Pro Tactics™: Muskie

Jack Burns is editor emeritus of The Next Bite—Esox Angler magazine. Jack has fished muskies for more than thirty years throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and northwest Ontario and has published muskie-fishing articles in In-Fisherman and Peterson's Fishing magazines. Jack was the muskie columnist for Minnesota Outdoor News from 1990 to 2004 and has been a guest speaker at Muskies Inc. chapter meetings throughout the Midwest.Rob Kimm is senior editor of The Next Bite—Esox Angler magazine. A former instructor at In-Fisherman’s Camp Fish, Rob now pursues muskie and pike in Ontario and Minnesota. He is a frequent contributor to In-Fisherman magazine and is the featured muskie columnist for the Minnesota Outdoor News. Rob holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and also works as a consultant in the technical communications field.

• 1. Fish of Legend, Fish of Myth2. Muskies—The Mental GameSeasonal FactorsEnvironmental FactorsFishing PressureFishing Presentation “Style”3. Muskie Fishing TackleMuskie Gear—Rods, Reels, and LuresTopwatersBucktailsJerkbaitsSpinnerbaitsCrankbaitsSpoonsJigs and Soft PlasticsTrolling GearLines and Leaders4. Necessary Tools and Release TechniquesYour Muskie Tool KitRelease TechniquesHolds and PhotosOther Necessary Tools and Equipment5. Follows, Figure Eights, and Triggering FishThe First Step: Seeing FollowsTriggering Following FishBoatside Tactics: L-turns and the Figure EightThe Final Word on Triggering Fish6. Postspawn to Early SummerFinding Postspawn Muskie: The Big Bang TheoryTactical FactorsTactics and TechniquesSearching Efficiently—Pattern SamplingSearching Efficiently—PresentationOther Presentation Options7. Summer PeakTactical FactorsTactics and TechniquesPresentations for Fishing Shallow Summer MuskiesFishing the Slop8. Mid- to Late SummerTactics and TechniquesFishing in Algae BloomsCountering Fishing Pressure9. Early FallTactics and TechniquesPresentation10. Mid- to Late FallFishing the TurnoverFishing Fall Prime TimeFall CastingFishing Very Late—Pre Ice-up11. Bringing It All TogetherMuskies as Apex PredatorsKnowledge of Muskies’ Seasonal NeedsKnowledge of Muskies’ EnvironmentLures and Equipment as ToolsSafety and Safe Catch-and-ReleaseThe Role of Goals and StylesThe Role of Fishing PhilosophiesThe Role of Fishing PressureTime on the WaterIndex