If I had to bank on one time to consistently catch big muskies throughout the year, and I had limited time on the water, I'd pick night fishing during the summer.
There is no other time when muskies can be so predictable and so vulnerable. Time and time again I have seem muskies turn from apparently uninterested followers to frenzied feeding wolf packs.
Years ago when my friend Joe Bucher first began having night fishing success, he contacted me and informed me of his newfound frontier. Typically his success came on waters where there was substantial boating traffic and fishing pressure during the day. Following the same formula, I began experimenting on some waters in my area where the boat traffic was downright scary--spots you could not pay me to fish during the day.
On my first night excursion to one such lake I had never fished before, my partner and I caught three fish up to 46 inches. Needless to say I was hooked.
I began searching and fishing new waters at night with a vengeance. Keeping track with Joe and many of our other friends, we developed a closeknit group, a "nightstalker" fraternity. Hot, cold, pre- or post-frontal conditions, it didn't matter. Given the right situation, the muskies were much more catchable at night. It wasn't a question of would we catch fish, but how many. My weekend catches skyrocketed. Sure there were some tough times, but five to 10 fish weekends were common.
Fortunately, I now spend more time on the water, and I have fished waters after dark for muskies throughout the midwest and Canada with great success. Show me a musky lake anywhere that receives fishing pressure and boating traffic during the day, and I'll show you a night musky bite waiting to happen. Clearer water and a lack of cover make a water's night potential greater, but dark and stained waters also produce after dark.
Sure you should fish during the day but don't burn yourself out. Unfortunately, I see this all the time. I arrive at the boat ramp around 8:00 p.m. only to find musky hunters pulling their rigs out of the water. Their faces are sunburned, their lips chapped, and their bodies dehydrated and physically exhausted. Surely if they kept fishing after dark, within one hour they would be asleep. And, most likely claim that night fishing doesn't work. My advice is to stay alert and fresh. Fish a few hours during the day but don't exhaust your fishing energy.
There are potential musky feeding windows that commonly occur around these night periods that can greatly increase your success.
At what time does the night bite begin? The answer is simple--whenever the muskies start biting. I don't mean to be sarcastic, but it is true. Night muskies feed at different times, and this can even be related to night fishing pressure. On some waters, the best time is the first 1-1/2 hours after dark. This usually occurs on waters with little, if any, night fishing pressure.
On some waters, where there is substantial night fishing pressure, the muskies really do not get going until after the majority of the boats leave. This can be midnight on some occasions! Overall, when I am night fishing I am usually on the water from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. If the fishing is good I continue fishing, but if nothing is happening, I welcome my warm bed at home. Although fishing pressure influences when the night bite may begin and can help you predict when a feeding window may occur, understanding the various night periods is essential to predicting night musky feeding windows.
Sunset
Night fishing really begins at sunset. Despite it still being light, I consider sunset part of the night bite because it can help you locate potential night hotspots.
Sunset causes a major change in light intensity, which corresponds to a high level of musky activity. This is a classic musky feeding window and is no time to "camp on a spot." I run and gun, trying to either catch or locate muskies during this period. I'll fish a search lure such as a bucktail spinner, or I quick hop a glider bait at this time.
Of course, fishing a high-action topwater such as a Poe's Jackpot can produce both strikes or "blowups" that will help locate muskies for when the real night action begins. When fishing at sunset I am trying to find areas that either have a big fish or a group of fish, for later in the evening the muskies may still use these areas. And in a short time I may have a prime opportunity to catch that them.
First Dark
This is when it usually happens. On most evenings the time when you loose sight of your lure (first dark) is usually the time when a musky will strike. First dark may occur 45 minutes to one hour after the real beginning of the night bite and it is the first feeding window I key on.
For most night fishing situations, regardless of the period, my lure preferences are (in order) crankbaits, bucktails, and topwater lures. In situations where I have a big fish spotted during the day, I return to the spot at first dark and fish a slow-moving topwater lure such as a Magnum Teasertail, Topkick, or a Hawgwobbler.
