In a recent posting on the WDNR website regarding the Northern Zone Musky Season, Dave Neuswanger made unsubstantiated comments about the unfolding of Musky conditions in the Northern Zone and specifically about the Hayward area.

He claims that the Musky spawning cycle on lakes like the Chippewa Flowage was early due to an early ice out and early warming which is just not accurate. Those of us who actually watch the Chippewa Flowage intensely during the pre-season have seen the rise in water temperature move slowly from the 30’s to the high 40’s during most of April…well below the accepted spawning temperature cycle for Musky. Only recently has the water temperature gotten to the point that is conducive to Musky spawning cycles. Dave Neuswanger provided no objective facts, as one might expected to see from a degreed WDNR official, to support his bogus claims. It would almost appear as though he does not feel the need to provide any facts to back-up his assertion just because he speaks for the WDNR.

I would remind all of you the Dave Neuswanger came to the Wisconsin Northern Musky Zone for Missouri where his knowledge about Musky fisheries and Musky fishing was severely limited if it existed at all.  I would also remind all of you that his first proposal after getting to the Northern Musky Zone was to allow motor trolling for all species on class ‘A’ Wisconsin waters which is prohibited by long standing WDNR policy. Just imagine the chaos on the water that would have ensued as Musky anglers had their drifts cut off by trolling Walleye and Musky anglers using planar boards. (As people who actually fish the Chippewa Flowage, we all could see the folly in the uninformed and ill-advised proposal from Dave Neuswanger.)

Now, Dave Neuswanger wants us to “Just Trust” his pronouncements on blind faith. Well, faith has its place in church but not when it comes to fishery policy on the Chippewa Flowage.

Where are the recorded temperature assessments of Northern Musky Zone bodies of water taken from total ice out to 5/15/12, the date of Dave Neuswanger’s comments on the WDNR website?

Where are the roe capture statistics for the Wisconsin Northern Musky Zone?

Show Us The Data !!!

If Dave Neuswanger and the WDNR want us to take them seriously, they will have to start providing verifiable fishery facts.

Of course, if personal arrogance has replaced the need for good fishery science, as appears to be the case here, the best thing that we can do as Musky anglers is treat these ‘job security’ articles from the WDNR and Dave Neuswanger as the unsubstantiated and misinformed opinions they are.

Because Muskies are at the very top of the predator-prey chain, there are necessarily fewer of them than there are of other species of fish, and fewer still of the really big "wall hangers". Consistent attention to the "little things" can mean the difference between catching small fish or boating that once-in-a-lifetime trophy.

First on my list of "little things" is location: where do you find a musky on a given body of water at a given time? "Whoa there!" you say. "Location is a BIG thing in musky fishing!" True enough. But there are many little things regarding location which can up the odds in your favor. I recommend first researching a lake with a good lake map and your electronics to find the high- percentage spots, then concentrating your fishing efforts on these areas. Not unlike people, key needs for Muskies are the availability of food and comfort. Areas that provide these needs are likely to hold fish. To find the bigger fish, keep in mind that the larger a musky gets, the more it wants to relate to areas that are very close to the deepest areas of the lake. In natural lakes, structure nearest the deep main lake basin tends to hold most of the big fish. In manmade lakes or flowages, structure that is closest to the original lake basin or river channel tends to draw the trophy-size Muskies. Another "little thing" regarding flowage Muskies: they tend to be migratory, moving up and down the flowage by way of the original river channel. When they stop to rest and/or feed it is most often on the same near-channel structure, so concentrating on these high percentage areas increases the chances for a fish of memorable proportions!

After an arduous day of flailing the water with eight to twelve-inch musky baits, your arms and back muscles may tell you that the lures you choose are deinitely not "little things!" When it comes to trophy musky, the old axiom, "big lures for big fish" generally holds true. The .preferred size food for a 48" musky is even bigger than that lure you’re throwing! "Little things" to keep in mind about lure selection include:

COLOR — Dark waters predicate dark colored lures, i.e. brown, gold, copper, even black. Lighter colors like silver, white, yellow, and grey tend to more closely match the forage base in clear water. Bright, flashy fluorescent colors like chartreuse and orange are often more effective on overcast days and in low light conditions.

ACTION AND SPEED — Water temperatures will dictate the best action and speed to choose. In early spring and late fall, slower is better, Retrieved in this manner, the lure represents an easy meal that doesn’t require a lot of energy for the fish to catch. As the water warms, faster presentations work well but be wary of a too-fast retrieve when hunting for that really big fish. Experience has shown that these guys respond better to lures that they don’t have to pursue as aggressively.

DEPTH — Deeper running lures work well at many times of the year, but late fall is when they really shine. In very cold water a musky won’t chase a lure at all, so it must be presented at his depth, which is almost always deep under cold conditions.

The knot connecting the line to the leader (and ultimately you to the fish) is another frequently overlooked "little thing". Use only the strongest knots — Palomar, double Palomar, or power knots — and re-tie often. There are few things more discouraging than playing a good fish and losing him because of the weak link in the fisherman-to-fish chain. It’s no fun to lose a lure that you know works, either.

Keep noise to a minimum. We’ve all noticed how a little sound travels a long way over water, and the same is true under water. Contrary to the belief that big Muskies fear nothing, they’re spooked relatively easily and noise will definitely deter them from following a lure in. This is especially true when fishing in shallow water and after dark. Cut your engine a good distance upwind from the area you intend to fish and quietly drift into the area. Many time big muskies will hold quite a distance off the structure. Motoring into the area would bypass these fish, so the stealthy drift approach gives you a shot at them as well.

Little things usually add up to one big thing. Choosing the right location, lure, and presentation will add up to an increase in both the size and number of fish raised, and the enjoyment of time spent on the water. And for most fishermen, that’s the big thing!