Introduction to Musky Fishing – Totem Resorts

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Introduction to Musky Fishing – A Beginner’s Guide
By Marc Lalonde and Terra Albany for Totem Resorts
Drone footage by Ignacio “Nacho” Boveri
Read by Rajia Droste, Laguna Sound
Ambient music, Electric Guitar Solos by @MadeInNewZealand

introduction to Musky fishing by Mark laland and Tara Albany for totem Resorts welcome to Totem Resorts Asic of Musky fishing this guide introduces Musky fishing to beginners and will be understood better as you put the information into practice there are three methods for catching muskies casting trolling and jigging much of the discussion under casting applies to trolling and jigging all three can be effective Musky fishing involves a skill set you will enjoy developing and can provide heart rcing Thrills casting safety be cautious with the large sharp treble hooks on the lures cast directly overhead over the top of your shoulder not sidearm make sure everything is clear behind you before you begin each cast also take care as you reel in and bring your lure into the boat you want to hook fish not anyone else there is a risk of hitting others with the lure and to lesser extent hitting yourself especially when tired and not as focused The Tackle generally we will be using heavy 9-t rods with large lures 80 to 100 lb test line and fluorocarbon or stainless steel leaders one reason for the heavy tackle an extra strong line is to help keep up tension and not have the rod Flex or the line stretch too much which would dilute power from setting the hook the Reel open at the top feeds the line out from side to side it’s called a bait caster as opposed to a smaller spinning reel used for walleye on the bait casting reel the guide will set the drag tension and brake for you the Reel locks automatically preventing the line from unspooling each time you begin cranking to release the lock and allow the line to be free to unspool press the small bar on the Reel keep your thumb pressed on the line in the open reel as you unlock it casting technique let the momentum of the smooth swing and the flex of the long rod do the work don’t twist your torso like swinging a bat or Golf Club your elbow is the fulcrum proper technique lets you make safe and accurate casts while conserving energy most cast standing up but many prefer sitting good balance is needed to fish for muskies standing in a boat especially when the musky strikes try both ways and decide what you like or alternate if it is your very first time you may want to practice casting off the dog to begin while keeping your thumb pressed on the line in the open spool you first will unlock the Reel then let the line slip out a bit to lower the lure just over a foot from the rod tip for example a few inches of line past a 12in leader you may lower the lure more for longer casts but best to start with a shorter length between the rod tip and lure for greater control to cast you will grip the rod with both hands assuming you are right-handed your right hand will be holding the rod just below the Reel with your thumb firmly on the line in the unlocked spool and your left hand will be about a foot lower gripping near the bottom of the rod then load the rod by a backward motion over your shoulder bringing the rod behind you nearly horizontally and in a continuous fluid motion reverse Direction and swing the rod over your shoulder extending your arms from the elbows release your thumb pressure when the rod is about 45° above the water then continue to point Your Rod tip at the arcing lure while the lure is in flight keep your thumb with a slight touch on the unspooling line in the Reel just enough to feel it unspool a split second before the lure hits the water depress your thumb back onto the Reel tightly to stop the outs spooling line you also will depress your thumb earlier if you have cast too far for example heading too close to the shore or trees weeds rocks and you want to shorten the cast as The Lure hits the water immediately switch hands your left thumb Trading Places with your right thumb to secure the line on the Reel temporarily until it locks and the fingers of your left hand gripping the rod below the Reel there is a trigger under the rod place your middle finger in front of the trigger ideally between your palm and second knuckle where you would wear a ring simultaneously your right hand goes to the Reel handle and begin cranking quickly to make sure the Reel locks and the line has tension place your left thumb on top of the reel on the left side grasping the side of the Reel firmly keeping your thumb off the line in the locked spool Point your left index finger straight to reach under the rod below the Reel with two fingers in front of the trigger and two behind you will have a firm grip to set the hook with power and keep the rod under control note some Anglers prefer to use their left hand to grasp the foregrip the corked part of the rod directly in front of the Reel rather than using the trigger and holding the side of the Reel that