Help Me Catch A Muskie!

[Boett43]

Hey Everyone I was just wondering if anyone knows some of there habits what there breeding patterns are and what not...anything that would give me advantage when I go for my first muskie Trip...thanks Yall

[boondocks]

Get a musky rod and reel combo with 60 to 80 lb braid. (your gonna need it to throw these heavy lures. Bass fishing gear won't work.  Wait till you have a little more experience to target spring musky. There hard to catch even for the veterans of the sport. Once the water temps hit the 65 degrees mark hit the water. Hit weed flats that have deep water near by(the bigger the flat the better). Throw bucktails in black(hair) and chrome(blade) and large minnow baits twitched over the tops of weeds. As the summer progresses look for a combination of weeds and rocks(deadly). Weeds alone still produce tons of fish all year long.  Bucktails, 8 inch Jerbaits, and huge Topwaters(prop style).

Fish a lake known to have a good population of skies. Don't make it any harder on yourself than you have to. Musky fishing ain't for the weak hearted let me clue you.  Don't plan on catching a lot of fish because you won't. If you want to catch a lot of fish, musky fishing ain't for you. Fish prime times, sunup and sundown. You looking for that one good bite. When it happens be prepared to change your life style.  20$ baits aint easy on the pocket book.

All it will take is that one follow from a 50 inch musky and you'll be hooked. If that don't make your knees shake I don't know what will. GOOD LUCK BRO!

[Red]

yeah if your looking for numbers maybe try for northen's instead...good luck!

[boondocks]

Oh and please release all musky you catch!  You'll be glad you did. They aint that good eating anyway, actually I think they are poisonous.  

[bass109]

muskies can bite on anything at times. but time is a big factor. Muskie fishing takes a high level of skill to go after this fish. You better your chances going with someone who is experienced catching this fish. Not many amateur fisherman can even catch a muskie. A muskie is no push over. Dont expect to catch alot of fish hourly. but good luck also.

[Boett43]

Thanks everyone yeah i hear they are the 1 in 10,000 fish or something haha but I really wanna feel the fight one puts up and Im not asking for more than one in a day haha ..Thanks Big B

[SteveFinMD]

Cooler water temps should be triggering some fish to bite.  Now is the time to be out there.  Good luck.

[roadwarrior]

Thanks everyone yeah i hear they are the 1 in 10,000 fish or something haha but I really wanna feel the fight one puts up and Im not asking for more than one in a day haha ..Thanks Big B

"The fish of 10,000 casts."

[.ghoti.]

Oh and please release all musky you catch! You'll be glad you did. They aint that good eating anyway, actually I think they are poisonous.

Not so, my friend. They area actually pretty good table fare. I end up killing one every now and then. Usually when the fish sucks in a big jerk bait and gets a treble or two in the gills. One of the rules I was raised with was; if you kill it, you eat it. I release all of them I can.

For such big, strong fish, they are rather easily killed when out of the water. Handle them carefully, and get them back in the water as soon as possible. You need a BIG net, good grips, very long nose pliers, and long wire leaders. Those little 9" and 12" pre-made wire leaders are not long enough.

My best baits have been Brody swimbaits and big Yum Dingers. The 9" forked tail ones.

It's almost time to get after them. By the end of the month, it will be cool enough to get the big boys headed upstream in the Lake Shelbyville tailwater area.

Cheers,

GK

[sodaksker]

Right now is the time to get after them in my part of the world. (upper midwest, Iowa, nebraskaa, south dakota).  I have recently switched my efforts from bass to Musky after catching a 48" 3 weeks ago on Matts baby bass.  My knees were shaking for 2 hours after that beast. Me and my buddy were so ill-prepared we couldn't get him in the boat.  We both panicked, no net, my buddy finally tried to gil plate him and he toothed the line with a head shake.  Last weekend I saw 9 muskies with one follow that was a 50 plus incher. Just watching that log float by made my knees shake for 15 minutes.

I am mainly fishing 7-8 fow over submerged vegetation, with swim baits and top water.

They have the feed bag on right now.  Get out there and throw the big baits.

I see one caught almost every day I am out.  Most reports in my area say they are catching them on big spinnerbaits called "cowgirls".  They feel like you have a brick tied to the end of your line, they pull so hard.

[tipptruck1]

All I can say is good luck. But I have seen 40 plus in pike chase a zoom frog to the boat. Now thats fun catching 40in pike on 15lb yo zuri.