Next look for drop-offs or breaklines. This is where the bottom of the lake contour changes abruptly. This transition from a shallow area to deeper water is sure to hold muskies.You can locate these breaklines by reviewing the contour lines on your lake maps, by noting the change in water color on the surface (darker water color indicates deeper water, lighter water color is reflecting the bottom, shallower water.) and of course with your electronics (sonar). Sometimes you will be able to see a difference in the wave patterns from deeper water to shallow areas. Work around islands, reefs, bars, and stump areas to find dropoffs. Note land contours along the shore. These will give you hints about dropoffs and breaklines. Work these edges, casting to shallow from deep. Keep your boat into the deeper water. Cast or troll along the breakline, parallel with the edge. Muskies are an ambush fish. They tend to locate along these edges waiting for some innocent fish to come meandering by and ZAP! Gulp! Hopefully that was your lure.

Finally, we have a class of muskie holding areas called structure. Structure refers to underwater rock piles, bars, reefs, stump areas, etc. The same two factors that apply to weed beds apply to structure – size and variety. In most cases the larger the reef or bar the better it should be. The more varied it’s composition is the more hiding places there will be to hold muskies. By “varied” we are looking for large and small boulders, pockets, bends, variation in depth, rubble as opposed to sheer rock, crevice-filled rock slabs, etc. Another important feature is that anytime you can find this structure located close (next) to deeper water, you have an ideal location for muskies.

Narrows are great muskie areas, especially narrows with current running between two points. Standing timber, fallen trees, stumps or submerged logs are important structural elements and provide important cover for muskies. Stump fields are wonderful areas for muskies and miserable areas in which to catch them. You need heavy line and stiff rods in order to move or drive the fish out of the stumps and into an area where you’ll have a reasonable chance to land your fish. Isolated clumps of trees indicate an underwater hump, a prime muskie hideout. Timbered points that extend into an old river channel are good producers. Brushy flats alongside a creek channel or old river bottom make an excellent fishing area. Fish the outside edge where the contour drops into the deeper river channel.

When to fish for muskies

Anytime you can get on the water is a goodtime. Note I said a “goodtime”. One thing that is nice about muskie fishing you don’t normally have to get up before sunrise to be on the water at daybreak. Actually, the best time for muskies is the last hour of daylight. Remember muskies are a low light fish. They like dark, overcast, drizzly, cool days the best. Slight chop on the water, wind from the west, falling barometer, full moon….you’ve got it all now. If you look at the statistics you’ll see patterns emerging. In Muskies, Inc. we have a database of over 150,000 released muskies. This information is important to any muskie fisherman. Some muskie fishermen get paralyzed with statistics and won’t do anything without first consulting every possible almanac and reading every meter, graph, chart, etc. Phooey! Muskie fishing is a fun, entertaining, mostly relaxing, enjoyable passion. Being on the water is the most important part of the experience. That is why it is called fishing instead of catching.

Weather.

Muskies tend to go on a feeding flurry during a falling barometer, just preceding a storm front. Cold fronts will turn muskies off after the front has passed. But, if you fish the later afternoon when the water temperature has peaked for the day, you have a good chance to hit a peak feeding time. Using smaller lures and slower retrieves will increase your chances. If the day is sunny and bright they will feed just before sunset, the last hour of daylight. Overcast windy days are much better than calm sunny ones.

Water depth

If you look at the statistics 66% of the muskies are caught in less than ten (10 ‘) feet of water. 5’ to 8’ seems to be the most popular depth for muskies.

Water temperature

Muskies are most active in water temperatures between 55° and 72°. The peak fishing temperature is 68°. Trophy fishermen prefer water temperatures of 55°. When water temperatures are in the 60°-68° ranges use a slow retrieve.

Moon phases

This is a rather emotional topic for discussion. There are those who think moon phases are a religion and then there are the rest of the fishermen. There are charts galore, so if you “believe,” you’ll have a wealth of information with which to choose from. Suffice it to say that the biggest fish have generally been caught around the NEW moon followed by the FULL moon. The best days are the five days following the new moon and the four days following the full moon. Statistically the best two days are the day after the new moon and the forth day after the full moon. Night fishing under a full moon after it has risen, is not as productive as the early mornings. However, cloud cover during a full moon will keep the bite alive.

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