Muskellunge
...ller lakes and don’t usually go any deeper than 15 feet. Muskies don’t move much either and can stay in one spot for pretty much their entire life unless they are desperate for food (Burger). The largest Muskie to date was netted by some state employee’s who where netting muskies to strip them for milt and roe for a hatchery, during the process they snagged one that weighed in at 102 pounds at Minocqua. The fish was then released and has yet to be beat in size (Zern, 62). Equipment Equipment is very important when it comes to muskie fishing. It is good to take several different rods with you with different reels such as bait casting, open-face spinners, and closed-face spinners. You will also need at least 20 pound test line with a stainless steel leader, for hooks, treble with filed barbs are the best to use (Schara, 95). If you don’t have what it takes to pull one of the monster fish in, then don’t even bother getting your boat ready. Crank baits generally are more effective, they are good for slow steady retrieves, short twitches, high speed retrieve, jerk a foot or so and pause, continuous jerk retrieve, and also great for ripping weeds. The heavier the rod, the better, a good set up is a six foot 9 inch heavy action rod with silicon carbide guides and one half inch cork handle. It is a good idea to have reels with direct drive so you can back reel (against a drag) giving better control (Olesen). Some good tackle to use would be a bass plug fitting with sharp pointed, light-wire hooks, smaller than normally found on muskie plugs, surface lures that make commotion are good and other times a wounded minnow type of top-water. Spoons both wobbling and spinning are always good, and even better with large bucktail fly behind. Always have plugs that work under water, generally a foot or so down (James). You also have to keep in mind that the places you are fishing will affect what kind of tackle will work better. Technique Muskies are one of the hardest fish out there to catch; some say you can spend a life time trying to catch just one. In most cases when it comes to fishing, you cast a couple times in one area and move on, well that’s not exactly the case when it comes to muckies. You have to be consistent in one area until you get a hit, the continuous casting will annoy the muskie enough to strike (cone). Some fisherman are satisfied with just seeing one or hooking one only to watch it get away; according to Donald Carlson you bet chance at catching muskie is in September, because muskies are dormant in the winter and are trying to gain the extra weight during September for the winter. It is very important to rip though weeds, this creates a powerful triggering affect. Crank your bait down four or five quick cranks on the reel then pause three to four seconds, point the rod at the lure and jerk down ten to twelve inches and pause again for three to four seconds while quickly taking up slack line. During pauses after ripping through weeds is best time for a muskie to strike (Olesen). One of the most exiting ways to catch a muskie is surface casting. It is good to work your plug over weeds, rocks, dead falls, and along deep edge of weeds. It is good to use wooden body plugs with a blade on the tail to cover a larger area faster; through out and crank in. Surface baits are a good way to annoy...