Figure eight (angling)

Last updated March 31, 2019

The figure eight is a technique used by anglers to fish specifically for the muskellunge.^[1] It has been developed due to the nature of the fish's hunting style. Essentially, the figure eight is a final enticement performed by the angler just before lifting the lure out of the water for another cast. To help visualize the concept, think of a roller coaster. As the lure is moved from side to side, it also moves up and down.

Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle". The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Modern fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. Tenkara fishing and cane pole fishing are two techniques that do not use a reel. The hook itself can be dressed with bait, but sometimes a lure, with hooks attached to it, is used in place of a hook and bait. A bite indicator such as a float, and a weight or sinker are sometimes used.

The muskellunge(Esox masquinongy), also known as muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge, is a species of large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish native to North America. The muskellunge is the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae. The common name comes from the Ojibwa word maashkinoozhe, meaning "ugly pike", by way of French masque allongé, "elongated face." The French common name is masquinongé or maskinongé.

The figure eight is named after the pattern in which the angler pulls the lure through the water next to the boat as an attempt to get a following fish to bite. The muskellunge is known for “following” a lure up to the boat rather than immediately striking it. Anglers use different tactics to influence a following muskellunge into biting the bait, such as the figure eight. The figure eight has become a general term used for all boat-side tactics used to catch a following fish. Other boat-side tactics used are "circles", "squares" (L-turns), and "dead sticking".

A boat is a watercraft of a large range of type and size. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on their larger size, shape, and cargo or passenger capacity.

Fishing bait is any substance used to attract and catch fish, e.g. on the end of a fishing hook, or inside a fish trap. Traditionally, nightcrawlers, insects, and smaller bait fish have been used for this purpose. Fishermen have also begun using plastic bait and more recently, electronic lures, to attract fish.

Performing a figure eight

A successful figure eight begins by watching for a muskellunge behind the lure while retrieving. Retrieve the lure until only 12-18 inches of line are left between the lure and rod tip.^[2] Figure eights take focus; one must anticipate the lure getting close to the boat and make the first turn big and fast.^[2] After the first turn, the lure should be brought on a long straightaway and make turn number two. Turn number two should go away from the boat rather than towards it to avoid being “handcuffed”, where the lure stops its action and the fish loses interest. Perform the figure eight with the lure, not the rod. This keeps the lure moving in the water. Keep the fish interested. Use every bit of the rod length to create a large figure eight with wide, round turns. Do not do anything abrupt. Make it easy for the fish to take the lure. However, keep a close eye on lure speed. A big drop in speed might decrease the fish’s desire to chase.^[3] Other techniques when performing a figure eight include a speed burst, where lure speed is increased dramatically, and dead-sticking, where the lure is completely stopped in the water (not good with bladed baits). ^[3]

Proper tackle

A long rod is superior for the figure-eight technique; it allows a bigger and deeper figure-8 pattern to be executed. Short rods naturally create a shorter overall figure-eight pattern. They result in tighter-radius patterns, which are often difficult for larger muskies to follow. The longer rod increases the entire size of the figure eight, including widening the turns. Collectively, it becomes far easier for a large fish to follow the lure throughout the entire process. The long rod is also superior after the fish hits. Short rods are stiffer and less forgiving. Additional length helps to keep a very even pressure on the fish at all times, so it cannot break the line or shake the hook loose. This even pressure also prevents tearing in the fish’s mouth which results from excessive pressure during battle. The long rod also enables one to keep a thrashing fish down in the water better, leading to greater success.^[3]

Related Research Articles

Trolling is a method of fishing where one or more fishing lines, baited with lures or bait fish, are drawn through the water. This may be behind a moving boat, or by slowly winding the line in when fishing from a static position, or even sweeping the line from side-to-side, e.g. when fishing from a jetty. Trolling is used to catch pelagic fish such as salmon, mackerel and kingfish.

A fishing rod is a long, flexible rod used to catch fish. At its simplest, a fishing rod is a simple stick or pole attached to a line ending in a hook. The length of the rod can vary between 2 and 20 feet. To entice fish, bait or lures are impaled on one or more hooks attached to the line. The line is generally stored on a reel which reduces tangles and assists in landing a fish.

A fishing reel is a cylindrical device attached to a fishing rod used in winding and stowing line.

Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial "fly" is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or "lure" requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting. Fly fishermen use hand tied flies that resemble natural invertebrates, baitfish, other food organisms, or "lures" to provoke the fish to strike.

The tiger muskellunge, commonly called tiger muskie, is a carnivorous fish, and is the usually-sterile, hybrid offspring of the true muskellunge and the northern pike. It lives in fresh water and its range extends to Canada, the Northeast, and the Midwest United States. It grows quickly; in one study, tiger muskie grew 1.5 times as fast as muskellunge. Like other hybrid species, tiger muskie are said to have "hybrid vigor," meaning they grow faster and stronger than the parent fish, and are also less susceptible to disease. Trophy specimens weigh about 30 lb. Its main diet is fish and small birds. The tiger muskie and the muskie are called the fish of 10,000 casts due to the challenge involved in catching them.

Big-game fishing, also known as offshore sportfishing, offshore gamefishing, or blue-water fishing is a form of recreational fishing, targeting large fish such as tuna and marlin which game fisherman regard as having "sporting qualities".

A fishing lure is a type of artificial fishing bait which is designed to attract a fish's attention. The lure uses movement, vibration, flash and color to bait fish. Many lures are equipped with one or more hooks that are used to catch fish when they strike the lure. Some lures are placed to attract fish so a spear can be impaled into the fish or so the fish can be captured by hand. Most lures are attached to the end of a fishing line and have various styles of hooks attached to the body and are designed to elicit a strike resulting in a hookset. Many lures are commercially made but some are hand made such as fishing flies. Hand tying fly lures to match the hatch is considered a challenge by many amateur entomologists.

