Livingston Lures Rachel
The suspending crankbait that fishes like a jerkbait when muskies will not commit
If you have ever had a muskie follow a bait all the way in and refuse to eat, you already understand the problem. You can see the fish. You know it is interested. But it will not convert. That is exactly where the Livingston Lures Rachel shines.
The Rachel is marketed as a suspending crankbait, but the real magic happens when you stop treating it like a crankbait. Fish it like a jerkbait. That small shift in mindset turns the Rachel into a precision tool for mixed signals, negative fish, and those maddening followers that will not seal the deal.
Start with one simple rigging detail
Before the Rachel ever hits the water, make sure the bait is rigged to snap and kick the way it is capable of doing. The key is a larger split ring on the line tie. A size 6 or 7 split ring is a reliable starting point and it helps the bait pivot, dart, and pop cleanly on each snap.
That split ring is not about strength. It is about freedom of movement. When you crack the rod tip, you want the Rachel to surge, flare, and show its side. That side flash and sudden direction change is what makes a follower lose discipline.
Dial in neutral buoyancy before you fish it
Suspending baits are only as deadly as their suspension. The goal is simple. When you pause the Rachel, it should stop and stay exactly where you put it. No rising. No sinking.
Do a quick check before you commit to a full day of fishing. Make a short cast, reel the bait down, and watch what it does as it comes in. If it rises even slightly, you can fine tune it with suspend dots or thin lead strips. A small adjustment under the lip is a clean starting point. Test again, then add only what is needed.
Be careful. You are tuning toward neutral, not turning it into a slow sinker. Once it sinks, you are in a tougher position because weight is easy to add and harder to remove. If you ever do run into a bait that wants to sink, the fastest way to reduce weight is to look at hardware first, including split rings and hook components, before doing anything drastic.
The Rachel retrieve that changes everything
Here is the core approach. Get the bait to depth, then stop fishing it like a crankbait.
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Cast to your target
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Rip it down or reel down quickly to the running depth
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Switch to a jerkbait cadence
A simple starting rhythm looks like this.
Pop pop pause
Pop pop pause
Pop pop pause
The pause is the weapon. When the Rachel is truly tuned to hang, it becomes a suspended target that a muskie cannot ignore. You are no longer dragging a lure past the fish and hoping it reacts. You are putting it in their face and forcing a decision. Couple this with Livingston Lures E.B.S sound technology and the Rachel has the deadliest pause in the musky game.
Two details matter here. First, keep a touch of slack during the snaps so the bait can kick. Second, focus on making the Rachel show broadside. You are trying to create a vulnerable profile and hold it there.
When to throw the Rachel
The Rachel is at its best when conditions are moderate and fish are giving you mixed signals. It is also a strong option when chop or wind makes traditional glide bait work difficult. Glide baits can be hard to control in big water. The Rachel gives you depth control and speed control while still producing that pop and hang behavior that triggers muskies.
This is also a smart choice for midday windows, rock bars, points, and reef style structures where fish may be present but unwilling to chase.
The follow conversion trick
The Rachel is a closer.
If you have a muskie that keeps showing itself but will not commit at boatside, the Rachel lets you slow the entire interaction down while keeping the fish engaged and underwater. The idea is to keep the fish’s head down and interest up, then force a moment of vulnerability.
Work the bait in with your pop pop pause cadence. On the last third of the cast, do something more aggressive, then let it hang longer than feels comfortable. Make the fish stare at it. Then snap it again and let it hang. That change from stillness to sudden movement is a powerful trigger when a muskie is hovering on the edge of decision.
Target cribs and submerged cover with hang time
One of the most overlooked uses for the Rachel is fishing over submerged structure where muskies hold deep and refuse faster presentations.
If you have cribs, timber, manmade structure, or defined edges marked, bring the Rachel down to the zone and let it hang over the top. Extended pauses are not a flaw here. They are the point. When bucktails, rubber, and trolling passes are not converting, the Rachel can be used to make a fish look at a bait long enough to finally commit.
The advantage is simple. You can keep the bait at depth without keeping it moving.
A specialist bait for serious anglers
Yes, you can cast the Rachel and wind it back like a normal crankbait. It will catch fish that way. But the anglers who get the most out of it treat it as a hybrid. It is a suspending crankbait that becomes a jerkbait on command.
If you take the time to add the right split ring, tune the suspension, and commit to the pop and hang cadence, the Livingston Lures Rachel becomes a deadly answer for finicky muskies.
When fish follow but will not eat, the Rachel is built for the moment that matters most.
