Fish-On! Chapter 12

Muskellunge (Esox Masquinongy Mitchell)

No other fish has captured the imagination of anglers to the same degree as the muskellunge, the largest member of the pike family. It is frequently described as "the fish of 10,000 casts" because of the often-held view that it is extremely difficult to catch. Commonly called muskie or lunge, this voracious predator is the stuff of countless stories. Tales of seven-foot-long muskies and muskies attacking pets, livestock, and even people abound in every locale in which they exist. Some of these stories are true and others are not. True or not these stories will endure. The muskie's reputation for savage brutality and its arrogant disdain for the anglers who pursue it are legend. And while legends may be fact or fiction they are all surrounded by a romantic shroud -- a mystique!

What is it about the muskie that causes people to fantasize so? Certainly their ferocious appearance and barracuda-like teeth give the impression of something sinister. Their frustrating habit of following anglers' lures right to the side of their boats and in plain view illustrates a complete lack of fear. Of course, the fish's ability to attain such great size -- they are the largest fresh water predator -- contributes to its larger-than-life image.

Much has been said and written about the "muskie mystique," that aura that seems to place muskies above the status of mere fish. The credibility of many of these stories is unquestionable. Skilled anglers with considerable experience as muskie fishermen can relate incidences of extraordinary muskie behavior or exceptionally large fish. One famous St. Lawrence River guide, Brendon Reid of Gananoque, Ontario, is certain that he has had a fish that was close to seven feet long and almost 100 pounds, not once but three times!

A fish story? Brendon has guided on the famed river since 1927 and has caught two 58-pound muskies and more than 100 over 40 pounds. Still not convinced? He also has a scale the size of a quarter identified by biologists as a muskie scale from his last encounter with this monstrous muskie. That is almost four times the size of a scale from a 40-pounder!

There are also stories of fish like "Jingle Bells," the huge muskie with so many lures attached to its body -- from its always successful efforts to avoid capture -- that it clanged like a bell as it swam. A myth? Certainly, but throughout the history of muskie angling there are many cases where it is extremely difficult to separate fact from fiction.

Perhaps the single most important factor contributing to "the mystique" is that muskies are a highly visible fish. Even as fry and fingerlings, they are often seen lazily cruising along the surface giving the appearance of casually sunning themselves. Their frustrating habit of following lures without striking also adds to their visibility.

Unlike any other fish, muskies are not spooked by the presence of anglers. Their strikes can be spectacular and they are very unpredictable. Their great size makes them attractive, though most anglers regardless of their skill will never catch a 40-pounder. But it is the visibility above all that perpetuates the "mystique" -- the chance of seeing a monstrous muskie, mouth open, razor-like teeth following your bait.

As one would expect, a fish that exhibits such eccentric behavior has attracted an equally eccentric following of anglers. Most of the serious muskie anglers I know pursue no other species. Those that do usually do so very casually and not with the same urgency.

They are a group dedicated to the pursuit of trophy fish. When they catch a fish that is not up to their high personal standards, they usually release it. Unlike many anglers who hope for fair weather, they couldn't care less -- the best time to fish is whenever you can. And most are keen conservationists, understanding that as top predator, muskies have a special niche in their environment.

With such ardor and respect for their quarry, many anglers have organized for greater efficiency. Muskie Incorporated of the United States and Muskies Canada have both been leaders in the preservation of this special fish. They have worked to stop destruction of spawning areas, aided research projects that will better allow us to manage this fragile resource, and started public awareness programs for the voluntary release of any muskies that are not kept as trophies. To help promote the latter, either organization will provide a certificate or patch in appreciation of an angler's concern for this special fish.

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THE FISH

Shape, Size, and Color

Muskie color may vary greatly from lake to lake and sometimes muskies using different structural elements within the same lake may appear significantly different. For example, a fish that spends its entire life relating to weeds may have more pronounced markings than a fish that suspends or relates to rock shoals. Color is a camouflage to help make foraging muskies more effective.

There are, however, some fairly consistent guidelines we can use to help in identification. Most fish will have a dark brown or black back. The sides are usually an iridescent green gold or light brown fading to a cream, almost white, belly. The sides may also have dark brown or black vertical bars or in some areas spots. In some larger fish these bars or spots are quite faded and noticeable only near the tail. Another fairly common color is the fish with a black back and very silvery sides. Usually the side bars or spots are quite distinct on fish this color.

While the fish may exceed five feet in length and reach weights in excess of 60 pounds, they usually average less than three feet and ten to 15 pounds.

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Muskie vs. Pike

Muskies are occasionally confused with northern pike. Muskies have dark markings on a light background while pike have light markings on a dark background.

Scientists use an eight-point check list to positively identify a particular fish as a pike or a muskie. Detailed examination is obviously not possible for an angler with a fish thrashing at the side of the boat. The most precise method in this case is to count sensory pores on the underside of the jaw. These pores appear as small holes outlining the jaw bone. Muskies will have a total of 12 to 20 of these submandibular pores. The northern pike will have nine to 11.

