Muskie! Lake Vermilion's New Found Gold Rush!
Every angler that spends endless hours on the water pursuing the greatest freahwater sport-fish has heard the phrase "Muskies, the fish of ten thousand casts!" That may have been true once upon a time but since Muskies have been introduced to Lake Vermilion some Muskie hunters have had a lifetime of success in a single season. Muskies in the high 40 to low 50 inches are now commonplace and Muskie anglers who have never fished the lake are boasting of success. Even rookie Muskie anglers who are discovering the lake for the first time are having fun shooting holes in the "fish of ten thousand casts" theory. Local bait, sport shops and resorts are now catering to Muskie hunters and are buzzing with stories about Muskies on lake Vermilion.
With all the publicity and success surrounding the Muskie phenomenon on the lake you would think Muskie fishing would be as easy as stopping at the nearest dock or buoy, grabbing the first lure you find, taking a couple of casts and the next thing you know your grabbing for your camera to show off your first Muskie.
But even a lake such as Vermilion can make a Muskie hunter earn his or her strips. No fish including Muskies are easy to catch all the time and that's where experience and persistence pays off. Serious Muskie hunters know that the time of year, time of day, weather, baitfish, lures, quality of fishing equipment and many hours on the lake are key elements in success and learning the lake's secrets. Muskie hunters know that the quality of their equipment can mean the difference between having a perfect Kodak moment of your 50 plus incher or sitting on the edge of your boat wondering what went wrong. But you don't have to put a second mortgage on your home to get started fishing Muskies either. Some basic tools and fishing equipment, listening and learning from other angler's mistakes and success are all that are needed to help cut down your odds for failure and to give you a chance for that Kodak moment.
Muskie rod and reels combos need to be tough but still light enough not to wear you out. A 6-7 1/2 foot graphite muskie rod, a baitcasting reel capable of holding 150 yards of 50 pound test no stretch, thin dianmeter fusion or fiber line will get you started. The next basic fishing equipment you will need to fish Muskies is a landing net with at least a 30 inch hoop, couple of 9-12 inch, 100-165 pound steel or Titanium leaders, heavy duty hook sharpener, pair of bolt cutters, high quality needle nose pliers, extra super strenght split rings, 2/0-5/0 treble hooks, Muskie tackle box, tape measure and last but not least Muskie lures.
Nothing is more exciting or confusing than stepping into a sporting goods store filled with every configuration and color of Muskie lures that's available on today's market. You can spend hours trying to decide whcih lure to buy and stil not be sure you have chose the right one.
Simply breaking down Muskie lures to a select few is next to impossible because just about any given lure and color can work on just about any given day. But to start with, you'll need some proven lure designs that have withstood the test of time. The choice of colors and designs can make your head spin. But here is a rule of thumb for colors of bucktails: Gold, Flourescent Orange, Chartreuse for the spinner blade and Black, White, Yellow, Chartreuse and Gold for the bucktail. Those standard colors will cover clear to low clarity water. The more time you spend on the water using your lures will help you discover what works and what doesn't, what to buy and what not to buy.
One doesn't have to make Muskie fishing rocket science. Simply put, the more you fish the more you'll learn, the more you learn the better your chances are for success. One more thing: learn the figure eight and use it! It's the trump card for Muskie hunters!
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LAKE VERMILION MUSKIE CHALLENGE
Jr, Tournament August 12, 2005
Adult Tournament August 13, 2005
Fortune Bay Marina
Info: contact Doug Ellis
(218) 741-0331 or e-mail
Doctor@DoctorOutdoors.com
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