What do you need to know to fish for muskie? There is an abundance of information out there on the technical aspects of angling for muskie. Thousands of anglers with differing skills and interests have had trouble dealing with the big, heavy, fierce looking fish.
Here are a few tips:
Avoid using lures with excessive numbers of hooks. A lure with three trebles has nine hooks that you and the fish will have to eventually deal with. Look for lures with as few hooks as possible. Single hooks are the mainstay of saltwater fishermen whose prey can be 20 times the size and stamina of any freshwater fish. Multiple hooks are not necessary and are the cause of most disasters between the angler and the fish…keep them to a minimum.
Use your pliers to flatten the barbs on your hooks. The concept of barb-less hooks seems to scare people… "Won't I lose more fish?" Not likely. Give it a try on one lure and you will soon realize the benefits of an easy release….not to mention the danger factor to yourself (or others if your casting technique is faulty) is significantly lowered. Just remember, the less time trying to remove hooks increases the likelihood of releasing your big fish unharmed.
Bring the right tools!! At a minimum have a "Hook-Out" hook removal tool. If you're not familiar with what that is just ask for one (get two…they don't float!) at any decent tackle shop…it's only a few bucks. A pair of long nosed pliers will also be suitable…especially as it can be also used to flatten barbs. For those who refuse to flatten barbs a handy item is a quality pair of side cutters or hook cutters (Knipex makes a quality product). In some cases it is better to quickly cut the hooks when removal is very difficult.
A large fish can easily "inhale" a lure deep into its mouth, which will make hook removal difficult and potentially dangerous. Purchase an inexpensive jaw spreader to keep the fish's mouth wide open so that you can see what you're doing. These work well for pike as well.
Another "tool" that can save your hide and that of the fish is a pair of fish handling gloves. These generally have a rubber coating that will give you some protection from sharp teeth and gills….and will also protect the fish's outer coating of slime from being rubbed off. Create a "place" in the boat for these items to have them ready for use.
One last important item is the net. If you are serious about targeting big pike and muskie then spend the money to get a decent muskie net.
Follow these tips and stay safe while wrangling these lake monsters. An unprepared fisherman isn't really a fisherman at all. Any more fishing tips? Let us know!