alternative method makes it harder to keep the rod from twisting and is not as stable as using the trigger and grasping the left side of the Reel with your thumb on the top left side immediately as you switch hands and start cranking you will position the end of the rod at your side below your left armpit so that you can clamp down on the rod with your upper left arm if a Musky strikes if there is a knob on the end of the rod place that knob either just behind or directly under your arm whichever you find more comfortable at all times take care not to lose the rod overboard both hands on the rod and reel and then the end under your arm will keep the rod secure skilled Anglers may vary from some of these fundamentals but it is best to follow them as you gain experience it is easy to lose focus while enjoying the scenery and each other’s company and after a long period of time with no action to be ready you have to expect that each moment your lure is in the water will result in a strike note a Musky can strike as soon as the lure hits the water and at any point until you take it out estimating roughly 30% of the musky strikes hit right after the lure enters the water and you start retrieving 25% hit while reeling in as The Lure approaches the boat and 45% hit near the boat after following the lure avoiding backlash avoid causing a backlash or bird’s nest tangling the line in the Reel backlash occurs when the spool rotates faster than the lure is pulling out line there is a risk of fouling the line if the Reel keeps Fe beting out after the lure reaches the water as mentioned above it is important that you are ready to clamp your thumb down on the spool just as The Lure is about to hit the water if you don’t backlash is virtually certain also as mentioned above even as you release your thumb pressure during the casting motion keep your thumb Feathering the spool as the line Feeds out sometimes for example if the lure is held up by a headwind the line can feed out faster than the lure is moving away from the Reel Feathering your th thumb over the outs spooling line minimizes backlash during the cast and keeps your thumb positioned to be ready to clamp down a backlash is not a crisis but untangling the line delays fishing the only way to catch fish is to have your hook in the water If you experience a backlash just ask the guide for help note you also have to be ready for the lure not to fly at all and instead have it spike in the water right in front of the boat assuming you have released your thumb from The Reel during the cast this this spiking can occur for two reasons one is that the Reel was not unlocked or the crank handle was touched during the casting motion enough to cause the reel to relock the other is that the line can get twisted around the tip of the rod check before casting spikes are rare but do happen a secure grip on the rod with both hands at all times will keep it in your grasp even if the lure spikes reeling in The Lure before a strike The Reeling techniques are easy to pick up and depend on the type of lure whether it stays on the surface or Dives to various depths or you want to put action on the lure as you retrieve it in most instances you will reel in relatively quickly muskies are fast swimmers keep the tip pointing in the direction of the lure and not to the side for example if the wind blows your lure sideways or if you are turned while talking with someone in the boat gradually lower your Rod tip as The Lure gets closer to the boat rod placement while retrieving is important to be ready to set the hook before lifting The Lure out of the water do some figure eights at the side of the boat musky often follow lures before striking and then can hit when it looks like the prey is trying to get away sometimes you can see the musky following the lure and sometimes not when you have a little line left to reel in for example anywhere from as little as 3 to 6 in above the leader to as much as having the lure about 3 ft from the rod tip continue moving the lure at about about the same speed as your retrieve and varying your depth from near the surface to 2 to 3 ft below it by dipping your Rod tip into the water and doing a very rounded figure8 motion with wide turns hold on to the rod with both hands typically with your left hand remaining gripped below the Reel and your right going from The Reel handle to the end of the rod gripping the knob if there is one bending forward and reaching out with the rod helps keep the Figure 8 rounded and the turns wide don’t cut back and forth at sharp angles muskies are fast but can’t turn on a dime changing speed and depth somewhat during the Figure 8 May entice a strike it will be exciting if you see a Musky following the lure at any distance don’t try to set the hook prematurely not before the fish takes the lure and you feel weight on the line also it’s easy to freeze if you see a Musky following your lure don’t change speeds too much especially don’t slow Blow The Lure down for long that musky may lose interest if the lure slows or stops unlike how a natural prey