In bodies of water where the pike and muskie coexist, hybridization sometimes occurs. Pike/muskie hybrids appear to have heads much too large for the body. They have a color pattern which usually consists of very distinct heavy striping, sometimes mixed with spots. Trophy-sized hybrids are exceedingly rare.

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Predator and Prey

There is one key factor to a better understanding of how muskies fit into nature's scheme -- the muskie is the top predator in any body of water in which it occurs. Once a muskie reaches adult size there is nothing that it fears, not even humans.

As the top predator, the muskie has the run of the lake or river and it will always choose the structure that allows it to forage most efficiently -- a fact that is essential for anglers to successfully locate the larger fish. In some bodies of water, muskies will roam open water feeding on ciscoes and whitefish. In other waters they may use deep rocky shoals and feed on walleyes or smallmouth bass. And in some lakes and rivers they use weeds to attack unsuspecting prey from an ambush position.

For any fish to attain its maximum growth potential, it must make the most efficient use of available forage. This means that a fish must take in more calories than it uses in capturing its prey. A muskie living in a weedbed feeding on four- to six-inch perch will spend much more energy capturing its prey and will not grow at the same rate as a fish living on a shoal that feeds on one- to three-pound walleyes.

So why are big muskies so difficult to catch if adult muskies have no natural enemies other than humans? The answer is found in nature's system of checks and balances. Any body of water with a lot of big muskies would soon be thrown out of delicate balance. Although adult muskies have little to fear, life for small muskies is a battle for survival that few win. In this way, natural order ensures that the population of all top predators is kept in close.

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HABITAT

Distribution

The range of the muskie is quite small compared to most other species. Essentially, it is limited to the waters of eastern North America. But today most of the world's best muskie fishing is in the province of Ontario.

In Canada, muskies occur in lakes and rivers from southern Quebec west along the St. Lawrence and throughout most of the Great Lakes drainage areas north to the Manitoulin area in the North Channel area of Lake Huron. They disappear along the Superior shore and do not take up again until the Dryden - Kenora area of northwestern Ontario. From Dryden they occur in many lakes and rivers westward through the Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake regions.

In the United States the muskie occurs naturally in those states bordering the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes and in the head-water region of the Mississippi. The states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania all have long histories as muskie producers. Through stocking programs, Americans have extended the muskies' range to include the Dakotas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

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Lake Environments

Oligotrophic lakes -- those extremely deep, clear, infertile lakes usually associated with lake trout -- are generally poor muskie waters because they simply do not produce enough forage and offer very little in the way of moderately shallow cover that muskies can use. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the eutrophic lakes. These lakes are extremely fertile and support more pounds of fish per acre than any other lake type. They are usually very shallow weedy lakes with rather dingy water. They can support excellent muskie fisheries and have trophy potential. Weeds are the key in these lakes, as there is very little else to which either the forage or the muskies can relate.

While eutrophic lakes can be fine muskie waters, it is the mesotrophic lakes that are considered the classic muskie waters. Mesotrophic lakes are moderately fertile lakes with a wide variety of structural elements. Usually a combination of deep rocky shoals, fast breaking drop-offs, rock points, and sunken islands as well as a good deal of weed growth offer muskies a lot of different structural opportunities. The water color is clear to moderately clear and these lakes may reach depths of more than 100 feet. Although they don't produce the number of pounds per acre that the more fertile eutrophic lakes do, their greater depths mean cooler waters that can support the higher protein forage species of ciscoes, herring, and whitefish. Even when a mesotrophic lake does not contain these superior forage fish, it has several other advantages that can result in excellent muskie fisheries. (Figure 12-1.)

Not all forage species are equal. Ciscoes, herring, and whitefish are all very oily high-protein forage species. They also school in very large numbers over open water making them very accessible. They do, however, require a good deal of deep cool water and that is just not available in eutrophic lakes. Muskies in waters where these high-protein forage species are available usually exhibit superior girth-to-length ratios and are therefore normally heavier fish.

Muskies in eutrophic lakes must use whatever forage they can while trying to maximize its efficient use. Walleyes, large and smallmouth bass, suckers, bullheads, and a myriad of pan fish are usually available in these warm waters. If they are available in good numbers, walleyes, with an average weight of one to three pounds, should be the preferred forage, especially for the larger muskies. Walleyes school laterally along the weedlines, foraging for their own prey, making it easy for muskies to set up a home territory and forage efficiently. (Figure 12-2.)

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River Environments

Rivers are almost completely overlooked by most anglers looking for a trophy muskie. This is partly because there are few rivers with the features necessary to produce numbers of big muskies. "Big waters produce big fish" is a very true statement specially where muskies are concerned.

When choosing a river to fish muskie, look for a large river with lots of forage and numerous current breaks. Current breaks are any kind of structure that creates a slack water area where the fish don't have to fight the current. You seldom find muskies in swift-flowing, young headwater rivers and streams.

