We have had good luck with the big Bulldawg baits when its hot and the fish are deep when musky fishing.  I have recently seen a smaller 4 inch model and I'm going to pick a few up for my trip in August, figuring to drop them to the bottom and jig them back up.  Has anyone used this lure?  Any thoughts on it?

Quote:

Any thoughts on it?

With it's unusual hook configuration, how hard is it to release the fish without damaging it or you?

I cut off the top hook, and make a treble a double, and I pinch down or file off all the barbs when I go for musky.  and in quetico, I modify all my setups as well.  I dislike treble hooks.

:thumbup
You might be interested in these?
I've replaced many of my treble hooks with them.
I like the weedless design and when you store them you get the added bonus of a no tangles. ;)

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gfy_paddler wrote on Jun 6^th, 2013 at 7:57pm:

We have had good luck with the big Bulldawg baits when its hot and the fish are deep when musky fishing.  I have recently seen a smaller 4 inch model and I'm going to pick a few up for my trip in August, figuring to drop them to the bottom and jig them back up.  Has anyone used this lure?  Any thoughts on it?

I have seen the Bulldog lures for years but really never tried one. Usually all it takes is a little push from someone for me to give something a try (at least when it comes to fishin stuff). My fishin tackle is already packed for the trip and it is the lightest assortment of stuff ever. I guess I'm finally figuring out what I really like to do (troll body baits).

But this years trip is a bit different. The plan is to troll my way into a lake that is close to the Muskies northern limit (Irregular Lake>WCPP). Then base camp for several days to target a fish I have never really targeted with any specificity. I usually toss musky lures for pike anyways so I am set in that respect. The trip is set for early to mid August and I can't help but wonder what they will be doing........especially the big boys (OK....the big girls  ;D ). I will give the regular Bulldawg a go.......9" lure which I can send deep..........sounds about right. If I pop a big one on the Bulldawg Goofy you will win a prize  :D.

I'm going in August this year.  I like the idea of the mini Bulldawg to send deep if we find some Lakers, and or walleyes. We have good success with baby walleye swimbaits whenever we go, but I like the idea of the mini dawg as you can swim it or jig it depending on where they are.

ive tossed the regular bulldogs a bit and man do they wear you out fast. id like it if the tail section didnt sit so low, they kinda swim nose up and i dont know if i really like that. the spring bulldogs(minis) are kinda neat. never tried them though. they make a rod specific for throwing bulldogs and they are almost worth the cost. they are long and stiff, just what you need for tossing those beasts around. they cast a mile

@mt, for trolling, you gotta try the "believer" or 'swim whizz" baits. those are my favorites.

on a random side note, i found a jointed depth raider, probably was firetiger but its pretty sun faded on oriana, if anyone here is the rightful owner, i could get that back to you

The "Believers" have a huge following for Musky on Lake St. Clair. I dislike second guessing myself so I will stick with taking a Bulldawg lure in. As for it wearing you out it is likely the cause is equipment. I can toss big stuff all day with ease. My Loomis Musky rod is light, light, light....... throw on a nice big Shimano baitcaster and it is no problemo (that's Spanish) to get fantastico (that's Italian) results.  8-) :D

OK jax.......I'm going to stick a believer or a swim whizz in the arsenal (that didn't take long.....I'm so weak  ;D ). But here's the rub.........why don't we "have thumb fun" (as db would say) and let Jax pick the model.......that would be size and color combination.

