CATCH MUSKY FEVER!!

USA. Nature Vision moves into lure market

The move into the lure market is a first for the Central Minnesota firm, which remains best known for its Aqua-Vu Underwater Viewing Systems. Far from strangers to the world of fishing tackle, Nature Vision President and CEO Jeff Zernov represented Lindy-Little Joe Tackle for many years, prior to co-founding In-Fisherman magazine in 1975.

Crazy Crank Lures are built using a super durable solid core resin that unlike wood or plastic, will not crack, leak, or sink. In addition, the lures cast like rockets and deliver a rhythmic yet consistent action, as well as a unique sound that's accomplished by through a hydro-dynamically designed head.

A mere five prototypes of the Rumbler topwater lure have accounted for over 60 muskies, including many by muskie fishing legends Doug Johnson and Dick Pearson.

"I am excited to place the Rumbler and Crazy Crank in the hands of a respectable organization with the capabilities to get the lures in the boats of many more anglers." says Crazy Crank creator Don Schwartz. "The Rumbler has piqued the interest of muskie anglers so fast that I just couldn't meet the demand on my own. This is a design and material that will change muskie fishing, and I think this move assures that the lures will get to the public before the imitations come along."

Fig Rig Rods…One Man’s Experience

By Craig Sandell © 2007

In 2005, I wrote this article documenting the problems that I experienced with the Fig Rig rod that I used. In 2006, message boards have had entries from folks who have experienced similar problems. According to some of the chat, Fig Rig had a bad run of blanks that caused the problem...something that Fig Rig contends has been resolved. I would submit that it is not enough for a manufacturer to say that it has fixed the problem; confidence in a product can only be restored if, along with the cause, the manufacturer defines what 'corrective action' has been instituted to purge defective items in stock and ensure that safe guards have been put in place to prevent the problem from happening again. In addition, I have gotten first hand reports from Fig Rig users that they have had to re-attach their rod tip guide because it came loose during normal use...this would appear to indicate that Fig Rig has a larger problem than faulty blanks from their supplier. You will have to make up your own mind as to whether you want to trust your time on the water to a rod that has demonstrated a propensity to fail under the stress of Musky angling.

2007 Update
On 3/26/07 Musky America received a request via an Email from a person representing himself as Kevin Figgins requesting that we remove this article. Mr. Figgins was informed that the article was a factual account of problems encountered using the Fig Rig Rod. Musky America offered Mr. Figgins the opportunity to submit a rebuttal to this article...To date we have received no additional input from Mr. Figgins.
We have received another failure report from a person who indicated that he went through 4 of the 8 foot Fig Rig rods during the 2006 season. He indicated that when he contacted Fig Rig, he got the standard answer that they had a run of bad blanks and that the problem has been fixed...The person reporting the problem indicated that he went to using rods from different manufacturers.

In September of 2005, I participated in the Lake Chippewa Flowage Muskie Tournament. The whole experience was a great one and the event was very well administered.

I was fortunate to have won a Fig Rig 7’ medium rod as a door prize. Since all of my custom made rods are 6½’, I was anxious to see how this 7’ rod would perform for me on the water.

As soon as I got back to my trailer at Indian Trail Resort, I set up the rod with an Abu Garcia 5500 loaded with TUF line. I planned to use the rod as a Bucktail rod when I went to Phillips, WI to fish with my good friend Rob Meusec.

The next day, I was on the water casting a 1½ ounce Bucktail toward the deep edge of a weed line. As I was retrieving the Bucktail, a fish hit about 20 feet from the boat. I set the hook and much to my chagrin, the Fig Rig Rod that I had won and had high hope for, broke in the thick portion of the rod shaft. Well, I lost the fish as well as the use of the rod…I was not a happy camper.

When I got back to Indian Trail Resort, I was in the bar relating the sad story when another person at the bar piped up and said that he had a couple of friends who had also had their Fig Rig rods break on them.

I thought that this was something that the folks at Fig Rig should know about. I packed up the remnants of the rod and sent it to Fig Rig at my own expense, along with a note explaining the circumstance surrounding the failure of the Fig Rig rod…I did not ask them to replace the rod but I did encourage them to reassess their quality control and application engineering.

In early October, I received a new rod in the mail, along with an invoice of $25.00 for the shipping charges. They did not credit the $6.50 that it cost me to send the broken Fig Rig rod to them and provided no note expressing a concern that their Fig Rig rod had failed during the most elementary aspect of the Muskie experience…the setting of the hook.

I am sure that there are folks out there who have used these rods without having them break into pieces. Would I use this rod again?…in a word "NO". Like all of you, I spend a lot of time on and off the water working hard to locate and catch our Muskie friend. I am not about to take a chance that this same circumstance will happen again.

As a final observation, the Fig Rig rod had a Muskies, Inc. decal on it providing the perception that the rod is in some way endorsed by Muskies, Inc. If that is the case, I would encourage Muskies, Inc. to reassess its endorsement of the Fig Rig rod. If it is not the case, I would encourage Muskies, Inc. to petition Fig Rig to remove the Muskies, Inc. decal from their rod until such time that Fig Rig provides "cause and corrective action" regarding the failure of their medium 7’ Muskie rod.

Green Bay about more than Packers these days

By DOUG NEWHOFF, Sports Editor

REEN BAY, Wis. â€” Residents of Green Bay probably arenâ€™t ready to start skipping Packer games for a day of fishing on the bay.

But there might be a few diehard fans at least considering it as an option.These days, the waters of Green Bay are making an equally indelible impression on anglers who enjoy the pursuit of walleyes, smallmouth bass, perch and even muskies. A body of water that was once as polluted as Ricky Williams' bloodstream is living the clean life and teeming with fish - especially walleyes.

"It's at an all-time best right now for both numbers and the size of the fish," said Don Kohl, who has lived in the area for the past 23 years. "It's just silly right now."

The Masters Walleye Circuit exposed the Bay's big walleye potential in 1998 when it first visited the area.

With the fish in a late-summer pattern of prowling the rocky reefs in the northern half of the bay, 196 MWC teams lugged 1,009 walleyes to the scales weighing an average of 4 1/2 pounds apiece. It took a two-day, 10-walleye limit of 68.40 pounds to win and 42.76 pounds to finish among the top 35 teams.

Three weeks ago, the MWC returned to Green Bay for the first time in several years. Participants discovered they didn't need to make a risky, 50-mile run to the northern reefs. These days, there are more than enough walleyes in the southern part of the bay to keep a boatload of anglers busy.

During the two-day MWC event, 184 teams weighed in 1,555 walleyes averaging 3.75 pounds apiece. Dozens of walleyes weighing between 8 and 11 pounds were caught. It took 56 1/2 pounds to win and a two-day catch of 40 pounds to make the top 50.

"It's funny because not that long ago, maybe 10 to 12 years ago, the south part of the bay was unexplored," said Kohl, a veteran tournament angler who is taking a year off from competitive fishing. "I think because of the combination of the population growing and fishermen getting better, the south half of the bay right now is every bit as good for big fish numbers as the northern half.

"Our biologists tell us we've had a number of good year classes. Four of the last five years have been just perfect conditions. And the food base in the bay is incredible.

"Some of it might have to do with the zebra mussels, too. Nobody wanted to see them in the bay, but say what you want, I think they have helped with the water quality. There has also been a lot of cleanup from the (paper) mills along the Fox River, and when you clean up the river, you clean up the bay."

During the MWC event, many teams of anglers reported catches of 40 to 50 fish a day while slow-trolling in-line spinner rigs tipped with nightcrawlers and using planer boards to carry their lines away from the boat. While those catches included drum, catfish, perch, smallmouth and the occasional muskie, most of the fish were walleyes. Most of the walleyes measured 18 to 22 inches in length, but almost every catch included a fish or two in the 28- to 30-inch class.

"It just blows my mind," said Kohl. "For the last 10 years in the bay, it's been commonplace for guys to go out and catch numbers of quality fish."

Perch fishing is nearly as popular as walleye fishing on the bay. Dozens of small boats can be found anchored up on almost every southern reef.

"It's back now, finally," said Kohl, noting that commercial fishing, angler harvest and predation from cormorants contributed to the decline.

"They've reduced angler limits and commercial harvest limits the last few years, and they're trying to control the cormorants. The perch population is showing the results. We have great numbers of 9- to 11-inch perch again with plenty of bigger ones out there."

The smallmouth fishery is one of the best anywhere, especially on the reefs and rocky shorelines in the northern part of the bay near Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Like the walleyes, they grow fat and sassy with fish up to 4 pounds common.

And along with the improvements in water quality and the vast forage base available, the muskie population is thriving.

"This has become a world class muskie fishery," said Kohl. "The last few years, it's incredible how many guys have started coming to the bay to fish muskies.

"There are numbers and size. There are a lot of 50-plus inch fish being caught, especially in the spring and fall, and it will only get better."

Of course, Green Bay faces threats to its fishery. Invasive species like zebra mussels and gobies are a concern, as are new fish viruses that are spreading throughout the Great Lakes.

However, there aren't many places that currently provide any better fishing.

"Overall, with the numbers of fish to be caught, it's an outstanding place to bring somebody just to catch fish," said Kohl. "It's not like you're going to go for hours out there and not get a bite. You will be busy reeling in something all the time.

"You can fish about any way you want and be successful. You can slip-bobber, jig, throw crankbaits, troll spinners, troll crankbaits, drift-fish ...

"And you don't need a big boat. If the wind kicks up, there are still plenty of places that are protected in the southern bay, plus the river, which kind of gets overlooked now because the bay is so good.

"We're pretty blessed."

Contact Doug Newhoff at (319) 291-1467 or doug.newhoff@wcfcourier.com

Record Muskie

Video Link

A Mandan man reels in a record muskie.

Cory Bosch of Mandan was fishing all by himself on New Johns Lake north of Bismarck on July Third and caught a 46-pound-8-ounce muskie that measured 54 inches in length. Bosch says it was quite a fight to get the fish into his boat.

(Cory Bosch, Mandan fisherman) "...Back and forth and up and down. it would dive to the bottom and I'd slowly bring it up and it'd take five minutes every time I'd bring it back up. I'd try to land it and it would go back down. I didn't have a net. I had a small Walleye net but I didn't want to risk getting the hooks caught in the net. So I had to hand land it and every time I'd try to grab it under the gills, it would flop its head and go right back down to the bottom...over and over you know."

State Game and Fish officials had to take a sample of the fish to find out if it is a pure muskie or a cross between a muskie and a northern pike.

But either way, officials say the fish is a state record holder.

(Scott Gangl, Fisheries Management Section Leader) "We've stocked both pure muskies and tiger muskies, which is a hybrid between a muskie and a northern pike, into New Johns Lake. So we need to determine whether its one or the other. So the only way to do that definitively is by doing DNA testing and so we're taking a sample of DNA and we're sending it to a geneticist in Maine who did the last onethe last time we had a record."

If Bosch's fish is a pure muskiehe beat the old record by 8 ounces. Bill Wald of Washburn caught the last record holder also at New Johns Lake in 2003

Summer Is The Time Of Acute Musky Fever

By Al Denninger

Musky Fever hits Hayward…Hundreds stricken…Tourists bring fever to area…No cure found, only temporary relief for victims…Only heavy doses of fishing can relieve this thing called MUSKY FEVER!!!

Summer signals the start of the hot action for the King of the Freshwater Fish. Musky are spreading out and more likely to be on main-lake spots. Weed beds are reaching for the sky, and the water-ah! The water temperatures are reaching a steady 68-74 degrees. Musky are putting on the feed bag. Big females are starting to show up; this is the time of the season when musky action is at its best. There’s more fish action now than in any other month. September might see more trophy fish, but late June through early July is when the real action takes place.

Below is a list of a few lakes to pound in the first few weeks of summer.

Lake Winter: Lots of good action on this body of water. It has produced some big fish. Purple Bucktails on sunny days and yellow on overcast are the hot ticket in June and early July—both sporting brass blades.

Chippewa Flowage: Bucktails are the best all around bait choice. Many favor fluorescent or green blades with black hair.

First work the weeds, concentrating on the edges. Key weed beds have deep water on two or three sides.

Surface baits are also a good choice. Creepers, Globes, Toppers and Water Thumpers are all in play.

Lost Land Lake is usually solid weeds. Fish the open pockets. This lake is usually clear, but can also be stained depending upon run off. Orange or purple Bucktails with gold blades are a good bet. Also, the Suick has been hot on this lake.

Teal Lake always has dark water, and a brass or copper-bladed Bucktail here seems to produce very well. For surface baits, globes, Hawg Wobblers, or water thumpers.

Spider Lake - Spider Lake produces well on Bucktails with silver blades.

You may also have good luck with Crane, Slammers, and Hi-Finn’s sidewinders with gold and/or silver prism tape added to the sides of these twitch-baits-using silver tape on clear water and gold on stained waters.

MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME ON THE WATER

After reading the first part of this article, you get the picture that Bucktails are the guides’ first choice, and with good reason.

Bucktails search the water fast. The more water you cover in your allotted fishing time, the more likely you’ll put your offering in front of an active musky.

Remember, these fish are active now; water temperatures are in the favorite range, and females have had ample time to recover from the rigors of spawning. Weed beds have matured enough as to have fish set up feeding patterns.

Many of these active musky will return to the same weed beds to feed. When you locate a large fish, note time, wind direction, water temperature, bait, etc. Try to return the next day to that particular weed bed at the same time using the same bait.

I have also found that fish seem to have a three-day feeding cycle. I’d enjoy talking to anyone who has noticed the same pattern.

TACKLE TIPS

The question of line comes up often: mono vs. braided vs. spectra.

No doubt about it, you’ll fool more fish on mono, but I dislike the stretch. I prefer Courtland Micron. The no-stretch factor is a big plus in burying the steel. The same can be said of lines like TUF line.

If mono is the route you want to go, make sure you spool up with 25-30 pound test. Knots wear fast under constant casting pressure.

For those anglers on Pig Patrol and for whom only 30 pound plus fish get your heart pumping, stick with Micron or spectra. Micron is pure white, but don’t let that keep you from trying it. TUF line is salt and pepper.

Most braided–line fishermen use black, but remember the old saying, "Use a black Bucktail, ‘cause fish can see black the best!" So why use black line?

Well, whatever your views on equipment, enjoy your time on the water. Enjoy as Hayward spreads the fishing fever.

Good luck and tight lines.

