Tom Dietz discusses baits and location patterns on this informative video.

This article discusses the importance of proper casting techniques and strategies to be more consistent on the water. 

If you have made generalizations as to why the muskies aren't supposedly biting, or why you can't catch fish for a certain reason, then read on!  This article will disprove some common misconceptions we as musky hunters sometimes make.

It was a picture perfect June morning as I eased my boat into one of Caesar’s Creek Lake’s numerous timbered coves with my two guide clients, Heather and Kelly Stevens.   They had won this fishing trip with me by winning the donated day on the water I had given to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Foundation for a major fund raiser event grand prize last year.   They were both eager to try musky fishing, and neither of them had ever caught a fish the size of a typical muskellunge.

The muskellunge, or musky, is a native species in Ohio and is found in both major drainage basins of the state. Historically, it was abundant in the bays and tributaries of Lake Erie and in many streams in the Ohio River drainage. Currently, it is also found in several popular fishing lakes around the state including Clear Fork, Caesar's Creek, Salt Fork, Alum Creek, Piedmont and Leesville Lakes, among others. A common misconception amongst non-musky anglers is that this species often ruins the fishing for other targeted fish species in a given lake, such as walleyes and saugers, crappies, etc. The purpose of this article is to educate anyone who shares this belief, and eliminate many of the myths that surround this unique game fish species.

Since moving to Muncy last April, Dietz is very impressed with the local musky fishery, most notably the Susquehanna River. He has fished both branches of the river, and likes them both equally as well. "These two branches are different, in regards to fish locations and water clarity, but they both harbor excellent quantities of muskellunge", Dietz says. "The two river branches contain both excellent quantity and quality of muskies, and the variety of fishing structure is outstanding".

We began easing along the weed edge, listening to the pre-season Packer game against the Cleveland Browns, when suddenly my boat rocked, and I heard Coach grunt as he buried the hooks home. "I got one!!" he hollered, and his rod doubled as the big muskie headed for deeper water. The fact that the boat was clean and well organized allowed Coach to fight the fish properly and safely. I grabbed the Frabill net, and slid it under a beautiful 44 1/2 inch musky that was one of the heaviest of that size class I had ever seen. "Touchdown!" I exclaimed, and high-fived Coach Kramer while the fish waited patiently in the net. We snapped a couple of quick pictures and released the 25 pounder back to grow some more. Once again, night fishing paid off big time in the dog days of August!!

The dark, gray clouds moving in from the west covered the setting sun, and heavy snow looked like it was imminent. My close friend and fishing partner Tom Keenan and I were drilling holes on a lake in Vilas county and excited about our first serious ice trip of the year. We were still setting up our tip-ups when suddenly Tom yelled "Flag" and we had our first walleye bite of the season.

Joe Bucher once told me "You learn your hardest lessons from the biggest muskies". Well, it was my second season chasing muskies, and I was up near Eagle River, WI on a lake known to have nice fish present. I remember the day vividly.  It was late June, and a severe cold front had blown in...

It was the spring of 1995, and I was fishing the Musky opener in Vilas County, Wisconsin.  We had an exceptionally late ice out that year and water temperatures were way behind schedule. The weather that particular weekend was typical of late May in northern Wisconsin. Very cool mornings coupled with temperatures climbing into the upper 70’s late in the afternoon hours. I launched my boat on opening day with a lot of anticipation...

This article is designed to discuss potential weak spots in your tackle system and I am offering suggestions to improve your tackle to avoid any mishaps in the future. I will cover one end of your rod and reel rig to the other, and point out important areas that can fail in the moment of truth.

The waters around Eagle River, Phelps, Sayner, Conover, and Land O' Lakes are famous for the excellent walleye and musky fishing opportunities. The Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass fisheries in Vilas County are largely ignored by many anglers. I am here to tell you that the bass fishing in these areas is simply phenomenal! This article is intended to promote our wonderful bass fishery here in Vilas County and teach you how to catch them consistently in May and June.

My friend Tom Hammerbeck and I were fishing together in the 1998 Eagle River National Championship Musky Open. I had pre-fished the particular lake we were fishing earlier in the week, and I found several shallow weed beds adjacent to the main lake basin that had a number of active muskies present. We decided to give this spot a try first thing on Friday morning, day one of the annual weekend event. I killed the engine and eased my trolling motor down quietly, as we were in very shallow water. After several initial casts...