When all else fails: Go big.

When I sit down and look into my fly box a myriad of factors determine my final decision. Having confidence in a certain fly color, desired imitation, material, etc. is nice, but in my experience the ultimate success at the end of the day comes down to how you play the combination of water temperature, weather and season. Well, we all like to think we have all the answers, but when it is late in the day and things are looking tough, my decision to experiment with fly choice becomes much easier. No matter what season, if the bite is nonexistent, I look for one thing and one thing only - SIZE. Take the biggest, ugliest fly in your box, tie it on, and bring it back to you at a snail’s pace. 

It's important for us as anglers to think like a musky. When you are lazy, what is going to make you hungry? A cheeseburger flying by your face at 50 miles per hour or a porterhouse steak maddeningly dragged slowly away from your place at the table. I am not saying that the fish will bite every time with this method, but if there is an ‘active’ (I use this term loosely as we know muskies by now) fish in the area, they will take a look and at least follow to the boat. 

When this happens you've won a major battle. On slow days the hardest part is seeing and locating active fish. Once you have seen a fish, come back later at a predictable feeding window. And fish confidently - you know a fish is there that will eat. 

Words of Wisdom: Fishing is a sport of patience and adversity. Musky fishing is war. It will test your patience, and push you to the brink of frustration where it seems easier to just pull the boat and go home and drink beer. Fight that temptation, ONE THING matters in musky fishing: desire to catch a fish. Keep yourself on the water, and be determined. The fishing gods will reward you. Trust me.  

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