Michigan's Master Angler Pike

So, you want to catch the biggest northern of your life without leaving our state? No problem. Just follow the evidence! (March 2007)
By Steven A. Griffin

DALE SPARTASThe open-water fishing fan of northern pike could get a bit discouraged after taking a close look at Michigan's Master Angler Award list. From lakes that have produced multiple Master Angler-class pike in the last few years, most of the trophy fish have come through the ice, not from open water. Tip-ups and spears did most of the work, not crankbaits and spoons.
But then, when the ice is gone, how many people really focus on pike the same way winter anglers do, with long hours. heavy tackle and single-species dedication? Those fish didn't just appear when ice sealed the lake, after all. That's just when they were caught in the fishing spotlight.
Let's hand it to the tip-uppers and thank them for their research, which points to a handful of lakes with big fish. And at the same time, let's not neglect those special waters that substitute huge numbers of feisty smaller pike for smaller numbers of big fish. Then you just have to sneak onto those lakes and others with rods stouter than usual, lines heavier than normal, tougher leaders and bigger baits.
Leave the bluegills, perch and walleyes to the tourists this season, and set your sights on the powerful pike in these award-winning waters.
HOUGHTON LAKEThis could be the Michigan lake most associated with northern pike fishing. At more than 20,000 acres, it's our state's largest inland lake, and anglers chase its northerns throughout every season.
Houghton is shallow, with an average depth of about 8 feet, and nothing deeper than 22 feet. It is incredibly fertile, producing bumper crops of almost all warm- and coolwater species, including northern pike. "It's just a fish factory," an admiring fisheries biologist once told me.
Match plenty of pike with a lot of fishing, and you get a fast-action water that will likely have you sorting through plenty of northerns to get a 24-inch keeper. It can be great fun, though, to tangle with all those pike.
Scott Cain, a Midland dentist who fishes many walleye tournaments, loves pike fishing on Houghton Lake. Sure, he makes pilgrimages to some of Canada's trophy-pike lakes, but what he really loves is fast action on pike of all sizes.
"The best 'action' spot in Michigan, bar none, is the Middle Grounds in Houghton Lake," Cain said. That's the 3-foot-deep flat spot in the center of the lake that is featured on almost any map. Cain said it's about 200 yards long by 200 yards wide. "You won't catch big ones, but a friend and I caught 116 pike by casting Beetle Spins in about two hours. None were legal size, but the action is unparalleled. It's better fished earlier in the season because it gets weed-choked fairly early, but if you take any kid there -- including big kids like us -- it is a riot."
Even though few Houghton Lake pike live long enough to stretch much longer than Michigan's 24-inch minimum length, a few lunkers invariably grow fat on the abundant forage. This lake gives up at least one 20-pound-plus pike every year.
The "South Shore Weedbed" -- just where its name would lead you to expect it -- is a longtime favorite location of many pike anglers. Floating stick baits such as Rapalas and Rebels will be pounced on here, and jigs tossed into the weeds will stir up action, too.
Other good pike haunts on the lake include the edge of the weedbed on the east edge of North Bay, along with the several weedbeds in East Bay. Wherever you fish on Houghton Lake, you can't go wrong working the deep side of any weedbed -- emergent or submergent -- you can find.
There's a public access site on each of the four shorelines, and bait shops, restaurants, motels and resorts just about everywhere you go. Get more information from the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau at 1-800-676-5330, or go to the bureau's Web site at www.visithoughtonlake.com.
HIGGINS LAKETell people you're pike fishing on Higgins Lake and they'll tell you you're one lake too far to the north. Although they're connected neighbors, Higgins and Houghton lakes couldn't be much more different.
Houghton is shallow, warm and fertile. By comparison, Higgins is deep, cold and sterile. Houghton is a walleye lake, Higgins a trout hotspot. But Higgins, like Houghton, has northern pike, and it has some big ones.
The state's largest pike of 2005 in the caught-and-kept category was a Higgins fish, a 26-pounder that stretched 44 inches long. That person, David Stewart of Roscommon, put a second Master Angler Award pike from Higgins Lake on the list, too. And even though both of his pike ran into a winter spear, there's no reason you couldn't be just as lucky in the open water.
Thank the abundant food base -- especially smelt, whitefish and small trout -- for the hefty pike that come from Higgins. Maybe you should thank, too, the fact that few people target the toothy critters in open water.
This is not a lake with a lot of cover, so the pike have few ambush points. They do haunt weedbeds, though, including the relatively short ones along the steep dropoff from 10 feet to 25 feet that rings the lake. One of my biggest pike ever slammed a spoon I was jigging at the dropoff for perch at the north end of the lake. Hanging a live sucker or other tasty offering -- and make it big -- is a good bet, too. People will think you're on the wrong lake if you tell them what you're doing -- but a trophy northern just might tell you otherwise!
Access is easy at North and South Higgins Lake State Parks, and at a Department of Natural Resources public access site in the northwest corner. A State Park Motor Vehicle sticker is always required at the parks. In tourist season, a daily or seasonal fee is charged at the access site, too.
The Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau serves the Higgins Lake area with lodging and other information at VisitHoughtonLake.com, or 1-800-676-5330.
AU TRAIN LAKEThis Alger County lake about nine miles east of Munising produces big pike from its 830 acres.
The DNR's Jim Waybrant said in a "status of the fishery" resource report that area residents have cherished this lake's big pike and walleyes for more than 100 years, accounting for the early development of cottages around its northern and western shores. Much remains undeveloped, though, because the eastern and southern shorelines are mainly owned by the U.S. Forest Service, which operates a campground and boat launch just perfect for pike anglers.
Local folks have often complained that the lake grows so many suckers and draws in even more from Lake Superior that it damages Au Train Lake's fishing. Sucker removal efforts have had little effect on their numbers, though, and biologists aren't too concerned about them. Pike, walleyes and bass are all doing pretty well in the lake, where small but numerous perch provide plenty of chow.
The lake was surveyed in 1994, and again in 2002, and over that time the northern pike numbers and sizes increased dramatically. Pike made up almost 30 percent of the lake's predators by weight, and about 30 percent of them were keepers, meaning 24 inches or longer
"The increase in northern pike numbers and weight was significant," Waybrant said, "while the (lake's) walleyes and smallmouth bass remained relatively similar to their numbers in the 1994 survey."
Au Train Lake is fed by four streams, the largest of which is the Au Train River, which flows four miles to it from Au Train Basin, which is also called Forest Lake. It is worth noting that Au Train Basin put a dandy 44-inch-Master Angler pike on the list in 2005. Steven Ball of Skandia released the fish, so it could be out there for you, too!
It's also worth noting that Au Train Lake, although large compared with its neighbors, is relatively small as pike lakes go, so it gets quite a bit of pressure. Think about enjoying the battle, then releasing your pike, and then catching walleyes for dinner.
Get local information from the Alger County Chamber of Commerce at (906) 387-2138, or online at AlgerCounty.com.
SAGINAW BAYBirch Run's Don Bomba -- whose specialty is muskie fishing and who is an official of the Michigan Muskie Alliance -- also loves messing with pike. He calls Saginaw Bay, "a very, very overlooked fishery. Early in the year, until midsummer, I've had 20-fish days out there casting bass-sized spinnerbaits, and jigs with twistertails."
Chris Jeroue is a Midland angler who spends more days on the water than just about anyone else I know. Where would he fish for pike? "The best I can tell you on my pike experience," he replied, "is hitting Hoyles Marina (on Saginaw Bay's southwestern shoreline at Linwood) in the early spring and early fall. They get monsters over there. I've seen pike come out of the water and go after a perch that someone caught. I have had a nice perch bit in half over there."
Indeed. Last summer when I feasted on the bounty of Saginaw Bay's bumper crop of eating-sized walleyes, I learned to take enough crawler harnesses to replace the several that were sure to be bitten off by pike. Tying on a Dardevle, Rapala or other pike favorite would be a great way to take advantage of the bay's rich food supplies.
I've made a mental note to do what I can this year to protect walleye trollers' rigs and Chris Jeroue's perch -- and that's by removing a few big pike from the bay.
LAKES MITCHELL & CADILLACSome top pike waters are known for winter sport, some for summer action. Some get their names on the Master Angler list year after year, while others -- like these connected lakes -- show up in almost every weekly fishing report during the long pike fishing season.
These natural lakes have rich beds of cabbage and other vegetation that are perfect for growing Esox foods and sheltering the predators when they come to call. Lake Mitchell is the largest at 2,560 acres, while Lake Cadillac covers 1,150 acres, all of them within the Cadillac city limits.
Access is a breeze, with a public access site on Lake Mitchell directly off highway M-115, and another on the northwest shoreline of Lake Cadillac. Mitchell State Park, right on the channel between the two lakes, makes a perfect fish camp.
Get your fishing information from Pilgrim Village Resort & Fishing Shop at (231) 775-5412, or online at PilgrimVillageFishing.com.
ST. MARYS RIVERThe St. Marys River in Chippewa County is a great spot to launch a big-pike search. It's produced a half-dozen fish of more than 20 pounds (kept) or 40 inches (released), four of them in the open-water months of May, September and November. Oh sure, depending on the season, the fishing headlines from the St. Marys likely shout about trout, salmon and whitefish, and focus the attention on the fast water of the rapids itself. But whatever the season, northern pike are willing to tussle, especially in Ashmun, Izaak Walton, George, Waishka, Munuscong and Raber bays.
Pike -- and muskies -- find everything they need in the river and its bays, including weedbeds, abundant forage and clean water. Start prowling the bays' shallows in spring by tossing big jerkbaits, surface plugs and in-line spinners. When summer warms the waters, work deeper weedbeds by slow-trolling with big stick baits. In the fall -- the best season for big pike -- casting again moves to the forefront.
The St. Marys River in Chippewa County is a great spot to launch a big-pike search. It's produced a half-dozen fish of more than 20 pounds (kept) or 40 inches (released), four of them in the open-water months of May, September and November.
Access the upper river at Ashmun Bay Park or at Brimley State Park. Launch for the lower river at Belleville Marina, Munuscong River, Raber Township Park or DeTour Passage.
For more information, contact the Sault Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-657-2858, or online at Saultsmarie.com.
CROTON DAM PONDCroton Dam Pond, an impoundment of the Muskegon River in Newaygo County, is just the kind of place we were talking about when we launched this discussion about big, slimy pike. It has some trophy fish, but they mostly show up when ice-anglers set stout tip-up rigs or tend spears and decoys. But those fish were there before the lake froze over, too -- they just don't make short work of the nerves and gear of summer anglers stumbling upon them. Approach them like the trophy they are, though, and who knows what could happen?
Croton Dam Pond covers 1,380 acres, and stretches 14 miles end to end. Like many other reservoirs, it has plenty of white and redhorse suckers, and they're great snacks for growing pike. Jump into the action at access sites in the village of Croton.
For information, contact the Newaygo Area Chamber of Commerce at (231) 652-3068, or online at Explorenewaygo.com.
TITTABAWASSEE RIVER IMPOUNDMENTSDams stall this Saginaw River tributary four times, and each impoundment offers a great place to tangle with a pike.
"The whole Tittabawassee Chain -- Secord, Smallwood, Wixom and Sanford (lakes) -- is outstanding for pike fishing, with Sanford and Wixom kicking out the occasional 40-incher," said Esox specialist Don Bomba, while adding, "My best on Sanford is 44 inches."
"The whole Tittabawassee Chain -- Secord, Smallwood, Wixom and Sanford (lakes) -- is outstanding for pike fishing, with Sanford and Wixom kicking out the occasional 40-incher," said Esox specialist Don Bomba, while adding, "My best on Sanford is 44 inches."
These four backwater lakes have the typical pike features in abundant forage -- especially suckers -- and plenty of weedbeds, stumps and dropoffs.
First, moving downstream from Roscommon County, the Tittabawassee pauses behind Secord Dam. It forms a lake of about 2,000 acres, up to 40 feet deep. Access is at Bowmanville and Finkbeinder roads. Next is Smallwood Lake, about 300 acres of pike water.
Both of those lakes are relatively unknown. Not so with Wixom Lake, most of which is in Gladwin County. Wixom hosts bass fishing tournaments almost every weekend of the open-water season. Wixom Lake, where the Tobacco River merges with the Tittabawassee River, boasts an impounded arm of each river, with a combined surface area of just under 2,000 acres. There is a DNR public access site on the Tobacco side near Edenville.
Sanford Lake, lowest on the system, is about 10 miles long, covering just under two square miles. It has a maximum depth of 30 feet, with the vast majority less than 20 feet. Launch at Midland County's Sanford Lake Park near the dam, or upstream at Sanford Lake Marina.
DNR officials say all four lakes have plenty of northerns, with relatively low fishing pressure focused on them. All have rich weedbeds, and increasingly clear water, thanks mainly to zebra mussels. To top that off, they produce tons of redhorse and white suckers, which pike love to dine on.
"There are a lot of pike," said DNR biologist Kathryn Schrouder, "and I don't think they're utilized all that much."
* * *
In truth, pike are "underutilized" almost everywhere. Thirty-five of Michigan's 82 counties put northerns on the Master Angler Award list since 2004 -- from Berrien County in the southwest to Wayne County in the southeast, and from Baraga in the far north to Chippewa in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Nobody in Michigan is far from a lake in which lurks a northern pike. Catch 'em in the act this year, especially now that you have the evidence!

Finding Minnesota: Muskie Rampage Of 1955

WCCO) Walker, Minn. On lazy summer days in Federal Dam, the tiny town where the legendary Leech Lake is formed, kids still cast their fishing rods from the docks. With lures of assorted colors and sizes, they're filled with eager anticipation, hoping to lure a lunker.Dan Tonga greets visitors with a warm smile. Under bright indigo skies, Tonga prepares to set off on another Leech Lake fishing charter. He now runs the charter business his parents started decades ago.Tonga tells his customers that it was weather much like the current spell of hot days that the greatest Muskie tale ever told unfolded, back on July 16, 1955."They say it was a hot, hot summer -- the dog days of summer. I guess the tulibees were dying all over the lake. It was dead fish all over the lake. And the Muskies, they just started catching them one after the other," Tonga reminisces.Fish that would normally be caught once in a thousand casts were biting at anything thrown their way."I guess anything that floated people were trying to get on and get out and get their fish caught," recalled the sage guide.More than 50 years later, vintage black and white photographs show record catches with dozens of huge Muskie hanging from long poles and being hauled about in wheelbarrows. They're scenes from long ago that Dan Tonga simply sums up as "very rare, very rare."Word of the aptly named "Muskie rampage" spread quickly around the region. Friends called their other fishing friends. WCCO Radio started doing daily Muskie updates. Soon, Leech Lake was alive with throngs of eager anglers."There's not many of them around to talk about it anymore," said Jerry Stewart, standing on Walker's city dock.Stewart also runs a charter and guide service on the lake and has caught his share of Muskie over the years. Usually, after spending long hours on Leech either trolling or casting for the elusive monsters. He's well aware of time it takes just to catch one."That was the Federal Dam run of 1955. It never happened again, that was a one time deal," Stewart said.Because of the heat that summer, the fish had lost their normal food source, the tulibee. They were extremely hungry and biting at practically anything cast their way.In the years since that record summer of '55, there have been other fishing frenzies. But nothing anywhere near the few hot days in July that turned Leech Lake into a Muskie legend.As Dan Tonga bemusedly examined the faded photos of dozens of huge Muskies, I joked that they appear to show just a normal day of fishing. He gave an infectious laugh, smiled and said, "Yeah, we catch them like that all the time!"Only in my dreams!

Video Link: http://wcco.com/local/local_story_190081750.html

In the spotlight: The muskie passion

Such a quality is, indeed, a virtue when trying to hit the muskie jackpot
Sunday, July 08, 2007

Howard Wagner with a muskie caught and released in the St. Lawrence Seaway. Muskies can be distinguished from northern pike by dark patterns over a light background on their flanks and seven or more sensory pores under their jaws.

By Deborah Weisberg
Uh oh, look how flat that lake is," said muskie guide Howard Wagner, as we approach a boat launch at Lake Arthur on a sunny June morning blanketed with heat. "Let's go and get a banana split until the storm front moves in."
Wagner is joking, since banana splits are always part of his post-fishing ritual, and he is seldom one to kowtow to poor conditions. With no wind to break up surface water, sunlight is penetrating deep and muskies are likely hiding in cover.
He parks his truck, launches his boat and sets up 11-foot trolling rods, clipping a big, heavy Roso Perch Pikie with tangerine belly to one and a jointed Minteer Pikie in White Flash to the other. Both bear the bite marks of many muskies.
"Look how that wiggles," he said, as he runs the Minteer through the clear, still water.
Bait fish show up in 7 feet on Wagner's depth-finder.
"That means the light penetration is 7 feet down, so we'll run our lures at 7, 8 feet," he said. "Water is 79, almost 80, degrees. My favorite temperature for muskies is 80 and above."

The water was that warm at Lake Arthur a month ago when Wagner put a client onto a 53-inch muskie, a size seldom seen on local lakes. If muskies are the "fish of a thousand casts," as the old axiom suggests, 50-plus-inchers are the fish of a lifetime, especially in Pennsylvania where the state record -- unbroken in 87 years -- is 59 inches.
"I've caught them 54 inches, and I've heard of other people catching 54-inchers, in Pennsylvania," Wagner said, "but I've never seen documented proof of one bigger."
Wagner applauds the tighter muskie regulations implemented this year (one a day, at least 40 inches), but would like to see the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission go a step further by imposing a 50-inch minimum or release-only restrictions on select lakes. The best prospects for special regulations would be the Allegheny and Pymatuning reservoirs, he says, where, "they had the biggest muskies in the state 30 years ago, but over-harvest reduced the sizes on both."
Size is everything to muskie hunters, who sacrifice steady action for the prospect of a huge catch.
"I'd say muskie guys average fish on one out of four trips, although on days you catch them you'll probably catch others," Wagner said. "Here's how to look at it: people spend $5 on a lottery ticket every day, day after day, and don't win. But they keep taking a shot at the jackpot."
Wagner has hit the jackpot several times, including one year in the early 1990s when he released seven muskies of 50-plus inches on Tamarack and Conneaut lakes and on the Ottawa River in Canada.
"Tamarack in those days was a well-kept secret," Wagner said. "That was before it was drained. It's still a good muskie lake, but more for numbers, not sizes. Conneaut has changed so much with all the development and boat traffic. It has more pike than muskies now and may never come back in terms of really big fish."
Although Wagner guides locally , his own fishing is focused on lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan and Ontario, which includes the St. Lawrence Seaway. "There's rumors that Great Lakes muskies are approaching 70 pounds," he said. "Of course, without a photo, a catch is just a rumor. I always have a camera with me."
Four years ago, he caught a 55-incher near Buffalo Harbor on Lake Erie's New York side, and five years ago landed a 52-pounder in the middle Allegheny River, wading on a January day.
"I don't like fishing in cold weather," he said, "but I catch a lot of big fish in winter."
October through December is the best time to catch trophy-sized muskies, while mid-June to mid-July is ideal for numbers.
"Water can never be too warm," Wagner said, "since it speeds up the muskies' metabolism and makes them feed more often."
His favorite summer waters include Tamarack, Edinboro, LeBoeuf and Keystone Power Dam. "I like Pymatuning in August," he said.

