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Muskie Tip for February
The Spring Season -Muskie
Bonanza!Part One
By Danny Wade
As noted above, traditional Muskie logic has told us in the past to
not waste our time until the waters warm and the weed beds thicken. But
if you hold to that line of thinking you may miss out on some of the
greatest Muskie fishing of the entire season! Springs Muskies are
concentrated, are active feeders, and are not timid about hitting a bait
in 45 degree water. On one outing in particular last season at Clear
Fork Lake in early April, it was cold, windy, snowy and miserable. But
the Muskies heated things up for us. We took 4 that day, one of which
was 29 pounds.
Where To Find Spring Muskies
There are 3 key ingredients to being successful in the early Spring.
This month we will cover the first of those three.
#1. Fish shallow water.
In the Springtime a Muskie comes into the shallows for several basic
reasons: warmth, food and to spawn. Shallow North bays of your favorite
lake containing mud bottoms, warm very quickly.
Likewise, all fish in those areas become more active than their
deep-water counterparts. Ideal fishing depths for the Spring season are
4 to 7 feet, with deep-water access within several hundred yards. When
those Southeast Spring breezes begin to push the warmer surface water
Northward into the bays, fish activity will always be better than on
South shore bays.
Ohio Muskie Hunters and those in our region are blessed in one
respect over our more prominent Northern peers. In places like
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada, you can't even begin to fish for Muskie
until Summer is drawing near. In Ohio, we are not restricted by a "Muskie
Season" and therefore can venture out as soon as the ice is off if you
are inclined to do so!
So the first lesson you must get settled in your mind is you are
going to fish shallow water from March to mid-May. Each Spring I witness
"foolish flingers" out in 20 feet of water throwing a 9" bait at deep
cover. If you're one of those guys please don't take offense, but if you
want to catch Spring Muskies with regularity, then you have to go where
the Spring Muskies are.
SHALLOW WATER!!!
In our newly published 1st edition of "The Muskie Manual", I go in
to great detail on Spring Muskie fishing. Order a copy. It will give you
the complete scoop on catching Spring Muskies.
See you on the lake!
Danny Wade
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