At one time the St. Lawrence River vas the greatest muskie water of all time. Dotted with countless islands and massive weedbeds, the St. Lawrence had it all. Its great size and plentiful forage allowed it to sustain an incredible number of big fish. A look at the records shows that of the verified 60 pounders, 12 of these came from the St. Lawrence, including the current world record of 69 pounds 15 ounces. But fishing pressure and environmental changes have reduced this great fishery to a shadow of its former self. Perhaps wise management and an educated angling public will help restore it to its former potential.

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SEASONAL CHANGES 

Life Cycle

Muskies are spring spawners. As soon as the ice is off the water, the muskies will begin migrating towards their spawning areas. They usually spawn in very shallow water from one to three feet deep, preferably in areas with soft bottom covered in decaying vegetation. Marshy areas that have some emergent weed growth and some current from an inflowing stream are ideal. (See Figure 12-3.) They do not build spawning beds. When water temperatures are between 50° F. (10° C) and 59° F. (15° C), the females scatter their eggs at random over bottom. The males fertilize the eggs by depositing their milt where the females have been. Although a big female may deposit upwards of 300,000 eggs, usually less than one-third will be fertilized. This haphazard approach to spawning is one of nature's ways of ensuring a low survival rate.

Hatching usually occurs in eight to 14 days and life is a struggle for the fry from the beginning. As soon as the yolk sac is absorbed, these tiny fish become voracious predators and often eat each other, if necessary, to survive. In bodies of water where northern pike are present, the pike (generally hatching a few weeks earlier) not only compete with the tiny muskies but also forage heavily on them. In addition, all kinds of fish-eating birds find them easy prey because of their curious habit of lying just beneath the surface. With these natural checks in place, usually less than one fish in 1,000 will ever reach adulthood and far less will ever reach trophy proportions.

Spent adults usually stay in shallow water until they have recovered from the spawning ordeal. In the spring the quickly warming shallows attract a wide variety of forage species. These and the newly developing weed growth offer the recovering muskies an excellent source of food and cover. After recovery is complete, muskie location will be determined by the availability of forage.

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Movements

There are usually some fixed seasonal movements that can help make locating fish a little easier. Early in the season many muskies prefer the new weed growth on the largest flats available for forage and cover. Even if these lakes have a quality deep-water forage (ciscoes, herring, or whitefish), most muskies will remain shallow until they are fully recovered after spawning. As the season progresses, the different forage species will eventually migrate to the areas that will be their summer homes. Understanding movements of forage species will help you determine muskie location.

For example, walleyes in mesotrophic lakes are excellent forage in terms of both size and numbers. Walleyes relate to a number of structural elements available in these lakes and in turn offer the muskies a number of options. Walleyes themselves will search for high-protein forage species but where these are not significant, they will relate to perch found primarily in the weeds. Some walleyes will school on rock shoals and sunken islands to prey on lake minnows. A muskie may spend the entire summer and fall living on a shoal or sunken island among a large school of small walleyes. It's a very efficient system and the muskies cohabiting with walleye are often the biggest muskies. This pattern really comes into its own with the first spell of really hot, calm weather, usually in late June or early July. The key shoals or islands are those associated with the long, slow tapers that walleyes prefer during the relatively stable weather of the summer months. The best depths can be anywhere from five to 30 feet or more with most of the muskies suspending over deeper water adjacent to the shoal.

In the fall, as the weather becomes less stable, the walleyes will look for faster-breaking shoals (those that drop quickly to deeper water). These fast-breaking structures offer the shortest possible migration route from the shallow feeding areas to the stability of their deep-water sanctuary. Once more, the muskies will follow the forage and suspend off these shoals.

In many meso lakes there are extensive weedbeds that do hold large numbers of muskies, usually smaller ones. On lakes where fishing pressure has drastically reduced the walleye population or average size, the weeds may hold the last strong population of walleyes. In this instance, the muskies will be found around weed edges and the open water immediately adjacent to them. As with the shoals, the weeds on long, slow tapers would be the prime summer areas and the weeds closest to deep water would be best in the fall. As usual, the muskies would spend most of the time suspended over open water and move up to the weeds under optimum conditions such as low-light periods (dawn, dusk, overcast day) or during a period of lunar influence.

In meso lakes with significant populations of both walleyes and ciscoes all these patterns may hold. In addition, there may be specific ciscoe - whitefish patterns to consider. These high-protein forage species feed primarily on animal plankton and require much cooler water temperatures. Some muskies will roam the open waters following these massive schools of baitfish as they feed on wind-blown plankton. Others will set up home territories on shoals, feeding on walleyes and smallmouth bass, and wait for the wind to deliver the baitfish to them. Ciscoes and whitefish (herring, too) are obliging in other ways as well. Their spawning habits help provide muskies with good meals. These baitfish are fall spawners, placing themselves in an extremely vulnerable position to reproduce. Huge schools of these high-protein fish will stage in deep water, usually near shallow rock rubble areas with immediate access to deep water. They move from the depths at night into the shallows to spawn, usually on the full moon in November. The muskies will suspend in deep water just below the forage to take advantage of these spawning movements. With such superior forage, this type of lake consistently produces trophy muskies.

