2007 Mike Koepp Seminar
Category: chat
Mar 12th, 2007 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Mar 12th, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Slamr: MuskieFIRST welcomes Mike Koepp back into the Chat Room!. Thanks for joining us Mike! Extreme_One: Hello all ESfishOX: Mike, how much time do you spend on the east half of Pewaukee when it’s open water Extreme_One: The first few weeks is great then all over when the weeds grow uptuffy1: Have you tried fishing through the junk once it gets thick in there? Extreme_One: This year I will try to fish more slop with spinner baits and top water tuffy1: What do you look for when you are fishing the east end early? Extreme_One: Spawning areas, new weeds, bait fish MuskyHopeful: I know you have your favorite baits, but did you try throwing any double 10s on Pewaukee last year.Extreme_One: Yes Kevin and they worked late in the season when I thought it was too late. They work ESfishOX: what are your thoughts on the numbers of carp? Helpful to the musky population, no effect, etc? Extreme_One: Kill all the carp, they are no good sorenson: do you use carp as a cue, or just ignore them?Extreme_One: Sorno, the muskies like the same places the carp tend to hand out in. June I fish where the carp seem to be or I should say the carp are where I like to fish Netman: Mike what time of year do you start to troll? Extreme_One: Trolling can be done as early as the opener. MuskieMike: trolling on the opener? Netman: When do you troll large baits?Extreme_One: Fall mostly mikie: What worked for you on Mille Lacs last year? Extreme_One: Double XX was my hottest bait, globe was good too Slamr: when you say “large baits” what is a large bait on Pewaukee?Extreme_One: I like ernies and depth raiders as large baits. However, I tend to keep it smaller on Pewaukee. Team_Rhino: Can you give your most productive bait for spring, summer, and fall Extreme_One: Rhino, it varies. Bagleys, Ernies, Depth Raiders, and Jakes Netman: Is it during front conditions that you look at a different pattern? Slamr: Why do you use so many small lures? Extreme_One: Bluegills are the most targeted bait fish, crappies also. Small panfish = small baits in general. Bait fish are small in Pewaukee. Match the bait fish size and you will catch more fish.Netman: You troll pretty much the same pattern on Pewaukee when do you change? AWH: On a lake with that type of forage base, do you find there to be a good suspended bite?Extreme_One: All the time unless it is rocking. I will go shallow as 7 ft or as deep as 25 ft down if I need to catch fish sorenson: do you troll structure or open water mainly? Extreme_One: Structure mostly. Weeds, break lines and always suspended bait. ESfishOX: have you tried trolling spinners, bucktails, suicks and it’s the cranks that work best? Netman: Do you use boards? Extreme_One: I will run one board shallow and one deep. One on each side of the boat. MuskyHopeful: Early in the season, do you find that baits that have been warmed up by rookies are productive for you? Extreme_One: I found baits that Hopeful takes off will produce within a few casts.ESfishOX: when is it safe to target the deeper fish? Extreme_One: When the water is cooler than the low 70’s. I will not fish for deep water fish when the temps are in the upper 70’s. AWH: What type of suspended baitfish are the muskies targeting on Pewaukee? Extreme_One: Suspendo’s love to target bluegills and crappies. Gills school in balls and crappies school in towers. Slamr: Mike, you are sort of known as a “homebody” on Pewaukee, but you fished the PMTT for a number of years. What did you apply from your home waters, or what changes did you find you needed to make? Extreme_One: Match the bait fish size to the lures. That work great for us in KY. We always seemed to score fish in Cave Run. Small shad, we fish shad raps and rocked the fish. Netman: Mike what time of year do you target topwater on Pewaukee? Also, what’s your best topwater bait out there?Extreme_One: In the 60s, and I found most success with a topraider or headbanger/Team_Rhino: Color wise is it best to match the hatch or stand out?Extreme_One: Bright days I like bright lures, dark days I use darker lures. Chart and green is great when sunny, red or brown is good on cloudy days Netman: When you troll during the dog days what seems to work the best Baits? Extreme_One: Bagleys seem to be the most consistent. tuffy1: What makes you run your baits deeper or shallower when trolling the summer pattern? Extreme_One: Tuffy, I like to see the bait and fish on the graph, if I don’t I run everything higher because they are up and not showing up on the graph. Ballistic: What makes you decide on your boat speed? MuskyHopeful: Do you find that the fish you take trolling are generally smaller than fish caught casting , vice versa, or no difference? Extreme_One: Bigger fish seem to come trolling, you can just cover more water that way and more baits at a time. Odds are better. MuskieMike: I noticed in Presque Isle you’re not afraid to run all suckers, sit and wait, do you do that on Pewaukee also, and if so when? Extreme_One: Mike, I can wait the fish out if I know they are there. In the Fall I will camp all day if needed. I will work a couple spots and really pound them sorenson: How are you telling the muskies from the carp on your graph? We have lots of carp out here too and they look about the same on the graph to me… Extreme_One: The carp are all very close in size and will scatter as you get close, you can then see them on the graph so you can learn the look on your graph. Big eyes will be deeper and close to the bottom.Netman: Mike, how about night fishing on Pewaukee what and when? Extreme_One: Night fishing is very good in late June and early July. September is when I love to night fish ESfishOX: do you try to use longer casts so as not to spook fish, shorter casts for more accuracy, combination? Extreme_One: Shorter casts work best because they are well placed and fish seem to come on the first few cranks and on the 8. Slamr: Mike, what would you say is the #1 thing that most newer muskie fisherman seem to need work on, while you fish with them? Extreme_One: Concentration, always plan on getting a fish on every cast. lazy 8’s will cost lots of client fish. I am always on clients for good deep 8’s Pointerpride102: Hey Mike, what percentage of time do you spend trolling vs. casting? 