Musky stinger hooks?

skyriver · Sep 13, 2022

Ok, need some input from our musky guys. Anyone adding stinger hooks to your musky flies?
I've had 2 fish in a week that both slashed at the back 2-3 inches of the fly so didn't get hooked. A stinger probably would have stung the 29-30" fish I missed today at Tapps. I was using a perch pattern that is at least 8 or 9" long. He came up out of the weeds and whacked it, but only the back half.

This guy hit a Mayfield Minnow that is probably 5 or 6" long well enough to get hooked though. Haha. Damn, he was angry. Bent the 11wt...a little bit.

Thanks,
Stacy

skyriver · Sep 13, 2022

I think I'm going to do this. I have a couple flies that came tied with 2 hook setups. But I have a bunch that could use a stinger.
My only concern is hooking fish too deep. Given the 2 slashing bites I've had at Tapps they would not have been hooked deep.

This most likely would have resulted in a hookup today.

clarkman · Sep 14, 2022

That's a hard nope for me. I'm sure I've missed the rare fish that only wants to mouth the fly. The key is getting those ones to just eat the damn thing....that's where boat side work can come into 0lay. Basically though, the last thing I want to be doing on a fish that has inhaled my fly is dug that hook out, let alone 2 hooks while dealing with all of those sharp teeth.

Oh, also. Every time I've ever used stingers with any fish, they almost always get hooked by the front hook. Some trout seem to be the exception.

rattlesnake · Sep 14, 2022

I’m ok with 2 hooked muskie flies but never did a ‘stinger’ set up with them. One part was concerned about the longer tail material fouling and the other was concern for gut or gill or eye hooking a fish. Muskie that are 40”+ are pretty old and while I like to catch and mess with em, I try to minimize other impacts. I’d feel terrible taking out an eye and think that for most warm water species, that’s more likely to happen and the negatives outweigh the benefits.

I

skyriver · Sep 14, 2022

Good input guys. I've gone back & forth on this (not just with musky) and I think I'm good with a standard 2 hook musky setup, but not a stinger. I agree, the risk to a fish that has managed to survive to 40" is just not worth it.

I'll keep looking for full biters!

clarkman · Sep 14, 2022

It also boils down to what you have confidence in. I had one tiger earlier this year who did the tail mouthing for 50' all of the way back to the boat. I probably did a half dozen different retrieves and speeds during that single retrieve, then it slowly peeled off when I went into a figure 8 when I ran out of real estate. If there was a stinger on that fly, I probably would have caught that fish....since I couldn't figure out exactly what it wanted. I couldn't move it again (even later) after that one cast. They're such weird fish sometimes....I love 'em.

Dustin Chromers · Sep 14, 2022

I don't think a stinger is needed or good for fish.

skyriver · Sep 14, 2022

clarkman said:
It also boils down to what you have confidence in. I had one tiger earlier this year who did the tail mouthing for 50' all of the way back to the boat. I probably did a half dozen different retrieves and speeds during that single retrieve, then it slowly peeled off when I went into a figure 8 when I ran out of real estate. If there was a stinger on that fly, I probably would have caught that fish....since I couldn't figure out exactly what it wanted. I couldn't move it again (even later) after that one cast. They're such weird fish sometimes....I love 'em.

I seem to call them bastards fairly often.

clarkman · Sep 14, 2022

skyriver said:
I seem to call them bastards fairly often.

That's pretty tame for my typical tiger session....

usually goes a little like this, #%$^ you. #$%#^ your mom & your dad who didn't even know each other!!!

just EAT IT you @#$%^#@ little piece of #$@^#! EAT!!!!!!! IT!!!!!

clarkman · Sep 14, 2022

Dustin Chromers said:
I don't think a stinger is needed or good for fish.

I've taken that approach to the vast majority of my fly tying and fishing. Sure, I'm sure that there a a few flies still in my box with a couple of hooks, but those are becoming more and more of a rarity...

Dustin Chromers · Sep 14, 2022

clarkman said:
I've taken that approach to the vast majority of my fly tying and fishing. Sure, I'm sure that there a a few flies still in my box with a couple of hooks, but those are a rarity...

Steelhead flies? No holds barred. Musky? No need. You will miss like one percent of strikes without it.

clarkman · Sep 14, 2022

Dustin Chromers said:
Steelhead flies? No holds barred. Musky? No need. You will miss like one percent of strikes without it.

I actually think that's the one place where I have a few still...but I only get out a handful of times a year now for those things, so I really don't look in that box all that often.

Dustin Chromers · Sep 14, 2022

clarkman said:
I actually think that's the one place where I have a few still...but I only get out a handful of times a year now for those things, so I really don't look in that box all that often.

Totally. No fish every touch my steelhead flies so I could fish double trebles and it wouldn't matter.

clarkman · Sep 15, 2022

Dustin Chromers said:
Totally. No fish every touch my steelhead flies so I could fish double trebles and it wouldn't matter.

I almost literally posted an identical statement yesterday....

Then again, I suppose one has to actually fish for them in order to have a chance at them...For me, it's usually a winter game due to other interests when summers are poking in and proximity during the winter.

Dustin Chromers · Sep 15, 2022

clarkman said:
I almost literally posted an identical statement yesterday....

Then again, I suppose one has to actually fish for them in order to have a chance at them...For me, it's usually a winter game due to other interests when summers are poking in and proximity during the winter.

You have summers? Location and timing pm?