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EQUIPMENT 

Trolling

Rods

One of the positive aspects about trolling is that you don't need really expensive equipment. A short five-and-a-half- or six-foot trolling rod with plenty of backbone is all that's required. You don't need the sensitivity of graphite in a muskie trolling rod so a medium-quality fiberglass rod will do. Any quality trolling reel with a good drag system is just fine. I use a six-foot Zebco Costera boat rod and a Penn 209 trolling reel.

Lines and leaders There is always a lot of controversy when muskie fishermen discuss what kind of line should be used. Some feel that monofilament is superior because it is less visible while others believe that the low-stretch qualities of Dacron result in superior hook set. Regardless of your preference, make sure you buy premium-grade line. Line test is also often debated, but for trolling I prefer line in the 30- to 45-pound-test class. Some people remark that such heavy lines are not sporting, however, I prefer to use them because it allows me to horse smaller fish quickly to the boat in order to release them in the best possible condition. A muskie caught on light line and played until exhausted stands little chance of survival.

When fishing muskies I always use leader and I always make my own. here are several quality leader materials available. Many anglers use plastic-coated braided wire and attach snaps and swivels by crimping metal sleeves over the leader material. I prefer single strand stainless steel wire and simply fasten the snaps and swivels by twisting the wire. When making leaders for trolling, I make them three to five feet long because long leaders prevent wear and tear on my line when I happen to bounce my lures off rocky structures. I usually use leaders testing from 50 to 80 pounds. If the leader gets a kink or gets twisted I cut off the snap and swivel to reuse. Whatever you do, don't go cheap on your terminal tackle. It could cost you the fish of a lifetime.

Lures

Big lures catch big fish! One of the prime advantages of trolling is that it makes the presentation of big lures simple. There are dozens of lures in hundreds of colors available commercially. At one time or another they will all catch fish. Most lures are designed to run at a specific depth so you should get a small variety of lures to cover various depths.

There are basically two kinds of lures that will cover most of your rolling needs: bucktails and plugs. Equally as effective cast or trolled, bucktails are probably the most popular of muskie baits. They usually consist of some type of wire shaft with a large spinner and one or more treble hooks covered with bucktail.

There are basically two styles of bucktails: the straight shaft like the Mepps Musky Killer or Marathon Big Slim, and the safety pin style (much like a spinnerbait) like the Lindy Tandem or Fudally Stump Hawg. Other than shape, the main difference is that the safety pin style is slightly more weedless and usually runs a little shallower. Bucktail baits are excellent trolling baits during the warm summer months, especially when trolling eutrophic lakes or weedy sections of meso lakes.

More muskies have been caught on black bucktails than on any other lure. That's probably because more fishermen use them than any other lure. But there could be another reason -- color. Black does seem to work well. I like black bucktails with silver or fluorescent orange blades and yellow bucktails with silver or chartreuse blades. Even though color is often more important to the fishermen than the fish, find a color you have confidence in and you will catch fish with it.

Although bucktails are good trolling baits, most anglers use plugs when trolling. They are usually plastic or wooden lures that are supposed to imitate baitfish. Some of the most popular plugs are Swim Whiz, Believers, Ciscoe Kids, Bagley Bang-O-Bs, Lindy Giant Shads, Leviathans, and the old stand-by, Pikie Minnows, if you can find them. When it comes to size, buy the largest available as most manufacturers don't make a lure that's too large for a muskie. Many of the top muskie anglers I know are using homemade lures that are twice the size of the commercially made lures and are catching lots of fish on them.

When choosing colors, blacks, whites, red/white combinations, and blue/silver combinations work well in deep clear waters where ciscoes are the primary forage. Perch and sucker imitations, yellows, greens, and blacks all work well in waters where walleye are the prime forage. In extremely dark waters, plugs with fluorescent orange or chartreuse bellies seem very effective. Once again don't get too concerned with color; fish a color in which you have confidence.

Rod holders

One other piece of equipment I recommend when trolling is a rod holder. There are several commercially made rod holders available. When using heavy trolling equipment and large lures, rod holders take the strain off your arm and shoulders. While you lose the opportunity to feel the strike, the use of rod holders means the forward motion of the boat will set the hook. In four years of using rod holders I have not lost a single fish while trolling. While I may have been lucky in several instances, I know that rod holders greatly improve my trolling efficiency.

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Casting

Rods and reels

Unfortunately, casting equipment suitable for muskie fishing can be quite expensive. In order to cast large lures on heavy line, baitcasting equipment is a must. A top-quality ball bearing reel with a good drag like the Ambassador 5500C or Lew Childre BB-2 is expensive but should last for years.