Wagner fished for trout as a kid, then moved to bass, walleye and pike -- a progression common among muskie anglers. It was on a trip to Canada with his Freeport neighbor, Ralph Jones of the now-defunct Jona Mar Lure Co., that Wagner got sold on muskies.
"I watched one pull Ralph half out of the boat and said, 'That's the kind of fish I want to catch,' " he said.
He became a student of the sport and eventually opened the Fish Education Center at his home in Fombell, Pa. He spends more than 100 days a year on the water.
"The more time you spend fishing, the better you become, although there's always a little bit of luck involved," he said. "I think some guys really do have luck on their side more than others. And you've got to have a gut feeling, a sixth sense, about where the fish are, even on lakes you've never been to."
His favorite all-around trolling lure is the Creek Chub, jointed or straight, in 8-10 inches.
"You can run them fast, they have a unique wobble, and they have a little flash off the front lip that mimics a shiner, " he said.
When the Creek Chub Co., went out of business, Wagner bought as many of their lures as he could find, although he says today's replicas are better -- the lip and the wire harness that runs the length of the bait are now typically stainless steel instead of nickel-plated brass.

At Lake Arthur, we're fishing shad and perch imitations to match the local forage, although the Ferris Yellow Belly Red Bar Perch doesn't represent anything and often works well at Arthur, Wagner says.
We target the lake's three main points and zigzag across the submerged road and railroad beds Wagner remembers from before the lake was created.
"There's the old Route 422 roadbed. See how flat it is?" Wagner said, pointing to his sonar screen. "Muskies like to lie on ditches on either side of that road. I do a lot of open-water trolling -- no bays -- since they suspend off the bottom on those structures."
We troll 4-6 mph and take a lot of turns, which makes the outside lure speed up and the inside lure move slower. It is often this change in direction, Wagner says, that triggers muskies to bite.
Wind and other boat traffic pick up a little during the day, putting enough chop on the water to boost oxygenation. Mid-afternoon, Wagner ties on his "save the best for last" lure, an 8-inch black Pikie. Still, we end our trip without even a hint of a toothy predator.
"I don't know if muskie fishing attracts people with patience and strong willpower or [if it] teaches you that, but you need both because you can go so long between strikes," he said. "I know trolling all day is boring to most people, but for muskie guys it's a mind-set. You know you're going to be out here for so many hours, so you get into a groove. And the last thing I worry about when I'm out here is what I will or won't catch."
(Anglers interested in more on muskies can call the Fish Education Center at 724-452-4464, or visit Muskies Inc. at www.muskiesinc.com and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission at www.fish.state.pa.us. )

1-2 Punch For Flowage Muskies

By Dave Dorazio, Field Editor

When I think about it nowadays, I had what most musky hunters would consider an interesting childhood. I grew up on my family’s fishing resort located on northern Wisconsin’s Chippewa Flowage. Muskies and musky fishing were a part of daily life in this environment, and this likely gave me a head start to becoming a musky angler.

As a “resort kid,” I got to know several of the old-time musky guides who fished the Chip. When I look back on it, many of the guides were the gruff, rough-hewn outdoorsman type, but they generally seemed to have time to answer many of my questions. And as an curious kid, I’m sure it seemed like I had a million questions!

As I recall, I was about 12 years old when a couple of the guides, Tony Bralick and Bruce Tasker, returned from guiding a party who were staying at our resort. I happened to be hanging around the docks when they dropped their clients off and, of course, I took advantage of the opportunity to further my musky education.

The conversation worked around to bait choices. Tony and Bruce agreed that a good rule of thumb for the Chip was “one up, one down, one black.” They went on to explain that “one up” meant one angler threw a surface lure, while “one down” meant the other angler threw an subsurface lure, generally a bucktail. “One black” indicated that at least one of the lures, if not both, should be black.
For some reason, this rule of thumb stuck with me. During the last 30 plus years that I’ve guided on the Chip, I’ve always tried to be sure to have one of my clients start the day with a surface lure while the other client used a bucktail. And, of course. at least one of the lures was black.

This rule seemed to have served me well. Over the years, my clients and I have caught a lot of nice fish on the Chip. The practice of starting the day with a surface lure and a bucktail seemed to help us key in on the pattern for the day. Many times, we’d end up with both clients casting bucktails or both with surface lures, but it was the routine of starting with one of each that showed us which lure seemed most productive.

During last winter (which seemed to last about 10 months) I got to thinking about the “one up, one down, one black” rule. The rule had become a standard principle to me over the years. I began to wonder if the rule was actually that solid, or if I had skewed my perception to believe that it was. How could I prove to myself whether the rule was valid, or merely a “rural legend.”

While surfing the Internet, I found that some of the resorts on the Chip had their musky charts on-line. I decided to see if I could gather enough data from these charts to either prove or disprove the rule. The two largest and detailed charts were from Indian Trail Resort and Deerfoot Lodge. I hoped that these two charts would yield enough information to help me out.

The charts from these two resorts listed a total of 288 muskies, from 30 to 51 inches, for the months of June, July, August and September. That averages out to nearly 2 1/2 muskies per day for that period. That seemed to be more than sufficient for my purposes.

Since I was personally interested in larger muskies, I tallied up the number of fish 40 inches or longer. The total of 40-plus-inch fish from both charts was 93 for the 4-month period. Of the 93 muskies, 38 (41 percent) were caught on bucktails and 48 (52 percent) were caught on surface lures. Seven of the 40-plus-inch muskies (8 percent) were caught on “other” lures. The “other” category included fish taken on Suicks, Reef Hawgs, and even a nightcrawler.

Therefore, bucktails and surface baits accounted for a surprising 93 percent of the muskies 40 inches or longer on these two charts. This seems to validate the “one up, one down” portion of the rule.
Again, as I was interested in larger muskies, I decided to take it one step farther. I counted the number of muskies 45 inches or longer registered. The total of 45-plus-inch muskies from both charts was 40 for this period. Of these, 16 (40 percent) were caught on bucktails and 22 (55 percent) were caught on surface lures. Only 2 of the 45-plus-inch muskies were caught on lures other than bucktails and surface baits.

Bucktails and surface baits accounted for 95 percent of the muskies 45 inches and longer registered on these two charts! I was convinced that “one up, one down” rule was well-founded.
As further corroboration, I happened upon a listing of the largest fish from the Chip during the 1998 season. This list included eight muskies, from 50 to 54 1/2 inches caught during the June through September time period. Of those eight muskies, two were caught on a bucktail, 4 were caught on surface lures, and the other two fell to a Suick and a rubber worm. This was additional validation of the “one up, one down” rule.

Does this mean that all I carry in my tackle box are bucktails and surface baits when I’m fishing the Chip? No, I still find that jerkbaits can be effective when the muskies are ignoring other lure types. I would hate to head out for a day’s fishing without a few Suicks and Reef Hawgs. However, I will admit that the majority of my fishing time on the Chip is spent throwing bucktails and surface lures. It’s a system that has worked for me for a lot of years, and it has statistical documentation.

As to the “one black” portion of the rule, I’m still not sure it can be proven The charts which furnished most of the data do not include lure color. While I’d never say that black isn’t a prime color for both bucktail and surface lures, I have been using a lot of other colors the last several years.

While this data was geared to the Chippewa Flowage, I’m fairly certain that the “one up, one down” rule will apply to other reservoirs similar to the Chip. I am also certain that these results can be replicated for any water. As long as you can find catch data for that water, you should be able to put together a presentation pattern that will help you boat more muskies. You should be able to correlate certain seasonal periods with lure types that are most effective for those periods.

Then you’ll be able to originate your own rule of thumb. But I bet it won’t sound as cool as “one up, one down, one black”!

MUSKIES 40 INCHES OR LONGER
BUCKTAILS 38 41%
SURFACE 48 52%
OTHER 7 8%
TOTAL 93

MUSKIES 45 INCHES OR LONGER
BUCKTAILS 16 40%
SURFACE 22 55%
OTHER 2 5%
TOTAL 40

Field Editor Dave Dorazio guides in the Hayward, Wisconsin, region. You can reach him at (715) 462-3885.

Three Must-Have Rods For Muskies

By Joe Bucher, Editor Emeritus

Many of you Musky Hunter readers are old enough to remember the days when one all-purpose musky rod was the norm. A short, stiff, 5 1/2- to 6-foot pool-cue action was the musky standard, and nearly all of us had that one single rod. In most cases, this was the only rod that was offered in stores. While that same sport shop would offer a wide variety of lengths and actions in spinning or fly casting tackle, the “musky rod” was just that — one single rod.

It was not because there wasn’t a diverse selection of lures. While the musky department of yesterday couldn’t rival what is now available, there certainly was a complete array of lure styles and weights. Small, lightweight bucktail spinners, weighing no more than 1 1/2 ounces, were certainly the most popular in northern Wisconsin, but we also had plenty of 4 to 6 ounce heavyweights. Large wooden jerkbaits were even more popular than they are today.

So why the one rod? Well, for one, the rod industry certainly wasn’t going out of its way to produce a selection of rods to cover the wide range of lure weights and techniques. With the exception of St. Croix and a handful of others, few even offered a true complement of rods to handle lure diversities. Another reason was the retail industry itself wasn’t up to speed on musky fishing the way it is today. As soon as you got 35 miles outside of an area containing musky waters, the sport shops simply didn’t take stocking musky tackle with any priority.

Boy, that has certainly changed.

A third and decisive reason for this lack of rod selection in the past was certainly due to the materials used in large big game rods. While today’s graphite rods and their components are light but rigid, powerful and responsive, yesterday’s components were heavy and slow with no sensitivity. In order to attain proper action stiffness to effectively throw a larger 4- to 6-ounce lure, for example, fiberglass had to be beefed up quite a bit. This added weight. Rod weight slows down response and deadens sensitivity and promotes angler fatigue.

New technology along with the growing interest in musky fishing has spawned an industry today that now features musky rods with lengths, components and actions that rival a tournament bass angler’s repertoire. One can now literally buy a rod to fit every lure weight, and further refine his or her choice to fit individual height. And, these rods are built with the very best components right down to custom-designed rod blanks, as well as specialized reel seats. To go with this 21st Century selection of rods, reels are better than ever, and the lines we fish for muskies today are so superior to the products offered just 10 years ago that as a whole, the rod, reel and line are perhaps three of the most technologically-advanced items available.

The end result is a collection of outfits that enables today’s musky angler to perform at a much higher level. Less fatigue, far better castability, superior lure manipulation, fewer lost fish, and a host of other benefits are the byproduct of the new musky rod and reel combo. This is also a key reason why so many more anglers are giving the sport a try today. Certainly there are more places to fish for muskies today, but the tackle is far better now. This includes a great selection of rods. With that in mind, I thought it was high time I discussed three must-have rods which have made my total musky fishing experience much more pleasurable, as I’m sure it will for you, as well.

1. 6-foot-9 Heavy
Application: jerkbaits, glide baits, topwater zig-zag baits

Jerkbaits are such a big part of today’s musky arsenal, but they’ve always been a productive tactic. The main jerkbait rod of yesterday’s musky hunter was a 6-footer. Short by today’s standards, most of us had at least one of these in the boat not that long ago. The short 6-footer had its advantages. Its shortness made it easy to work big jerkbaits with a simple wrist action. It was also fairly easy to heave heavyweight plugs with little effort. And, a short rod with a fast action comparable to all the good 6-footers of recent past, kept extra weight out of the entire rod design making it easy to fish for long periods of time.

But, the short rod also had some noticeable drawbacks. The two biggest that come to mind are a lack of hookset sweep at longer distances, and a lack of overall rod bend during fish battle. Both of these factors usually meant a high number of lost fish after the strike — it is very hard to keep the line tight with a short stiff rod.

While a 6-footer might indeed work a jerkbait well, it can’t keep the line tight, and therefore the fish on after the strike. In order to keep a line taut and a good rod bend during battle, too much pressure is often exerted on the fish. The end result is usually a bent-out hook or a torn hole in the fish’s mouth, both resulting in a lost musky.

The other big drawback to the short traditional 6-footer occurred at boatside when a figure-8 procedure was needed. Rods less than 6 1/2 feet are simply too short for effective figure-8ing. Add a raised casting platform, common to most boats sold today, and the problem is compounded. Hence, the dawning of longer rods that were painstakingly designed to perform like the once popular 6-footer.

In the past, whenever length was added to a rod past six feet, the tip action either softened too much or the entire rod blank became a heavy, slow-action club. This is where modern technology came into play challenging rod makers to develop the right taper, yet maintain the rigid stiffness so critical to a good jerkbait action. This right action or “power” as some rod manufacturers prefer to call it, is now called “extra fast.”

Today’s best musky rod manufacturers have delivered on the demand and offer longer blanks that preform like a short 6-footer during the casting and jerking process, yet they bend correctly during battle. They also perform far better on short line hits at boatside. My favorite in this new grouping is St. Croix’s 6-foot-9 Heavy. A super extra-fast action rod that delivers on all fronts. It is one of my all-time favorite musky rods for tight wrist action snaps on minnowbaits and traditional jerkbaits, as well as the longer sweep-like pull that is preferred with many of the new glide baits.
But, I’ve also graduated to this rod for crankbaits and topwater lures in heavy slop where a short, pinpoint cast is more important.

This particular rod action is the most accurate casting rod I’ve ever used. If you are trying to “thread the needle” and drop a lure into open holes and pockets in slop, or are attempting to pitch a jerkbait accurately to muskies hunkered tight to brush, cribs or other woody cover, this is the rod for you. It is amazing how much more accurate a heavy, stiff extra-fast action rod is over longer models with more bend. The bend robs accuracy. Tie on your favorite topwater bait to two these two different rod actions and see for yourself. You’ll be amazed at how much more accurate the heavy extra-fast action model is. I would never even think of fishing the slop without it.

2. 7-foot-6 Medium Heavy
Application: bucktails, spinnerbaits, small to medium crankbaits

Still, the No. 1 musky producer overall is probably the bucktail spinner or an in-line spinner in some form. Open up any mail order musky catalog today and see for yourself how popular this lure remains. A cousin to the popular bucktail spinner is, of course, the safety pin-style spinnerbait. Spinnerbaits catch everything from bass to pike to muskies on any given outing, and more musky anglers are adding this fish catcher to their arsenal every year.

Both of these ever-popular lures are best fished on a longer rod that has some tip bend. The tip bend is essential for casting these lighter weight lures effectively. The 6-foot-9 heavy we just talked about would be a poor choice for this group of lures mostly from a casting point of view. And, while a 7-footer might be OK, experience has proven that a model that is at least 7 1/2 feet is even better. The additional six inches or so really makes a difference on casts with marginal weight lures. In fact, the 7 1/2-foot medium heavy makes casting the famed bucktail spinner a true pleasure. But, there are some other advantages to this rod that may not seem as obvious but are just as important.

When you choose a rod for any style of fishing, try to think of it from two perspectives. The first, of course, is to consider how the rod will cast and work a lure. But the second is to ponder how this particular rod will set a hook and fight a fish. Hooksetting and fish fighting are key elements to success in musky fishing, yet few consider this in their rod choice. It makes a difference in the overall amount of muskies you hook and land successfully.

If the rod doesn’t set the hook solidly, a bigger fish will surely expel the hook in short order. This can be a concern with longer rod actions that start pushing the 7 1/2- to 8-foot range. Many longer musky rods of the past were simply too soft and slow. They did not deliver enough horsepower when needed on the hookset. While a soft, slow action rod will certainly stay bent during battle and do an acceptable job of fighting a fish once hooked, if it doesn’t generate the proper energy needed to drive the hook home, it will all be for naught.

