Joel DeBoer
05-20-2009, 08:51 PM
The arrival of Memorial Day weekend each year signifies one of the most important benchmarks of the fishing calendar in Wisconsin as it denotes the arrival of the musky opener North of Highway 10. We are blessed to live in an area rich with musky hunting opportunities. I have personally caught and released dozens and dozens of giant muskies over the years from our area, and friends and clients have also done the same from my boat. While I love holidays, especially Christmas, none excite me more than the opening of musky season. Perhaps you find that a tad strange; however, there is something magical about going toe-to-toe with the king of freshwater - a fish that is known to attack ducks, muskrats, the occasional small dog, and even a human leg or two over the years.
The end of May in Wisconsin sees weather trends vary significantly from year to year, forcing the musky angler who hopes for success to remain open-minded and flexible. Muskellunge spawn in water temperatures ranging from 49-60 degrees, with 55 degrees being optimum. As I write this, water temperatures have been in the upper fifties to mid sixty-degree range for a solid three weeks. This means that muskies, at least in the greater Wausau area, will be done spawning come opening weekend.
Location during this timeframe is critical to consistently scoring, as the fish are in a period of transition. One of the first steps to locating muskies during a cool-weather spring opener is identifying potential spawning areas. Muskies look to spawn in shallow bays and backwaters containing dark mucky bottoms. Once you have located potential musky spawning sites, look for transition spots leading out towards conventional summer habitat, the keys to scoring on early season muskies consistently. These areas may consist of points, shallow humps, and any other structural element that may cause a fish to stop and hold for a period of time. To regularly find post-spawn muskies before the summer season is in full swing, identify and fish these transition spots. Most musky anglers will approach early season attacking their “usual” summer milk-runs and miss a majority of the fish who are not yet into their summer home-ranges.
Lure selection for the upcoming opening weekend begins with a musky fraternity staple, the bucktail. Bucktails are excellent choices this time of year as they allow fishermen to cover large amounts of water, searching for areas containing active muskies. With the cooler water temperatures, smaller presentations will most likely produce the best action. Excellent bucktail choices for early season muskies include the double bladed Esox Edge Lucky 7, as well as the Mepps Musky and Giant Killers.
In addition to bucktails, rubber baits are a “must have” as they allow for the slower, more methodical and natural presentation often necessary to elicit strikes in the early season. The past few years have seen an explosion of new styles and colors of this lure type. A couple of the more consistently productive models include the Shack Attack Curly Sue and Suzy Sucker, and the DeLONG Killer Eel. Work these baits with a slower but erratic retrieve, and make sure to utilize them as throw back lures for muskies that will follow but not strike other presentations.
No talk about musky fishing should be complete without the mention of proper release equipment. Do not head out on the water without a large net such as the Frabill Big Kahuna, and the necessary tools, including a bolt cutter to cut hooks, and long nosed pliers. It’s all about CPR – catch, photo, and release. Thank God for muskies, I’ll see you on the water…
Tight lines,
The end of May in Wisconsin sees weather trends vary significantly from year to year, forcing the musky angler who hopes for success to remain open-minded and flexible. Muskellunge spawn in water temperatures ranging from 49-60 degrees, with 55 degrees being optimum. As I write this, water temperatures have been in the upper fifties to mid sixty-degree range for a solid three weeks. This means that muskies, at least in the greater Wausau area, will be done spawning come opening weekend.
Location during this timeframe is critical to consistently scoring, as the fish are in a period of transition. One of the first steps to locating muskies during a cool-weather spring opener is identifying potential spawning areas. Muskies look to spawn in shallow bays and backwaters containing dark mucky bottoms. Once you have located potential musky spawning sites, look for transition spots leading out towards conventional summer habitat, the keys to scoring on early season muskies consistently. These areas may consist of points, shallow humps, and any other structural element that may cause a fish to stop and hold for a period of time. To regularly find post-spawn muskies before the summer season is in full swing, identify and fish these transition spots. Most musky anglers will approach early season attacking their “usual” summer milk-runs and miss a majority of the fish who are not yet into their summer home-ranges.
Lure selection for the upcoming opening weekend begins with a musky fraternity staple, the bucktail. Bucktails are excellent choices this time of year as they allow fishermen to cover large amounts of water, searching for areas containing active muskies. With the cooler water temperatures, smaller presentations will most likely produce the best action. Excellent bucktail choices for early season muskies include the double bladed Esox Edge Lucky 7, as well as the Mepps Musky and Giant Killers.
In addition to bucktails, rubber baits are a “must have” as they allow for the slower, more methodical and natural presentation often necessary to elicit strikes in the early season. The past few years have seen an explosion of new styles and colors of this lure type. A couple of the more consistently productive models include the Shack Attack Curly Sue and Suzy Sucker, and the DeLONG Killer Eel. Work these baits with a slower but erratic retrieve, and make sure to utilize them as throw back lures for muskies that will follow but not strike other presentations.
No talk about musky fishing should be complete without the mention of proper release equipment. Do not head out on the water without a large net such as the Frabill Big Kahuna, and the necessary tools, including a bolt cutter to cut hooks, and long nosed pliers. It’s all about CPR – catch, photo, and release. Thank God for muskies, I’ll see you on the water…
Tight lines,