would act at the boat continue with a rounded Figure 8 motion grip the rod tight and be ready for a strike setting the hook upon a strike and reeling in the fish hook setting comes with practice how best to set the hook varies depending on how hard the musky hits the type of lure the distance from the boat and the depth in the water ordinarily set the hook once and then reel to keep tension on the line first be aware that while some strikes are hard and unmistakable others are difficult to perceive if you sense anything unusual set the hook there is little downside to setting the hook if it felt like your lure may have bumped into something in the water for example weeds but even if there’s only a slight bump or tick or some slack in the line just barely noticeable it could be a Musky that has taken the lure into its mouth and is swimming toward the boat sometimes what you think may have been a weed or a rock was actually a Musky again if you ever have any doubt immediately set the hook all the hook set attempts that turn out to be false alarms are more than justified by those occasions when it works when setting the hook be firm and forceful muskys have strong jaws and the insides of their mouths are tough you want to give yourself a good chance of having the musky get hooked and stay hooked usually the hooks are underneath and or behind the lure not on top better hook sets are into the musk’s jaw not straight up toward the roof of its mouth anticipate in which direction you will be setting the hook most right-handed Anglers prefer to set the hook toward their right side sometimes that is not possible with others in the boat Envision what you will do for each cast and decide what is the optimal way to set the hook changing tactics as you reel in and The Lure gets closer to the boat as mentioned above how you set the hook depends on where the musky strikes for starters let’s assume you feel weight on the line far from the boat below the water surface preparing for a strike with every Cast Your Rod will be pointed toward the lure snap your arms firmly moving the rod diagonally sideways and upward and turning your torso toward the side now is the time to put your body into it as you turn your torso you also may want to lean a bit backward whether standing or pushing into the back of your seat as you are retrieving your lure your hook set will be increasingly more to the side and less upward if your lure is nearing the boat a better hook set will sweep toward the side generally a sideways hook set also should be used with a top water lure the reason is that you do not want the musky to LEAP into the air as impressive a spectacle that is a Musky thrashing with its head out of the water risks loss of tension in the line and the musky throwing the hook if if a Musky strikes when the lure is at the side of the boat for example during a figure 8 your hook set will be all sideways and even a bit downward if the musky is on the surface so that you don’t raise its head if your Rod tip was in the water set the hook keeping the tip in the water note if the musky hits at the boat sometimes it can be netted quickly and sometimes it will take line out for a longer fight if the musky does not take line out you will keep tension on the line by pulling the musky with your Rod tip under the water ultimately toward the net when the musky has tired enough to let you also no matter what you do a lot depends on whether the musky hooks itself hard or barely in the side of the lip or somewhere in between some strikes miss too much of the lure for the fish to get and stay hooked other times they Hammer The Lure and are hooked solid you may not know which until the musky is in the net or if it was able to shake the hook even with a taut line if you do everything right you can still Miss but your odds for Success are better when reeling in a hooked fish the key point is to keep tension on the line a slack line allows the musky to throw the hook reel in as quickly as necessary to keep a bend in the rod without raising the musk’s head above the water as the musky nears the boat get ready to stop reeling and start pulling the musky sideways with your Rod to keep up tension although there are exceptions as a beginner when reeling with a Musky on the hook ordinarily you should keep the rod ra Ed at about a 45° angle especially when the fish is still far from the boat and not at the surface experienced Anglers know how to keep tension on the line with a lowered Rod tip but beginners usually are better served keeping the rod up until the musky gets closer to the boat and until there is a potential for lifting its head out of the water the closer to the boat the musky gets the more you will keep tension sideways rather than with the rod raised never Point Your Rod directly at the fish a lowered rod Rod tip pointing at the musky takes the pressure off the rod and puts it all on the line and risks allowing slack as discussed above how musky strike varies if a monster attacks The Lure and swims away from the boat the rod will bend over and you will be