For
many, getting bit by the "musky bug" was almost like your first
high school crush. It was something that you always had on your mind and couldn't
stop thinking about. Trying to catch that first legal musky often could be
compared to being at that high school dance and trying to get that first-well
you know what I mean.
Looking back I can still remember, as if it were yesterday, when I had finally
boated my first "legal" musky. It was a cold windy day in September.
I was casting my soon to be favorite yellow bucktail, thinking that I might
never catch a musky, when a plump 38 incher nailed the bait in mid retrieve.
That was some time ago, I think I was about 20 to 25 pound's lighter, didn't
have that bald spot on top of my head and didn't have any annoying pains when
getting out of bed in the morning. One pain I did have back then was trying
to catch that "first legal". While some anglers make short work
in landing that first musky, other's aren't as fortunate. Luckily today's
learning curve has dramatically decreased, and trying to catch that first
"Legal" is not that hard to accomplish anymore.
One of the easiest ways to get a good understanding of what it takes to "Get
started in musky fishing" is to follow just a few basic rules( I hate
the word "rule". As you will find out with time on the water chasing
muskie's that there will be very few RULES) or simple guide lines.
| Rule
#1 Don't get discouraged Watch any Saturday morning fishing show, or page through a issue of Musky Hunter magazine and you can bet that it will be loaded with countless trophy sized musky's being held by some lucky angler. Sure this get's everyone fired up about musky fishing, however it can also send out the wrong message. It can be a big misconception that trophy sized musky are in every weed bed or holding to every piece of structure in a lake, or that large muskie's are easy to catch. I don't care who you are, EVERYONE still will catch smaller sized muskie's. |
 Big fish like this 48-incher that was caught on a eight-inch Golden Shiner Slammer will come in time, and hiring a guide can help speed that up. This beauty was released back into Lake of the Woods unharmed. |
Years ago, Muskies
Inc. ran their yearly fishing contest by giving 10 points for every 36 inch
muskie that you had caught and released. At the end of the year all the points
where tallied up and even the guy's that placed in the top ten year after
year might of had 800 point and had caught about 80 muskie's, a 36 to 37 inch
average. So for every 40 incher he catches he also caught that low 30 incher.
Now there are some exceptions to this. Many anglers are fishing on water that
has real trophy potential and they are looking for that one super fish. A
few years back I had spent a day fishing with Steve Herbeck - owner of Andy
Meyer's lodge on Eagle lake in Ontario. Now keep in mind Steve is not your
ordinary musky fisherman. One of the reason's he had moved to Eagle was to
look for that one fish that he would to refer to as Shamoo. While fishing
that day Steve had pulled his bucktail away from a low 40 inch class follow
only to jokingly say "he wasn't worthy of the iron" and then proceed
to cast in to other direction. Guy's like this usually will have a higher
average length at the end of the year. Don't be discouraged by any small muskies
that you catch. It's actually a good idea to start out on waters that are
known to produce more numbers of muskie's than these harder to fish trophy
lakes that often hold larger but fewer muskie's. This can build confidence
in lures, help in finding patterns and give you the experience that's needed
in handling muskie's to reduce the chance of causing harm to you or the fish.
By sticking it out those real hawg's will come in time.
Rule #2 Master the basic fundamentals
Cast, reel, figure 8, cast, reel, figure 8. While it sounds simple, make sure
you do it right every time. Like the old saying "practice make perfect"
I feel it should say "PERFECT practice makes perfect". It doesn't
do any good to cast all morning long, finally raise that nice fish that you
have been searching for and only blow it by doing a poorly executed figure
8. The figure 8 must be large enough for the fish to follow around the turns
and the eight should flow smoothly from the end of the cast in order to keep
the muskie's interest. Speed the lure up on the straight part and slow down
around the turns to let the fish catch up. Pay close attention to what's happening
behind the lure. This is where the follow will be coming from. Don't think
that you will be able to do this the first time a musky follows, your knee's
will be shaking and your heart will be pounding way to hard to be able to
think clear enough to remember what you'll need to get done. Finish off EVERY
cast with a large figure 8 (at least 3-4 times around whether there's a follow
or not) this way the figure eight motion will come automatic and become routine.