Today’s superior rod building techniques have once again solved this problem delivering a blank that is so perfectly suited for this specific application that I find myself using this rod probably more than any other. The right 7-6 blank has to be designed uniquely so it will maintain a rigid stiffness in the lower 65 to 75 percent at least, with 75 to 85 percent being more ideal. The section near the tip is where the bending should occur for both casting and fish fighting. This all has to be done without adding unnecessary weight near the middle and tip of the rod which creates casting fatigue and robs hookset speed.

One final advantage of the 7-foot-6 medium heavy is at the boat in the figure-8. Rods of this length are far superior to shorter versions when attempting to make a large figure-8 effectively on a following fish. It’s a real strain to work a shorter rod in a large figure-8 pattern, not to mention trying to keep a fish hooked once it hits. This is all easily done with the 7-6 medium heavy.

Like I said, I find myself using this rod more than any other, and like this action so much I actually keep two of these on my bow deck at all times — one rigged with an in-line spinner and the other with a spinnerbait. A third one rigged with a small 5- to 7-inch crankbait would not be out of the question. That’s how much I think of this particular rod action. It’s a winner in every respect. You will see me fishing with this rod for muskies on my TV show more than any other.

3. 7-foot-0 or 7-foot-2 Medium Heavy
Application: Topwaters and larger crankbaits and swimbaits.

In my opinion, this is the least critical of the three must-have rods. It has to be stout enough to throw the big stuff and set the hook well, but it shouldn’t be overly stiff on the tip action so it will perform well during battle. In this case, an angler of shorter stature might opt for a 6 1/2-footer, while a tall one might want something larger than the suggested 7-0 or 7-2. This is all well and good, and you should decide this based on your height and any personal preferences.

However, the fact remains, you need this specific rod action to accommodate the rest of the lures in your tackle box not already discussed.

Considering most of these are bound to be larger lures are in the 3- to 6-ounce range, the rod cannot mirror the action of the 7-foot-6 we just discussed. Instead, it has to have a bit more backbone with less tip action to handle the sheer weight of these larger lures. At the same time, it should also be less rigid, less stout than the previously discussed 6-foot-9, whose stoutness is primarily needed to work jerkbait-style lures.

It should have that perfect amount of bend or “give” that allows you to fight a big fish with more control. Keeping a tight line and consistent pressure on a big one after the hookset is the key here. Larger 3- to 6-ounce lures usually have larger treble hooks, as well. This means a thicker gauge metal on each hook with a larger barb surface area. All of this adds up to the need for more power in the hookset, yet solid consistent pressure once the hooks are driven home. A rod of at least seven feet in the medium heavy action will provide this for sure.

My personal favorite in this category has always been St. Croix’s Premier 7-2 medium heavy. This is an exceptional all around rod fully capable of casting 1 1/2-ounce bucktails as well as a 6-ounce swimbait. It’s definitely not a substitute for the 6-9 for jerkbait fishing, but if push came to shove, it could do the job. But, man is this a good crankbait stick. Great for working deep divers over rock humps and along weed edges. Great for trolling deep divers along rock walls in the fall, too. A top choice for many straight retrieve topwater lures.

Speaking of topwater lures, a rod that is a bit slower on the hookset is preferred here. You actually do not want to be that fast on the hookset on any topwater strike. While I occasionally use the 6-9 heavy for topwaters, I miss more fish with it simply because the rod responds too fast. If you have quick, jumpy, boxer-like reflexes, you’re going miss way too many muskies with a 6-9 heavy but will not happen as often with a slower-tapered medium heavy rod. The additional length combined with the action will result in a slower response on the hookset.

Swimbaits, the newest musky lure category, are large soft plastic lures that can weigh as much as six ounces or more. It takes a big rod to throw these lugs. After they hit the water, a slow steady retrieve with perhaps an occasional stop-go crank action will usually attract some musky movement. So quick, jerkbait-like rod responses are generally not necessary. But a long sweeping hookset with consistent pressure is critical to hookups. A longer rod of at least seven feet combined with a medium heavy action will provide this.

Rod Review
So there you have it. The three must-have rods as I see them. I hope I have helped you make rod choice a bit easier for future musky trips. Of course, you can always add more to accommodate special situations, but these three will more than do the job for you for most musky hunts.

Individual preferences still rule here, however. If you fish out of a small boat, or are of smaller stature, slightly shorter rod actions might be more to your liking. Conversely, real tall anglers might want these actions a bit longer. Fishing off raised casting platforms, common to most of the better musky boats today, might also dictate a slightly longer rod, particularly if you are taller.

However, I like these rod lengths and actions just as I described them. Most of the time I have these three must-have rods all up on the deck — right alongside me at all times. While I might have additional rods in the boat to accommodate special techniques such as jig fishing, I make a living with these three rods day in and day out. You are welcome to check it out for yourself at anytime.

Watch my TV show more closely. Look at what’s on my deck. The three must-have rods are always within grasp rigged with a favorite bait to handle any situation I might encounter on that day of musky hunting. I never leave the dock without them.

Joe Bucher is the host of the Fishing With Joe Bucher television show. He lives near Eagle River, Wisconsin.

First-Timer's Guide To Lake of the Woods

By Tom Gelb

I started hunting muskies on Lake of the Woods about 25 years ago. My first impression remains with me today — almost every spot looks good!

Up to that time, my musky experiences had been almost entirely on small to medium size lakes in Wisconsin. Locating fishy spots was a challenge, particularly before sonar. But to explore a small lake and locate weeds, rocks, logs and points took a matter of hours and provided a good starting point to pinpoint musky locations. These spots were fished repeatedly and the winners eventually were evident.

But my first LOTW experience required a different approach as even a small part of the lake was larger than the lakes I’d fished back home, and as I said, almost everything looked good. To learn as much as possible in a short period of time, I fished as many spots as I could as fast as I could. I concentrated on weeds, rocks and points, using lures that could be fished rapidly in an attempt to locate active fish.

As my first few trips were in late spring and summer, bucktails were my primary fish-locating tool.If a spot looked really good, or a musky was seen or caught, that spot went on my list and was visited continually as I expanded my fishing area. In the beginning I was fishing almost entirely new spots every day with repeats representing a very small percentage of spots visited.

Even then, I would try to pre-plan my day and the areas I would fish, but always looking for desirable new spots as they presented themselves.

After years of exploring, a trip to LOTW now involves a detailed pre-planned milk run, every day. A few new spots are always included, along with old spots that look very good but have never produced. I have found that fish locations change, with hot areas turning cold and cold areas turning hot.

After years of fishing the same waters, I have classified spots that I fish in a few simple categories:

Super spots: Remains consistently productive with fish of all sizes seen and usually caught.

Good spots: Usually productive, but only an occasional super fish.

One upon a time: Spot has produced only super fish, but rarely.

Never: Looks great, but never produced

Don’t bother: I gave up! (Maybe you can get one here!)

Lake of the Woods remains one of my favorite waters to this day. The fishery is on the upswing thanks to a 54-inch size limit and numerous good year classes of fish, and it seems the lake is becoming more popular with anglers each year. With that in mind, let’s explore how a first-timer should attack this giant lake.

LOTW Through The Season

Early in the season, green cabbage weeds are a prime holding area. Look for cabbage in front of sand bays, in saddles between islands, in narrows between small islands and shore and of course at the mouth of shallow weedy bays. If rocks are present along with the weeds, all the better. As the season progresses, some of the same spots will remain good, but areas along rock shores, rock reefs, small rock islands, points and underwater bars will now hold active fish. Saddles between small islands even without weed cover can also be excellent. The best advice I can give is to keep exploring new places trying to understand where fish are and why they are there.

As the lake comes into bloom in late August, a good reminder is to use more hot colors to make your lure more visible as long as this condition exists. As the season extends later into fall, some spots may remain good, but with the fish locating farther off the structure or cover, but still adjacent to their summer haunts. Explore other areas, as some spots that did not hold fish early in the season may now be productive. It may take a season or so to understand seasonal movement to and from different types of areas. I don’t believe there is any shortcut to attaining this knowledge other than try and try again!

The point of all this is obvious: I fish my "super" and "good" spots the majority of the time. But it also means that the "never" and the "once upon a time" places are also fished and after years of fishing, a few eventually have become good producers but some still have not.

Spots change over time, becoming hot or cold for no apparent reason. I continue to work most of them, but at a lower frequency.

I have found daily weather conditions to be a most important determinant in connecting with big muskies in these waters. Cloud cover with frontal movement in low light conditions, and periods before and during a storm with a falling barometer and thunderstorm activity, are best. This is the prime time to attack fish recently spotted, super spots and particularly those spots that look good, but have never produced.

Trying a new spot, new lure, new color or new technique when weather conditions are very unfavorable (east wind, bright sun, etc.) proves nothing and can lead you to false conclusions. The time to try something new is when conditions are at their best. I also believe strongly that during each day there are key times that may increase fish activity — moonrise and moonset, moon overhead and moon underfoot — even with very poor weather conditions. Know when these key times occur when you go on the water every day. Don’t forget, with very poor conditions, always fish the best time of that day — sunset. Exploit these conditions — don’t let them exploit you!

LOTW Considerations

Fishing this lake over and over can create fishing patterns that on some occasions do not yield favorable results. Conditions not necessarily obvious to us affect musky activity and location, and always fishing the same way can result in missed opportunities. Here are a few suggestions that help in expanding your knowledge of these waters:

•On occasion, even under favorable conditions, muskies are absent or only small ones are evident on your best spots. When this occurs, try moving out from these spots toward deeper or open water. A place to start is about two cast lengths out from your normal (previously successful) position for fishing a particular spot. Start here and work your way parallel to your "normal" route as muskies may have moved out and may be suspended off, but adjacent, to structure. Another approach is to have one person casting to the "spot" and the other casting out. This may not be far enough away, but it’s an easy way to start. If you draw a blank, spend some time a little farther out.

Even with this approach, sometimes the muskies remain elusive. As a general rule, I have found weeds are usually productive right from the start of the season and will remain so through the summer. Deeper areas with rocks and particularly deep water points become better as the season progresses, and become great in the fall. But sometimes early in the season, the shallower weedy areas produce nothing or only small fish. When this happens, don’t overlook deeper rocky areas that you would consider fall spots. Fishing these locations in the early part of the season has saved the day for me on many occasions.

• Occasionally conditions develop that make areas that were previously difficult now fishable. Many bays have very extensive and very thick weeds. These areas have water depths of from three to eight feet, but are usually so weed-choked that they are impossible to fish. It is my belief that many of these areas hold fish most of the season up until the weeds start dying in the fall. These waters, with the depths shaded from the sun, provide an undisturbed pasture for many large muskies. The fish in these areas are usually only accessible when they occasionally venture to the open edge of the weeds. On a few occasions, I have experienced high water conditions that allow these waters to be fished. If water is high, be sure to check these weedy areas. There may now be 1 to 2 feet of water over the tops of the weeds. Move back in and fish over the tops of the now-submerged weeds. Also look for small open areas well back in the previously-unfishable area. Keep your eyes open for these conditions as some real giants can be caught.

• In most heavily-fished waters, observing schooling muskies is quite rare. But in LOTW, muskies will school almost any time of year. Two super fish hunting together have been observed on many occasions. These concentrations may be small packs containing from two to five fish and/or larger groups containing substantially greater numbers. Smaller packs are usually composed of similar-size fish while large groups are usually made up of mixed sizes from small to very large. Grouping of small packs or large groups have been observed as being both tight and loose. Two super fish may be hunting within a few feet of each other or as far as 100 feet apart. The point of this discussion is simply that if you see a super fish (or any fish for that matter) don’t assume it is alone. Another fish may be nearby and ready to hit. Don’t quit or move to another spot just because you catch or raise one. Work the location where the fish was seen and the areas adjacent to it before you depart. Current conditions must be somewhat favorable or you would not have seen the first one. You may have come across one of those rare musky concentrations. There may be more, so don’t run off without really working the area.

• LOTW muskies of all sizes relate to baitfish at various times. This can occur from early in the season well through the late fall.

Walleyes, perch and crappie fisherman provide excellent clues. Walleyes will follow schools of shiners, which sometimes are in great abundance.

Muskies definitely are attracted to these walleye concentrations. Watch for groups of boats walleye fishing and observe what they are catching. Muskies will feed on everything from cigar- to lunker-size walleyes. If I observe a group of walleye fisherman in an area for a few days and then on my next pass by they are all gone, I immediately investigate.

What caused those walleyes to depart? It could have been the movement of the baitfish, but it also could be a visit from Ms. Big. Casting the area or making a few trolling passes where the fisherman were can really pay off. If there is some closely related structure such as a rock bar or point, also give this a try. Similar situations can exist with very large and concentrated schools of shiners, crappies and perch.

• Always watch for fish concentrations on your locator when you are motoring from spot to spot and you may find your own musky feed lot.

However you locate baitfish, remember they are great magnets for big active muskies — they may help you locate a once in a lifetime musky concentration. Keep your eyes open for these conditions.

LOTW Presentations

There are literally hundreds of musky lures available that will catch big fish at one time or another in LOTW. Despite the vast availability of lures, I have narrowed down my selection to a relatively few. Over time, lures once on my list have been replaced by newer more modern designs.

The number of lures I currently use is less than a dozen with a few color options of each. Sampling my historical records and my memory, lures on my current list represent over 90 percent of total muskies caught and 97 percent of Ms. Bigs from LOTW in the last 25 years. With two exceptions, all of these lures have caught good fish in every month of LOTW’s open season.

For those of you who have not ventured forth on this vast fishery, I have tried to present a simplified approach to help you get started.

These suggestions only represent the tip of the iceberg. Conditions are always changing and flexibility is a must.

With time, you too will find your own "super" spots and "good" spots — they’ll be super or good because of the many muskies you will have caught.

Field Editor Tom Gelb lives near Conover, Wisconsin.

Our Top 5 July Muskie Lakes

Our Top 5 July Muskie Lakes
Here’s a look at five of Pennsylvania’s top-rated summertime muskie lakes -- and how you can get in on the action this month. (July 2007)
By Jeff Knapp

July offers a variety of opportunities for Keystone State muskie anglers. Deep reservoirs, where muskies grow big but are fewer, offer one option. Small, shallow lakes offer exciting muskie action during peak times. And the larger rivers provide still more opportunities for July muskellunge anglers.

Here is a look at five top-rated muskie waters to check out this summer:

KINZUA DAM
Certain watersheds in the state have a history of producing exceptional muskie fishing. The Allegheny River is one of these, including the 12,000-acre reservoir known as Kinzua Dam.

Kinzua is a deep, clear lake with little in the way of shoreline development. Two “arms” feed the lake. The main arm -- the flooded portion of the Allegheny River -- extends well up into New York. The Kinzua arm, fed by Kinzua Creek, joins the main branch of the reservoir from the east a short distance from the dam. The lake attains a maximum depth of 130 feet at the dam.

Various shiner species provide a good forage base for Kinzua’s muskies. The lake also contains redhorse and other suckers, soft-rayed fish that muskies relish.

The lower portion of the lake, including the Pennsylvania section of the main branch and the Kinzua arm, tends to be steep-sided with quickly breaking shorelines. Flats are present and will show up on a good lake map.

In the New York section of the lake, things broaden and flatten just a bit, with extensive flats extending out from the old main river channel.

A great deal of artificial cover has been placed in Kinzua. This includes tire reefs, wood cribs and brush piles.

Muskie populations are not dense in any lake, and this is certainly true of Kinzua. The lake is slated for increased stocking by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, starting this year.

Though muskies are occasionally taken by casting, Kinzua is a trolling lake for most folks. By midsummer, the fish will likely be relating more to suspended baitfish than to physical structure. One of the best tips is to pick out an area and fish it well, rather than trying to fish the whole lake in one day.

There is no horsepower limitation on Kinzua, so expect recreational traffic, particularly on summer weekends. Anglers fishing the New York part of the lake need a New York license, as well as a permit from the Cornplanter Indian Reservation.

Primary boat launches on the Pennsylvania section of the lake include Elijah (in the Kinzua Arm), Roper Hollow and Webbs Ferry. A marina is found at Wolf Run, where the Kinzua and Allegheny arms meet. Landings are also available in the many recreational and camping areas, with additional ramps in New York.

