Muskie season is underway and the fish are basically relating to their historic summer patterns. The water temps are in the 70s around the state which means the Muskie will be more active than the early season. With more and more lakes receiving higher pressure from other anglers, it is hard to find the “edge” over other Muskie fisherman. Here are some tips and things to try to win some of the small battles out on the water this summer.
Moons: Paying attention to what the moon is doing is extremely important all year round. Not just the full moon and new moon, but moonset and moonrise as well as the major and minor of each day. Normally, I try and get out on the lake as early as I can and locate fish that I will come back to during those peak times of the day. Knowing where fish are is important when developing a “milk run” during those high percentage times of the day. Obviously low light in the morning and evening are crucial, but not overlooking the moons is one step to giving you higher chances of putting a fish in the net.
Locations: With the spawning phase behind us, the fish are starting to spread out all over the lake. Weather its weeds or rocks, you can start to broaden your search for finding Muskies. Using your lake map or charts on your graphs can really have a good impact on your fishing trips. Look for structure weather it’s a weed bed, rock reef, or mid lake point adjacent to deep water. The deep water that carry forage like Ciscos, Tullibees, or whatever forage in is your given lake can be a fisherman’s best friend. Lots of people are afraid to try deeper water bites and stick to the shallow weeds or rocks. Some of the biggest fish caught each year or in the deeper water chasing schools of baitfish, Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort level and try new areas.
Attitude: One of the most important items that is overlooked in Muskie fishing is your mindset. We can all agree that we go through high and low stretches of fishing, with most of them being low. When you have an attitude that is negative because you are having minimal actions for a week stretch or even longer, it makes it harder to catch a fish. When you start getting mad or upset, you start to do lazier figure 8’s, your boat control suffers, and the overall technical aspect of fishing diminishes. Staying positive with the right mindset is critical, do the small things right. Getting out to your spot early enough, stay late enough, pay attention to the moons and weather changes. If you notice a spike in activity with fish, ask yourself why did that just happen? Documenting why fish were moving or not moving can be huge. Make sure to be confident with each cast and don’t take a “break” when it comes to retrieval speed or figure 8’s.
Doing the small things right can be your ticket to success. It doesn’t come easy for most people to go out and catch a Muskie. Doing the things mentioned above will increase your chances. Muskie fishing is more of a process than you may not realize. It all starts with preparation, a good plan, and finally execution.
Moons: Paying attention to what the moon is doing is extremely important all year round. Not just the full moon and new moon, but moonset and moonrise as well as the major and minor of each day. Normally, I try and get out on the lake as early as I can and locate fish that I will come back to during those peak times of the day. Knowing where fish are is important when developing a “milk run” during those high percentage times of the day. Obviously low light in the morning and evening are crucial, but not overlooking the moons is one step to giving you higher chances of putting a fish in the net.
Locations: With the spawning phase behind us, the fish are starting to spread out all over the lake. Weather its weeds or rocks, you can start to broaden your search for finding Muskies. Using your lake map or charts on your graphs can really have a good impact on your fishing trips. Look for structure weather it’s a weed bed, rock reef, or mid lake point adjacent to deep water. The deep water that carry forage like Ciscos, Tullibees, or whatever forage in is your given lake can be a fisherman’s best friend. Lots of people are afraid to try deeper water bites and stick to the shallow weeds or rocks. Some of the biggest fish caught each year or in the deeper water chasing schools of baitfish, Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort level and try new areas.
Attitude: One of the most important items that is overlooked in Muskie fishing is your mindset. We can all agree that we go through high and low stretches of fishing, with most of them being low. When you have an attitude that is negative because you are having minimal actions for a week stretch or even longer, it makes it harder to catch a fish. When you start getting mad or upset, you start to do lazier figure 8’s, your boat control suffers, and the overall technical aspect of fishing diminishes. Staying positive with the right mindset is critical, do the small things right. Getting out to your spot early enough, stay late enough, pay attention to the moons and weather changes. If you notice a spike in activity with fish, ask yourself why did that just happen? Documenting why fish were moving or not moving can be huge. Make sure to be confident with each cast and don’t take a “break” when it comes to retrieval speed or figure 8’s.
Doing the small things right can be your ticket to success. It doesn’t come easy for most people to go out and catch a Muskie. Doing the things mentioned above will increase your chances. Muskie fishing is more of a process than you may not realize. It all starts with preparation, a good plan, and finally execution.