Trophy Hunting

 

The temperature of both the air and water are rapidly dropping, lakes are turning over, the recreational boat traffic is history and it's time to turn our attention toward trophy muskie! No matter how big or small the body of water this is the time of year the big girls come out to play and if you do things right there's a wallhanger in your future.

I've had the good fortune in my fishing career to share a boat with some pretty good anglers, among them the late Norb Wallock of Conover. Here was a guy who lived and breathed the outdoors and was at the pinnacle of the sport when he was taken from us a few years back. In our neck of the woods the lakes normally "turn over" around late September or early October and that can shut the fishing down for about a week. But, all is not lost if you move to a larger, deeper lake. Top presentations will include weighted jerkbaits, deep divers and large minnow baits. But live suckers will generally produce the most muskies.

 

The key to finding big, trophy muskies on the large, deep, clear lakes is locating the big suspended schools of bait fish, especially cisco. This is the time to get comfortable with your electronics and keeping an eye on your graph carefully. Working the area between two schools of bait fish can be thrilling.

 

Cisco will move in to spawn on gravel and rocky shorelines around the full moon in October or the full moon in November. The water temperature will be around 42 degrees. Lake trout also move in and spawn in the fall. Watch the moon, watch the graph, and watch the water temperature. This is big fish time! As we approach the end of September, suckers begin their effectiveness.

 

Then, by October the surface baits and bucktails are history. A lot of the vegetation is dying and the muskies are lurking around solid structure like logs and rock, especially on the dark water lakes. They'll also run a lot deeper as they search the oxygen rich waters for food, down to 50+ feet at times. Deep running cranks will continue to produce here.

 

This is also the time of year when you don't have to be on the water at the butt crack of dawn. Mid to late morning will be fine and if you tough it out until dusk, odds are you'll contact fish. Often times a stiff change in the weather will trigger these fish to feed so dress and equip yourself accordingly.

 

Normally I'll be using suckers in the 10-12" range rigged on a quick strike harness. The biggest mistake I see anglers make when using suckers is using the single hook through the lips or snout. Not good. This area of the sucker is extremely tough and I've seen many a hookset spoiled because the bait is yanked from the fish. Set that lead hook in the meaty cheek of the sucker then place the trebles accordingly to the back and tail. This will allow the fish to swim more freely and more importantly, release the primary barb on the hookset.

 

When out with guys like Rick Krueger, we drift shorelines with direct access to deep water, dragging suckers on one side and casting on the other. Depthraiders, Bulldawgs, Swim'n Joes, Big Games and Triple Ds are all good choices. Never limit yourself to just floating live bait because you're missing half the fish! Also, and this may start some controversy but, leave your bobbers at home. This technique is nothing but luck and can take away the effectiveness of your bait. There's no way to present that sucker in front of an active fish if it's connected to a float. Safety is a big concern this time of year too, especially with ice late in the season. I've witnessed boats slide off frost-laden trailer bunks and hit the pavement at a landing...or have guys take a header off the slippery piers. Make sure of your footing at all times and that goes for the boat too. The carpeting will get slick so make sure the PFDs are handy or better yet, on.

 

Release tools can be treacherous as well in the cold and if you're not careful with that fish in the net, a trip to the ER could be in your near future. Take your time, warm up the hands and make sure both you and the fish are clear of hooks before the pictures.

 

This is the time for the biggest fish and it shouldn't be ignored. You'll end up with frozen body parts, ice on all your gear but believe me when I say the heat is instantaneous when you hook up!

 

See you on the water...