For additional recreational information, contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at (814) 726-0164.

TAMARACK LAKE
If there were such a thing as a lake with lots of muskies, Tamarack would certainly qualify.

Tamarack is shallow, fertile and filled with cover, but this 500-plus acre water is more of a flooded swamp.

One of the best tips is to pick out an area and fish it well, rather than trying to fish the whole lake in one day.

A few years ago, Tamarack Lake was drained for maintenance work on its two dam structures. Since it was refilled, it has bounced back in fine form. The lake received stockings of both fingerling and adult fish. Currently, there are a lot of muskies in the mid to upper 30-inch range, as well as some over 40 inches.

Tamarack Lake is long and narrow. Much of the lake is 6 feet deep or less, though there is a deeper depression in the northern end of the lake near the dam. Both floating and submergent vegetation are heavy.

Lily pads line much of the shoreline. Milfoil is found throughout, though it hasn’t returned to the pre-drainage days, when it would make boat navigation difficult by summer.

There are plenty of stumps, both submerged and exposed. Muskies make good use of both the weeds and wood. During hot, stagnant weather, the lake often experiences a heavy algae bloom, which can hamper fishing efforts.

The primary forage base in Tamarack Lake is young panfish. Bottom-bouncing crankbaits that mimic these are productive, as are jerkbaits worked over weedbeds.

Tamarack Lake is limited to electric motors only. Several boat ramps may be found along Tamarack Drive. Two docks are suitable for larger boats.

For more information, contact the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-332-2338.

LAKE WILHELM
Known as an outstanding largemouth bass lake, Lake Wilhelm has quietly evolved into a quality muskie hotspot.

The centerpiece of Maurice Goddard State Park, Lake Wilhelm is long, narrow and fairly shallow. Maximum depth is about 25 feet.

Recent years have seen good levels of submergent vegetation in Wilhelm. Milfoil grows out to depths of about six or seven feet during years where sunny, warm weather occurs in spring.

Beaver lodges are common around the lake, as is other wood cover including laydowns and brushpiles.

Larger muskies are showing up each year, including fish in the 50-inch range. Food species include panfish and suckers.

Wilhelm is unique in that a portion of the lake lies in a state game lands. On that portion of the lake, only non-powered boats are permitted. Expect to find unexploited muskie fishing opportunities there.

A 20-horsepower limit is in effect on the remainder of the lake. Though some fish are taken by casting, most muskie hunters troll this lake, particularly during the summer.

Interstate 79 crosses the lake, making it easily accessible to anglers. Several excellent boat ramps are sprinkled around the lake. It also has a marina.

To obtain additional information on Lake Wilhelm, phone Goddard State Park office at (724) 253-4833.

SHENANGO
Another Mercer County water has been making news of late -- big muskie news, that is. During the past year or two, several muskies in the 50-inch-plus range have been taken from the lake.

A Corps of Engineers flood-control lake, Shenango is subject to fluctuating water levels. Winter drawdowns thwart any significant weed growth. But while the lake lacks weeds, it is replete with bottom contour (humps, ledges, channels, etc.). Sunken roadbeds and areas of riprap (much of it along causeways) add to the cover.

While the Mahaney Channel -- the reach of the lake directly upstream of the dam -- is narrow and steep-sided, the lake is primarily comprised of wider, gently sloping basins. There is a lot of interesting area to cover for the muskie troller. The lake experiences heavy recreational use during sunny summer weekends.

The primary forage in the lake is gizzard shad. Panfish are another menu item for the lake’s toothy critters.

Three major access areas -- Clark, Mercer and Shenango -- provide access to the lake. There is no horsepower restriction on much of the lake, though the portion upstream of the Route 846 bridge is limited to 10-horsepower motors.

Contact the Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-637-2370 for travel assistance.

LOWER ALLEGHENY RIVER
The lower Allegheny River, in particular pools 5 through 8, all have good muskie populations.

The river is impounded by lock and dam systems, and there can be a high level of boat traffic during the summer. The biggest factor is fair weather, which means stable water levels (not high and muddy) and good fishing conditions.

Pool 6 has the best shallow-water habitat. There are plenty of islands, mid-river humps and grassbeds. This is excellent water for casting to.

While good casting spots are available in the other three pools, much of the shallow habitat has been removed through dredging. In these areas, trolling may be a better tactic.

Along this stretch of river, boat-access areas include the Kittanning, Cowanshannock Creek and Templeton launches. No public access is available on Pool 5. Anglers must lock through from either above or below.

To get additional information on the area, call the Armstrong County Tourist Bureau, 1-888-265-9954.

The Evolution of Musky Lures

by Randy Mead

I have only been Musky fishing since 1990 so I am not what you would call an old timer. But I have been doing it long enough to have seen the evolution of Musky lures and the flooding of lure types and manufacturers on the market. It seems that everyone is out to build a better mouse trap.

Today you have over one hundred different manufacturers to choose from and close to five hundred different styles or variations, not to mention the vast amount of color patterns available. Does that mean that you can’t pull out an original black Bobbie bait and not catch fish? No. The lure market has been inundated with products, making it almost impossible for someone new to the sport to have a clue where to start.

I remember when I started, it was pretty simple. Jerkbaits, you had to have a Suick, Bobbie Bait, Reef Hawg and maybe an Eddie Bait. Crankbaits, you had Crane Baits, Rapalas and Hartman lures (remember those). Surface lures, there were Topper Stoppers and Tally Whackers. Yea, there were probably a few more to choose from, but you had to have at least one of all of these in your box not to mention a black bucktail.

Now, there are so many lures out there, how do you know where to begin. Not to mention the fact that the average cost of a good Musky lure today is almost $20. Now taking that into consideration, look in your tackle box and count the number of lures that you have. Take that times $20 and go tell your wife how much that adds up to. I bet after that she wants to know where her diamond tennis bracelet is.

Do we really need this many lures to choose from. When I look in my own tackle box, I have over one hundred wood baits and countless bucktails. But when I stop and think about it, there are only a few that I use on a regular basis. Some haven’t seen water in years. But you know what, I continue to buy more, lures that I can’t do without.

The best is when you decide to try a new lake. So you get into town and stop at the local tackle shop to see what the hot lure is right now. And as it goes, it just happens to be the one that you don’t have so you buy it. For me, I get out there and end up throwing something I had in my box anyway.

Here is a question for anyone. Have there been innovations in lures where the lures of today are better and more productive than the ones of old? I don’t think so. I still catch most of my fish on the classics. Suicks, Bobbies, Cranes and bucktails. There are a couple of lures that came along shortly after I started that I will also throw into the “classic” category and they are the Bucher Depth Raiders and the Giant Jackpot.

Really, do I need five different colors of a Phantom? Do I need a Manta? Won’t a good old Reef Hawg do the same thing?

The other problem I have is that the quality of the classic lures has diminished. Suicks, Reef Hawgs and Bobbies are not what they used to be. Maybe this is why other lures become available. Suicks of today, it takes hours of tuning to get them to run right. Reef Hawgs, I don’t know what happened to them, but buy five and you might get one that works right. Bobbies, I don’t even bother. I just hope the old ones I have hold up.

I know that I used to always say that Crane baits are great, but they don’t hold up when you get a big fish and that it would be nice to make a lure that had the same action but was more durable. Well, along came Big Game and yes I bought one. Now I go out, what do I put on the line, my trusty Crane bait. It still works just as good as it ever did.

Our sport has grown immensely in the past fifteen years. Did anyone think that we would have a competitive Musky Tournament Trail available? More people are fishing Muskies than ever before. On the up side, the resource is better than it ever was. Thanks to organizations like Muskies, Inc. and Muskies Canada, the regulations have been changed to protect this fragile resource. It is only a matter of time before the World Record is broken. And it is the members of Muskies, Inc. and Muskies Canada that will be responsible thanks to the practice of catch and release.

As for now, I will continue to buy the next sure thing when it comes to lures. But honestly, I feel just as confident with the classics. A sucker born every minute.

All site content copyright of Musky Gods©

Reiter and Cummings Win PMTT

Professional Muskie Tournament Trail
Published June 27, 2007

A full field of 125 teams competed in the PMTT - Mercury Marine's Summer Challenge - on the world renowned Eagle River Chain of Lakes in northeastern Wisconsin. Hosted by the Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce, this marks the sixth year in a row the PMTT has made this one of the stops on the tournament trail. Known for its exceptional musky fishing and always one of the top producers during each year for the trail, this year was no exception.

Under sunny skies with S.W. winds at 5-10 mph and air temps in the low 80's the muskies put on quite the showing as the anglers boated 43 during the two day event, with eight of them being forty inches or longer. It was really across the board as muskies were caught everywhere and on almost every kind of bait. There really didn't seem to be any one certain type of pattern going until everyone heard the post tournament interviews with the winners.

The team of James Reiter and Ric Cummings both from Vernon Hills, IL caught four muskies, all forty inches or longer, which is half of the eight muskies registered over forty inches by the entire field of 125 teams. While most cast traditional sized muskies baits at weed edges and chased baitfish pods over open water, Reiter & Cummings didn't.

After several days of pre-fishing they decided to downsize their baits and go shallower then most of the rest of the field during the tournament. While fishing on Cranberry Lake by the river that feeds from the Three Lakes Chain, they burned small bass size inline rubber skirted spinners through 2-4 feet of 74 degree water with spotty weeds. This turned out to be the hot pattern as they boated a 40", 40.25", 40.50" & 41.75" muskies and took home the first place hardware at the Mercury Marine Summer Challenge and a check for over $20,000.

Tyler Maney & Ryan bock were the only other team to register four muskies, two at 34" and two at 35" as they worked bucktails & jerkbaits on the weed edges. They moved around constantly in search of active fish as they caught all four muskies on four different lakes. Their run and gun technique was good enough for second place honors and a check for $5000.

Garth Darton & Jerry Willner both from the Eagle River area, were able to catch two the first day; 34.25" and 36" and one 37.25", the second on perch colored baby Depth Raiders on the deep side of the weed edges in Eagle Lake to land them the third place trophies and a check for $3,600. While John Steckel & Randy Machtan both from Marsfield, WI. boated two muskies with spinnerbaits working the rivers that connected Eagle and Otter lakes along with the big fish of the tournament at 42" to total $3,000 in their forth place efforts.

Rounding out the top five is the team of Matt Polman from the Madison, WI area and Brian Schaffer from Tomahawk, WI. They were successful enough to boat three muskies of 34.25", 35.50" & 35.50" on day one working jerkbaits off the deep weed edges on the southern end of Catfish Lake, but got skunked on day two. For their efforts they took home not the fifth place trophies and the prestigious Ranger Cup Award for an additional $1,000 for the top finishing registered Ranger Boat owner and a grand total of $3,100.

Present from Mercury Marine was Kevin Luebke, Manager Freshwater Endorsements. He talked about the long running partnership between the PMTT and Mercury and thanked everyone for running Mercury. Luebke also explained to the folks that Mercury was not only a sponsor of the PMTT but that they support all of musky fishing and are financially committed to making the entire sport of musky fishing bigger and better.

Tournament Director Tim Widlacki thanked all of the PMTT's sponsors, especially Mercury Marine for sponsoring the tournament and the Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce for hosting the event. In addition Ranger Boats, Farm & City Insurance Services, Musky Hunter Magazine, Heckel's Marine, Keyes Outdoors Television, Rollie & Helens Musky Shop, Wildlife Energy Drink, Extreme Muskie Expo's, Crash's Landing, Morehead Tourism Commission, Village of Antioch & the Antioch Chamber of Commerce and all of the associate and contributing sponsors. Please let these fine folks know that you appreciate their promotional efforts in support of freshwaters most challenging fish; and those extreme anglers who chase her on the first, best and only National Professional Musky Circuit the PMTT!

To obtain more information on becoming a member of the 2007 PMTT, results or to view event photo album, please visit them on the Web at www.promusky.com or call the PMTT at: 815-478-4351

PMTT Qualifier - Eagle River Chain Results

Surprising muskie adds to northern rivalry

By BOB LAMB | Tribune Outdoors Editor

Gillette got sweet revenge Monday morning when he caught a larger northern. At least that’s what the men thought, until they were told Gillette’s fish was actually a muskie.

“You know, I think you’re right,” Wehrenberg told me as I snapped a few photos of Gillette holding a 44-inch, 22-pound muskie he caught from the Black River on La Crosse’s North Side.

Gillette caught the huge fish about a block from his condominium in South Lauderdale Bay.

Gillette, 64, caught two northern pike earlier in the morning, and then decided to motor back out in his small fishing boat just before noon. As Gillette was trolling with one fishing pole through a cut leading from the bay into the main channel of the Black River, he felt a tug on his 30-pound test braided line.

“I never made it out of the cut,” he said, adding that he was using a birch-colored Rapala diving lure in about 10 feet of water.

“I couldn’t get the fish off the bottom,” Gillette said. “I just tired him out and netted him. I just thought it was a humongous northern.”

Gillette quickly turned his boat around and chugged back toward the Moorings condominium boat docks. Gillette also called his wife, Joanne, and told her to call Wehrenberg so he could weigh and measure the fish.

“I think I was as excited as he was,” said Wehrenberg, who measured the fish twice and weighed it on two different scales. “And then it dawned on me as soon as you said it was a muskie.”

There is an open season for muskies from May 27, 2007, through March 1, 2008, on Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters. The daily bag limit is one each with a 40-inch minimum length, according to Dave Vetrano, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor in the La Crosse area.

Vetrano and Jordan Weeks, a La Crosse area DNR fisheries biologist confirmed Gillette’s fish was a hybrid “tiger” muskie, a cross between a muskie and a northern pike.

Vetrano said there actually is a fair muskie fishery on the lower Black River from North Bend and Melrose all the way down to the Black River in La Crosse, which feeds into the Mississippi River.

“It’s a dandy,” said Weeks, while looking at close-up photos of Gillette’s tiger muskie.

Weeks and Vetrano said “true” muskies, not hybrids, were stocked in Lake Neshonoc and also in the

La Crosse River last fall. More were stocked in the same locations earlier this spring.

While Gillette’s tiger muskie is certainly large, it’s not as big as the 47-inch, 35-pound “true” muskie taken from Jersey Valley near Westby in 1989.

“That fish was even fatter than this one,” said Vetrano, who believes that someone put that fish into Jersey Valley Lake. “It had 52 acres of food to eat all by its lonesome.“

Vetrano and Weeks said they hear occasional stories about anglers catching big muskies in the Coulee Region, but there are no photos or fish to prove it.

Gillette, meanwhile, is having a mount made of his muskie as lasting proof to Wehrenberg and the other two members of the neighborhood “Manhattan Club,” that Gillette is No. 1 when it comes to fishing.

“He’s been trying to beat me for four years and he finally did,” said Wehrenberg, who caught his large northern less than 100 yards from where Gillette caught his muskie.

Gillette, originally from rural Warrens, has a home in Arcadia in addition to his condo in South Lauderdale Bay. He started fishing when he was six years old and has caught a 110-pound tarpon, a 120-pound sailfish and a 24-pound peacock bass on fishing trips down south.

Gillette doesn’t fish a lot in the summer, maybe once every two or three weeks. He prefers to fish in the fall. He said he enjoys fishing for northerns, walleyes, bass and panfish, but not muskies.

“I can’t stand fishing for muskies. It’s no fun,” he said.

“However, I have to admit this muskie is the biggest freshwater fish I ever caught,” he said. “That’s part of the fun fishing around here. You never know what you’re going to catch.”

Vetrano, like others who saw Gillette’s muskie, was impressed by the size of the fish and where it was caught.

“Fish show up in the oddest places,” said Vetrano, a 30-year DNR veteran, who has spent all but three years in the La Crosse area.

“I always tell people that the more time I spend out here in the hinterlands, the more surprises there are and that I don’t know that much,” he said.

Bob Lamb can be reached at (608) 791-8228, or at blamb@lacrossetribune.com

Muskie fishermen are always on the lookout for a magic lure that can turn the “fish of 10,000 casts” into a willing playmate.

They rush to the tackle store to buy every new bait on the market. Their boats are stacked with boxes and boxes of stuff. Not even they know everything they have.

But, Dave Ludington, a top muskie guide in Central Illinois, says just five lures will do.

“You just don’t need all these baits to catch muskies,” said Ludington, who focuses on Evergreen Lake and Spring Lake.

