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Well Muskie Hunters, we are fast approaching fish catching weather, so it's time to shake off any remains of cabin fever and start sharpening hooks, tending to tackle and beginning to think in earnest now about the new season. For me, I'm kicking off my season about the middle of March although I have already been out several times fishing this past month in Salt Creek, here at Salt Fork Lake but not with any results. But almost always by the second or third week in March things will start to pick up on Ohio Muskie lakes up in the shallow coves & bays.

This month we are going to pick up where we left off last time with part two of our Spring series. Last month we told you, there are three main ingredients to being successful in the early Spring season. We talked about "where" to fish for those early season Muskies. This month in part two, we are going to share with you a little bit about "how" to take early season fish.

Any successful Muskie Man can vouch for the importance of the right bait and presentation in catching trophy fish. But in my opinion, there are few times during the season that the difference between success and failure is as critical as in the selecting and the presenting of early Spring enticements. A key to early season success is downsizing lure selection. I can't give you scientific evidence or some documented case study for this but I can give you some first hand observations I have made after almost 20 years of fishing for Ohio Muskie and some 258 fish later. Trophy Spring Muskies tend to take a small bait hands down over larger Summer bait sizes.

Season after season, year after year, I make the same observation. Most Spring Muskie men will go right out where they left of last Summer, tossing large baits at deep water and usually the only thing they catch is a cold. I have taken as many as 6 Muskies in one day by myself while others fishing within a few hundred yards of me in deeper water just shake their heads in disgust because their efforts have come back fishless. I have been told everything from "big fish don't inhabit shallow water" to "those little baits don't catch big fish". Funny thing, I prove them wrong nearly every season.

Combine location, (shallow bays, coves & flats) with the right bait, shallow running spoons, minnow imitations or spinners and you have ingredients 1 and 2 of successful Spring Muskie Hunting! A 3 3/4" up to 4 1/2" bait is ideal for the early season. Use something with a lot of silvery flash on bright days and gold or florescent color on overcast & murky water conditions. This Spring, be on the hookin' end of early season Muskies. #1. Fish Shallow. #2. Fish Small. Next month we will look at ingredient number three to successful early Spring Muskie Hunting.

See you on the lake!

Danny Wade

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Entering Our 8th Year of Operation On Salt Fork Lake

30 Years Experience

Danny Wade

P.O. Box 673 Cambridge,

Ohio 43725

Cell 740-517-5569