All through what seemed like the never ending grip of winter, Muskie
anglers have been aching for the sound of open
water lapping the shore lines of their favorite Muskie lake. During the
off-season, hooks have been sharpened, lures have been repaired, tackle
boxes have been reorganized and reels have been cleaned and tuned to
pristine excellence…All this in preparation for that special moment when
Muskie and angler meet.
Spring is a very interesting time of the season. As the water temperature
creeps slowly from the 40’s toward the mid 50 degree spawning temperature,
Muskie begin to shake off their winter trance as they look for a little
"love" and a good meal.
Muskie anglers wait patiently for the opening of the season and when it
finally happens, they are quick to join the hunt. On this early spring
morning in June, I too took to the water to dip a line and put a little
slime in the boat. This time of year the water temperature in the morning is
usually warmer than the air giving rise to varying degrees of mist.
I slipped away from the dock at Indian Trail Resort just before the sun
crept over the Eastern horizon and cleaned out the shoreline of the resort
using only a trolling motor on very slow speed. This is a practice that is
ignored by many Muskie anglers as they motor off to their favorite Chippewa
Flowage Muskie water…sometimes the fish is as close as your own "front
door".
The water temperature was up to a respectable 64 degrees and at that
temperature every lure is a potential Muskie producer. Muskie anglers have
had success with everything from plastics to surface lures.
Since I was covering the shallow shoreline, I decided to use a
Best
American Topper to emulate a small varmint patrolling the shoreline
for an easy meal. I am a supporter of the concept of ‘matching the
hatch’ as part of a hunt strategy and anyone who has fished in the
early Spring has observed that behavior for the animals that make their
living at or close to the shallows. The shallows are also the first place
where emerging weeds will provide a Muskie ambush cover.
As I rounded the point of the resort shoreline heading toward Bay 1, I
was getting ready to pull up the trolling motor and head on down the road. I
thought to myself, "Just a cast or two more to be sure that I
fished the shoreline clean". As the topper hit the water, a
Muskie exploded on it. In all honesty, I never had time to even set the
hook. Lucky for me, the Muskie hit the lure and turned away from the boat
rather than toward it…he actually set the hook on himself.
This was not a big
fish but it was the first fish of the Muskie season. It hit about 15 feet
from the boat and did a little dance on the water trying to dislodge the
topper from its jaw. I kept the line tight and slowly coaxed the fish toward
the boat to be netted. With rod in one hand and the net in the other, I
performed the "dance of the lone Muskie
angler" as I prepared to lead the Muskie into the net. The
fish came up along side the boat and swaggered right into the waiting net.
I was pumped…The first fish of the season and within shouting distance
of the dock. Leaving the fish in the net, I cut the hooks of the topper and
prepared to measure and photograph my misty morning prize. It measured in at
32 inches…not a big fish but a nice way to start the season. After a
picture or two the Muskie was back in the water and on its way.
I took a deep breath, rearranged the boat, pulled up the trolling motor
and motored off into the what remained of the morning mist to see if the day
had other Muskie adventures awaiting me…
Tight Lines
