Tips for targeting muskie?

[Dimo]

A couple of the reservoirs / lakes in the Chesapeake area are stocked with muskie fingerlings and regularly report large muskie catches. While inspecting said lakes, I've been able to mark large fish of unknown species that are either muskie or carp -- another species I've personally made sightings of in said waters. With that being said, I have no physical experience targeting muskie, which I've read are notoriously difficult to catch. My first attempts have been completely and utterly futile.

Besides what I can read up elsewhere on the internet (and because I assume, as with everything on the internet, is true), are there other tips that can help catch one of these beasts?

[DanMarino]

I think there is a guide who takes people fishing for them on the Upper Potomac. I caught one there randomly one spring a few years ago. Codorus in PA has some. The one I caught hit a Pointer78 jerk bait.

[sega]

Be prepared to work for them. There's no secret to them, and those of us that have targeted muskie have put in a lot of work (and yes it's not fishing its work). Leave your bass gear home, get some Muskie lures and get to throwing. Cover as much water as possible.

I'll tell ya what I was told years ago on here lol. Muskie hunters are some of the most closed lipped anglers out there. Gotta put in your time like the rest of us have lol.


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[Dimo]

Lol nice


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[sega]

Lure wise, go big. I know people who have caught them on tubes and finesse baits, but these are pretty rare instances. It's been mine and others I know that fish for muskies, that if you really want to pull them off the bottom and get them curious of your lure, bigger is better.


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[perchy]

Pike and Muskie love spinners and spinnerbaits. I'd personally use a jumbo sized safetypin spinnerbait to target muskies. You can fish them fast or slow roll them along the bottom and they'll attract any active fish. Finesse lures like tubes can work, but like the poster above me said, it's easier to use a big active lure since there are less muskies in the water than bass and you'd waste more time fishing a slow lure through mostly empty water. It's easier to draw out the active hungry ones during the best times of day when they are actively feeding.

http://www.rapala.com/blue-fox/spinn...innerbait.html

[icanoe]

Picked up this months In Fisherman for an airplane ride. There's a good musky article in it. Never fished for them myself.

[DanMarino]

A guy from here picked up a musky on a plastic worm. So you never know what can happen.

[chimo]

Be prepared to work for them. There's no secret to them, and those of us that have targeted muskie have put in a lot of work (and yes it's not fishing its work). Leave your bass gear home, get some Muskie lures and get to throwing. Cover as much water as possible.

I'll tell ya what I was told years ago on here lol. Muskie hunters are some of the most closed lipped anglers out there.


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I'll agree with all of that especially the closed lip part! I've caught a couple while targeting them now and a couple as by catch on bass gear. Best advice is to cover water, then cover some more and don't get discouraged about fishless days, they are going to happen to everyone. I personally like throwing large sinking glide baits like the Phantom Softail or the like especially in clear water. You might also spend some time trolling large baits off the breaks, troll fast and hold on. My favorite speeds for northerns in the late summer is about 4.5 mph and I've heard more like 6mph for 'ski's.