Musky

While the average size of muskie is somewhere between 30 and 40 inches and 10 and 20lb, this large apex predator can reach a length of more than 60 inches and a weight of up to 70lb. 

When targeting muskie in clear water conditions, stick to high retrieve speed lures such as bucktails, soft plastic jerk baits, and crankbaits. The best lures colors for clear water musky include black, white, and gold. 

When fishing for musky in murky water, go with lures that produce a lot of sound and vibration. Topwater lures, wobbling crankbaits, and double-bladed bucktails all work great in such conditions. When it comes to lure colors, both white, chartreuse, and black have proven most successful. 

Musky can grow to a very large size and have a lot of power in them, which means that handing and unhooking them isn’t always the easiest thing to do. That’s why using an appropriately sized fishing net is super important when targeting this apex predator.

When fishing with jerkbaits for muskie, using a stiff wire leader is always a good idea, as stiff wire provides security against bite-offs and improves lure presentation. When casting with bucktail spinners or trolling with crankbaits, you can instead use a heavy fluorocarbon leader.

In order to successfully catch muskie at night, you should target weedy areas, drop-offs, humps, and the shallow waters of bigger bays. Noisy or vibrating surface lures, such as poppers, crankbaits, and bucktails, will be most effective in the dark.