Undoubtedly Jax will suggest something I probably wouldn't get on my own so I will have something just a bit different to try. If I get one on it over the coveted 50" mark Jax I will send you the lure (teeth marks and all)  8-)

in my initial google search, i havent been able to come across any info on irregular lake on water clarity/forage yet, so ill need more info on deciding on the size/color combo... ill continue searching


edit: also, it appears they dont make a lot of the colors of believers that i have anymore... sad day :(

jaximus wrote on Jun 16^th, 2013 at 11:30pm:

in my initial google search, i havent been able to come across any info on irregular lake on water clarity/forage yet, so ill need more info on deciding on the size/color combo... ill continue searching edit: also, it appears they dont make a lot of the colors of believers that i have anymore... sad day :(

More info? Good sized lake......lots of islands, points.........good lake to lose your campsite on  ;D

water clarity :question unknown
baitfish :question unknown
depth :question unknown
types of weeds :question unknown

Throw a dart and see where it lands.........come on Jax i'm countin on you!!  8-)

mastertangler wrote on Jun 17^th, 2013 at 2:32am:

More info? Good sized lake......lots of islands, points.........good lake to lose your campsite on  ;D water clarity :question unknown baitfish :question unknown depth :question unknown types of weeds :question unknown Throw a dart and see where it lands.........come on Jax i'm countin on you!!  8-)

afdsjlkajsdflnaklsdfn!!!!! i looked at some satelite photos and it looks pretty interesting. the main basin and the surrounding island littered periphery make me think that its actually got a couple different eco spheres and quite the mixed food web.

blah blah blah, that all means you have 2 different types of muskies in that lake... if my thinking is correct. you have the structure oriented slow growing(large head/smaller body) spiny fin(perch/walleye) forage muskies and the main basin suspended soft fin forage(cisco) muskies with smaller heads/large body fast growers.

so, heres the deal. find a main lake basin point that is near to the islandy backwaters. i would say the point off of the big peninsula on the west central part by the 2 large islands. there you might catch that transition fish that is the trophy we are looking for.

as for the lure. an 8" jointed one would be the size. i like the jointed ones better because the action is so much more irresistible. my initial thought was to go with something that has orange(perch) and white(walleye/sucker/cisco), and black, cuz for muskies you always have to have black. but that is too halloween-esque. so, its gonna be the 8" jointed holoform superman believer

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i reserve the right to change my vote as i learn more about the lake, but here is my initial pick

plus... a wise man once told me about fishing in canada. his words were something along the the lines of...

"the fish up there eat anything, so any and every color work... as long as that color is white"

HA! Jax your post has me fired up this morning. The lake does look interesting does it not? It has caught my imagination when I first thought about circumnavigating the park that ill-fated trip 2 years ago (seems impossible that it has been almost 2 years already). Even then I knew I would be spending a day or two there.

Getting there should be 1/2 the fun. One trip report I read had a guy lowering his boat with a rope and Martens comment about having checked the south portage out and was glad he was not going that way has my juices going. Starting to simmer...........When the going gets tough the tough go slow. I will ease my way in and camp on a boulder should dark catch me before I will rush through that section. A super early start during the short days of August will be key........still have to find a campsite on Irregular after getting in. Should be a riot! 

As per your lure choice I LOVE IT!!......looks perfect! I'm not superstitious but I can't help but smirk as we are going to see Superman today. I know I will be envisioning a small cape on the Believer while watching the movie  ;D.

You are a more cerebral fisherman than I. "Main lake basin">"west central near 2 big islands" :question........I hadn't even contemplated where to fish. I'm more concerned about getting there :P . My usual style is to troll around and get a feel for a place and then when I don't catch anything I get fired up and start putting my thinking cap on. Throw in a good dose of perseverance and I usually land on my feet. On the other hand I like your thinking........main lake basins in August would be a natural choice for a big boy.

Yes I agree that the lake could easily be like 2 different lakes. I have seen that many times. I like that there are several creeks entering and exiting the lake which adds to the biodiversity.

On a side note Eagle lake just south and on my route looks like it might be a real lake as well. Depending on time/weather I might give that lake the "eagle eye" (bad pun I know  ::)  ).

As an added bonus the lure looks like a big time walleye sticker for sure. They like it big in the north is what I have noticed.

Chow
MT

I just went through my musky gear for an upcoming trip.  The mini BullDawg probably won't see much use, but it will when I get to Quetico later this year.  If lures are designed to catch anglers, I swallowed this one down to my tail.  Need more for my Q trip.  The toothy fish are going to be tearing it apart.