When selecting a rod, remember that although you don't need the sensitivity of graphite, the hooksetting power and the advantage of its lightness is a real plus. I have had the opportunity to fish with many different manufacturers' rods but I am convinced that the Skyline and Lamiglas rods are exceptional.

Line

Once again, it's back to the controversy about lines: monofilament or Dacron? I believe that when casting, Dacron's low stretch is a real advantage for setting the hook. You're not using rod holders now and it's up to you to pull that big jerk bait out of the fish's teeth and set the hook. My preferred Dacrons are Cortland Muskie Master and Gudebrod GT in 30 or 36 pound-test. If you prefer mono, make sure you use premium quality like Berkeley's Trilene or Dupont's Stren.

The razor-sharp teeth of a muskie can slice through any line regardless of quality, so I always use a leader when casting for muskies. Once again, I prefer a single strand stainless steel wire and I make my own. The only difference between my trolling leaders and casting leaders is length. I prefer a short ten- to 12-inch leader for casting since I don't leave my lures in the water for long periods of time and I can check my line for damage frequently.

Lures

There are four basic lure choices for casting: jigs, bucktails, crank baits, and jerk baits. When fished for muskies, jigs are almost always used in conjunction with a large plastic lizard (or creature) or live bait. They can be very effective under tough conditions (cold fronts) and in lakes that receive a lot of fishing pressure. If there is a drawback to jigs, it is that they seem to catch a lot of small fish and are often swallowed so deeply that the fishes' gills are damaged. This means that a lot of jig-caught fish cannot be released so I only fish jigs under extremely tough conditions.

Early in the season and right through September, bucktails should produce consistently and are without doubt the number one choice as casting lures. As the season progresses, jerk baits start to become more and more effective. A jerk bait is a large wooden bait with no action of its own. The angler must impart action on the lure by jerking his rod while retrieving the lure. There are basically two types of jerk baits: those that dive when pulled and move straight towards you and those that dive and move from side to side. Of the former, the Suick is undoubtedly the best known of all jerk baits while of the more erratic types, the Teddie bait is probably the most popular. My current favorite and the best jerk bait I have ever used is called the Somemake jerk bait. Its reputation vas built by the many fine anglers on Chautauqua Lake in New York.

When it comes to size, you don't have much choice. They should be as big as you can cast, usually weighing between three and six ounces and from nine to 12 inches long. When choosing colors, pick any color as long as it's black! I suspect that the silhouette of the black variety appeals to striking fish. Again, it could simply mean that black jerk baits are catching more fish because more anglers have confidence in them. Whatever the case, they are superb baits and give excitement to angling for muskie.

Crank baits are basically the same plugs as trolling baits. There are times, especially in the very late fall, when you can't get a muskie to come up to hit a bucktail or a jerk bait. That's the time to tie on a crank bait. Quite frankly, fishing muskie-size crank baits is very hard work, specially when you are wearing a down vest and a snowmobile suit in the late fall. When selecting crank baits for casting I recommend you go with the smaller models; it will be a lot easier on your arms and shoulders. When selecting colors, use the same guidelines I recommended for trolling lures.

There are many choices, as you can see, but as a basic guideline I use bucktails about 50 percent of the time, jerk baits about 40 percent, and jigs and crank baits the other ten percent of my casting time.

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TECHNIQUE

Reading the Water/Structure

As mentioned, knowing the type of body of water that you are fishing is an important element in locating and catching a muskie. Reading the water when fishing a river or reading the structure when fishing a lake is a special skill that requires practice. As well, the body of water and the situation determine whether you cast or troll. If I am fishing an area that would be most efficiently fished by trolling, I do so until I find an area that would be better covered by casting. Although my personal preference is to cast, I never allow that to influence my decision as to presentation.

To help you with water environments, if possible get the best hydrographic charts you can. These maps of the lake's contours will save you a lot of time by allowing you to eliminate unproductive water at home, before you even set out for the lake. If you plan to fish an enormous lake, select a small area with several different types of structures and try to establish a pattern, then look for other similar structures. Above all, once you set your game plan, stick to it. It's very easy to get sidetracked when a lake offers so many potential fish-holding structures.

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Eutrophic lakes

Fishing a eutrophic lake for the first time can be very intimidating. At first glance, there appear to be wall-to-wall weeds. Whenever an angler is faced with fishing an extremely weedy body of water for muskies, the first consideration should go to establishing the location of weed edges. In most eutrophic waters, the dark water color limits sunlight penetration to six or eight feet. That means most of the weed growth will stop at those depths. If hydrographic charts are unavailable to you, use a depth sounder or in many cases your eyes to locate these edges. You should start by looking for them adjacent to the largest weed flats (see Figure 12-4) as the larger flats are capable of supporting the most fish. Fish holding on the weed edges are usually much more aggressive than those in the thick weeds back on the flat because they use the edges as ambush points, making them more apt to go for a lure.

