Send In The Suicks … And The Phantoms, Etc.

  By Steve Heiting, Managing Editor The air was cooler with less humidity, and the muskies had stopped chasing our bucktails a couple hours before. A cold front was upon us. I turned to my fishing partner and said, “Let’s switch to jerkbaits. Put on a Phantom, and I’ll snap on a Suick.” Within minutes, Charlie…

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Small Details Add Up To Big Summer Muskies

  By Steve Heiting, Managing Editor My eyes flashed back and forth from my GPS’ screen to the water behind my spinner. Twenty minutes earlier a big musky had followed my lure to the boat and spun off, its aggressive movements indicating it would feed soon. I backed the boat out, repositioned 200 yards away,…

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Crankbaits When It’s Cold

By Steve Heiting, Managing Editor Whenever you’re faced with cold water, a cold day or a cold front, a crankbait is often the best lure choice you can make. In the hands of an angler who understands their applications, crankbaits can be tremendously effective for big fish. Why? Crankbaits are designed to bump, bounce and…

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Scratch the Surface this Fall

By Jim Saric:   One of the most common questions I get asked is “When’s the best time to fish topwater?” If I had to pick, the time would be early fall.  Specifically, this period can be narrowed down based upon water temperatures ranging from 65-58 degrees.  Over the years I still stick with this temperature…

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The Nature of Crankbaits

By Steve Heiting:  It’s fall, and if crankbaits aren’t in your lineup for the colder months they should be. The slower, down-in-their-face presentation they provide is made to order for fall musky fishing. However, you need to understand the differences in crankbaits to get the most from them. Some are designed for open water, some…

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Developing Your Musky Night Sense

By Jim Saric During summer and into early fall, one of the most reliable musky fishing opportunities exists when fishing after dark. Simply put, fishing after dark can yield fantastic results, and the experience can be nothing short of magic. However, for those who haven’t fished after dark, or experienced a good night bite, fishing…

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When Size Matters

By Steve Heiting:  Should we be casting big baits for muskies or downsizing? That’s a great question and can vary hour to hour, day to day, and week to week. Generally, I start small early in the season, but when I hear fishermen telling tales of muskies grabbing the walleyes they’re fighting, it’s time to…

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Early Season Strategies

By Jim Saric With the late ice out and cold spring, many are wondering how to approach those first few trips of the year. Here are two strategies to consider. First with weed growth being behind and limited in many waters, and with muskies spawning later this year, you’ll find muskies located in shallow flats,…

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Bump and Run

By Jim Saric:  In early season, as water temperatures rapidly rise, weed growth commonly accelerates at an equally fast pace.   It seems you go from sparse weeds on flats and in bays to thicker clumps.   As the weed clumps grow they begin to connect and soon you are left with pockets in large…

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The Subtle Differences of Twin-Tens

By Steve Heiting:  Since the Double Cowgirl exploded on the scene there have been thousands of giant muskies caught on them and the musky-fishing world has seen lots of similar lures come and go. Before you visit the musky shows this winter and load up on your favorite twin-ten, understand that there are subtle differences…

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