Where are the fish?...They are here.
"Reprinted with permission from PIKE & MUSKIE Magazine, copyright 1999"

A) Shoreline 0-5ft deep - At shoreline you can find many different types of conditions: sand, weeds, rocks, gradual or sudden drop-offs. But one sure thing is shorelines hold large numbers of fish, albeit smaller ones. Generally it is easy to find pike and/or muskie up to 5lbs in this area looking for their next meal.  During the early or late hours of the day larger fish will move into this area to feed and they can be very active. Also during spawning season you will see larger fish near shoreline. Occasionally large fish (mostly in the spring and fall) will come into the shallows to "sun" themselves. Always look for this, as the structure you spot and plan to fish may be a large fish not a log or a rock.  Casting medium to large spinnerbaits in the top 2 feet of water is very productive, as is floating or suspending plugs and jerkbaits

B) Sandy Bottom 6-15ft deep - This is often walleye and perch country - so you will find the occasional medium to large fish (especially if there are scattered weed patches).   Fish will be in these areas all through out the day depending on what prey is also in the area.  While casting can be effective to hit weedy areas, trolling seems to be warranted at this depth and to cover these large sandy areas. Trolling plugs, spoons and bucktails in the 5-13ft range can produce large fish on the hunt.

C) Weedy/Muddy Bottom 6-15ft deep - An area like this can produce fish like no other. This is prime feeding ground for pike, muskie, and many other fish.   Medium and large fish will be in these areas all day - because it offer filtered light to the feeding fish below.  Because of the heavy cover, trolling is usually not an option unless you stay to the far deep and shallow edges. Casting with your favorite lure can be very effective, cleaning off weeds after each cast. One other highly effective method is using live or dead bait with or without a bobber. Because these areas can hold large numbers of fish, it's possible to boat several nice fish from one location without needing to move the boat.

D) Deep Offshore 16-35ft deep - While you may not hook-up with a lot of fish in deeper waters, they will no doubt be much larger fish. Only the big boys dare to escape cover in search of schools of baitfish, and occasional larger snacks. Large fish seem to suspend at a comfortable depth, and wait for lunch to come to them. If you can locate structure such as an underwater bump or a reef - these areas can be highly productive.  Troll with large deep running plugs or spoons for maximum effectiveness.

E) Small/Medium Bays 0-20ft - Large bays are like individual lakes and should be read as such with their individual islands, smaller bays, and drop-offs. Small bays on the other hand can offer some very unique fishing conditions and should never be ignored.  Bottom and structure conditions will dictate whether casting or trolling will prove effective. Gradually entering these areas while continually throwing a flurry of casts seems least intrusive. Continual trolling through these areas may spook larger fish through what may be suddenly changing water depths.

Casting with medium size spoons, or medium diving plugs will allow you to vary depth as structure or depth changes present themselves. These bays often act as daily feeding grounds for larger fish because small bays often hold large numbers of smaller baitfish and other feed.

F) River Inlets/Outlets - The entrance or exits of rivers into or out of a lake can be an excellent place to drop your line. River inlet into lakes seem to be more productive then outlets, because typically they bring warm, oxygenated water into the lake. Baitfish and plant life typically flourish in this type of an environment. And where there is cover and feed - there are pike and muskies - and often very large ones.  If the inlet surrounding area is deep enough, trolling will allow you to cover the varying depths systematically. Starting in deeper water troll parallel to the shoreline where the river is entering the lake. Work your way into shallower water, and then back out again. This may take you several hours, but will assure you are covering the water that the fish will be in. 

G) Islands - These rocky or sandy outcroppings usually give up big fish, because baitfish are typically nearby and so is deep water which maintains larger fish. Island fishing is extremely dependent on the surrounding depths of the shoreline, or sand flats which may be nearby.  Fishing the deep water side of the island, that very often faces into the wind typically produces the larger fish. The shallower, calmer side of the island may produce more, but smaller fish.  Trolling or casting may both work well with larger faster moving plugs, spoons, and bucktails.

H) Rivers - Large and medium size rivers can contain some huge fish. Several state records are held with fish from rivers. Pike and muskie are not trout however; so stay away from shallow rapids, and head toward the deeper slower moving waters.  Fishing rivers can be a very tricky proposition dependent of water levels, structure, and water speed. Bays and oxbows are wonderful to fish where they exist, but if they do not, plan on moving your boat around a lot. Trolling seems to be the effective way to cover large rivers, but structure (sometimes uprooted floating trees) can make that very difficult. Casting from shore actually seems to work better then from a boat at times.  Heavy, and medium to deep running lures will probably see the most success. There will be an entire article dedicated to fishing rivers in our Winter 1999 issue.

So while these are the basic locations of where the pike and muskie will be located, obviously each lake has its own characteristics driven by water temperature, time of the year, and native feed available to the fish. A topographical map, along with some insight into where the plant life and structure exists is invaluable.

" Originally printed in PIKE & MUSKIE Magazine at www.pikeandmuskie.com "