Trolling Early & Shallow

Radio-tracking studies reported in In-Fisherman beginning in the late 1970s verified that muskies often suspend over open water, starting soon after they spawn. The reason why might be as simple as that’s where their prey is found.

In some lakes, coolwater forage like ciscoes swim high in the water column, before a distinct thermocline develops and the water temperature climbs too high in the upper water column. Even as temperatures climb, though, ciscoes often make short evening migrations from deep water into the upper water column to feed. In other waters, warmer-water baitfish like bluegills, perch, and bullheads suspend in open water until weeds get thick enough to provide cover.

Dan Craven, Bemidji, Minnesota, area guide and frequent In-Fisherman contributor, has been toying with these open-water muskies for a long time. “When you’re looking for muskies in open water you can expect to find key areas where they hold,” he says. “I think these spots are areas of turmoil or upwelling where zooplankton are swept up from the depths, so it’s easy for ciscoes to feed. Of course, the muskies are there to eat the ciscoes.

“I’ve never been able to calculate exactly where these areas might be by looking at maps. You have to use electronics to look for pods of baitfish. Sometimes you see big hooks on the screen that might be muskies nearby. Eventually you verify they’re present by catching them. Similar patterns often develop each season in the same general areas, although every new season also typically brings with it a new location wrinkle or two.”

At the season opener in early June in Minnesota, Craven expects a few days to a week of good fishing for fish that continue to hold on shallow structure. As these fish begin to disappear, he probes over deeper water, usually by trolling. Craven: “Many seasons, trolling is the best bet for roughly the first month. I find the odds better not only for catching more fish, but also for catching bigger fish. Up until about the Fourth of July, I catch most of these fish in the top 5 to 10 feet of the water column.

“One of my favorite lures is a 9-inch Sledge jerkbait, which I fish with just 25 to 50 feet of line out. Other good baits include Shallow Invaders, Hell Hounds, Jakes, Believers, and Swim Whizzes. I troll these at speeds from 3 to 4.5 mph.”

These shallow fish move off to the side of the boat as it passes, so Craven uses inline planer boards to get lures away from the boat. “I run 10-inch Jakes in either a Tennessee Shad or a Superman pattern 50 to 125 feet behind Church Tackle boards, keeping the boards out about 100 feet from the boat. I use 25-pound Berkley XT as my main line. It’s tough, reliable line with just the right amount of stretch to keep hooked fish from tearing hooks. Some of my rods are 9-foot Shakespeare Ugly Stiks, but the rods I use have been replaced with a 10-foot model that works just as well, the BWC 1100. I also use the Shakespeare line-counter reel, the Tidewater 20LCL.”

Craven has experimented with fluorocarbon leaders testing 100 pounds and standard wire leaders of at least 100 pounds, without seeing any difference in productivity. He finds that fluorocarbon is easier on fish that roll in the line when they’re hooked. He hasn’t had any fish cut the fluorocarbon.

He takes what he considers an important step to minimize damage to fish by removing the rear treble on all three-treble lures like the 10-inch Jake. “The fish hit the head of the lure and are hooked on the front hook, so I’m not missing fish by eliminating the tail hook,” he says. “I’m also not hooking fish in the eye with the tail hook.