Muskie Characteristics
Muskies are ambush predators, lurking in underwater plant jungles in deep water and rushing anything they can engulf: fish, frogs, muskrats, waterbirds and other small animals. Primarily sight-predators, muskies are close relatives of northern pike, and may be distinguished by their half-scaled cheeks (those of pike are fully scaled), light bodies and dark spots and bars (the typical color pattern of northern pike is the reverse). In Ohio, they spawn in springtime, and females lay as many as 200,000 eggs.
Bait
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recommends "big crankbaits, spinnerbaits, spoons, jerkbaits and in-line spinners" to land muskies. Some experts believe spinners are more effective with muskies than with northern pike, which prefer spoons. Suckers and minnows of 6 inches or greater are frequently the best live-bait. Gradually increasing bait size as the season progresses can match growing muskies' shifting predatory habits; muskies target larger and larger meals as they grow. In "Fishing Tips and Tricks," Greg Breining and Dick Sternberg recommend selecting a bait a quarter of the size of the quarry you're seeking.
Employing the Lure
In general, muskies are more cautious and elusive than northern pike. Directing your bait near likely hunting grounds like sunken logs, beds of aquatic plants and other shadowed places is a good method to draw them out. They're known for a tendency to trail a lure and then pull back without going for it; sweeping the lure in a figure-eight pattern near the boat after drawing in the fish can be used to combat this tendency. Don't let your lure go slack when it's actively tempting a muskie. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reports that most muskies in the state are caught between April and October with water temperatures between 55 degrees and 75 degrees F. In hot weather, muskies are likely to seek water deeper than 6 feet.