Marlin fishing is considered by some game fishermen to be a pinnacle of offshore game fishing, due to the size and power of the four marlin species and their relative rareness. Fishing for marlin captured the imagination of some sport fishermen in the 1930s, when well-known angler/authors Zane Grey, who fished for black, striped, and blue marlin in the Pacific, and Ernest Hemingway, who fished the Florida Keys, Bahamas and Cuba for Atlantic blue marlin and white marlin, wrote extensively about their pursuit and enthused about the sporting qualities of their quarry.

A spinnerbait is any of a family of fishing lures that get their name from one or more metal blades shaped so as to spin like a propeller when the lure is in motion, creating varying degrees of flash and vibration that mimic small fish or other prey. The two most popular types of spinnerbaits are the "in-line spinner" and "safety pin" spinnerbaits, though others such as the "tail-spinner" also exist. Spinnerbaits are used principally for catching predatory fish such as perch, pike and bass.

Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used for fishing can be called fishing tackle. Some examples are hooks, lines, sinkers, floats, rods, reels, baits, lures, spears, nets, gaffs, traps, waders and tackle boxes.

Kayak fishing is fishing from a kayak. The kayak has long been a means of transportation and a means of accessing fishing grounds. Kayak fishing has gained popularity in recent times.

Plugs are a popular type of hard-bodied fishing lure. They are widely known by a number of other names depending on the country and region. Such names include crankbait, wobbler, minnow, shallow-diver and deep-diver. The term minnow is usually used for long, slender, lures that imitate baitfish, while the term plug is usually used for shorter, deeper-bodied lures which imitate deeper-bodied fish, frogs and other prey. Shallow-diver and deep-diver refer to the diving capabilities of the lure, which depends on the size and angle of the lip, and lure buoyancy.

Bank fishing is fishing from places where the land meets the water's edge. Fishing from rocks is usually called rock fishing. Like rock fishing, bank fishing is typically done by casting fishing bait or lures into the water in an attempt to catch fish. Bank fishing is usually performed with a rod and reel but nets, traps, and spears, and fishing lines used without rods can also be used. People who fish from a boat can sometimes access more areas in prime locations with greater ease than bank fishermen. However, many people who don’t use boats find fishing from a bank has its own advantages. Many factors contribute to success in bank fishing, such as local knowledge, water depth, bank structure, location, time of day, and the types of bait and lures.

A sabiki or flasher rig is typically fished off boats, piers, jetties, or any structure over the water. Sabikis consist of any number of small hooks, each one on individual dropper lines which are a few inches long. The individual dropper lines are then tied to a longer leader in series, about 6 inches (15 cm) apart; a weight is tied to the end of the leader. The individual hooks are decorated as lures or tied like flies similar to those used in fly fishing. Often they have a simple piece of lumo-infused material or iridescent film attached to them. Traditionally, on any individual rig, all of the lures will be either identical or in an alternating sequence of colors. The type or size sabiki used depends on water conditions, species of fish sought or simply the angler's preference.

Spin fishing is an angling technique where a spinning lure is used to entice the fish to bite. Spin fishing is used in both freshwater and marine environments. Spin fishing is distinguished between fly fishing and bait cast fishing by the type of rod and reel used. There are two types of reels used when spin fishing, the open faced reel and the closed faced reel. The spin fishing rod has no trigger attached to the base of the fishing rod. This is what differentiates the spin fishing rod from the bait casting fishing rod.

Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs and edible marine invertebrates.

Recreational fishermen usually fish either from a boat or from a shoreline or river bank. When fishing from a boat, or fishing vessel, most fishing techniques can be used, from nets to fish traps, but some form of angling is by far the most common. Compared to fishing from the land, fishing from a boat allows more access to different fishing grounds and different species of fish.

Kite fishing, a fishing technique, involves a kite from which hangs a drop line attached to a lure or bait. The kite is flown out over the surface of a body of water, and the bait floats near the waterline until taken by a fish. The kite then drops immediately, signaling to the fisherman that the bait has been taken, and the fish is then hauled in. Kites can provide boatless fishermen access to waters that would otherwise be available only to boats. Similarly, for boat owners, kites provide a way to fish in areas where it is not safe to navigate - such as shallows or coral reefs, where fish may be plentiful.

The wacky rig is a skill technique used for fishing with a soft plastic lure, such as the Gary Yamamoto 'Senko'. Notable for its unique action even among soft lures, wacky style is used to heighten the chance at catching finicky fish on harsh days, although at the expense of lowering the chances of very large fish, because the size of the bait is very small, allowing bass of all sizes to take the bait. Unlike the Texas rig and Carolina rig, both sides of the wacky rig flutter, creating a more natural action. The name comes from its unusual style of attaching a plastic worm through the middle of the body instead of on one end.

References

↑ White, Slaton (3 August 2009). "How To Use A "Figure-Eight" Retrieve When Muskie Fishing". Field and Stream. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
1 2 "Three Keys To More Muskie by Jim Saric". Midwestoutdoors.com. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
1 2 3 "Joe Bucher: Provoking Muskie Strikes On the Figure-8 | Evinrude Nation Community". Evinrudenation.com. 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2013-10-25.

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[1] White, Slaton (3 August 2009). "How To Use A "Figure-Eight" Retrieve When Muskie Fishing". Field and Stream. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

[midwestoutdoors1-2] 1 2 "Three Keys To More Muskie by Jim Saric". Midwestoutdoors.com. Retrieved 2013-10-25.

[evinrudenation1-3] 1 2 3 "Joe Bucher: Provoking Muskie Strikes On the Figure-8 | Evinrude Nation Community". Evinrudenation.com. 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2013-10-25.