Any links to the Mini Bulldawg? I found the website, but no mention of a smaller version. Interesting looking though... would definitely need to modify the hook set-up for the Q.

I actually own one Believer, but it's never been to the Q. That color is no longer listed, it's like the carp pattern, but olive green/white belly/white stripes on side. It's taken a few pike closer to home.

While we're on the big baits subject, I recently picked up some Storm Kickin' Minnow swimbaits. Not a bad price at ~$5 for a 6" swimbait. Will be interesting to see how they hold up to pike teeth this summer...

Ranger

Well Jax I have 2 of them coming......I picked up the ones without rattles. I have enough stuff with rattles. Bedsides, the jointed version probably makes enough noise already what with hooks and all.

My intention is to take one of the Believers and tie it to a stake out in the water overnight as an offering of sorts. Sort of like they did in the movie "King Kong". If my offering is accepted I will have the backup. (Is there anything worse than having a brand new lure and losing it in the first 10 minutes with no back-up  :P ) >>> That is one thing I really like about my new depth finder........if I cross a big tree in the water it shows every little branch in amazing detail. You pretty much know if your going to hang up or not.

Ranger,

I guess it's called MicroDog, not Mini.  4 inch model.

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Stumbled across this site by accident.
Some of the baits/lures look like they'd catch "Pollyhumpers" for sure. ;)
Better bring a good first aid kit too ;D

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solotripper wrote on Jun 18^th, 2013 at 9:13pm:

Stumbled across this site by accident. Some of the baits/lures look like they'd catch "Pollyhumpers" for sure. ;) Better bring a good first aid kit too ;D   (You need to Login or Register

cool site ST.......my kind of stuff. I like their motto......"Go big and go tough or go home"

Check out the super mag deep divers........11" long and dives to 23 ft........7.6 oz
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I would probably have to put the superman colored Believer out in front of the boat to troll these bad boys.  ;D

I like the pic at the bottom of the page showing the striper caught with one.......note the single salmon style hook in the rear of the lure replacing the treble hook.

I believe that one thing that makes big fish hard to catch is they start to become creatures of habit and start to pattern their eating.........i.e. only eating 11" ciscos or 11" walleyes (interesting, that is the same size as those lures.......hmmmm) If I'm a big fish I'm not making it a habit of chasing 4" perch only to still be hungry........that is my thinking.

Those lures on steroids with their multiple giant trebles bring up another issue IF your hauling them in Q/BWCA?
How many do you want to bring and where do you store them in if your portaging/paddling and want them accessible but somewhere they don't hook you or uproot a small tree. :o

i need to keep up with the times!! i was thinking you were talking the "spring bulldawg" and not the "micro dawg."

@mt, the jointed ones do make a pretty loud clacklin noise without the rattles. you can hear it when you get the lure about 1/2 way in even when its down 4+ feet.

as for transporting some of the bigger lures with the big ole hooks on em... i plan to bring more big stuff for this next trip, shallow raiders, etc, going for a monster pike, and when ive brought them in the past i just take all the hooks off the biggins and stash the hooks in my tackle tray. the lure bodys then stuff conveniently in crevices in your pack (or your buddys packs (bonus perk of being the "official car packer")). that way you dont waste space trying to tray a giant lure with clunky hooks

in general, I agree. big baits = big fish, but this is what I caught my 45" Northern with on my recent trip - minus the penny of course

---

Yup jimmar sometimes elephants eat peanuts. Don't get me wrong, there is certainly a time to go small and I have caught a pile of fish playing small ball. The north country in particular is different IMO. The fish, especially the bigger ones, seem to be a bit more conditioned to eating larger portions. Do they seem to be more savage or is it my imagination?

