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Muskie Tip for December
Off-Season Preparation = In
Season Success!By Danny Wade
At this time of the year, with the exception of a few cold water
Muskie enthusiasts, most of us have packed the tackle away, put the boat
in storage and turned on the football games. After a long and tiring
Muskie season, you can now relax and forget about Muskies until next
summer. Right? Well, that depends on just how successful you want to
become at Muskie fishing. Let me give you an example.
Talk with ANY consistently successful trophy deer hunter and you will
find similarities in their philosophies on "trophy buck" hunting. Most
of these "elite" hat rack harvesters will tell you the scouting of their
quarry is a never-ending quest; their gathering of information is
"continuous" year 'round. You see, that is the difference between them
and most of us when it comes to consistently taking a trophy Whitetail
each season. The same attitude should be incorporated into the
philosophy of anyone who desires to be above average in their success at
catching Muskies. Diligent "off season" preparation can make a world of
difference come spring.
By the time you read this article, I will have completed my move from
the Hocking Hills region to the Cambridge, Ohio area. I am very excited
about our move for a number of reasons but from a fishing standpoint, I
am very enthusiastic about next season. You see the driveway of my new
residence is a mere 1.6 miles from the Morning Glory launch ramp at Salt
Fork Lake, just 20 miles from Piedmont Lake and less than an hour drive
from Leesville Lake! These three lakes represent some of the finest
Muskie fishing the Buckeye State has to offer. To say the least, I am
chomping at the bit! Now it might seem like quite a stretch until
springtime, but you see, I am already putting together my game plan for
the lakes I have targeted and YOU should be doing the same!
Let me give you several brief tips that I believe will improve your
odds of success when the spring breezes start blowing next year.
- Begin storing away knowledge. Read everything you can get your
hands on about Muskie Fishing and that goes for Muskie veterans
also. Some will be beneficial, and some will not. Learn to eat the
chicken and throw out the bones. NO ONE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT
MUSKIE FISHING, there is still a great deal for all of us to learn!
- Get a reliable map of the lake(s) you intend to fish. Now if you
already have a dog-eared, tattered and marked up map, keep it for
whatever purpose but get a clean new one for planning purposes. This
new map will not necessarily replace the old one but this one is for
an entirely different purpose. This new map is going to weather the
long, cold winter with you until spring arrives. This "new" map will
become a vital part of your "Muskie War College"
- Start rubbing shoulders with as many veteran Muskie men as you
can. Join a Muskie Club, attend meetings where Muskie Fishermen will
be in attendance, write letters or whatever you have to do but begin
making contact with those more advanced in the sport than you are.
You will find these casual acquaintances and conversations can yield
a wealth of fishing knowledge that will benefit you from now on.
- Visit the tackle shops in the vicinity of your favorite Muskie
lake. It is becoming more and more common for these shops to stay
open year 'round. They can be great gathering places for Muskie
cronies as well as a source of vital lake and catch information.
- Take the information as you accumulate it and begin to formulate
a game plan or strategy for the spring season. If done thoroughly,
this can be more time consuming than one might think but the rewards
will far out way the effort.
- Begin deciding what areas, what baits and presentations you will
use and begin making whatever preparations you need to execute that
plan. I personally believe that one of the greatest downfalls of
Muskie fishermen at large, is coming to the lake without a game
plan. Plan your work and work your plan!
If you will take to heart the above 6 steps and begin researching and
formulating your strategies for next season NOW, you will be very
thankful you did come next Spring. I would not give you advice that I do
not follow myself. I have already begun plotting my attack for the
coming season and I believe many of you will begin preparing too. You
cannot plan for everything but I have learned you CAN plan, to a great
degree, for SUCCESS!! |
