Musky America Magazine October 2023 Edition

Note: I am a real advocate of open water single marker fishing. That is to say that when you are fishing a piece of sub-surface structure that is 500 yards from any shoreline structure, you need a reference point. I told Rob that at the marker there was 2.5 feet of water. Rob was fishing from the front of the boat and was amazed that no more than 20 feet from the marker in one direction, we were in 24 feet of water. Rob and I began to make concentric circles around the marker and were fishing a weedless rock pile with varying depths from super shallow to very deep. For this type of spot, all lures are in play. Rob put a glide bait on his rod, and I elected to try a black and white Best American Topper. As we fished our circular pattern, we were covering every type of depth. After about 45 minutes of fishing this spot the sun was beginning to tickle the tree tops. I was getting ready to change lures when I felt a tug on my line. I pulled back on the rod and announced to Rob that I had a fish on. The Musky hit about 5 feet from the boat and immediately made a bee line for deeper water. I hit the thumb bar on my reel and thumbed out line so as to keep the fish in play with firm pressure while not “horsing” the fish to the boat. After about 5 minutes, the fish was under control and ready for the net. I led him to the net that Rob had it at the ready and with a single scoop, the battle was over.

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