By Joe Bucher, Editor Emeritus Many of you Musky Hunter readers are old enough to remember the days when one all-purpose musky rod was the norm. A short, stiff, 5 1/2- to 6-foot pool-cue action was the musky standard, and nearly all of us had that one single rod. In most cases, this was the… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Editor
Direction Detection
By Dennis Radloff It was 11:16 a.m. on October 31 of the 2005 season and I knew we were cutting it close. I would be meeting my second party of half-day guide clients at noon and needed a good 30 minutes to get off that water and reach the meeting place. I had planned to… Continue Reading
Dead, Flat Calm
By Jim Bortz, Field Editor The intensity of the August sun begins to fade as it nears the western horizon and colors of orange and purple bleed across the cloudless sky. While the heat reduction is a welcomed change, the humidity feels like a weight on my chest and the still air sticks to my… Continue Reading
Cure For The Blow-Up Blues
By Jim Saric, Editor I was pretty keyed up as the day started, as my friend Tom Sullivan and I were filming a television segment. The excitement of filming a show is much like the anticipation of the first day of any big musky trip, or the moment before the start of a tournament. You… Continue Reading
Musky Hunter Catches Up With Bill Crane
By Steve Heiting, Managing Editor West Virginia may be far removed from the musky-crazed Midwest, but when it comes to lure manufacturing, it’s at the forefront. Cranes, Cobbs, Amma Bammas and Hughes Rivers, among others, are handcrafted there, musky baits which have transcended their home state to become staples in tackle boxes everywhere. To Bill… Continue Reading
1-2 Punch For Flowage Muskies
By Dave Dorazio, Field Editor When I think about it nowadays, I had what most musky hunters would consider an interesting childhood. I grew up on my family’s fishing resort located on northern Wisconsin’s Chippewa Flowage. Muskies and musky fishing were a part of daily life in this environment, and this likely gave me a… Continue Reading
Confessions of a Bottom Grinder
by Mark Maghran, Field Editor “Fish-on! Oops sorry… just another snag. Quick turn the boat I’m losing line!” This is the second most yelled phrase in my boat when “grinding” lures on the riverbed. Usually it’s just plain – “FISH-ON!”The more I talk with musky fishermen from around the country the more I realize how… Continue Reading
Secrets For Success In Clear Water
by Jim Saric, Editor I have always had a love/hate relationship with clear water. Some of my best days have come from such waters, and so have some of my worst. But the largest muskies I’ve seen live in such deep, clear waters, so it keeps me coming back. To make matters worse we all… Continue Reading
Rattle Your Way To Spring Success
by Tony Grant With musky fever hot on your brain, you contemplate your next spring trip to Southern musky water. When you get there, the high waters, rain, and muddy conditions have you re-evaluating your decision to use your vacation days on some early season musky fishing. You remember the stories we have all heard… Continue Reading
Refined Live Bait Tactics
As she disappeared under the boat I cranked in my line, bringing the free-swimming, quick-set rigged livebait halfway up off bottom and closer to the boat. I activated the spinner attractor, twitched and pulled the bait a couple of times to set it off-balance and struggling to right itself and return to the safety of… Continue Reading