As a musky guide working the lakes in Northern Illinois, I am often asked; what happens to the muskies after ice out, where do they go, what do they do? Better yet, where do I go to seek out the ever-elusive muskellunge? Where can I go to start chasing those "early season" muskies?

Well, the answer isn’t as complex as you think! Often times the musky is labeled the "fish of 10,000 casts. I’ll be the first to tell you, if I had to wait 10,000 casts in between getting bit by a "ski" I’d be fishing for something else! Musky fishing is no different than fishing for other game fish. In fact, many of the fundamental principles remain the same. Key components to successful fishing include; structure, water temperature and baitfish. Find an area that contains all three and your odds will increase dramatically for hooking up with a toothy Muskie!

First, you need to start by pre-fishing your favorite lake while snuggled comfortably in your Lazy BoyÒ . This pre-fishing routine is paramount to your on the water success. What I mean by that, is to get your lake map out along with a yellow highlighter. Begin searching the lake map and its contour lines for shallow water. Depending on the overall depth of your lake, shallow can be a relative term. Start at the North or Northwest end of your lake and highlight contour depths of 5 feet or less. These areas will be your starting points, along with creek channel entrances, dead end coves, rock bars, gravel shorelines and areas that contain "darker water" than the rest of your lake. Why, you ask? Because these north and northwest locations will be the first to warm. Warming water increases plant growth, which in turn increases baitfish activity. Find the emergent weed growth along with schools of baitfish, and the muskies will not be far behind! If you can put together at least half a dozen areas with features like this you have laid the foundation for what we like to call a "milk run". This milk run consists of all of the areas you have pre-fished and highlighted from the comfort of your Lazy BoyÒ . You have now created an educated approach to fishing your favorite body of water. By giving yourself numerous locations & options to try, this will allow you to move from spot to spot once you arrive at your fishin’ hole. Remember, if a spot "looks hot" but doesn’t produce, let it rest and come back later and hit it again. I’ve put many muskies in the boat using this technique. Let your "Muskie sense" tell you how to handle each situation.

Lures & Presentations

Let’s face it, you’ve been cooped up all winter chomping at the bit, waiting for open water, and the time has finally arrived! Finally, you’re out MUSKY fishing with your best buddy, and the last thing you want to do is work a S-L-O-W bait like a creature jig! You want to see some fish and 8 hours on the water isn’t enough time to satisfy your urge to boat a Musky! So what do you do? Well, if you’re like me, you want to search for active fish and connect with Mr. Musky, right? My early spring favorite baits include: small Yahoo inline spinnerbaits, small Rizzo Whizz’s, small Mepps bucktails, small Grandma’s, small Jake’s, and even some small stick baits like Rapala’s and Thundersticks. Anyone notice the common theme in the last sentence discussing spring Muskie baits? You guessed it, S-M-A-L-L is the key. Downsize your lure selection in the early spring. You’ll have greater success with muskies and your hookups will increase dramatically!

For terminal tackle, I like a 7-foot IMX custom rod, made for throwing small bucktails, spinners and cranks. I match this with a Calcutta 400 baitcasting reel spooled with 80-lb. TUF line. All my rods are made by Franks Custom Rods in Bartlett, IL (630) 483-8055. Frank has been building rods for many years and can create some of the most intricate wraps I’ve ever seen. He is a master craftsman and his rods are truly a work of art. Treat yourself to one of these beauties or give one as a gift to someone special, you’ll be glad you did!

Start fishing the areas you marked on your map with these small baits. Check your depthfinder to verify your appropriate depths (5-7 feet or less), and use your polarized sunglasses to search out the newly emerging weedbeds. Keep your boat positioned in deeper water and cast to the shallow areas, paying attention to what’s going on around you. I’m always scanning the perimeter while I’m fishing, looking for surface activity or actively feeding fish. If you’re working the Yahoo or Rizzo baits, keep a steady retrieve. There’s no need to bulge the surface ripping the spinnerbait; it’s early in the season a steady retrieve works. There is no rule that says you can’t vary the retrieve speed, experiment and see what works best for you! Make sure you stay focused on how your bait is moving and what’s happening behind it! For the Grandma’s, Jake’s and Rapala’s; I like a twitch-pause-crank pattern. Let your bait sit for a few seconds on your initial cast, then give it a twitch using your wrist to snap your rod. This causes the bait to wobble & dive. Stop, let the bait float to the surface and repeat the cycle. Most strikes will occur between the pause-crank cycle as your bait struggles to float to the surface. The ability to become proficient using these spinners & twitch baits will allow you to cover more water effectively, putting your offerings in the faces of many more muskies in an 8 hour period. This will help you increase your hook up percentages! Give the above suggestions a try during your spring Muskie fishing outings, I guarantee these tips will help you put more muskies in your boat. Remember to love a musky, make sure you release ‘em to fight another day!

Rich Gallagher is a musky guide working the Chain of Lakes in Northern Illinois. He is on the board of directors for the Fox River Valley Chapter of Muskies, Inc. He runs the Big Goomba Guide Service and can be reached at (847) 741-9771. Visit his website at www.biggoomba.com