I have been a runner for as long as I can remember, and by runner I don’t mean that I wake up early every morning to jog 2 miles.  What I mean is that any chance I get to get away and go exploring, I take it.  My parents were far from neglectful, and kept a close eye on me, but before I can even remember I still managed to sneak off to see what there was to see in the neighborhood as often as I could escape.  They couldn’t turn their back on me for a second.  The desire to get away and find something new is engrained deep within my soul.  I think some call it wander lust.

Long float trips locate many good spots

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….which bodies of water are actually the most productive?

Motor restrictions mean few anglers and good fishing

When deciding on a body of water to fish it is important to take into account the real time productivity of the water and not just the amount of fish it is putting out.  Often, the amount of muskies a lake or river puts out is highly dependant on the amount of angler effort on the water body as well as the quality of the fishery contained within.  Therefore, real time productivity is actually the measure of angler hours needed to capture a certain size, quantity, and specie of fish.

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In the last decade, the world of musky fishing has entered into a veritable age of reason.  Musky fishing philosophy has become highly scientific, logical, and pragmatic; however many of us are still caught up on secrets, most of which don’t exist in my opinion.  For years, books containing information about fishing often contained the word “secrets” in their title, no doubt a solid marketing ploy.  This is not as prevalent as it used to be, but it seems that there is still the under ground world of secret seekers and hoarders.  I often can’t decide which is more lame, those who seek out secrets or those who think they harbor a wealth of them.

Underutilized water, but certainly not secret

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In MN, some of the musky lakes that produced big fish action at an above average rate a few years ago have slowed down a little bit.  I have heard several theories as to why this is, but I think it has more to do with angling pressure than anything else.

First Of Two 50's On A High Pressure Lake In Nov.

I have heard theories centered around forage fluctuations and the effect these fluctuations have on the muskies’ willingness to strike artificial lures.  An example would be that a boom in the yellow perch population has caused muskies to relocate and loose interest in artificial lures.  This to me is absurd for three reasons.  First, MN muskies are notorious for using shallow structural edges the majority of the time.  Certainly they will drop deeper or suspend from time to time, but this would not account for an entire season of decreased action.  Second, these lakes are so full of a variety of forage that muskies are never dependent on one specie, at least not for long enough to throw off an entire season’s action.  Third, no matter how much forage is present in a lake, muskies will still strike well made presentations during feeding windows.  I fish musky lakes that are full of panfish and carp near my home.  These lakes have thousands of adult carp, of which the females produce between one and two million eggs every year.  In the face of all those panfish and juvenile carp, I still get good action under the right conditions. Read More→

Landing A 41 Incher On Foot

Two-Toned Musky

I haven’t been in the sport of musky fishing as long as some anglers, but I can still remember the days of being the lone nut out on the water using gear antiquated by today’s standards.  In the last decade, musky fishing has grown exponentially both as a sport and as an industry.  Booming musky fisheries are popping up around the country where no muskies previously existed, and the musky bug has spread faster than the swine flu.  Bass and walleye fishermen get a taste of the action, and many never look back.  State fisheries managers and private organizations alike have taken action, and now there are more musky fisheries and muskies than ever before.  Tackle manufactures have also heeded the call, and now there are at least twenty times the products available to musky fisherman than there were just 15 years ago.

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The Manta swung wide from side to side in the cool water.  As it neared the boat, a large musky rose in behind it.  Each time the lure swung and paused, the musky would switch side to side rushing the plug as it turned perpendicular to the fish, vulnerable to the perfect predatory attack.  Each time, the musky’s white mouth would open just an inch breaking its camouflage momentarily.  Any closer and the lure would have touched the musky’s snout each time.  I anticipated the musky to commit at any moment; that moment of truth when it would simultaneously lunge forward, open wide as a bucket, flare its gills, and overtake my lure while drawing it in with a reverse rush of water.  I had seen it many times before, but this time, like so many others, it did not happen.  The musky neared the boat in its rhythmic pattern, and as I went into a wide figure eight it spooked and disappeared leaving only a large boil to remember it by.

Ryan With A Hard Earned 49" x 23" Pig

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Successful musky anglers are a unique bunch.  Most of them have developed unique tactics over years of fishing.  Whether they realize it or not, their tactics have been molded to match their own personalities and experiences.  Therefore, a musky angler’s tactics are as unique as the individual and no two are alike.  Two anglers may each be using the same lure, but that is where the similarities usually end.  Inevitably, many subtle nuances separate one angler’s technique from that of the other.  Knowing how an angler fishes and even watching them in action does not mean that another will be able to fish like them, or especially duplicate their success.  What a successful angler is doing may not seem complicated but there is much more going on than what meets the eye or than words can explain.  All the examination in the world will not allow another person to throw a football like Brett Favre or hit a golf ball like Tiger Woods.  These are extreme examples, but it is the same for any complex and advanced set of skills.  Such skill sets are usually made up of natural aptitudes developed through practice.  Learning from other musky anglers is a great way to gain knowledge, but only practice and experience builds skill. Read More→

…..The use of an inexpensive Dremel tool will allow an angler to put a sharper point on a hook in less time.

I have extensively written and published material on the importance of hook sharpening and how to sharpen hooks.  This by no means makes me unique, as many authors have done this.  What does make my writings on this subject unique is the fact that I promote the use of a Dremel (a small hand held rotary tool) for hook sharpening, instead of a traditional flat file.  I began publishing such ideas over four years ago.  I have been using Dremels for over a decade to sharpen my hooks, and to me it just makes sense.  Most construction workers, metal workers, and craftsmen use power tools to increase the accuracy and efficiency of their work, why should fishermen be missing the boat. Read More→

First Look At The Collins

To my knowledge, the Collins River in central TN is the warmest climate musky fishery, if not the furthest south as well.  Even in a harsh winter, good musky action can be found in the Collins if water levels are right.  The Collins supports muskies at its latitude because it is spring fed with clean cool water, too cool in fact to support muskies in its farthest up stream reaches.  Trout inhabit those waters. Read More→

……If the muskies are off in one body of water, find one in which they are on.

When muskie anglers speak of a body of water that is “on”, it means that a good number of muskies in that particular environment are responding well to presentations.  The reason they are responding well to presentations is most likely because they are feeding heavily in areas where anglers are working.  The reason the muskies are feeding is usually a combination of several environmental and biological factors. Read More→