hanging on for dear life when a hooked musky heads away or deep it will take line out against the drag it doesn’t do any good to crank the Reel while the line is being pulled out and generally you shouldn’t but it doesn’t cause much harm and the line will still go out it is important to be ready to keep the tension on the line if you’re not sure keep reeling it’s worth repeating that with some strikes you almost can’t tell they have happened if the musky takes the lure while swimming up or toward the boat there could be no change in tension or even a slight loosening of the tension if you have any sense that something seems different reel in Fast and you might catch up to a fish that has the lure in its mouth then set the hook and keep reeling to maintain tension on the line as you reel in with a Musky on the hook if the musky is extra heavy and not too close to the boat you may need to pull the rod up and then real quickly as you lower it always keeping a bend in the rod with a heavy musky closer to the boat follow the same procedure but pull the rod to the side and then reel as you bring the bent Rod back toward but not pointing at the fish the goal is to put the line back on the Reel without allowing any slack if you think the musky you have been fighting got off the hook it may have but also it could be charging toward the boat there is no downside to reeling in quickly to make sure why the line went slack The One That Got Away maybe didn’t with a Musky on the line listen to the guide if he gives you instructions note if anyone in the boat gets a Musky strike usually everyone will know it or someone will yell fish the other Anglers must reel in fast to get their lures out of the water a musket can be lost if it manages to swim around someone else’s line then with their lures retrieved and back in the boat those not fishing are in a good position to record the action be prepared think ahead of what you will do if the musky strikes at any time the fight to net the musky may not take long just a minute or so but will be packed with excitement netting the fish when you get the musky to the side of the boat the guide will try to net it for you you need to help the guide by doing the following one keep tension on the line even if you are not reeling in you shouldn’t reel in the Leader by pulling the rod in the opposite direction of where the musky wants to swim and continuing to do so even as the fish tries to change course try to stand your ground but you may need to move around a bit in the boat don’t feel stuck in one spot sometimes if the musky swims under the boat you may have to move your Rod tip around one end of the boat to the other side first and foremost avoid slack at all times two as best you you can keep the musky near the surface without raising its head out of the water a raised head results in violent shaking that can throw the hook three be aware of where the fish and the net are with your goal to pull the musky head first into the net the guide has placed in the water four as soon as the musky is securely in the net unlock the reel to give some slack so that the guide can extract the hook handling the musky in the boat our practice is to catch and release all musky although on Ontario regulations currently allow keeping a Lake of the Woods musky that is 54 in or over we want to preserve the health of the fish so the time in the boat will be short just enough for Quick photos video and measurement if the musky was not measured in the net the guide will lift the musky into the boat and help you hold it be sure to hold it and all fish that you are releasing horizontally not vertically or diagonally if a Musky is in distress its fins will turn reddish rely on the guide for Best Practices hanging the fish vertically to weigh it is bad for its health so recording weight has given way to measuring length trolling to troll for musky the boat will be moving faster than you might expect given how fast they swim you will hold the rod and feed out the line under your thumb on the reel to a distance directed by the guide for example 60 ft then crank the handle a turn to lock the Reel and anticipate a strike you may be surprised how much tension there is on the line during trolling often more than you would feel reeling in a big walleye the tension will decrease or increase as the boat turns left and right if a gradual change in tension occurs at the point of a turn it’s probably not a strike but as always upon first having any doubt immediately set the hook and start reeling there is only a possible advantage and little disadvantage you always can feed the line back out if there is no hooked fish by trolling our guides can help place your lure where a Musky May strike covering more water than hundreds of casts trolling can provide an attractive alternative to Casting and under some conditions may be preferable stay vigilant and be ready for a musy to take the bait jigging last but not least is jigging for musky which has gained in popularity over the past decade there are musky lures designed for jigging most