| The musky, short for muskellunge, is considered in North America as the most prized game fish specie. Scientifically called the Esox masquinongy, it is also known as the “King of Freshwater” by many muskie fishermen. The name muskellunge originated from the Ojibwe word maashkinoozhe which means ugly pike. These fishes eat anything that can fit inside their mouths, swallowing them in a gulp, although they prefer eating soft-rayed fish like suckers and gizzard shad. Their mouth is shaped like a large bill with may sharp teeth. They are often found in Ohio and in other major drainage basins in the state.
This fish has been blamed by other non-musky anglers to be eating other species of game fishes like walleyes and crappies. Unfortunately, this is a misconception. Muskies are creatures of chance wherein if they see another fish struggling, they will grab it since it is an easy meal for them to have, instead of looking anywhere else. But they would not intentionally attack other fishes of the same size within their territory.
Catching fish have several important factors to it such as speed, depth and lure selection. Musky fishing makes it more complicated because of the choice of lure to use. Baits should first be tested as to where they run in the water column and how deep they go.
Crank bait trolling seems to be the best technique to use when fishing for musky.
There are several techniques on musky fishing. The most common one is done using a planer board. Planer boards help dissipate the lines away from the boat, especially in a large body of water. Line counter reels, good quality monofilament lines and a terminal tackle of excellent quality will best fit your planer board. If planer boards are not advisable due to the frequent occurrence of weed edges or rock shoals, two long rods made of heavy fluorocarbons can be used. Bringing a complete gear when fishing for muskies is needed for a healthy live release of the muskies. Also remember to hold muskies horizontally, and not vertically.
The speed of the trolling is about 3-5 miles per hour, depending on the temperature of the water. Trolling on rivers may be slower but there should be movement. The varied baits used have also their corresponding speed to which they are dependent on, although there is not exact data on these findings. Straight baits are nice to use early or late in the fishing season or after a storm. Baits differ in design, color, and length, also dependent on water clarity. Green and yellow baits seem to work well in several bodies of water. Lures should be back for at least around twenty to thirty feet. Handmade lures dive an average of three feet without an inline sinker.
A selection of inline weights will help determine the depth needed to find the musky. A good and smooth drag system and line alarms on reels is vital to musky fishing since they alert you before hand that there are fishes who took the bait, and the battle will ensue. Whoever wins at the end will definitely predict what dinner will be.
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