enough to get you headed in the right direction.
Cheers,
Steven Paul
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