Here’s what he recommends for the complete muskie arsenal:

1. A bucktail works spring, summer and fall by creating flash and vibration to attract and trigger muskies in the stained and dirty water common to Central Illinois. They can be reeled fast to stay near the surface or more slowly to travel deeper. Though the walls of tackle stores are covered with every color in the rainbow, white and silver work well. Combinations of chartreuse, orange and black are good in dingy water or at night.

2. A 6-inch crankbait like a Grandma or Jake can be twitched to resemble a wounded baitfish and used both shallow and deep. Ludington likes rainbow trout or natural colors that resemble shad.

“Do you need a ton of them? No. I’m a firm believer tackle companies make more colors to catch fishermen, not fish,” he said.

3. A topwater bait like a Pacemaker by guide Ty Sennett can be retrieved across the surface at varying speeds. They work best when surface temperature is 65 degrees or higher.

4. A second topwater bait can offer a different look. For example, a Jackpot which slides from side-to-side.

5. A pin-style spinnerbait offers both flash and vibration and can be fished top to bottom, fast or slow. The pin-style spinner also can be jigged up and down below the boat or trolled over the top of weedbeds, on weed edges, over wood and along drop-offs.

“If you can only have one bait, this is the one to have,” Ludington said.

Stretch the number of baits from five to six by adding a larger Jake or Grandma for casting or trolling, he said. His clients earlier this week caught a 33-inch muskie trolling a Grandma at Evergreen. They also had another fish on, but lost it, and a follow from a 40-inch fish. Water temperature was 72 degrees.

Release tools are not a place to cut costs, he added. The proper equipment insures both your safety and the health of the fish so it can be freed to fight another day. A long needlenose pliers, jaw spreaders and bolt cutters are mandatory. A glove improves the odds of a safe release. Every boat should an extra-large net to keep the muskie in the water while you grab the tools and a camera.

Contact Ludington at (309) 663-2483.

Trophy tips

Jim Saric of Musky Hunter magazine and television show echoed Ludington’s suggestions during an appearance in Bloomington sponsored by the Central Illinois Muskie Hunters. Saric’s talk was on trophy tactics. With more than 100 muskies over 50 inches to his credit, he should know.

Saric’s list also begins with a bucktail to learn new water quickly. Use Colorado blades to run high in the water column and willowleaf to run deeper over rocks. Smaller blades run shallower and can be reeled faster and speed sometimes is the key to trigger strikes. Big blades, like the Double Cowgirls’ number 10 size blades, have produced big muskies. In pressured waters, flatten the blades to present something different to the fish. You can add plastic trailers, but don’t get carried away.

Vary the speed of the retrieve. Do a figure “8” boat-side after every cast.

Topwater baits are next on his list when muskies are located in shallow cover. Propeller-style topwaters are great for choppy water.

Soft plastic baits like the Bulldog are responsible for more top finishes in the Professional Musky Tournament Trail than any other kind of bait, Saric added. They seem to shine on pressured waters and during tough times, including during cold fronts.

Carp get-together

The Carp Anglers Group is hosting 16 get-togethers in as many states, including Illinois, on Saturday. The Illinois event will be at Montrose Harbor off North Lakeshore Drive in Chicago. Peg drawing is at 6 a.m. Fishing is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Details are located on the web at www.carpanglersgroup.com/cagiguide.html. Contact Sam Snow, at srstm@comcast.net or phone (630) 972-9906.

Tournament notes

Congratulations to Eric Varner and Dave Thompson of the Mackinaw Valley Bassmasters who qualified for the Illinois Bass Federation Nation’s 12-man Illinois state team. Their inclusion was based on the third-place finish at a qualifying six-man team event at Mill Creek. Their team also consisted of Tom Kaufman, Dave Fritts, Brian Koch and Bobby Evans Jr.

Scott Richardson is Pantagraph outdoor editor. Phone (309) 820-3227 or e-mail srichardson@pantagraph.com Read past outdoor and fishing columns or take part in online discussions at www.pantagraph.

Early Season Muskie Locations

Muskie First
Published June 19, 2007

Mike's Extreme Guide Service
http://mikekoepp.com
rockinranger620@aol.com
Guided waters: Pewaukee Lake

Early Season Locations to me in Southeastern Wisconsin is spawning areas. I look to find post spawn muskies just outside of the actual spawning areas and in them. The first weeds that are outside of known spawning areas are key areas. This also applies to rivers or current areas where muskies move up into in spring and then come back out. Muskies will move around the weeds for food and cover. The weeds will hold everything they need at this time. Bluegills are on the way in to spawn, bass will be coming in soon with the gills, crappies just got done, and minnows are everywhere. This is the perfect place for the tired muskies to hang out and rest up while all the food is close.

While we are on the weed subject I want to also point out that certain weeds are better than others. Cabbage is the best in my opinion. Green weeds are second even if they are just milfoil. Rocks and gravel mixed in with green weeds is huge. North shore areas seem to get a jump start with green weeds over Southern shorelines but every lake is not the same. Key in on spawning areas on any lake and work out from there. Most muskies will not head out to deeper water without hanging around the food and cover for a while. Take advantage of this early Season Location while you can just like I have been for years.

Josh Borovsky
www.promuskieguide.com
joshborovsky@msn.com
Phone: (612) 508-2759

Waters guided: Lake Vermillion, Lake Mille Lacs and the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area lakes

If the early season water temperatures are less than 60 degrees, my focusis usually on finding and fishing the warmest pockets of water I can find. Here's a laundry list of some of my favorite early season locations that tend to hold the warmest water:

A. Shallow Bays with a dark bottom (If in Canada fish the "blue" water bays on the map)
B. North end bays (warm up faster)
C. Creek or Stream Outlets
D. Coontail or any weed breaking the surface (cabbage toppers are great as well)
E. Dead Brown weeds don't necessarily bother me (On a cold spring the dead brown weeds will hold heat and also hold fish despite what you may read elsewhere)
F. Any structural elements (such as logs or rocks) adjacent to spawning sites
G. Wood Can be good too (especially during cold springs in which weed growth is behind)
H. On Canadian Shield Lakes I like rock walls way in the back of a shallow bay.

Some Other Notes from Josh:

A. If the water is 60 degrees or warmer, the night bite can be good on opening day.
B. I generally fishing depths between 0 and15 ft in general during the early season.
C. Don't rule out the open water. Several of the lakes I guide on offer a good open water bite with the fish stacking high in the water column.
D. Nice fresh green weed growth (especially cabbage) should always be investigated.

Norm Wild Jr.
Wild's Musky Guide Service
www.wildmusky.com

In northern Wisconsin, with so many lakes to chose from, lake choice is
nearly as important as location in the first couple weeks of the season. In
some years, especially if it has been a cool spring, lake choice can make or
break your outings. The first thing I look for is darker water. These
lakes will warm up faster and kick start the whole ecosystem. The second
thing I want in the spring is some moving water, so I am usually off to one
of the many "chains" that I fish in Oneida county. These chains or flowages are less affected by cold fronts and maintain water temperature better than a natural lake. The last factors, probably the least important, are depth and size of the lakes. I prefer a smaller shallower lake early in the season, again resulting in warmer water.

As everyone knows, weeds are a sure bet in the spring. Even in the earliest stages of the game however, I am still hitting the edges first, and I always start out on the deep edge. I am a firm believer that the bigger female fish spawn and nearly immediately move to their summer haunts, therefore, I am immediately checking the deeper edges. This has resulted in a higher average size for my boat in the early season, as opposed to catching the smaller males that will hang around the spawning areas. Another area I really like is the upcurrent end of neckdowns, such as the channel between two lakes on a chain or a thouroughfare. If these neckdowns have weeds or timber they are almost automatic. Points leading out of spawning areas are another must fish early on, and once again combine this structure with any weeds timber or rock and we will be taking pictures soon.

Howie Meyer
http://www.sevenislandsguideservice.com
Waters Fished: Lakes surrounding the Presque Isle, WI. Area.

I like to against the grain early in the season and point the boat right out into the middle of the big clear lakes of northern Vilas county.Its been my opinion and experience that many of the largest fish in the system will be out there at ANY given time.I dont downsize my lure selection,but will work the baits slower and work them over shallower rock bars and open water.

If the above noted pattern is not producing I'll head for one of my "Black-Lagoons",smaller lakes off the beaten track that contain and have produced big fish in the past.These fish typically dont see a lot of pressure throughout the season.I'll look for Inletting warm water areas and new weeds.I love tossing minnow type baits worked slowly and reaper tail type jigs on the "lagoons" early in the season.Both of these type of lakes have produced 30# fish for my clients in past seasons so I'm not about to give it up any time soon.HC "Howie Meyer Seven Islands Guide Service Presque Isle Wisconsin.

Larry Ramsell
Web site: www.larryramsell.com
email: larryramsell@hotmail.com

North Central and Northwestern Wisconsin lakes and rivers primarily in the Hayward/Park Falls area. Lake Vermilion in Minnesota.

What types of locations are you hitting EARLY in your muskie season, regardless of when YOUR seasonal opener actually occurs?

A) For the opener(s) where I fish (Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario) I first target the spawning areas. Openers are set to begin after muskies have spawned, however in many instances spawning can overlap the opening of the season. If I don't find them there, then I will move to the first available structure adjacent to the spawning areas and progressively work my way towards the main basin of the lake if necessary.

If I'm on a Flowage lake, I will start in the shallow, mucky back bays on the north shores of the lake. On natural, sandy bottom type lakes I target the early weed growth from the break edge towards the shallows. For Canadian shield lakes I look for the darkest water in the system (which warms the quickest) and if present, target down trees along the rocky shoreline. Many of this type of lake is weed free for the most part, so the trees become their areas of choice.

Have fun and good luck...Larry Ramsell, Muskie Guide in NW Wisconsin and Lake Vermilion, Minnesota

Al Nutty
Kinkaid Lake Guide Service
www.kinkaidlakeguides.com
nutty4muskies@yahoo.com

No matter where you fish, start out your early season trip by looking for the warmest water temperatures you can find...since fish are cold-blooded creatures, they are drawn toward these areas like a magnet, (as are the baitfish they feed on!) This is usually along the northern shores of the lake, for most of our weather patterns have predominantly southwest winds, which pushes the warmer surface waters toward these areas.

Shallow bays warm the fastest, (less water volume in them,) and a sunny day over the dark bottoms really absorb the heat from the sun. Look for any submerged cover (stumps, fallen logs, or active weedbeds) as these items provide ambush points from which the muskies can attack their prey.

Then consider the water clarity...in relatively clear water (where the muskies are able to feed visually) I favor natural baitfish colored twitch minnows. If the water is more stained, switch to a lure with more color and sound (spinner blades or rattles) but in either case, don't overspeed your lure...remember that the water temps aren't that high yet, and this makes the fish less aggressive. Make your bait look like an easily captured target, and you'll do a lot better than if you burn your lure back to the boat!

I also keep in mind there the channel runs in relation to these northern bays, for some of the best early spring areas aren't very far from the main channel running through the area. If you have a large, extensive flat between the shallow shoreline areas and channel, consider trolling it with shallow running lures, making large, serpentine turns to cover as much of this 'featureless' water as you can.

Finally, keep a couple of other things in mind. Many times, even in the extreme early season period, you'll hear (or see) a musky feeding on the surface...topwaters will work during this period, but not if you work them too fast or aggressive...stay alert, and look for any sign of activity around you...it may be but a swirl, or baitfish jumping, or you may hear the fish as it strikes near the surface...take your time, and check it out!!

Corey Meyer
Email: muskymeyer@newnorth.net
Waters I fish: Chippewa Flowage

Fishing the Chippewa Flowage early season for me is from Memorial Day weekend thru about the next two weeks. Regardless of the spring weather we have had I always start to look for fish in the spawning areas first. When I say spawning areas I am looking for small bays and feeder creeks with warmer water than the main lake. Some of the bays are no larger than a standard two car garage and the really good ones will have areas in them with water depths of 8-12 feet deep. These areas are where I will concentrate my angling for opening weekend.

For the weeks following opening weekend I will venture out to points and flats immediately adjacent to the spawning areas as well as some main lake bars that have new emergent weeds, but all the time I am still going back and fishing the original spawning areas mentioned in the first paragraph.

A Hoosier lakes success story

Muskie make a big impact

COMMENTARY

LOUIE STOUT

When Larry Stover bought the Tackle Box Shop in North Webster, Ind., nine years ago, there was only $50 worth of muskie tackle hanging on the wall.

Today, nearly $50,000 of muskie baits and tackle cover the small independent bait and tackle shop.

"Before muskies were stocked in our lakes, a previous owner closed every November because business was so bad," said Stover. "When the muskie took off, November became one of our busiest months."

That's what successful fisheries can do for a small town business, and Lake Webster, the Barbee Chain and Lake Tippecanoe in east central Kosciusko counties have been huge successes.

So good, in fact, that it has become a favorite stop for anglers from Wisconsin, a state where giant muskies are more prominent.

"They tell us that they can catch six fish a day here, whereas they are lucky to get six follows a day on their home lakes," said Stover, who works part-time at the shop he sold to Todd Sautter in February.

And it's not just Wisconsin anglers who are buying tackle and filling up nearby motels during spring and fall months.

"In 2005, we wrote fishing licenses to people from 28 states," noted Stover, "The majority of them came here to go muskie fishing."

It all began when the DNR, with help from the Indiana muskie clubs, began planting the prized gamefish in the early 1980s.

Prior to the development of Webster, Indiana had limited success with muskie stockings. But now, with Webster a Midwest treasure and the Barbee Chain coming on strong, biologist Jed Pearson is beaming.

"It's been a fabulous success and I don't think it will die," says the Division of Fish and Wildlife scientist who has nurtured the program. "It has a food source (shad) that can sustain the population -- baring disease."

Disease is a legitimate concern, especially with the introduction of VHS to the Great Lakes region. Muskies are highly susceptible to the virus that can be introduced to the water through livebait or other infected fish. Thus far, Indiana's inland waters have remained VHS free.

A disease at Webster would be devastating since the lake provides brood stock that biologists gather each spring and use to create offspring for stockings in 10 other Hoosier lakes.

With Webster off and running in the late 1990s, the DNR -- with help from muskie clubs and lake associations -- began to introduce the fish into nearby Barbee Chain.

They adapted well. So well, in fact, that two of the biggest fish (48 and 47 inches) caught during the renowned Hoosier Muskie Classic this spring came from the Chain.

"Barbee has come into its own and is where Webster was a few years ago," said muskie guide Vince Weirick of Warsaw. "The (fishing) pressure Webster has received the past couple of years has hurt it a little and now Barbee is elevating."

In fact, both Weirick and Stover think the Chain could supplant Webster as Indiana's premier muskie waters.

It consists of seven lakes -- Kuhn, Big Barbee, Little Barbee, Irish, Sawmill and Secrist -- with access to Tippecanoe Lake via Grassy Creek. The seven lakes cover about 850 acres and are interlinked with channels. And while pleasure boat traffic on Tippecanoe and Webster can hamper fishing, all but one of the Barbee lakes have restricted speed limits.

"I like it best because of the diverse waters," said Weirick. "You've got two gin clear lakes, two that are murky and the others are somewhere in between. They have different bottom compositions, good structure and weeds. And best of all, you don't have to put up with a lot of high speed boat traffic."

(For more information about muskie fishing Kosciukso County lakes, contact The Tackle Box (574) 834-2011 or visit www.vinceweirick.com

Muskie season off to a good start

Some anglers report more, bigger fish
June 14, 2007

BY ERIC SHARP

FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER

Fishing guide Jon Bondy of Windsor caught this 51-inch muskie in the Detroit River, deep-jigging with a large Bondybait lure he created for this technique

The opening days of the muskellunge season on Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River have seen anglers catching more fish than at the same time last year, and some big fish for this early in the season.

"It's better than last spring, but it's still a little slow" by Lake St. Clair standards, said Mike Pittiglio, who runs the charter boat Muskie Mania. "We were 4-for-9 one day, then 2-for-3 the next and then 1-for-2. The main problem the last two days was that the water was so flat and clear. There was no wind."

You want a chop and a little bit of cloudiness in the water," said Pittiglio, one of the most successful captains on the lake. "We've been getting most of the fish in Anchor Bay, right in tight in 7-9 feet of water. There hasn't been much happening on the Canadian side, but the winning fish in the first Michigan Ontario Muskie Club tournament (33.9 pounds) did come from the dumping grounds over there."

