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I am looking to set up a trip for Muskies with my son sometime this summer. I have fished just about everything but never Musky…I always heard it takes +40 hours fishing per Muskie caught, which sounds like a lot of work. What time of year and where would you recommend fishing to increase the odds of catching a Muskie within two days of fishing? Would appreciate any advice you may have. Thanks, Mike
Sometimes Muskies are pretty darn finicky, but other times you find them feeding and it can be easier than you think. A lot of the myth about how hard they are to catch is related more to the fact that they aren’t as numerous as other fish. So there are fewer bites than you could expect from other more plentiful species like Pike or Walleye. Personally I enjoy the challenge of trying to outsmart them and if you view these trips as a total learning experience, you can get a lot out of them.
In my opinion, someone planning their first Musky experience should base the trip on either the Full Moon of June or the Full Moon of August and preferably, a couple of days before the Full Moon. June is a key time for the fish that are returning to feeding after their spawning run and August can often be associated with Oxygen depletion in deep water and a movement of bait fish to the shallows. As with any other great plan, the weather plays a key part in this as well. If you get the right conditions, everything seems to fall in to place. This year there will be Full Moons on June 3rd, July 31st, and August 30th. All of these periods would be promising and if I were planning the trip for my own kids, I would key on the August 30th time. But this is strictly based on personal experience and the other times have good potential as well.
The lake you choose must be based on additional information. For example; if you never want to wet a line for any other fish except Musky, you would choose a lake based solely on it’s reputation as a Musky fishery. If you want multiple opportunities on one lake, this will move you in another direction. Make these decisions first and then begin your search for the right lake.