Another key fish-holding area is what is known as a weed transition. An example of a weed transition would be an area where a weedline that is predominantly coontail stops, and tobacco or broadleaf cabbage becomes the dominant weed. After weed growth is fully developed, many muskies spend the majority of the warm summer months suspended over open water, but even in this situation, the open water adjacent to the largest weed flats is the key area.

In lakes where weeds are the key fish-holding structure, there is one thing you should always keep in mind -- any weedy area with something different, perhaps some boulders or logs or even some sand or gravel, can be a productive area.

1. Primary spawning area.
2. Area B is a large weed point immediately adjacent to a primary spawning area. This type of structure should hold fish all season long and is probably the best spot on this lake. The key area would be the cabbage at B-l; in the summer the weed edge on the slow tapering side (B-1A) would be most productive. In the fall area B-1B would be better because it is closer to deep water. The inside turn at area B-2 should always be checked, especially during a major cold front.
   
3. Area C does not have a large enough food shelf (flat) and it would not be worth wasting much time on it.
   
4. A secondary spawning area, this location should hold some fish early in the season.
   
5. This area is a very large weed flat and as such should be a key area in this lake. When confronted with a huge weedline you should troll until you establish a key area like area E-l. This cabbage bed on an inside turn should be very productive as it combines two distinct structural changes: a change in direction and a weed transition. This should be a real hot spot.
   
6. This sandy bay is devoid of cover and too shallow to hold any fish.
   
7. The point at area G has a nice edge of cabbage and the only hard bottom (rock rubble) in the lake. It would likely hold some walleyes and perhaps smallmouth bass and should be checked.
   
8. Area H again is a large flat adjacent to a major spawning area. Although it would hold some fish there is little in the area to concentrate the fish. The cabbage at H-1 is very shallow and there is not enough to be significant. Areas B and G are better alternatives at this end of the lake.
   
9. The open-water area of the lake would have a lot of suspended fish especially during the heat of summer. Try trolling through the slot between area B and area H. The open water adjacent to the flat at area E should also be a winner.

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Mesotrophic lakes

If fishing a eutrophic lake can be intimidating, then fishing a meso lake an be downright confusing. At least in a eutrophic lake we know that the forage and therefore the muskies will relate to the weeds. In meso lakes, muskies may relate to walleyes in the weeds, or walleyes or smallmouth bass on rocky points or shoals, or perhaps they will relate to sunken islands or weed-to-rock bottom transitions. Even worse, perhaps they suspend and follow roaming schools of ciscoes or whitefish. Most mesotrophic lakes offer such a wide variety of potential fish-holding structures (see Figure 12-5) that setting a game plan can be very difficult. In addition, most meso lakes with reputations for producing really large muskies, 40-pound-plus fish, are usually huge bodies of water. It could take forever to cover all the possibilities!

On this type of lake more than any other, it really pays to do some homework before you go on the water. A call or letter to the agency responsible for natural resources for that area can give you some invaluable information. You can find out what forage fish are available and which ones the experts feel the muskies relate to most. Local bait shops or resort owners can tell you what techniques are locally successful and at what time of year the fishing is best. Most of the local business people want your repeat business so they should give you good information.

1. Area A is the prime walleye spawning area. Its hard bottom is not attractive to spawning muskies.
2. The fast-breaking shorelines and steep rock points in area B will attract a lot of walleye in the late fall. Muskies will definitely use this area in the fall.
3. The sandy beaches of area C are typical of many meso lakes -- nice for swimming but there is nothing here to hold any fish.
4. Area D is probably the best spot on this lake for numbers of fish. It offers a prime spawning area and a large shallow flat capable of supporting much forage. The deep weedline has some cabbage and would be very attractive to walleyes, with area D-1 being the best summer location (slow taper) and area D-2 being the best fall location (fast taper).
5. The same as area C.
6. The sunken island at F has some weed growth on top and is fairly shallow. Its nearness to area D is a plus as normally it doesn't take much pressure to fish down a small structure like this. It could be a big fish spot if it isn't charted or doesn't receive much pressure. It is too shallow to count on ciscoes for forage.
7. The point at area G and the adjacent sunken island at area H are both key areas. A muskie could make this area its home, foraging on walleyes and waiting for the wind to deliver ciscoes or whitefish. This is a big fish location.
8. See G.
9. Although area I does have one nice rock point, there is not enough to hold much forage in this area. Try covering it quickly with a trolling pass on your way from K to G if you must, but don't waste much time here.
10. This could be a major muskie spawning area. It probably won't hold fish after spawn but its nearness makes K a winner.
11. A slow tapering point with adjacent flat area, K is an outstanding structure. The weedline is deep and would hold numbers of fish. The slow taper would be attractive to fish in the summer period and the nearness of deep water and the rock rubble off the weed edge would hold fish in the fall. This is a great structure. Area L would not generally be too good a spot because it does not provide a large food shelf, however it would in this case be a migration route for walleyes leaving the spawning area at A and moving to their summer location at K. The inside turn at L-l is an excellent late fall or coldfront location where the weeds are closest to deep water. This deep, small sunken island may or may not hold fish. Its small size means it would not support much forage but its nearness to the walleye spawning area could make it a good fall location.

