MUSKIES.... SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL

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When planning your next Muskie trip to Wisconsin's north woods, is there one particular time of the year that will increase your odds of landing a true trophy Muskie? . The answer to this question is a resounding yes! . Before we go any farther, we need to identify what is a trophy Muskie, for someone who is still looking for their first legal size Muskie, a mid 30-inch fish could make the hunt a success For the more experienced angler, who has had the good fortune of boating a number of legal fish, perhaps their goal would be in the mid 40-inch range. Then there is the true Muskie hunter that will settle for nothing less than the 50inch plus, and is willing to endure whatever hardships he might encounter to accomplish this goal, for a lot of Muskie anglers, a once in a life time experience.

After a long winter of getting your tackle in order, attending as many seminars as you could, reading every Muskie article in Musky Hunter magazine, you can't wait any longer, and you decide on opening week. This would be a great time, especially if the idea of throwing big heavy lures does not appeal to you. Opening day for the 2005 season will be May 28th. This is a great time in Northern Wisconsin, all the snow is gone, hopefully, the forest has come alive with the trees and wild flowers in full bloom. The Muskie has completed its spring spawning ritual, and is now ready to start feeding again. Look for them close to their spawning areas, which will be the shallow weedy bays, usually on the northern side of the lake. This is where the warmest water temperatures will be found, and acts like a magnet to attract bait fish and of course the Muskie will be close by looking for that easy meal. As mentioned before this is the time that lighter tackle and smaller lures can be used. I used the word "lighter tackle." And not light tackle. I do not advocate the use of light tackle for Muskie. The use of light tackle requires you to play, and tire the fish to exhaustion before it can be boated. This causes extreme stress often resulting in death.

I prefer the 7-foot St.Croix Premier Series rod in medium heavy power with a fast action. Couple this with aAbu-Garcia 5500C3 reel spooled with 30 pound test Power Pro line. With this combination you will be able to cast light lures and small bucktails with ease. Finding new growth weeds is the key for spring Muskie. When you have located the new weeds work the area with twitch baits like Bagleys "Top Gun",. Maina's Jake or Crane 205's. Work the lures slow with short down strokes of the rod causing the lure to dive about 1-foot below the surface, raise the rod back to a ten o'clock position and take in slack line, allowing the lure to return to the surface, be prepared to set the hook as the strikes normally happen on the rise or when the lure is on the surface. The bucktails I use at this time of the year is a "Rizzo Whiz" in the 3/4 ounce size, the Mepps #4or5 or a Buchertail 500 "Mini-Buck".

Another great and exciting technique for an early season Muskie is sight fishing. This pattern develops right after spawn and lasts for a short time. If you are fortunate enough to hit this pattern you will be in for some exciting Muskie action. This is where the lighter tackle is used. I use a 6 1/2 foot spinning rod in medium heavy power with a fast action tip, a Shimano Symmetre in the 4000 series with 12 pound test monofilament line. To be successful, you must move quietly in shallow water looking for the Muskie. When you see one cast ahead and beyond the fish. I like to throw an Esox "Cobra Jig" tipped with a tube. Work the tube slowly. There will not be the normal savage strike. When you see the Muskie pick up the bait and start to move away set the hook and hang on !!

You may decide that summer would be the best time. You can muskie fish, and the rest of the family can enjoy the great water sports that are available. At this time Muskies will be into their summer patterns, relating to weeds and mid lake structure. Surface lures and bucktails are my number one choice at this time. Working a bucktail over the top of weed beds allowing it to make contact with the tops of the weeds and then ripping it free will result in nothing but bone jarring strikes!!. Summer is also a time when you want to put the weather on your side. Be aware of approaching fronts. If you had a big fish up prior to the approaching front, now is the time to be on that spot. Wind can also be your ally. I remember a particular guiding job last year. The client wanted to do a half day bass and half day Muskie. As we began in the morning the wind was from the south at 5-10 m.p.h. and forecasted to increase to 20-25 m.p.h. in the afternoon. By lunch time the wind was closer to gale force. We decided to store the Bass gear away and switch over to Muskie. With the wind out of the south this was ideal for a drift along the west shore line. The shore line dropped off quickly to 8-feet, then was a flat area for about 50 yards with cabbage weeds before dropping into 20 feet of water. It extended for about 300 yards where the 8-foot break turned sharply into the lake. We were working along the 8-foot break with bucktails over the top of the cabbage. As we approached the area where the break made the sharp turn we had the first strike, a nice 38-inch Muskie. The client had told me she had never caught a legal Muskie before. Yes, I said. A lot of good Muskie anglers are women!. We took a quick photo of her holding her first legal, and several of the release. After high fives all around we started the drift again. Using the same technique of casting bucktails over the weeds we drifted the shoreline with no action till we reached the sharp turn, when she connected again, this time a 38 Vz -incher. We repeated the Catch,. Photo, and Release (CPR). and started another drift. Only this time 50-yards from the sharp break line turn. You guessed it. This time a 39-inch Muskie. The Muskies were concentrated in this area because the wind was stacking the bait fish in the sharp turn. The next time you're on the lake on a windy day, try the wind blown side.

If you are looking for that 50-inch trophy, then fall is the time for you. As the water temperatures cool down in the fall Muskie fishing heats up. Water temperature and turnover are the two most important factors to consider when selecting a lake to fish. Action really starts to pick up when water temperatures cool to 55 , and improves as the water continues to cool. By this time most lakes will have completed turnover, and have started to clear. Muskies start shallow in spring, and then move to deeper water. In fall they move back shallow, not into the now dying weeds in shallow bays, but back around humps, rock bars and brush piles adjacent to deep water.

Lures that can be worked slow are the key to success. Weighted Suicks, Reef Hogs and Bobbies are good jerk baits that can be worked deep and slow. Deep running lures like Depthraiders, and Bulldogs are a good choice.

Live bait is a must for fall fishing. A live sucker is the most natural presentation you can offer. The key to being successful with suckers is to work them slow and in the strike zone. The bigger the sucker the bigger the muskie is not true. A medium sized sucker, a 12-14 incher, with a quick set rig is the best choice for a true trophy muskie. Please remember to practice catch and release, the muskie you release today is tomorrow's trophy. Good luck to you. Al Schroeder

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