open basin in june. still alot of suspended bait from the winter.
I remember a few years back – actually quite a few fishing the opener in Wis. on the Willow. The Tomahwak River dumps into the lake and there were guys walking down to the river and picking up Musky some as large as mid 40″ in a slack water eddy. The fish were so lethargic they didn’t seem to care, and you could see them from the bridge looking down. Now this is very illegal and unethical so I am just making a point. The big ski’s are in full spawn recovery early to mid spring and probably in no mood to feed….
1. Shallow water sand, pencil reeds. Sight fish them sometimes and look for the warmest water temps. Muskies found in the warmer water can be much more active=more bites! Another thing I always do is talk to the bass anglers, they are usually catching muskies and seeing them while bass fishing. Sounds simple but to me it means sometimes a downsize and maybe bass type jig presentation to some degree can trigger more early season bites.
2. Do not be afraid to troll cranks in open water, many suspended fish out cruising and hitting schools of panfish, baitfish. I have used this tactic the whole month of June and have actually caught one of my biggest 50 inch fish trolling open water. I prefer the 10 inch Slammer Deep minnow and Joe Bucher DepthRaiders. It takes a fish to build the confidence but often times the open water trolling is overlooked by muskie anglers in my opinion.
Good Luck,
I have done the open water method. I think I just need more time at it because I would cast a bad spot before trolling a good spot. That’s just me. I have fished with a few buddies and we’ve lost a few in the spring open water. I personally need to put in more time trolling.
I like sheltered areas in June like bays, narrows or near rivermouths. Muskies can be scattered all over the place but finding biters means finding fish in a little warmer water. Fish in these areas however get a lot of fishing pressure early so it’s best to cover some water and find fresh fish.
The first few weeks of the season can change from year to year more than any other stretch. It’s so dependant on water temp and weed growth. Fish can be in open water but they can also be in the weeds still, or both. Last June we had an awesome bucktail burning pattern going. That, and we started catching fish at night pretty early on too. Everything was so advanced compared to the year before…You really have to spend some time on the water to figure them out. Even before muskies open. Fish for other species and make observations…
I had an article in last April/May issue of Musky Hunter that talks about all of this. I think it was called something like “Preparing for Musky Opener” check it out and let me know if you have any questions.
I recall the article you wrote, I really like the idea. Unfortunately, I never got out much to scout out the lakes I fish before muskies. What is a good tactic for targeting spring muskies in clear bodies of water? I know fish tend to push out a little deeper in clearer lakes vs the shallow sand pattern on darker lakes.
On clear lakes I usually like to throw dawgs a little deeper. Open water or primary weed edges. Usually blades don’t start really producing until things warm up a bit…on clear lakes that is. Then you’re able to use speed to your advantage.
Last year though, it was so warm so quick that big blades were working in the second week of June on clear water. It’s always a little bit of a learning curve right out of the gate but the fish are dumb then too so it evens it self out. I also like to night fish on clear lakes and have found myself doing it earlier and earlier every year…
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks for the advice. I’ve had very mixed results on clear lakes in the spring. I’ve targeted 15-21 feet and moved some fish and also fish in 8 feet the same day. I seem to struggle locating sand to weed transitions. Do you fish these by scouting in the spring preopener or is there something I should be looking for on my humminbird?
Find the crappies find the muskies…
A lot of times for me, the muskies aren’t going to be on the sand/weed transition early in the year, and if they are they’ll be tough to catch. Look for good weed beds and fish right over them or more gradual tapers to the deep side. Sand/weed transitions in the metro usually show up in the form of a pretty defined inside milfoil edge. Otherwise you may have some tobacco cabbage in the sand too. Last year the tobacco cabbage really came in thick on the sand. This can be something to try if it comes in thick again next year, but usually I’ll hit pay dirt here later in the summer/early fall.
Crappies and sunnies are a good thing to follow around early in the season, but I’ve been dissapointed with my results over the years when I fish right in the schools. It’s really tempting to cast right in the middle of a schooll of pannies that are breaking the surface but in reality, muskies are still usually going to be tucked in cover nearby. This is where they are more effective in hunting. The schools of panfish aren’t going to let them just swim right through the middle of them with their mouth wide open… If that did happen, they certainly wouldn’t eat your bait then… a 9″ crappie tastes way better!
Hope some of this helps.
I too have not found success chasing panfish busting the water. I’ve fished around them a bunch of times and have only moved a single fish while doing so.
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