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Rivers

When fishing a river for muskie, the migratory nature of river fish makes it difficult to get a firm handle on forage location, and therefore muskie. There are, however, several fish-attracting structures that give us a starting place when river fishing. Any area that might concentrate some forage and provides necessary current breaks is a potential key area. One of the first things I look for are streams or creeks flowing into the main river. The flow of these streams washes plankton and insects down to minnows, who in turn provide forage for larger species, who in turn provide forage for muskies. These streams often wash nutrients into the river that accelerate weed growth and the weeds can provide the necessary current breaks. Indeed, many of the older, mature rivers that are good muskie waters have extensive weedbeds. Weeds serve as current breaks but there are other current breaks to look for -- the downstream of a rock wall or perhaps a fallen tree, a shoal, or a weedbed on the downstream end of an island.

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Trolling

Trolling is a technique in which the forward motion of the boat is used to pull your lure through the water and thus impart action to the lure. Sometimes trolling is better than casting but only because it is the most efficient way to deal with some of the situations you will face. Whenever you encounter any of the previously mentioned patterns in which the muskies are suspended, then trolling is the most effective method of presentation. If you are faced with extremely large structures, or very deep fish, trolling is once again the superior method.

Most anglers think that all there is to trolling is dragging a lure behind your boat, however, nothing could be further from the truth. Trolling, as practiced by an expert, is a precise method of presentation. There are two prime objectives when performing a trolling pass: depth control and speed control.

Depth control is the ability of the troller to control the depth at which a lure is running. This allows you to run your lures at the depth at which you either suspect or know the muskies to be. Muskies are primarily sight feeders. The physical location of their eyes (on the sides but towards the top of their heads) means that they can see things above them better than to the sides or below them. It is important, then, that you present your lures slightly above the muskies and within their range.

The question is, "How do you know exactly at what depth the muskies are?" The simplest and most accurate method is with electronic equipment like a flasher or a graph recorder. If you are marking baitfish, run your lures at those depths as the muskies will suspend just below the baitfish.

If you can't get a hold of electronic equipment, Brendon Reid, the famous St. Lawrence River guide, has an unconventional solution. He locates the "magic depth," i.e., the depth where sunlight penetration is greatly diminished, by lowering a white coffee mug on a string that is marked in feet until it disappears from sight. After checking the string to see how deep it disappears, he doubles that depth to determine the depth at which he will run his lures. For example, if the mug disappears at the eight-foot level, Brendon would run his lures 16 feet deep.

But if you're not marking anything, where do you start? It has been my personal experience that you can find a starting depth to run your lures by simply understanding water clarity. While not as precise as Brendon's method, it can give you a starting point. In dingy or dark water, muskies must remain fairly close to the surface so there is enough light for them to see their forage. In water with visibility of two feet or less most of the muskies will be in the top ten feet of water. Lures running from four to six feet should be right on the money. In stained or moderately clear water with visibility from six to eight feet, most of the muskies will be from ten to 20 feet deep. I have found that marking fish in the ten- to 15-foot depths makes for good sport but from 15 feet down, the fish are not aggressive enough to provide the consistent catches I like. In extremely clear water (where visibility is greater than eight feet) it has been my experience that the most catchable fish will be in the ten- to 15-foot depths. It is not unusual to mark fish much deeper than this but I don't know of anyone who catches them consistently at this level.

These guidelines may serve you well but you are probably still wondering about how you are to know precisely at what depth your lures are running. Most lures have a specific depth range. A Swim Whiz or Believer will run from ten to 12 feet deep when attached on the deep eye. Variation in running depth is usually caused by line drag depending on line diameter. You should spend some time establishing just how deep each of your various lures will run on the type of line you are using.

The first step in this process is marking your line in ten-foot increments. This allows you to know precisely how much line you have out. Use a waterproof marker to ensure your marks won't wash off. Select a lure and then run 30 feet of line out behind the boat. Start trolling at a point where you know the exact depths, if you don't have a depth sounder, until you hit bottom. That will tell you the depth that lure runs on 30 feet of line. Repeat the process using 60 and 90 feet of line. Once you have established these depths for all the lures you will be trolling with, write it down in chart form and keep it in your tackle box.

Few lures will dive beyond 15 feet without some sort of weight. It may be necessary to add as much as a pound of lead to get some of these big lures down an extra ten feet. Once again, you will have to experiment to find out how much weight you need with a specific lure. You may think that this takes a lot of effort, especially when a downrigger an give you precise depth control immediately. However, downriggers have a serious drawback. The slack line that develops when the line is pulled from the release seems to create a problem with setting the hook. It seems that most of the fish that hit on a downrigger are lost.

