Gary Engberg Outdoors

gengberg December 18th, 2009

RED HOT EARLY SEASON MUSKIE FISHING
Excellent Angling for the King of Freshwater Heats Up Very Early in the South
By: Colby Simms with Ray Simms & Walt Krause
Photos by: the Simms Outdoors Team
www.SimmsOutdoors.com Southern muskie fishing is incredible. Each year, anglers catch more and more muskies from premier southern lakes and reservoirs. The fishing action seems to be getting better and better, and the average size is also climbing in certain waters as well. Southern anglers have reaped the benefits of muskie stocking programs for many years, but many northern muskie nuts are now making regular trips south as well.

*Southern Seasons

Southern muskie fishing seasons last much longer than those up north, often ten months of the year, on many waters which do not become iced over. Some southern muskie lakes never get any ice all season long, while others get a bit of ice that can usually be broken through. The opportunity to fish throughout winter is a great benefit to muskie anglers from north to south. Our muskie season ends just as its getting going in the far north. We don’t fish for muskies on most southern lakes in the months of July and August, or whenever the water temperatures climb into the 80s. At this time, muskies are stressed and it can be very difficult to successfully release them. Still, after a short summer break, we’re back after them in earnest in the fall, considered by many to be the best time of year to muskie fish in the south.

There is no question that southern muskie fishing is incredible in the fall, but the spring period can often be just as good. Spring muskie fishing is a difficult concept for many northern anglers to grasp, as their seasons are closed. Most southern waters see very little or no natural reproduction, and the waters are maintained through stocking efforts, so fishing during this time period has no negative effects on the muskie population. What’s more, is that in the south, muskie anglers can legally target and catch muskies in the pre-spawn stage, when females are full of eggs and the heaviest they’ll be all year. Early spring can produce huge muskies for anglers in the know, and we’ll focus on that stage in this article.

*Pre-Spawn Location

The pre-spawn period starts as soon as the air and water temperatures warm steadily, as the days lengthen. In winter, the majority of fish hold on deep water structures and in the open water around these spots. Wide open expanses of deep water commonly found on the main lake basin, and in the outer portions of very large and deep creek and river arms or big bay systems, are where winter skis spend much of their time in the coldest periods. They set up on deep breaklines, points, bluffs and creek or river channels with rock and wood cover.

When water temperatures climb into the low to mid 40s, muskies will migrate away from these deep winter haunts, transitioning toward the areas where they will eventually spawn. They follow predictable travel routes as they transition from winter to early spring areas. Muskies follow creek and river channels from the depths on and near the main lake. Some fish suspend and cruise open water near the channels, while some follow breaklines along the edges of creek and river arms when they get to these places, but a lot of fish can be found traveling near the bottom, right along the channel itself. As muskies migrate, they’ll stop and hold on certain spots. Rapidly warming weather means that they won’t linger for long, but when the warm up is gradual, they’re likely to take their time, holding for longer periods on certain spots along the migration route, especially if a cold front rolls through. Fish stop and hold on creek and river channel bends and intersections, irregular spots along breaklines within creek and river arms, and places where heavy cover is concentrated in these areas.

Southern muskie spawning activity typically occurs in water temperatures from about 50 to 60 degrees, but peak spawning happens in 53 to 58 degree water in most cases. The pre-spawn period can last until the waters reach the upper 50s though. Not all muskies spawn at the same time, but rather waves of fish move in and out of spawning areas. Most muskies prefer to spawn on shallow, dark bottom flats, shelves and shoreline banks with a gradual taper that are protected from strong winds, and these areas will also hold a lot of skis in the pre-spawn stage after the masses have migrated. These areas are usually loaded with shad, and muskies will feed heavily trying to pack on weight they’ll lose while spawning.

*Presentation & Lure Options

Muskies eat schooling baitfish wherever they swim. Ciscoes, perch, shiners and whitefish are schooling baitfish species at the top of the menu for muskie throughout much of their northern range. In the south, it’s gizzard shad, threadfin shad and herring. Very similar to ciscoes and shiners, shad and herring are silvery pelagic baitfish species that school together in great numbers to roam a body of water. These oily fish are the muskie’s favorite prey and they’ll target them heavily in all bodies of water where they occur. Choosing lures that closely mimic the muskie’s preferred prey is the best ticket to success. School N Shad Spinnerbaits (simmsoutdoors.com) have silicone skirts, swimshad bodies, and 3, 4 or 5 graduated willow leaf blades on long wire arms. With the action produced by the silicone skirt and swimshad combination, and the flash & vibration produced by all of the willow leaf blades, resembling an actual baitfish school, these lures closely mimic shad, ciscoes, herring and other schooling baitfish more than any others.

Presentation varies according to activity. The warmer the water and the more stable the conditions the more aggressive muskies are likely to be. In this case, faster and more erratic retrieves are usually best. In colder water, fish often respond better to slow steady retrieves, and this is especially true after a cold front has rolled through, dropping the activity level of fish.

*Get Out There

Hot spring fishing gets rolling very early in the south, and during most years, we start guiding trips for pre spawn muskies as early as the beginning of February. Shake off the effects of cabin fever and get out on open water in search of big, fat pre-spawn muskies, the kings of freshwater. Good luck!

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re at SIMMS OUTDOORS ON-LINE MAGAZINE, book Guided Trips at southern Illinois’ incredible Kinkaid Lake, as well as many other great destinations throughout Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin & Ontario with the SIMMS OUTDOORS TEAM GUIDE SERVICE, and Much More by visiting SIMMS OUTDOORS L.L.C. on the web at: www.simmsoutdoors.com . CONTACT: 618-521-0526 or 573-358-5948 or info@simmsoutdoors.com .

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