where can i find the muskies

[lakearrowhead]

i am new so i dont no where to find uskies on my lake. EX. SHallows, deep, canals, my weed bed, rocks etc. ALso what aer the best hot baits for a beginner???
thanx

[Tone]

I have no idea where they are hiding on your lake. Try shallow areas where the weed beds are beginning to form. The best lure to throw if you are starting out is a bucktail because they are simple to use: Cast- retrieve, cast - retrieve....

I hope you catch a monster! and if you do, I hope that you release it.. replicas are as cheap if not cheaper than a mount

[Musk Rat]

If your on lake arrowhead in N.J. you should do great. Some jerk stole muskies from Muskies inc. and loaded it up for his personal use. Did I start another contreversy oops.

[lk arrowhead]

actually i am in lake arrowhead in nj. How did you know? DO you live round here? Are the muskies plentiful in here?

[Musk Rat]

I must be tellepathic. Actualy there is a dude liveing on your lake who has been involved in muskies inc. for many years and has been in charge of stocking for some time. No matter how anyone begged no one ever got to help. So we have this joke that he stocked them all in arrowhead lake but I dought weather more than a handful ever went in. Judgeing by the size of the lake you would think that the fishing would be pretty good. According to the dude the lake bought some about five years ago and some are fourty inches. Good luck I`m sure if you run into this character he will give you a 20 minute disertation on handling and release. Not a bad dude realy helped me when I first got started.

[Krappie]

Hi I wish I could give you a cut and dry answer to your question, but that's never the case with fishing. This is especially true with muskies. First off, you need to determine whether those fish are in prespawn, spawning, or post spawn phase. You can usually tell the spawning phase by the water temperature. Muskies will start spawning from 49 degree water to 59 degree water with the magic number being around 55 degrees. Also depending on how long the water temperature has held near the optimum temperature will determine where the fish are at during their spawning phase. I'd first say start off shallow in the muddy, weedy bays. This is epecially true on the north/ northeast/east end of the lake. These are the areas with the most exposure to the sun. Key on the warmer water areas and you'll often find the most active fish. If very few fish are being moved in the shallows than don't hesitate to hit the breaks, "necked down" areas or open water. After heavy spawning activity fish will start putting on the feedbag to help replenish lost energy. The big females will often move back onto the breaks or open water and take advantage of staging forage fish such as bluegills, crappies, suckers, and bass as they move up into the shallows for spawning. Once the weeds come up, those fish will very likely be found amongst the cover. But don't neglect the open water/ suspended fishery also.This is especially true if you have open water forage fish such as Ciscos, Whitefish, Trout, Crappies,and Perch. Early summer can really get rocking on hitting some suspendos!!Classic fish spots such as points, mid-lake reefs, saddles between islands, and inside turns will often hold muskies. They're the king of the hill and will utilize the most optimum spots since nothing stands in their way.

Like already has been pointed out for presentation, the Bucktail/Spinnerbait is a very effective/easy bait to use for becoming successful catching a muskie. It covers alot of water, and muskies really turn onto a bucktail bite especially after the water warms up into the upper 50's. Black and Silver, White and Silver, Gold and Yellow, Orange and Black, and Silver and Red are all good bucktail colors. The bread and butter of spinnerbaits /bucktails would have to be the black and silver color combo. If you throw that combo you should get bit.

Other baits to add to the arsenal would be: Twitch Baits/Crankbaits such as Slammers, Jakes, Cranes, Bagleys, Cisco Kids,Buecher Shallow/Depth Raiders.
Chop baits(classic jerkbaits) such as Bobbies and Suicks.
Gliders such as: Cobbs, Phantoms, Reefhawgs, Squirko/Jerkos
Topwater such as Top Raiders, Creepers, HawgWobblers, and Jackpots.
And rubber baits such as Sluggos, Bulldawgs, and Live Action baits.


Anything that matches your forage in the lake should be your color pattern. I'm a huge fan of perch colored baits. Also keep in mind the clarity of your lake. Bright/gaudy colors for the stained water and the "Toned down", natural colors for clear lakes. Black will work in both water types since it will always have a nice silhoutte that's cast.. But it's always good to have a little of each, to "mix it up" during the day, no matter what the water clarity is. Sometimes a bright, shocker color bait will produce when nothing else will on a clear lake. But the above rule will usually get you started in the right direction. Good luck fishing and let us know when you pop that first fish!!!

Ah yeah the most important thing about muskie fishing is preserverence. Never give up and keep pounding away on the water. Don't lose faith and sooner or later you'll hook up with a honey that has a toothy grin.

catch ya later,
Krappie

[LK. ARROWHEAD]

Ok. thanx. I will try these lure and try the spots no my lake. the three of you muskie fisherman have been great help. ANy more info just write back THanx.

O yea. I went to sports authority last night for muskie baits and they didn't have any spinners. I bought a heavey action Red Rhino ROd with a Reel, a pleuger deep diving blue minnow, a heddon zara spook, a topwater popper, and a bag of 10" worms. Will this work?

[Musk Rat]

TRY THE FISH EDUCATION CENTER for your equipment (724) 452-4464 ask for Howard he has already forgotten more about muskie fishing than most will ever know. Twitch baits are good beginner baits and don`t forget leaders and release tools.