It can also trigger strikes and help locate deep following fish that might
not have otherwise been seen.
Another technique that has to be mastered is the art of boat control and being able to use your electronics. This will be something that can only be learned from spending time on the water, and is a MUST for fishing success. All the articles you read, videos you watch and seminars that you might sit through to learn more about muskie's will be wasted time if you can't find fish holding structure and then properly hold your boat in a position to fish it. The most important thing, is to pay attention and to have a good understanding of the type of structure that is underneath and around your boat. Whether it's a weed pocket, an inside or outside weed edge, a drop off or bait fish suspended over deep water, being able to find it then fish it correctly will take some time to learn. A topo map of the lake that you intend to fish and a good quality depth finder or LCR will help find these fish holding area's. After getting an idea of what type of structure element that you intend to fish, try to set up a game plan in how you'll need to position your boat. Often it will be best to use the wind to help your drift and then use the electric motor or oar's to reposition your boat.
Rule #3 Use
good equipment
Don't skimp here, the last thing anyone needs is to loose a fish due to equipment
failure. Its bad enough when you loose a musky, and it always seems like the
larger one's will find way's to get unhooked before we would like them to.
If anything can go wrong it usually will and it's the little things that can
make a big difference here. Start with a high quality rod. St Croix and Lamaglass
have a great selection of musky rod's. While there is no "all purpose"
rod out there if I had one size to pick I would choose something around 6
1/2 to 7 foot. Longer rods have became popular over the past few years. They
offer you plenty of back bone to set the hooks, yet a softer tip to help out
in playing the fish. The main thing is that it is comfortable to you ( handle
length and diameter) and long enough to do a large figure eight. If a 7 or
7 1/2 foot rod feels awkward to you then try something a little shorter. I
personally like 7 1/2 to even 8 foot musky rod's and my wife (who is 5'4")
uses a 6 1/2 and 7 foot rod. The standard musky action should be used, don't
try to get the job do with a medium to medium heavy action rod.
When using larger jerk baits or jig's it might be necessary to buy a rod made just for that presentation. As far as reels go, there are a lot to choose from but the Ambassadeur 5500 or 6500C seems to be the standard in the musky world and will work fine. Make sure that it is spooled with a decent line and a high quality leader that is at least as long as the lure being used. I prefer to use seven stranded wire leaders with crankbaits and single strand leaders with bucktails and jerkbaits. The extra flex in the seven strand leaders will give the crankbait it's maximum wobble. When it comes to line, Cortland spectron and the new Power Pro are my top choices. While fishing through out the day, pay close attention to the first few feet of the line for any fraying that might take place. This is where the line takes the most punishment during casting, and it's a good idea to cut off the first foot or two and retie a few times a day. Check the leader for wear and kink's, and replace as needed. Other than a musky throwing the bait, line breakage or leader failure usually is the biggest reason for a lost fish.
Rule #4 Keep
it simple
There are thousands of musky locations for you to pick from. Let's try not
to make this any more confusing that it has to be when first starting out.
Under most situations muskie's can often be relating to some type of weed
and rock structure ( this is common in the smaller fertile lake's in Wisconsin
where I spend most of my time fishing). Look for the first sign of new green
weed growth in the spring and start to concentrate on shallow warmer water
areas along inside edge's and over the tops. If wood or rocks are down there
the spot should be that much better. As the season progresses start looking
to the deeper edges, mid lake bars and points that have green weed's on them.
Try to key in on the wind blown area's or any inside and outside turns along
the edges. Find that spot on the spot, this will be the highest percentage
area.
The same thing
can be said for lures and lure presentation. This is where SLAMMER crankbaits
are at there best! Easy to use and a wide variety of styles to choose from
and color patterns that look so real that even the most weary of musky can
be fooled.
In the early spring (water temps. under 60) look for posts spawn muskie's
to be shallow and searching for warming water while recovering from spawning.
