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April Muskie Tip
"The Spring Muskie Bonanza"
Part Three By Danny Wade
Ingredient #3 of successful Spring Muskie fishing that we are going
to look at this month is essentially "presentation". As a part of the
"presentation" arena, I want to focus in on lure speed and depth. This
final 3 step recipe I've been outlining for you the past couple of
months, will give you the basic fundamentals of how to catch early
Spring Muskies. THE KEY to early season presentation is SLLOOWWWW.
Whether casting or trolling the word is "slow". A Muskie still
suffering from late winter sluggishness in water temperatures in the low
40's is not inclined to chase down a bait traveling 4 1/2 mph. In the
earliest weeks of Spring fishing I troll at or near the 2.0 - 2.2
range. As the water temperatures rise, likewise so does my trolling
speed increase. The same goes if you predominantly cast. Slow,
fluttering presentations are far more effective in cold water situations
than fast, darting, high-speed retrieves. The baitfish the Muskies feed
on are in the same situation, they are sluggish.
I have observed this over and over this Spring in the coves and
shallows here at Salt Fork Lake in East Central Ohio. The bait fish are
not "racing" around up in the coves, they're coming up, making a slight
ripple, a small swirl in the water and then swim away at less than their
typical road runner speed. You see, an early season Muskie does not
have to chase down a fast moving bait. It has plentiful food resources
well within a quick swish of it's tail and a clamp of it's toothy jaws.
So it became apparent to me many years ago, I needed to make it less of
a challenge for a lethargic Spring Muskie to take my lure. Large,
egg-laden females will normally not chase down a fast moving bait but I
have caught these heavy-bodied fish in the Spring with a slow
presentation. The EARLY Spring presentation that works best for me is:
"FISH SLOW, CATCH MORE. FISH FAST, CATCH LESS."
Let's talk briefly about lure depth. In early season conditions, I
ALWAYS keep my lure presentation in the upper 2 feet of the depth I'm
fishing. A wise old Muskie fisherman once told me:
"A Muskie will come up 10' to hit a lure but he won't go down 1' to get
one". "A Muskie's eyes are on the top part of its head, not in its
belly!" the wise old fisherman snapped.
In most cases, I have found this analogy invaluably true. You Monster
Shad fanatics look so forlorn when I see you out on the lake during
March & April, usually fishless, frozen and longing for July! A
successful Muskie Man must be versatile. There is a time and place for
deep diving cranks and then there is a time for something else. It is
essential that you learn to use slow moving, shallow running
presentations in the early going. So just briefly, let's bring this
Spring Season tips series to a close with a quick review.
- Fish Shallow - fast warming Northerly coves, flats & bays
somewhere in the general vicinity of deep water.
- Fish Small - in water temperatures under 55 degrees; always use
smaller bait. 3 3/4" to 4 1/2" is ideal.
- Fish Slow - make it easy for a lazy, cold water Muskie to take
your bait, especially those large, egg laden females.
I hope this early Spring series of articles has helped you prepare for
successful Spring fishing. This system works and our season to date
tally does not lie. This is how I take early Spring Muskies and you can
start taking them too! For more detailed information on my Spring
Muskie techniques, order our new publication, "The Muskie Manual". Then
get out there and start putting these principles to work. If you are
fishing good Muskie waters, these principles will work for you. Who
knows, you may discover like I did some years ago, there is a Muskie
season within itself between March and May!!
So until this time next month, good luck and good fishing!
See you on the lake!
Danny Wade
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