Muskies captivate anglers all across the region. Here’s where to go, what to do.
By Mark Modoski
Before I became a dedicated musky angler, I made repeated, futile attempts to catch the infamous “fish of 10,000 casts.” I bought musky tackle, lures and even an oversized net in preparation for some big fish. Like most novices, however, I did almost everything wrong. But learning is a huge part of the musky fishing game in the Northeast, and no one does it right at the start. One summer day just before dusk on a small New Jersey musky water, everything finally came together for me.
Fishing from my friend’s canoe (a watercraft that I absolutely do not recommend for musky fishing), I cast a large topwater toward a weed line and began to “walk the dog” back to the boat. Within seconds, all hell broke loose. What was most likely a large fish inhaled my bait on the surface and thrashed around for what seemed like an eternity. I felt the weight of the heavy musky … and then I didn’t. I was heartbroken, but no less determined to target these fish. I’ve never been the same since.
Today, I cringe when I hear muskies referred to as the “fish of 10,000 casts.” If it takes you 10,000 casts to catch a musky, you’re either not doing it right, not fishing in a lake or river with muskies or just not fishing for muskies at all. Although it takes some time and patience to find active fish, or to annoy one enough to cause it to bite, muskies are actually quite predictable. With a little knowledge of where the fish are at different times of the year and a couple of the right baits, you too can consistently catch muskies. Now, you may go two or three trips without catching one, and then catch four or more on the next trip. This isn’t panfishing, after all. But if you want to catch muskies, and possibly a giant, you’re going to have to put in some time in both scouting great places to go and learning the techniques.
GO-TO MUSKY GEAR
Many companies sell musky-specific spinning rods these days, but if you want to successfully cast and retrieve the right baits, you need to know how to handle a baitcasting rod and reel. There are a ton of good musky casting rods out there, and you want one that can handle lures weighing a minimum of 3 ounces and possibly more than 10 ounces, depending on…
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