The 5 and 6 inch Slammer is the number one lure this time of year. Now is
when a "twitched" lure is dynamite! Cast out and begin the retrieve
by reeling and holding the rod down at a 8:00 position to the water. While
reeling make sharp downward movements (4 to 6 inches) with the rod tip. This
will make a 5 or 6 inch SLAMMER stop, start and dance through out the retrieve
and really trigger strikes! When the lure near's the boat, stop the retrieve
and let the SLAMMER float near the surface and then reel straight back to
boat side and go into a nice big figure eight.
As the season progresses and the water warms, a deep weed edge will begin to develop. This is a area that muskie's will use through out the year for feeding. The 7 and 8 inch SLAMMER's cranked straight or twitch along the edge and over the weed tops should be used in searching for muskie's that are on the weed edge. The 7 inch Deep Diver SLAMMER should be cast parallel and out from the weed edge in case if any muskie's are suspended off the weeds.
When picking color's, try to keep this simple to. Try to find out the main forage or food in the area that you are fishing. SLAMMER crankbait's cover the basic "bait fish" forage pattern's. Perch, walleye, sucker and shiner are food's muskie's most often relate to. Try to match the hatch and cast a color pattern of the bait fish that are in the area. When fishing dark or stained waters a brighter floresent color will show up better in the water and might be needed. For this the firetiger or golden shiner pattern should be used.
Rule #5 Have
some fun
This is what fishing is all about. Far to often all the competition to catch
a musky seem's to take away from the actual musky hunting. While tournaments
and fishing clubs are a great way to meet with other more experienced anglers,
these same tournaments and fishing clubs fishing contests can put so much
pressure and stress on an angler to succeed that he or she forgets why they
are out there in the first place. Often poor lake ethics are taken when trying
to be the first one to fish a area or weed bed .
Here is the author's
son , Cody, showing you what it's all about - Having Fun!
Cody's fish was caught on a 5-inch perch Slammer back when he was only six
years old.
There's nothing more frustrating than trying to spend some time on the water, fishing a spot or piece of structure, then only to have your drift cut off. With the increasing pressure that the waters are seeing, not only fishing but recreational boating as well, consideration should be practiced.
Another way to get more from a day on the water and to enjoy yourself , is to hire a guide. This can definitely increase the learning curve that take's place when your starting out. As far as the money spent, don't look at it as 1 day of fishing, but rather by taking advantage of your guides knowledge. This is where you can learn in a day what might have taken you an entire season or longer to figure out on your own. Don't be afraid to ask questions, that's why you hire a guide! He can show you the fine points of boat control, lure presentation, and musky location and pattern's for that time of the season. Finally, being carted around the lake all day by someone else, is what I call having some fun!
Rule #6 Practice
catch and release
This is one topic that can't be talked about enough. With all the fishing
pressure that our lakes see throughout the season and with the readily available
knowledge of musky fishing that is out there, care MUST be taken when catching
and releasing muskie's. A large musky sized net, a pliers or hook-out tool,
along with a small bolt cutter (hooks are cheap when compared to the cost
of a musky) should be kept out and at reach while fishing. Don't have all
your release tools buried in the bottom of your tackle box, only to have to
dig for them while trying to unhook and release your musky. A great place
to store them while fishing is back in your boat's transom splash well.
Another alternative
to keeping your trophy is having a graphite replica made. Have a camera in
the boat, and have it ready. A few photos and a quick measurement of the length
and girth is all a taxidermist will need to produce your fish of a lifetime,
and the best part is she still will be swimming around for the future. In
the past few years graphite reproductions have became affordable and so real
looking that there's absolutely no difference in them over a skin mount.
While musky hunting is a continuous learning process, consistent success can
be achieved. Just remember not to get discouraged, try to master the basic
fundamentals, use good quality equipment and start with a simple crankbait
approach to develop confidence, Practice catch and release for the future
of our great sport of musky fishing and most important, try to have some fun
while your out there.
Bill Schwartz is musky fanatic from Pewaukee Wisconsin who guided for muskies in southern Wisconsin during the 1980's through the mid 1990's. He is the owner of Slammer Tackle Co. that manufactures the Slammer Crankbait.