Jax.......I transport most of my big stuff by wrapping them in those mini nylon cases that use Velcro to seal. They are used to wrap a lure while it is on a rod. The larger sizes wrap most large lures, easily available at bass pro (lure wraps). Taking the hooks off sounds like a pain in the keister.

mastertangler wrote on Jun 20^th, 2013 at 2:15pm:

playing small ball........... Jax.......I transport most of my big stuff by wrapping them in those mini nylon cases that use Velcro to seal. They are used to wrap a lure while it is on a rod. The larger sizes wrap most large lures, easily available at bass pro (lure wraps). Taking the hooks off sounds like a pain in the keister.

@ the first part, i dont even have a response

@ the second part, anything velcro sounds like something id be interested in. in my most recent cabelas online shopping spree (this time to outfit my kayak) i added a couple of those neoprene reel covers with the velcro straps to my order. they are yet to show up, but they seem like something that would be useful when lashing rods inside canoes for portages. right now i have that pretty nifty velcroed in golf club tube holders  with a bit of velcro so keep the reel off the hull as well. after having the yoke break on us this year, the canoe bounced a bit more with the rope yoke, so my baitcaster had a little bit of boat rash >:( THAT AINT GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN!!  >:(

Small ball? I see your not a baseball man jax. Common saying when trying to be affective without hitting the long ball.

Little stuff is my favorite way to bang big fat momma bucketmouths in heavily pressured waters.

Almost time for lake st Clair. Whoopee! A bucket of creek chubs out fishes everything else put together 8-)

Check out the mini medusa from. Chaos tackle

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Looks good........I like the 3 tails

mastertangler wrote on Jun 27^th, 2013 at 10:21pm:

Check out the mini medusa from. Chaos tackle   (You need to Login or Register Looks good........I like the 3 tails

HA!
we arent that much different after all! i have one of those bad boys, in hot perch. doesnt see much use though because it sinks SUPER fast and most of my muskie fishing is done from shore :( its so hard to figure 8 from a canoe/kayak, plus i sit too low i feel. i cant deny the 3 tails having a really neat action though. i love how it looks in the water, just too scared to use it for fear of losing it.

also great to see you visit rollie and helens, that place is just a few miles from my old stomping grounds!

Jax it is a whole lot easier to figure 8 in a canoe or kayak if you are standing instead of sitting. Why is it that I have to point out even the obvious? When the big muskie hits at boatside just bend your knees for better balance.

it may be a bit of a ride.......just hold on  ;)
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Picked up a Bulldawg lure the other day at Cabelas. Dang things weigh a ton  :P, but I still like it. Will probably toss it tomorrow on Lake St Clair where the North channel of the St Clair river empties into the lake. I seen some other guys tossing huge plastics along a weed edge I walleye fish. They hit it pretty hard so I guess they have popped a few big boys there before.

I was always suspicious of fishing big plastics. Think of the physics involved. Big fish bites down hard on plastic lure. You jerk........what has to happen is the lure has to move in order for the hooks to gain purchase. But if Mr. Big has his teeth in soft plastic I am having trouble seeing how the lure moves. Maybe when he lets go the hooks end up setting so keep the pressure on. The good thing about hard plastic or wood is the lure can slide, big nasty teeth or not.

Anyway, seems like a pretty cool lure with the big tail and all. Shoot, if I was a fish I would probably eat the thing.

Just got back from a trip where we fished the Chippewa Flowage in Wisconsin.  We took a guide one day, and judging by the amount of bulldawgs he had hanging around his boat, the pros up there believe strongly in the bait. 

I tossed my micro dawg in some other local lakes around dusk for walleye.  I had decent success on some lakes that aren't know as huge walleye producers.  I gained confidence in the micro dawg for quetico.  Going to buy a few more.

super impressed with the bulldawg lure. Gave it a go today and while I didn't get so much as a follow I could still tell this is a bang em lure.

kudos to gfy paddler for turning me on to it. Very easy lure to fish........casts well and is as easy as pie to retrieve. Doesn't wear you out like some baits (big spinners, jerk baits etc.) Love it.