Pittiglio said he has been following the usual spring pattern of fishing smaller lures, 6-inch Lokis and Wileys, and added, "I haven't had any really big fish yet, nothing over 20 pounds, but other people have had a few over 30. That's good for the spring."

Among the giants reported so far was a 58 1/2 -inch monster with a 23-inch girth that weighed in at 38 pounds on a digital scale for angler Brad Nowak, manager of the Gander Mountain store in Grand Rapids.

Bob Wyffels, president of the MOMC, said the club's opening weekend tournament June 2-3 produced more fish caught than last year but fewer than previous openers, before a disease called viral hemorrhagic septicemia appeared and killed large numbers of muskellunge and other fish.

"The big fish are still there, but we're not seeing the numbers that we're used to. What we're not seeing as those mid-range, 35-40 inch fish. When a disease first appears, it's usually the old and the young animals that die, but this one seems to have hit mostly big, healthy fish in the prime years," Wyffels said.

Steve Jones, perhaps the most experienced muskie guide on St. Clair, was pleased both by the increased numbers of fish this spring, their size and the fact that "we aren't seeing any dead muskies floating."

"This is a slower time, anyway," he said. "If you land one or two fish, that's about par for this time of year," Jones said. "What's really pleasing is the quality of the fish. Last season, we had the best year for big fish over 48 inches I've ever seen, and this year looks like it's starting out the same."

The three winning fish in the MOMC tournament weighed 33.9, 31.85 and 31.65 pounds, Wyffels said. "Nice fish for this time of year. Even though our numbers may be down, Lake St. Clair is still best muskellunge fishery in the world. Where else do you hear people complaining that they're only catching four or five muskies a day?"

Windsor guide Jon Bondy also has had a good start on the Detroit River, where he practices a very different muskie technique -- deep jigging with big swimbaits.

"I use 8-foot rods with 80-pound braided line, and when you get a strike, it just about pulls your arms out of their sockets. I think it's the most exciting kind of fishing I've ever tried," said Bondy, who guides for bass, walleyes and muskellunge on Lakes St. Clair and Erie and the Detroit River.

"I got the idea about six years ago. I used to catch muskies on small jigs when I was fishing for walleyes, and I started wondering what would happen if I tried deep jigging with a bigger bait, something the size of the suckers that muskies like to eat," he said. "I couldn't find anything that fit the bill, so I decided to make my own."

The result is the Bondybait, a 9-inch, 7-ounce soft-bodied jigging lure with two big treble hooks, a spinner at the tail and 3 ounces of lead in the center that he sells for $14.95 U.S. on his Web site, www.lakestclairfishing.com.

"The whole thing weighs 7 ounces, but you need that weight in the current we fish," he said. "You let the boat drift slowly downstream while you jig the lure (keeping it off the snaggy bottom.) You try to keep a tight line, and they usually hit when it's dropping.

"Typically, we get about four a day. Today, we had two on and landed one. The best part of the season for this kind of fishing is the early part, from the opening day through about the middle of July. The last half of July and August are too hot. It gets good again in the fall, but at a lot time the weather is so bad then that you can't get out," he said.

Tim Elias of St. Clair Shores got quite a surprise when and fishing buddy Nick Dubber launched a canoe at Metrobeach Metropark on a recent evening and paddled onto the flat waters of Anchor Bay.

"There was no wind at all, so I decided to troll a red-and-white spoon to see if I could catch a pike or a walleye. I was sitting in the back of the canoe when it almost stopped dead and the rod bent way over. I though we had snagged some weeds or the bottom," Dubber said.

When he lifted the rod out of the holder and tried to free the spoon with a quick tug, the 10-pound line started zipping off the spool, and Dubber knew he had a big fish of some kind.

"With that 10-pound, I couldn't take any chances on horsing it in, so I let it run and just gained whenever I could for the next 15 minutes," he said. "It was a muskie and when we got it alongside the canoe I used a piece of line from Nick's rod to mark its length. We measured the line when we got back to shore, and it was a little over 51 inches."

Contact ERIC SHARP at 313-222-2511 or esharp@freepress.com. Order his book "Fishing Michigan" for $15.95 at www.freep.com/bookstore or by calling 800-245-5082. Pittiglio can be reached by telephone at 586-260-4068 or on the internet at www.muskiemaniacharters.com. In addition to his Web site, Bondy can be reached at 313-332-9813. Jones' internet site is www.fishpredator.com; his telephone number is 586-463-3474.

Ozark muskies are guide's giant obsession

By BRENT FRAZEE The Kansas City StarPublished: June 14th, 2007

When Earle Hammond goes fishing at Pomme de Terre Lake, he focuses on the top of the food chain.
Your first clue? The lures he uses.

They're bigger than the fish most people catch.

"This one is only 9 inches," he said, holding up a Grandma crankbait he was soon trolling through the clear water. "But we'll troll baits as long as 13 inches.

"When you're going after a big fish, you use a big bait."

Spoken like a true muskie fisherman.

Hammond, like other muskie fanatics, lives in a super-sized world. You won't find any ultralight tackle in his boat. Everything's big - from the lures he uses to his rods and reels to the fish he pulls into the boat.

He has caught and released muskies as long as 42 inches at Pomme de Terre, a 7,800-acre reservoir in the Ozarks. But he still dreams of bigger and better things.

"I'm convinced there are 50-inch muskies in here," said Hammond, who runs the Pomme Muskie Guide Service. "That's what I'm after."

Hammond paused, then laughed.

"I'm one of those nuts who is obsessed with this," he said. "I fish almost every day for these things.

"Like everyone else, I go through long spells when I don't catch a fish. When you're a muskie fisherman, you learn the meaning of the word `perseverance.'

"But just catching one makes all that that work worthwhile. There isn't a fish I'd rather catch."

Nicknamed "the fish of 10,000 casts," the muskie has become the obsession of many a fisherman.

The fish patrols at the top of the food chain - known for its aggressive nature, savage strikes and legendary fights. It is a symbol of the Northwoods, where it is common in states such as Minnesota and Wisconsin.

But it also is a resident of a few reservoirs in Missouri, thanks to a stocking program by the Missouri Department of Conservation. And Pomme de Terre ranks at the top of that list.

That's where Hammond was fishing on a recent overcast, windy day - an ideal muskie day, as he put it. With an oversized bait tied to his line, he started trolling through an area in the Lindley arm where he had marked an abundance of baitfish.

Holding the rod, he could feel the wobble of the large bait as it cut through the water. When it stopped, his heart starting pounding.

"Big fish!," he said as the muskie started stripping line out of the reel.

The fish dug for the bottom, then came to the surface, jumped and landed with a loud splash.

It left a large swirl in its wake, then descended again. But it wasn't long before Hammond was guiding the 38-inch fish into an oversized landing net.

"Look at how fat that fish is," Hammond said. "That fish must weigh 20 pounds."

Seconds later, Hammond was easing the fish back into the water, handling it as though it were some rare treasure.

"They all go back," said Hammond, who has caught and released 60 muskies in the last seven years. "We emphasize catch and release."

For Hammond, that fish was the sixth muskie he has caught this year. His guide customers have landed six others.

Many of them have come while trolling huge plugs through areas where the locator indicates an abundance of baitfish.

But there are no guarantees. You never know when a muskie will hit.

"Just a couple weeks ago, I was trolling a big plug and I started reeling it in," said Hammond, 64, who lives in Urbana, Mo. "Right when I got it to the boat, it stopped. I thought at first that I was hung up on the back of the boat.

"But it turns out it was a muskie."

To any muskie fisherman, such tales aren't that hard to believe. Muskies are renowned for following a bait before finally hitting it at the boat.

"I've caught several fish just doing a figure-eight (with the lure) right at the boat," Hammond said.

Hammond, a former Kansas City area resident, has been fishing for muskies since 1968.

He got started when he saw a brochure for the Muskies Inc. fall tournament and decided to enter. He caught a small muskie that first time out, and was hooked when he saw a 44-inch fish landed by another fisherman.

That began a long obsession with muskie fishing. Hammond spent his career working in the canine unit for the Kansas City Police Department, patrolling with and training police dogs. But on weekends, he was often at Pomme de Terre, casting or trolling for muskies.

After retiring, he and his wife, Mary, moved to Pomme de Terre. And now they are enjoying a rural lifestyle, where the fish they both love to catch are never far away.

OZARKS MUSKIES

-WHAT: The muskie is known as "the fish of 10,000 casts." It is a true trophy, growing to sizes of 50 inches or bigger. It is aggressive and can put up legendary fights. But as its nickname indicates, it also can be unpredictable and hard to catch.

-WHERE: It is best-known in northern waters, such as Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada. But it also is found in Missouri, where it has been stocked in waters such as Pomme de Terre, Hazel Creek, Fellows and Henry Sever lakes, and the Busch Wildlife Area.

-POMME DE TERRE: Pomme de Terre, in southwest Missouri, has earned national acclaim for its muskie fishing. The fish were first stocked in the Ozarks reservoir in 1966 to provide a new trophy fishery and to provide a predator to help control non-game species. Since then, Pomme de Terre has developed an outstanding muskie population. Though the fish don't reproduce in the lake, stockings by the Missouri Department of Conservation have maintained a trophy fishery.

-FISH OF 10,000 CASTS? Not at Pomme de Terre. A survey in 2005 showed that it took fishermen at the Ozarks reservoir an average of 11.6 hours to catch a muskie of any size and 31.5 hours to catch a legal fish (36 inches or longer). In comparison, it took fishermen 71 hours to catch a muskie at eight northern Wisconsin lakes and 91 hours in Minnesota waters.

-WHEN: There are two key time periods for catching muskies at Pomme de Terre. Most muskie fishermen look forward to early September, the first cool-down when water temperatures start to drop. That often triggers feeding activity among the muskies. But the period from mid-May to mid-June also can be good, especially for trolling.

-METHODS: During the spring and early- summer period, fishermen often troll with large crankbaits such as Grandmas or Believers. During the fall, casting is often more effective. Guides such as Earle Hammond use large bucktails, spinnerbaits, Super Shad Raps and topwater lures to catch muskies.

-WHERE TO FIND THEM: Big muskies are like many other gamefish: Find the food, and you have a chance of finding the fish. They often relate to cover such as stumps, brush and rocks. But they also will cruise flats, following baitfish.

-TACKLE: Big is the word. Hammond uses heavy-action rods, big baitcasting reels and 60-pound braided line.

No treble yell for Dolsen

ONE TOUGH GUIDE | Muskie fishing is his game in north central Ind.

June 13, 2007
BY DALE BOWMAN Staff Reporter
LEESBURG, Ind. -- A Mustad treble hook had just pierced the flesh of his right arm, but Chae Dolsen nonchalantly said, ''Hand me the bolt cutters.''
I should mention the treble hook was attached to a Super Stalker lure, and another treble on the lure was attached to a lively 40-inch muskie, whose weight stretched Dolsen's skin like something on a perverse tanning board.

He snipped the hook in half, then unhooked the muskie in the net.

''At seminars, I say these bolt cutters are the most important tool, more important than the net,'' Dolsen said. ''People say, 'You paid $50 for bolt cutters?'''

All the while, the barb end of the hook remained in his arm. We took photos, measured the fish and Dolsen released it in lively fashion. Only then did he push the hook all the way out, dab the twin punctures with antiseptic and try to remember his last tetanus shot.

Are we not men?

Several months ago, Cary Gelfond of the Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc. told me to save June 9 for Webster Lake. For years, he has wanted to show off Dolsen.

One of the founders and often president of the Webster Lake Musky Club, Dolsen has guided for seven years on that unique clot of three outstanding muskie waters in north central Indiana.

Webster is the main lake and in a recent survey unbelievably topped six adult muskies per acre. Webster empties into Indiana's deepest natural lakes, Tippecanoe and James. Darrin Conley caught the Indiana-record muskie (42.5 pounds) from James five years ago. Minutes to the south is the Barbee Chain, where small lakes vary from gin-clear to stained.

In my world, it's the best muskie fishing we have, outside of a trip to Minnesota or Canada. This is not northern Wisconsin, where muskies are a fish of 10,000 casts (and discredited world records). Fish these Indiana lakes, and you expect to raise multiple muskies and have a reasonable chance of boating one or more.

Gelfond, a Northwest Side man who works catch-all for Waste Management, caught his best muskie (40 inches) from Silver Lake in Wisconsin. His best from Webster was 36 inches. One of our hopes was to top those marks.

Dolsen, a siding subcontractor, caught his best (50 inches) from Webster on a sucker on May 8, 2001, when a client canceled and Dolsen went fishing anyway. He suspects 50 inches is near the top end for Indiana muskies.

Saturday was a blue-bird day, and I expected tough fishing.

''It will be just a little tougher,'' Dolsen said. ''We'll have to troll a little more.''

We started on the Barbee Chain, where clients had boated a big northern pike that morning. He alternated between speed trolling (5 mph) and casting on Big Barbee, Little Barbee and Sawmill. We raised two muskies and saw others chasing bait.

After five hours, Dolsen moved us to Tippecanoe/James. As he trolled in 30 to 35 feet, he marked huge balls of bait, a good sign.

Then, at 4:30 p.m., in full sun with pleasure boats and personal watercraft zooming past on Tippy, the middle rod went off.

Dolsen was closest but tried to hand the rod to Gelfond and me. We were having none of it. I said, ''Just get the damn fish in.'' Gelfond leaned over and did a solid net job.

That's the magic of muskie fishing, minutes of pandemonium out of hours of nothingness. While being unhooked, the muskie threw a treble into Dolsen's arm.

In the aftermath, Dolsen said, ''The best bait used to be the 10-inch Jake. But I caught seven over 40 inches on Stalkers last year.''

We wanted to complete the trinity of waters, so we trailered to Webster (all three knots of lakes have free launches). Idling off, a kid bobber fishing a minnow from shore started screaming, ''A muskie, a muskie.'' Sure enough, he lifted his rod, and a fat muskie flipped in the air and was gone.

It was time.

But we fished toward dark. As the sun set, Gelfond put his rod away and simply watched.

''It sure is pretty out here,'' he said.

For Dolsen's four-man guide service, go to www.websterlakeguideservice.com.

Places and faces
Bullfrog season opens Friday in Illinois. Details are in the Midwest Fishing Report. ... As Boyd Duckett accepted his 2007 Bassmaster Classic championship ring last week, he said, ''Remember all those days I missed to go fishing, and you said I wouldn't amount to anything? Well, look at me now.'' Duckett was jabbing an assistant principal from his school days, one he ran over in 11th grade, which got him kicked out of school. ... Wisconsin will have regular updates on viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) at dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhs.html.

Wild things
To carp fishermen and outside sorts who simply like seedy treats, mulberries are ripe across the area. South of the city, raspberries are ripening rapidly.

Stray cast
This baseball season reminds me of wading into a new stream at a Missouri bridge and finding unexpected mud, where each step sounds like a great sucking chest wound (backward or forward, the air goes out).

Fishing for muskies is his giant obsession

Guide uses big baits to lure bigger gamefish at Pomme de Terre Lake.

HERMITAGE, Mo. | When Earle Hammond goes fishing at Pomme de Terre Lake, he focuses on the top of the food chain.

Your first clue? The lures he uses.

They’re bigger than the fish most people catch.

“This one is only 9 inches,” he said, holding up a Grandma crankbait he was soon trolling through the clear water. “But we’ll troll baits as long as 13 inches.

“When you’re going after a big fish, you use a big bait.”

Spoken like a true muskie fisherman.

Hammond, like other muskie fanatics, lives in a super-sized world. You won’t find any ultralight tackle in his boat. Everything’s big — from the lures he uses to his rods and reels to the fish he pulls into the boat.

He has caught and released muskies as long as 42 inches at Pomme de Terre, a 7,800-acre reservoir in the Ozarks. But he still dreams of bigger and better things.

“I’m convinced there are 50-inch muskies in here,” said Hammond, who runs the Pomme Muskie Guide Service. “That’s what I’m after.”

Hammond paused, then laughed.

“I’m one of those nuts who is obsessed with this,” he said. “I fish almost every day for these things.

“Like everyone else, I go through long spells when I don’t catch a fish. When you’re a muskie fisherman, you learn the meaning of the word ‘perseverance.’

“But just catching one makes all that that work worthwhile. There isn’t a fish I’d rather catch.”

