FACT: No matter how many lures you own, it matters little if you don’t learn WHEN to snap the right one on, and then master how to work it. I am certain that many of the most successful anglers out there today fish with a very limited selection of baits. While they might own quite a few lures, they actually use only a select handful of them successfully. Some of this is confidence driven, while some of it is also conditions correlated.
For any angler reading this and looking for a single key to more musky success, I’d highly recommend paying far more attention to the mastery of one or two lures and one body of water. Match this plan to a specific time of the year on a spot you know well and you’re bound to have a much higher degree of success than the scatter gun approach — casting a wide range of lures over all kinds of unfamiliar terrain. As overly simple as this sounds, it is probably the way most successful anglers approach the sport.
Often the best thing you can do for your big fish score is to pick a productive local lake and really learn it well. I mean REALLY learn it. In fact, I’d suggest you totally dedicate yourself to that local lake, river or reservoir until you know it well enough to drive around it in complete darkness. Granted, this may take years (to learn it that well), but it is worth it. Not only does it take time on the water to learn one single piece of water well, it also requires research from other avenues, as well. Keep tabs on this local lake from as many angles as you can. For example, watch other anglers while you are out there doing your thing. You will often learn as much by observing as you will by fishing.
Make it a point to learn everything you can about the underwater terrain along with paying close attention to where big fish seem to hang out on a regular basis. Never over estimate how much you know about this lake. There is always more to learn, and different ways to catch fish on any given outing. You simply have to make it a goal to learn much more about this lake than you ever thought was possible. This is where good maps and good electronics can indeed make a difference. However, even the best maps rarely have the real details marked on them. You have to learn these details thru hard work and a watchful eye on both the sonar, other anglers, and your surroundings.
Today’s modern electronics have made it far easier to learn water than what guys like me had to go thru a few years back. The learning curve has been shortened a great deal. The advent of GPS has made a huge difference in the angler’s ability to precisely mark the exact location of the best fishing spots. If you haven’t made an investment in a sonar system with GPS, I’d suggest you do so. This provides you with great contour map readouts right alongside your sonar display. When you raise a big musky, or simply find a really good looking spot, it can be quickly yet precisely marked on your map with a simple push of the waypoint quick-save button. You can then return to that exact spot time and time again.
While I did not have GPS to rely on throughout most of my fishing career and had to instead use landmark triangulation and/or marking buoys, I am totally sold on the effectiveness of this new technology and how much it can help any angler no matter what they fish for. Purchase the best unit you can afford, and really learn how to use it. You won’t regret it.
Summarily, keeping things simple is often the biggest key to success with any big fish you prefer to pursue and is particularly true with muskies. Discipline yourself to one body of water and continually make an effort to learn it better than you ever thought possible. The end result or bi-product of this discipline is bound to be a trip to the taxidermist.
Joe Bucher
