Last updated on February 22nd, 2020 at 06:02 pm

Ever wonder what it would be like to be under the water swimming around looking for your next meal? Well if you are going to be musky fishing, you have to think like a musky.

Musky Fishing Secrets: Think Like a Musky!

So first let’s take a look at the fish itself. Unlike other fish, where their eyes are kind of centered in there head, the musky’s eyes are positioned in such a fashion that he has no trouble looking up because their eyes are positioned more to the top of his anatomy.

We should note that the musky is a carnivorous fish. Of course he will seek out and search for other fish for consumption, but that does not limit him from going after other small mammals that might be swimming in the water too. One of his favorite foods is small ducklings. The musky will actually stalk their prey, waiting for the exact moment to strike. For a top water animal swimming unsuspectingly about, when the musky decides to strike, it is all but too late for his victim.

Let’s take a look at what a muskie sees and how he sees it, and how this can help you while muskie fishing. First of all, when a musky is underneath the water and looks up he will see the light as what the brightness of the sky is. In other words, if the sky is clear and blue, and he looks up, if the prey swimming across the water blends in with the sky’s colors the musky might not see it. However, he will “feel it” by the prey giving off vibrations as it moves about in the water.

To give you an example, if ever as a child you were in the water and picked up two rocks and went under the water and banged them together, you would notice that the sound is very amplified and travels much farther than if you were above the surface. This is because the water acts as a conduit and carries the sound in a more controlled manner. The musky may hear this sound way before he sees anything. But his curiosity and need for food will certainly cause him to investigate it. So what we are saying here is that a musky can be “lured” to where the activity is taking place. Once there he will have to determine if the sound is something he can eat. Let’s face it, the easier it is to get the food, the more likely he will be to take it.

Musky Fishing Weather Conditions

Now, going back to the weather conditions and sky overhead, the best presentations to put in front of a muskie while musky fishing would be ones that make a natural noise of prey swimming in the water and one that he can focus on and actually see. So if the sky is cloudy with a heavy dark overcast while musky fishing, it is better to use a lighter colored muskie lure. If it is a brightly lit sky, then a darker muskie lure is more in order. This recommendation is not only for fishing top water lures, but also when fishing below the surface.

How To Think Like a Musky While Musky Fishing

If you are musky fishing up against a weed line, picture yourself under the water looking at those weeds in the background. Let’s for a minute say those background weeds were a dark green. Well, if you use a dark green muskie lure, it is unlikely the muskie would see it as easily, than if you were using a contrasting color, something for the musky to quickly focus on. However, if your musky lure were contrasting colors where some colors blend in with the background and are broken up with brighter colors, it might be just enough to get the musky to come over and investigate. If he thinks it’s a worthy next meal, you will certainly entice a strike.

Think of the vertical stripes on a perch. Dark stripes against a brighter background. Think about how that perch moves about under the water. Their tail fin is vertical too. This means that when they swim they move that tail from side to side. Does the muskie lure you are using have the same action as the swimming perch? The point here is that when using a top water musky lure that is supposed to look like a mammal, such as a duckling or mouse, the action will be different than an underwater fish swimming about. So when you mix the too, i.e. use a top water perch colored muskie lure, and give it the action of a swimming mouse, it is not the natural thing that a musky would be expecting to see. He may go up and check it out, but if it does not make sense he is likely going to sink back into the depths and look elsewhere for his next meal.

With that in mind, what about a wounded fish on the top of the water? Would a musky eat that? Well of course. And if that is the premise, then while musky fishing you need to choose a muskie lure that will simulate that action in order to get him to strike.

These are some of the things to think about when making lure selections while musky fishing. A good idea would be to lay out all of your lures on a table and look at them with these lessons in mind. Separate them into different categories such as top water, overcast, bright sky, etc. and keep them in your tackle box grouped together by category. So when you go out musky fishing, and it is an overcast sky, them grab that selection of lures you put together for those conditions. Keep in mind other conditions, such as water clarity, weed colors, shoreline colors, etc., before making your first presentation selection. Follow some of these suggestions and you’re sure to have some quick successes while musky fishing.

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The Wisconsin DNR website provides more information regarding musky fishing.