Nicknamed “the fish of 10,000 casts,” the muskie has become the obsession of many a fisherman.

The fish patrols at the top of the food chain — known for its aggressive nature, savage strikes and legendary fights. It is a symbol of the Northwoods, where it is common in states such as Minnesota and Wisconsin.

But it also is a resident of a few reservoirs in Missouri, thanks to a stocking program by the Missouri Department of Conservation. And Pomme de Terre ranks at the top of that list.

That’s where Hammond was fishing on a recent overcast, windy day — an ideal muskie day, as he put it. With an oversized bait tied to his line, he started trolling through an area in the Lindley arm where he had marked an abundance of baitfish.

Holding the rod, he could feel the wobble of the large bait as it cut through the water. When it stopped, his heart starting pounding.

“Big fish!,” he said as the muskie started stripping line out of the reel.

The fish dug for the bottom, then came to the surface, jumped and landed with a loud splash.

It left a large swirl in its wake, then descended again. But it wasn’t long before Hammond was guiding the 38-inch fish into an oversized landing net.

“Look at how fat that fish is,” Hammond said. “That fish must weigh 20 pounds.”

Seconds later, Hammond was easing the fish back into the water, handling it as though it were some rare treasure.

“They all go back,” said Hammond, who has caught and released 60 muskies in the last seven years. “We emphasize catch and release.”

For Hammond, that fish was the sixth muskie he has caught this year. His guide customers have landed six others.

Many of them have come while trolling huge plugs through areas where the locator indicates an abundance of baitfish.

But there are no guarantees. You never know when a muskie will hit.

“Just a couple weeks ago, I was trolling a big plug and I started reeling it in,” said Hammond, 64, who lives in Urbana, Mo. “Right when I got it to the boat, it stopped. I thought at first that I was hung up on the back of the boat.

“But it turns out it was a muskie.”

To any muskie fisherman, such tales aren’t that hard to believe. Muskies are renowned for following a bait before finally hitting it at the boat.

“I’ve caught several fish just doing a figure-eight (with the lure) right at the boat,” Hammond said.

Hammond, a former Kansas City area resident, has been fishing for muskies since 1968.

He got started when he saw a brochure for the Muskies Inc. fall tournament and decided to enter. He caught a small muskie that first time out, and was hooked when he saw a 44-inch fish landed by another fisherman.

That began a long obsession with muskie fishing. Hammond spent his career working in the canine unit for the Kansas City Police Department, patrolling with and training police dogs. But on weekends, he was often at Pomme de Terre, casting or trolling for muskies.

After retiring, he and his wife, Mary, moved to Pomme de Terre. And now they are enjoying a rural lifestyle, where the fish they both love to catch are never far away.

“My wife always told my kids: ‘Don’t get married and don’t have a baby during the muskie tournament. Your dad won’t be there,’ ” Hammond said with a laugh.

Muskie from New River may set new record

Shannon Hill caught the big fish on a Jitterstick plug after only four or five casts.
By Mark Taylor

The black Jitterstick plug was gurgling rhythmically across the surface of the New River when the attack came, the ferocious explosion echoing through the darkness.

Chris Snider wasn't the least bit surprised. The vicious muskellunge had hit his buddy Shannon Hill's lure. They always seem to hit Hill's lure.

"I call him Mr. Horseshoe," said Snider, a 33-year-old cable contractor from Christiansburg. "He just has that kind of luck."

Hill's luck rose to another level Friday.

That massive muskie weighed 45 pounds, 8 ounces, topping the state record by half a pound. Hill has already submitted his record application.

"I'm still pretty much in shock," said Hill, a 31-year-old heavy equipment operator who lives in Rogers.

Hill and Snider had the Whitethorne section of the river pretty much to themselves Friday evening, as few others had bothered to deal with the wet weather.

The men fished for bass for a while, then as darkness fell motored in their borrowed johnboat to an area where Hill had caught a 21-pound muskie on a Jitterstick two years ago.

They were optimistic but realistic. That's a must in the often trying sport of muskie fishing, when bites can be few and far between.

"Muskie fishermen tend to be solitary," said biologist Joe Williams, who helps manage the river for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. "They're extremely dedicated to the sport.

"They don't mind any kind of hardships. It doesn't matter."

Hill has caught about 15 of the fish in his three years of seriously pursuing them.

"Some days you'll fish all day and not get a bite," Hill said.

Some days it's better.

"Me and Chris got two in one day last year, within two hours," Hill continued. "That's the best we've ever done."

The New is Virginia's best muskie water, by far.

"It has a lot of fish," Williams said. "And it has a lot of big fish, 20 pounds and up."

The key is a combination of great habitat and abundant forage, including minnows for smaller fish and sunfish, rock bass and suckers for larger fish.

"One big muskie we checked had a 15-inch-long sucker in it," Williams said.

In 1989, Williams certified R.A. Underwood's state record, and has heard of fish in the low 40-pound range since then. One was a 43-pounder caught and released last year by New River muskie legend Alex Scott, who has clipped a fin on many of his hundreds of muskies to mark them.

"I figured there were bigger fish out there," Williams said.

Snider and Hill both started casting Jittersticks -- big, noisy plugs that mimic injured bait fish. The only difference was the colors.

Williams, who has turned into something of a muskie fanatic himself over the past few years, doesn't think the lure makes much difference.

"If a muskie is hungry and you throw a plug in front of it, it's going to eat it," Williams said. "If it's not hungry, it doesn't matter what you're using."

It didn't take long for Hill to find a hungry fish.

"On just the fourth or fifth cast, he unleashed on it and the fight was on," said Hill, who could tell immediately that the fish wasn't one of the eager smallmouth bass that are known to attack the big plugs. "I told Chris, 'This is a muskie, and a good one.' "

After a fight lasting five to 10 minutes, Hill finally had his catch next to the boat, and Snider deftly scooped the 53-inch-long fish into the net.

"He about pulled Chris out of the boat," Hill said. "I throwed my pole down and grabbed the net, too."

The men weighed the fish on a digital scale, which topped out close to 46 pounds.

A call to a friend confirmed that the record was 45 pounds.

Unable to find a set of certified scales that night, Hill put the fish in a barrel of water overnight.

"I didn't want him to dry out and lose any weight," he said. "I knew he was close."

The next day at Custom Meat in Blacksburg the fish hit 45 pounds, 8 ounces on a certified scale, and Williams and two Virginia game wardens inspected the muskie to confirm everything.

Williams said one of the fins appeared to have been clipped, leading him to wonder if it was the 43-pounder Scott released last year.

The fish was a female, and its stomach was empty, Williams added. In other words, it was one of those hungry fish that was going to hit the first plug it saw.

That lure just happened to be Hill's.

"I was just in the right place at the right time," he said.

Like usual.

Muskies could be an addiction

The muskie season opened on Saturday, which means the entire 2007 open water season is now officially under way.

Muskie fishing is good in Minnesota. When it comes to sheer numbers and overall size structure of the muskies within our lakes, some argue that Minnesota is the best in the country.

I'm not a muskie fisherman and have no intentions of joining the growing number of other muskie anglers in the state. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy catching these big critters, but from what I've heard, once you start it's tough to stop.

I know quite a few good walleye fishermen who hooked their first muskie and quit fishing walleyes — and everything else for that matter. While I understand the addiction, I just don't want to be a part of it. I'm afraid of getting bit by the same bug and I'd hate to give up the walleye and panfish game.

While I have caught a few small muskies by accident over the years, there have been encounters with big fish that have left me with a respect for these toothy gators and an overall appreciation for their scrappiness and addiction among other anglers.

One that stands out happened on Cass Lake two summers ago. I was fishing a small piece of shallow structure for walleyes and visibly watched two giant muskies rolling on the surface, almost playing like dolphins.

Those muskies were in the back of my mind all night, almost intimidating with their size and presence. At no point did I put my hand in the water or get to close to the edge of my boat to net a fish. I've heard stories about these big boys and didn't want any part of losing a limb.

Anyway, just before sundown they disappeared for a long period of time. For the first time all evening, they were out of sight and out of mind — that was until I was reeling in a walleye about 17 inches long.

With one quick swipe near the surface, I saw a mouth and set of teeth open and tear the rear end out of that walleye. The Adrenalin rush was incredible, not to mention it scared the heck out of me. At that very moment I knew my ticker was in good shape.

That was enough fishing for me on this particular night. But I couldn't help realizing that this is what the muskie angler lives for on a daily basis.

I couldn't imagine having that happen several times on any given outing. Once was enough for me, which is why I'm sticking to other species — at least for now.

This is the opinion of Times outdoors columnist Glen Schmitt. Contact him at 253-5789 or by e-mail at glens@outdoornews.com.

Midwest fishing report

May 23, 2007
FISH OF THE WEEK: History or heart? In our area, a largemouth this heavy is rare: Mike Furlong caught his 9-pound bass, 23 7/8 inches with a girth of 19 3/4, from Lake Zurich on April 21 with a jig-n-pig on 40-pound line and an 8-foot flippin' stick. . . . For heart, smiling Holly Bowen, 16, of Crete, with an 11-pound catfish caught with a worm and bobber from Lake Sara last week. E-mail nominations to outdoordb@sbcglobal.net.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Muskie opener: Muskie fishing north of Highway 10 opens Saturday. Minocqua guide Kurt Justice e-mailed, ''Unlike last year, this should be a good opener due to early spawn.'' In Hayward, Pastika's echoed that, suggesting some muskie may even be shallow in fresh weeds.

AREA LAKES: Decent: Bluegill should be moving shallower on all lakes by the weekend. Will County FPD reports Monee Reservoir has warmed to 67, and a 6-pound largemouth was reported. Kolar reported fairly typical largemouth behavior, moving in and off the beds with the weather, in DuPage (that holds true all over). In Cook, Skokie Lagoons are seeing the most effort for panfish and bass; action has been fair. Holiday advice for public waters: with shoreline activity, try secondary or deeper weed lines more than usual.

BIG GREEN LAKE, WIS.: Improving: Mike Norton said lakers remain good in 90-110 feet on a flasher and minnow near the bottom; ciscoes are biting in the top 25 feet over deep water. As water warms through the 50s, bass fishermen are working shorelines and bluegill coming to piers.

CHAIN O'LAKES AREA: Triangle reports bluegill, coming toward beds, are the best bite; Petite and Bluff best. Walleye are improving around the bridges, best on leeches or crawlers. White bass are very good in 8-12 feet; Marie, Bluff and Petite best. Catfish remain good on stinkbait or crawlers on Petite, Marie and Fox. Muskie are fair, early and late on jerkbaits or topwaters. Crappie and bass are fair.

COOLING LAKES/STRIP PITS: Maz- onia/Braidwood: Good multispecies action on cloudy days at Mazonia lakes, which are holding in the 60s. Braidwood remains relatively cool (70s north end, 80s south) with catfish most consistent. LaSalle: Decent catfish action, but rapidly warming water. Heidecke: Walleye remain the top species, both for trollers and casters; keepers take sorting. A few muskie coming again. On Monday, concessionaire Steve Anderson reported hybrids of 21 and 22 inches. Catfish are more active as the water warms through the 60s.

DELAVAN/GENEVA LAKES, WIS.: Decent: Delavan Bait and Tackle reports water warming into the upper 50s, close to where everything should break loose. On warm sunny days, bass are coming shallower on Geneva, too, and rock bass are going much better for family action.

DOWNSTATE: Rend: Guide Todd Gessner said crappie remain good with spawn about 3/4 finished and better fish in 6-12 feet, largemouth are improving as they come off the spawn and bluegill are bedding. Shelbyville: The lake is more than 3 feet below normal summer pool, and in the mid-70s. Guide Mary Satterfield reported lots of crappie (keepers take sorting), most in 4 feet on laydowns or rip-rap. Trolling will pick up some white bass and largemouth. Pat Glavin, director of the Midwest Musky Club, said both the main lake and spillway were tough for weekend muskie. Evergreen: Guide Jay Angel reported saugeye being taken in 9-12 feet early, then deeper later on crawler harnesses or jigging crawlers.

FOX RIVER: Western suburbs: Decent: Batavia Bait and Tackle reports decent action on walleye, smallmouth, carp and catfish. River is near normal, about 70 degrees, and should be in good wading shape for weekend.

GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WIS.: Decent: When winds allow, smallmouth have been good and close to shore as the water warms toward 60.

ILLINOIS RIVER: Starved Rock Area: Fair: Cajun's reported decent catfish on liver or stinkbait, lots of drum and sporadic white bass (have to look hard) early morning or toward sundown. River is low.

KANKAKEE RIVER: Decent: River should be in outstanding shape (both depth and color) for weekend wading. Ed Mullady reported good rock bass all over, better catfishing in both states and smallmouth decent in traditional Illinois smallmouth waters.

KENOSHA/RACINE, WIS.: Decent: A faithful reader reported quick weekend limits of coho on Dodgers and flies in 45-50 feet at Kenosha; the WDNR reports decent coho south of Racine, too.

LAKE ERIE: Port Clinton: Decent: When weather allows, Rickard's reports, the best walleye are coming on bottom-bouncers and harnesses with the top spots being American Eagle shoal southwest of Kelleys and A-Can. Some perch starting off Catawba S.P.

LAKEFRONT: Chicago: Tuesday, several readers reported jumbo perch starting at Belmont and Diversey with the south winds. Henry's reported some perch starting behind McCormick and off Casino Pier, too. For boaters, coho were good from the Wilson crib to the R-2 over the weekend, said Capt. Mike Okoniewski; R-2 remains the most consistent for coho with a sporadic steelhead or king. Harbors are improving for largemouth and panfish around walls, piers and growing weeds. Waukegan/North Point: Capt. Bob Poteshman said mornings have been outstanding for coho 1-3 miles out of North Point, nearly all on Dodgers and flies. The Salmon Stop said outstanding coho continue through Waukegan to Great Lakes, varying from shore to 40 feet; and some days even casters with spoons are taking coho off the Waukegan piers. Winds made perch fishing tougher in that band from Waukegan to Highland Park in 50-75 feet, but Arden Katz reported good perch in 55 feet last weekend.

MADISON LAKES, WIS: Decent: D&S Bait reported bluegill are bedding on Waubesa, lots of crappie staging on weed lines (7-8 feet) on Monona and Mendota. Smallmouth are very good on Mendota in 7-12 feet. Muskie are fair on Waubesa. Fair walleye for mid-lake trolling on Waubesa and Kegonsa.

MENOMINEE RIVER, WIS./MICH.: Good: Despite yo-yoing weather, guide Mike Mladenik reported steady action for big smallmouth. He said muskie are moving and should only intensify.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Decent: Jerry Swarbrick reported some largemouth on beds and others staging, while smallmouth have already spawned on Red Cedar/ Hemlock lakes near Rice Lake with daily catches around 30, best on shaky-head jigs. Around Minocqua, Justice reported very good pike on chubs, walleye have been generally good (though he suggested thinking wood with weed growth behind schedule), crappies were held off spawning beds by the weekend chill but should be in now and bluegill are good in existing weed beds, best on warmer days or during afternoons. NOTE: Daily walleye bag limits increase beginning Saturday on 89 lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory. Check signs or the revised pamphlet for specific lake regulations.

NORTHWEST INDIANA: Decent: Mik-Lurch reported smallmouth are in and out of bedding areas. Salmon are fair in 55-65 feet by the wreck. Perch are slow, some in 60-65 feet off Michigan City, but could improve with a second day of south winds. Lots of walleye being taken on leeches under lighted bobbers around Wolf Lake. Willow Slough slowed some, but bluegill remain good.

ROCK RIVER: Decent: TJ's Bait/Tackle said channel catfish continue strong on dipbait, while leeches are working best for walleye (good right now) and smallmouth (catch-and-release through June 15th). Large carp are good on corn or prepared baits. More big flatheads are being reported.

SHABBONA LAKE: Decent: Lakeside reports continued decent numbers of big bass (guide Jay Angel said topwater bite should start as they come off the beds); crappie are moving out of the shallows (keepers take sorting) and catfish are decent. Water warms through 60s.

WISCONSIN RIVER, WIS.: DELLS: Decent: River's Edge said smallmouth are going best with some walleye in the evening, crappie are fair. River is normal.

WOLF RIVER, WIS.: Fremont: Decent: Guide Bill Stoeger said it is mainly male white bass in the river, with flies on river rigs best along the rocks near Partridge. Trollers continue to do well on Poygan for walleye.

Dale Bowman