50/50, 60/40, 70/30 etc?Extreme_One: I don’t troll until June. June I will go 50/50. july maybe 75/25 and August I will troll the whole month. Then reverse the trend sorenson: How about the not-so-new guys that have just been kicking along about average, how do you help them bring it up a notch? Extreme_One: Always teaching, everyone can learn something. Ben_Kueng: Mike, how do you combat surface debris while trolling in the summer, mainly on your planer boards?? Extreme_One: Ben, boards are a huge problem when the weds are bad. Simple, don’t fish that side of the lake, or don’t use boards. I will run only flat lines if the weeds are bad. Tip down in the water always. AWH: What makes you troll so much in August? On the waters I fish I seldom troll that time of year. Extreme_One: The bait is suspended and I will fish the bait. Lots of fish move out to suspend. I follow them and serve up the baits, they are eating every day and they can’t resist the offerings. Elby: talk more about short lining – is there a depth range you work in? Extreme_One: I will run my baits just under the surface if the weeds are high. I will also run my baits just off the weeds along side of them if I can. I will also run the flats if the fish are on the move. Netman: Mike what is your pattern to a figure “8”? Extreme_One: I don’t do a figure-8. I like to bring the bait in from a 45 and go deep by the boat into the first turn, then up high on the outside and then work into a large oval down deep again. Slamr: Can you tell us about your rod/reel setups and line you use for trolling. And how does it differ from inside rods, down rods, board rods? Extreme_One: Board rods I like to use mono, down rods can be super line to get deeper. I tend to run smaller diamater line to get deeper quicker. Short lines seem to get hit more, and give better action on the baits.MuskieMike: mono? or braid? Extreme_One: I will run both mono and braid. Netman: Mike what type of leaders do you use? Extreme_One: 65lb florocarbon home hade leaders. I make all my leaders. Spro’s and Snap ease snaps. Knots and glue for me, no crimps. Ive only had one bite off in 5 years and that was because a client tightened the drag up so tight I couldn’t pull line out by hand. Big fish, bummer! Elby: Are there times when trolling faster works (over 3.5+)? Extreme_One: Trolling 3 to 4 works great. I like 3 or more when the water is hot. Netman: what is your catch to loss ratio Team_Rhino: How is the pressure mid-week during the summer? lots of boats? any better success? jdsplasher: Mike; Why would you use floro when wire is thinner and the water on pewaukee is murky anyway? Extreme_One: I have used both and the flouro, and they out-produce the wire for me. I would go back, but I don’t believe wire is the answer. I had a client break a new wire leader casting. It broke on the crimp. Elby: Do you ever go faster than 4? Extreme_One: Never got fish over 4 on Pewaukee. Other lakes I have got them over 4. shelbyville for example ESfishOX: what weights do you use to troll deeper? tuffy1: Do you think that boating pressure effects these fish? Extreme_One: I believe the fish have to eat and they don’t care about the boats. Boats scare the bait and muskies target that scared bait. I believe short-line trolling works because of the boat traffic I believe on heavy traffic days I will target fish just outside and deeper than where your would cast for muskies. Fish will leave the weeds and roam the flats. That is when you can score fish. sorenson: do you ever run really small baits? i.e., J-11 Rapala? Extreme_One: Small baits like the no. 9 shad rap have got me plenty of muskies growing up. I still will use them from time to time. Some guys love the little balgeys, I like the larger 4’sBen_Kueng: Do you run really large baits, as in 10″+ Extreme_One: I don’t run very large baits, but if I did it would be in June when the carp are easy pickings. Or, in the Fall when the fish are on a feed. MuskieMike: Pewaukee is only so big, with so many spots, what do you do on busy weekends when all your choice spots are full? sorenson: what are some small baits that are constructed sturdy enough to set your mind at ease? Extreme_One: Sorno, I like the little Ernie and the Baby Depth Raider as strong, safe baits. ESfishOX: when the wind is strong, is there a safe haven to work for those without the 20′ Ranger ? Extreme_One: If the wind is strong I see smaller boats work down wind and then pick up and drive back up wind and do it again. Whatever it takes to catch fish. Netman: Hey Mike how is the ice fishing going? MuskyHopeful: You have your well established patterns, do you ever try a really weird pattern just for the heck of it? Extreme_One: Kevin, if I am out alone or with a friend, I will try off the wall stuff. I remember one day I fished a walleye pattern with some large walleye thunder sticks and we rocked 4 muskies. 46, 45, 44 and a 38. sorenson: All other things being equal, do you prefer fishing days or nights? Extreme_One: Days for the first two months, nights for the next two months and back to days. Slamr: How does one contact you to book a guide date? And what is your website address? Extreme_One: http://www.mikekoepp.com or use 414-640-1642 (cell number). Check out my web site for all that info. Slamr: MuskieFIRST wants to give a huge thanks for a great chat night to Mike Koepp! Thanks again, and thanks for your continual support for the MuskieFIRST community.Extreme_One: Youre all welcome, Time went fast.