notably the Bondi beit jigging has proven to be effective and even has become a preferred method to catch musky that are deeper when the guide has the boat in position and says you can drop the lure lower your Rod tip to just above the water unlock the Reel and let the Line Feed out straight down keeping your thumb feathered on the spool when the lure hits the bottom when the line goes slack wind up the number of cranks as directed by the guide sometimes you will jig in a specific range for example always starting near the bottom other times you may start high fire or jig through various depths it is not impossible for a Musky to strike on the initial drop of the lure so when you get slack wind up quickly a crank or two to lock the Reel and put tension on the line to make sure you found the bottom and not a fish grip the rod as discussed above keeping your thumb away from the line on the locked reel you will be cranking that reel fast when you get a strike start jigging after you have found the bottom and reel The Lure up as directed you will begin with a lowered Rod tip raise the rod tips somewhat quickly easy to time it with practice as if your lure is prey trying to escape a Musky avoid losing tension and creating slack in the rising line by slowing the upward motion of your Rod before the tip reaches the highest point in this way momentum will not keep the lure Rising after the rod tip has stopped then lower the rod tip all the way down somewhat slowly as if the bait is dying and sinking back to the bottom a Musky will hit a jigging lure both on the way up and on the way down jigging creates the alternating impression of an escaping prey and then a dying one both bait actions will induce a strike if a Musky strikes The Lure on the way down it’s more likely to be an unmistakable Rod Bender set the hook by pulling the rod diagonally sideways and upwards for example at a 45° angle turning your torso toward the side and start reeling to maintain a bend in the rod if a Musky strikes The Lure on the way up all you might feel is a little bump or tug or or the line will lose tension when it shouldn’t because the musky is swimming upward with the lure in its mouth if you sense anything like that real as fast as you can to catch up to the fish then snap a hook set this situation where it’s not certain you have a Musky on the line also can occur when the lure is on the way down if the musky is coming up again in all situations when and doubt set the hook good jigging locations often are where the bottom changes depth after jigging for a bit as the boat drifts your lure may hit bottom again if the water becomes shallower if so once again crank up to the starting depth also the guide will tell you if the boat is drifting into deeper water so that you can lower the lure to find the bottom if you snag the bottom of course you’ll know it because the line will be taught but the lure is stationary if you can’t get free in a couple tugs tell the guide if the boat is drifting you may have to unlock the Reel whenever you do keep your thumb lightly on the spool musky see upward not beneath them based on where their eyes are positioned walleye have evolved to lie with their stomachs on the bottom so that the musky can’t see them easily for this reason jigging for walleye and jigging for musky at the bottom of the lake often can be done at the same spot where there are abundant walleye there might be musky as with all Musky fishing expect a strike at all times when your lure is in the water even if nothing has happened for a long time Envision what you will do when the strike happens because that that instant of going from peace to panic leaves little time to think conclusion there is something about having a positive attitude and expecting a Musky to strike in the next moment no matter how long you have been trying before you find success that will keep you alert and give you the best chance to catch a nice musky so many are drawn to Musky fishing for good reason musky are the most aggressive large predatory freshwater fish in North America as the Apex Predator muskies can eat whatever and whenever they want and they have a lake full of feeding opportunities muskies do not necessarily hit the lures they follow yet they often strike with a Vengeance they are strong and Adept at throwing the hook no doubt fighting and catching the elusive musky is an achievement Lake of the Woods Ontario is prime musky habitat you’ve come to the right place as you gain experience you will come to understand nuances and exceptions to the basic information in this beginner’s guide Beyond increasing your knowledge about how to handle the tackle and learning fishing strategies patience and perseverance are your keys to success the guides at totem Resorts have expertise Second To None it is not unusual for a totem guide to net well over 150 musky in one year regardless of your experience level our guides know how to put you on musky and can help you catch a prize you will always remember read by rajy at Laguna Sound lagona Beach California May 25th 2023 [Music]