The muskellunge or “muskie” has all the characteristics needed to addict anglers to the point they may plan their whole lives around how to shorten their time to their next “fix”. Similar to trophy deer, muskies are sought after for their huge size, unpredictable nature, difficulty to capture, and ability to give an angler a sickness akin to buck fever (knocking knees and racing heart), just from a close encounter. This member of the pike family grows to five feet in length and reaches weights of over 60-pounds. The current hook and line record for Ohio is 55-pounds-2 ounces, measured 50 ¼-inches long and was caught in April, 1972 at Piedmont Lake in Belmont County.

If their size doesn’t capture your imagination, their habits might. When aquatic weedbeds are present during the coolwater periods of spring and fall, many muskies “ambush feed” in open pockets or cruise the along the edge. Nothing that appears wounded or struggling is safe in this zone. Muskies will attack human hands and feet, trolling motor props, ducks, geese, 5-pound carp and even an occasional muskie fishing lure.

Another famous habit that muskie fisherman count as “action,” is their willingness to follow fishing lures back to the boat. Picture a small torpedo swimming mere inches behind your lure as it nears the boat. Other species, like smallmouth bass, will do this, but typically they run at the sight of the boat. Muskies, being top predators, “strut their stuff”. Not only will muskies go after a retrieve lure, sometimes pushing a wall of water, they will chase the lure along the side of the boat. An experienced muskie angler will steer their lure into a figure-eight pattern, careful not to stop their forward motion. An inexperienced muskie fisherman may yelp and yank their lure away in a primitive survival reflex.

Depending on the “mood” of the fish and how many times it’s played this game, it may strike in the first turn of the “eight”, attack in agitation after several eights, or tire and disappear in the depths. However, this same fish may lurk under the boat and strike your buddy’s lure 2 minutes later without any warning. You’ll have up to four-feet of mad fish hooked on only 2-feet of line. You may be challenged as the muskie comes out of the water to look you in the eyes and “tail-walk” around the outside of the boat. Hold on and hope for a chance to feed the fish a little more line, to continue the fight farther from the boat. If not, your rod, the line, your lure, the fish’s jaw or your heart may break, as this fish escapes.

Daryl Kwasniewski, West Branch Reservoir

Muskellunge are a native to Ohio, swimming in rivers, lakes and streams including the Ohio River and Lake Erie. However, the proper habitat and water quality are not available during spawning season to enable muskies to maintain their own populations. The Division of Wildlife’s Muskie Program goal “to maintain high quality muskellunge fisheries at selected water areas” is accomplished by raising 9 to 10-inch advanced fingerlings at “Division” fish hatcheries. The current annual target for the hatcheries is 17,000 advanced fingerlings and their current record year was 38,130 in 1997.

The one thing that is plentiful in Ohio’s muskie lakes is, forage (food). The bulk of their diet consists of Gizzard Shad. Gizzard Shad spawn in the shallows in May and move out into the open water in mid-June. Muskies are close behind with hundreds of pounds per acre of shad available for food. It is wise to consider using shad imitating crankbaits for muskie lures.

If you are a beginner, two great lakes with high muskie catch rates are, Clear Fork and Leesville. Leesville has a 9.9 hp limit for outboards and Clear Fork has no hp restriction but a 10 mph speed limit, making both lakes good choices to fish on weekends also. Both lakes also have a nice balance of shallow habitat for casting along with open water for trolling.

One of the best muskie resources is the Ohio Huskie Muskie Club. These folks are very open about what methods and where the muskies are biting. This club has links to all the Muskie, Inc. clubs scattered around the state. You are encouraged to take scale samples from any muskies that you catch to help the Division manage this fishery.

ODNR