When trolling for muskies, many anglers run far more line than is necessary. Use as short a line as possible without affecting your depth control. Muskies are quite often caught right in the prop turbulence of an outboard motor. The short lines also give you better control of the fish.

After you understand depth control and how to achieve it, your next step is to understand the importance of speed control. Speed is the rate of motion that imparts action to your lure. You may wish to run your lures at a very slow speed or a very fast speed or perhaps at some speed in between. The two determining factors in selecting the appropriate speed are weather and water temperature.

Fish are cold-blooded animals. The rate at which their metabolism works is determined by the temperature of the surrounding water. In cold water a fish's reactions are very slow, therefore you should troll your lures at very slow speeds. In the heat of summer, troll at a much faster speed because the fish's reaction is not affected unless the water temperatures are extremely high. Local prevailing weather conditions may cause me to make further adjustments to the speed at which I am trolling. In summer, a period of extremely hot weather would cause me to increase the speed. A period of extremely cold weather in the summer might make me slow down if I felt that the water temperature was dropping significantly. In the fall, a prolonged period of extremely warm weather would mean an increase in speed but it would be less drastic than in summer.

As a rule of thumb, I try to troll at approximately three or four miles per hour in the cold-water periods. If faced with a significant warming trend, I speed up to five to seven miles per hour. In the warmer summer months, I usually troll at approximately seven miles per hour, however, a period of extremely warm weather might find me trolling from ten to 12 miles per hour.

Speed is an important trigger. It is very unusual to be on the water when the fish are feeding, so the smart angler tries to place the bait as close as possible to the fish and uses speed to trigger a strike from the fish. You don't want the fish to have time to think about whether or not it wants your lure, but to react to your lure!

Another factor that can increase your success is to make a lot of turns. Every time you turn you change the speed of your lures, and sometimes an increase or decrease in speed can trigger a following fish into striking.

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Casting

Casting as a technique in muskie fishing is in many instances the most efficient method when you are confronted with extremely heavy cover. When the muskies are using stump flats or dense weed growth with very irregular edges, casting allows a pin point placement of your lure that would be impossible using trolling methods. If the particular body of water you are fishing is extremely shallow or has numerous small structures as opposed to very large structures, casting would allow you to comb the water most thoroughly.

As described previously, bucktails are without doubt the number one choice as a casting lure. They are very easy to fish. One of their great advantages is that when a muskie strikes there is nothing but hair and hooks and getting a good hook set is relatively easy. In the warm summer months, simply cast bucktails along the edge of the weeds and reel as fast as you can. If the weeds are extremely thick use a safety pin style; my current favorite is the Fudally Stump Hawg because it uses two single hooks instead of trebles and is therefore much more weedless. If you are fishing deeper water or during a cold front use a straight shaft and allow it to sink to the depth that you wish to fish and retrieve it a little slower than you normally would.

If using jerk bait, remember that you have to create the action by jerking the rod while retrieving the lure. This jerking action causes the lure to dive or move from side to side in a very erratic manner. Muskies seem to think that these baits are injured or in trouble some way and they really go for them. There are two drawbacks to jerk baits: because of the erratic movement the fish tend to miss the bait on the strike; and because jerk baits are usually large and made of wood, it can be difficult to set the hook if a muskie sinks its teeth into it. As a result, most jerk bait fishermen agree that you probably lose 60 percent of the fish that hit. For a long time this statistic made me shy way from jerk baits but I now know hat they attract fish, and the big ones at that, more than bucktails.

Casting will increase your catch although the average size of the fish you catch will probably be smaller. In southern Ontario where trolling has exerted most of the fishing pressure, many lakes and rivers are good for casting. Conversely, in northwestern Ontario, where most of the pressure is due to casters, trolling for deep fish is probably the best way to catch a real trophy.

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SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR A SPECIAL FISH

Learning the various techniques and presentations requires time and practice. Nothing can be accomplished without effort. The factors separating the novice from the expert are the abilities to gain precise boat control and to select the best presentation to suit the situation. The wise angler knows that he or she will be faced with a variety of situations and there are no magic methods that always work. Never close any of your options when fishing if you want to be consistently successful. Above all be versatile!

As your angling abilities and environmental awareness grow through pursuit of the muskie, so will your respect for this most worthy animal. You will come to understand the fragile nature of muskie populations and the devastating influence of human-induced pressures on the aquatic environment such as shoreline development and over-fishing. By all means keep your special trophy fish and those that are obviously mortally wounded during capture, but remember the past and think of the future. Decisions which we make today while angling directly affect our chances for a record fish tomorrow. Without the participation of muskie fishermen today, there would be no big lunge in anyone's future.

Muskellunge is a very special fish when we consider its colorful history, rich mythology, and unique environmental niche. I leave you with the motto of Muskies Canada, an organization of anglers working to insure a future for this special fish: "Limit your kill, don't kill your limit!"

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