One of the most difficult things for a bass angler to do, when he decides to pursue muskie, is to convince himself that these fish will school on structure far removed from any weeds. Muskie require two important things; an excellent forage base, and access to relatively deep water. A rock pile in twenty feet of water is a lot less likely to be pounded by every fisherman in the area, and will probably produce bigger fish by far.

Be persistent and confident. Muskie have been called the fish of ten thousand casts. Baloney! If it takes you ten thousand casts or if you go three days trolling without catching a muskie using the prescribed methods, find a place that has a decent muskie population. I average two fish per trip. Muskie are not that hard to catch if you go about it in the right manner. Muskie fishing is about quality rather than quantity. If you want a good honest appraisal of muskie fishing, take a look at Tony Rizzo's Secrets of a Muskie Guide, books I and II. I wish that all muskie "experts" would approach the sport with such candid honesty. It is truly refreshing.

I have taken the month of June off mostly to fish for muskie, but will also squeeze in a long overdue visit to my inlaws that live in Texas. Hopefully, I'll return with some decent pictures and stories about big ones that didn't get away. And, I do plan on taking some kids fishin'. In the mean time, I hope that you all boat the big one of your dreams, but put 'em back alive.

Remember, as always, Catch-Photograph-Release. Provide a future fishery for the generations to come. And, hey, take a kid fishin'!

Ted - MUSKY FISHING ABOARD "THE CUDA"