For the last two years, my friends and I have been catching lots of muskies at first dark using this approach and it is scary how many times we have been able to get the fish to strike. It is truly being in the right place at the right time.
Moon Rise/Moon Set
My friends Joe Bucher and Tom Gelb have paid close attention to the moon and musky activity the last few years, and Joe has become somewhat of a "swami" predicting night feeding windows according to the moon.
In fact, over the last several years they have had me watching the moon more than I care to remember. After reviewing notes, looking at old records of musky catches, and comparing them with moon phases and moon rise and moon set, it became quite evident that the moon plays a very important part in producing a predictable night feeding window. Not only have the records of most of my closest friends shown that big muskies and feeding frenzies have occurred around moon rise and moon set, but every night school that Joe and I taught for over five years had a major feeding window either at moon rise or moon set, where several anglers fishing different waters caught fish.
The moon rises and sets each day similar to the sun. Use the moon charts in Musky Hunter magazine.
Be on a top spot 15-30 minutes before moon rise or moon set, because if there is going to be a flurry of activity, it is surely going to happen then. It may only mean one strike on poor nights, but it is better than none.
Weather
Do not underestimate the power of local weather conditions. Just like day fishing, weather can influence night fishing. In fact, I'll put my money on an approaching storm on a warm evening regardless of whether the moon is full, dark, up or down. The bottom line is the local weather pattern and associated barometric pressure change will most likely result in some musky activity. Now, combine a weather change with a preferred night moon phase (dark moon) and a moon set period and conditions are prime for a giant fish.
Don't think that you can't catch fish when the moon is high in the sky or during a 1/4, 1/8, or 1/16 moon. Many other musky hunters, including myself have caught many muskies, and large ones, during "non-preferred" moon periods; it is just that the statistics favor certain moon phases for larger fish, and therefore you are putting the percentages in your favor by planning your trips around preferred moon phases and during moon rise and moon set.
When fishing after dark pay attention to wind and weather changes. If the wind switches, move to the best spot on the lake. Likewise, if a front with cloud cover is approaching, try to time your arrival at your top spot for when the cloud cover has first blackened the night sky. This produces a condition similar to first dark.
Sunrise/First Light
For those nightstalkers who never tire and prefer to work the night shift entirely, yes the fish feed all night and into morning. On many lakes with a lot of night pressure, the early morning (pre-dawn) can be a sleeper time to catch big fish.
It is dark at sunrise, although usually one can feel impending morning. The temperature drops, sometimes there is an associated fog--the right conditions for a musky feeding window. Couple this sunrise with moon set and this can produce a strong morning feed. First light also signals a change in light intensity and again can trigger a feeding window.
Night Milk Routes
Night fishing success and predictability comes down to taking advantage of feeding windows triggered by environmental factors, and being on the best spots while they occur. Before hitting the water take your map and prioritize your top spots. Also make note of sunset, moon rise or moon set, and sunrise if you dare.
Since you are familiar with your top spots, as any safe nightstalker should be, begin fishing those spots and keep track of activity. You may find that spot 3 produced a fish at 10:00 p.m., which happened to be moon set. The next night make sure that you are fishing that spot around moon set.
Likewise, if spot 5 produces at 1:00 a.m. and there is no related moon or weather change, possibly the muskies are routinely feeding at that spot around that time. Be back on spot 5 about 12:45 a.m. the next night, but do not be surprised if the muskies feed slightly later.
The point is to log your catches and be aware of when and why a spot may produce. Also vary the sequence in which you fish your top spots. This increases the possibility of determining the feeding window for a spot if one occurs. The importance of time on the water becomes clear, as routinely fishing certain waters enables you to develop a night milk route that can predictably produce fish.
Even if you can't be on the water for long periods of time, by being aware of the various night periods and their potential associated musky feeding windows; and varying the sequence in which you fish various spots, one can begin to pattern and predict the feeding activity of night muskies.
Predicting night musky activity is not foolproof. As with any type of musky fishing, once you think you have it figured out, Mother Nature throws another curve ball. But by analyzing the night you can put you can put yourself in the right place at the right time more consistently.
Copyright (c) 1996 Jim Saric. All rights reserved.
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