The Northwoods is open for business. As the boating pressure begins to ramp up and the last graduation is over, musky fishing in the Northwoods takes off for tourists and locals alike. Even the tiniest lakes produce monsters in the North of Wisconsin, so nothing is off-limits for waders, boaters, and kayaks alike.
Opening weekend review and the week ahead Musky Shop
Joe Bucher Outdoors
I was about as excited as a 12-year old on “opening day”. I hadn’t caught a musky in almost 7 months, and here I was on an amazing lake during a prime time period. I’ve been getting mentally and physically ready for several weeks. I had plan A, B and C ingrained in my head. It wasn’t a matter of if I was going to catch a big one, it was how many of them will be boated. To say I was cranked up would be an understatement.
Sizzling hot! Super deadly! A sure-fire bet stained water killer!
Most musky anglers have run through the same progression of goals. First you just want to catch a musky…any musky. Then you want to catch a bunch of muskies. Finally the hunt for big fish is on. While you are sharpening your skills at catching muskies, you start to realize what it takes to catch a real trophy. Often the “numbers lakes” you are fishing offer little opportunity to bag that 50-plus incher, so you start zeroing in on noted big fish waters; usually bigger bodies of water where the fish can grow and thrive by not being as pressured as much as they would have been in smaller waters. Next comes the strategy of when may be the best times to pursue the quest of your trophy fish. After your game plan comes together and you are on the water, now comes the hard part…finding the bigger fish as fast as possible.