![]() ![]() Sperry also wants the kind of hot spells that bring high humidity. Although some anglers are turned off by a full moon, Sperry says those bright nights are just as good as the pitch black of a new moon. According to Sperry, the days immediately preceding or following a new or full moon will find muskies looking up. ![]() “I’m most often fishing topwaters based on moon phases, and I look for the hottest possible weather,” he says. Sperry says that for him to get revved up about throwing topwaters in summer, both the moon and the sun have to align. Work their teachings into your summer muskie routine and hold on tight. ![]() We tracked down five of the best muskie guides in the country to glean their tips and tricks for topwater success. While other species may slow down during the hottest months, muskies can actually get more active, and they need a constant intake of calories because their metabolism is at its peak. It’s all about understanding which conditions put the odds in your favor, and that can vary from region to region. If you know when and where to fire a big propbait or walk-the-dog during the dog days of summer, scoring what is arguably the most impressive hit in freshwater fishing is easier than you think. Muskies are already the fish of 10,000 casts, so imagine how much cooler it would be if that hit on cast 9,999 came on a giant topwater lure. Getting a giant summertime muskie to smash a surface lure is all about knowing exactly which conditions are likely to get them looking up. “They get so pissed, they finally murder it,” he said smiling.Five heavyweight muskie masters share their secrets for hitting the ultimate freshwater predators on the surface. Muskies would rise up behind his Creeper and attempt to bulge it, but no matter how hard they tried to snake wildly behind his lure, they simply couldn’t. While muskies were bulging buzzbaits and other fast-moving topwaters - but not striking - this guy was barely turning the reel handle. He was using a Hi-Fin Creeper, and retrieving it slower than Grandma driving to church on Sunday. He had already landed four muskies in an hour when someone yelled at him to reveal his secret lure. Or to be more accurate, one angler in the back of one boat. It was common to see someone figure-eighting no matter which direction you looked, but almost no fish were striking. ![]() One late-afternoon the muskies were following regularly but not biting. The muskies roamed seemingly randomly, and so did the anglers. Summer was officially in session on Leech when hundreds of boats would cast for muskies around the miles-long cabbage flats of Portage Bay. True story: Forever ago my buddies and I visited Minnesota’s famed muskie factory Leech Lake. That said, a slow-moving topwater, especially during low-light periods of sunrise and sunset, can be lights out. Summertime is generally regarded as the time to burn bucktails back to the boat, and this certainly works well for triggering strikes, especially when you occasionally twitch the rod tip to interrupt a bucktail’s fast-rotating blade. That’s the one thing I like to do a little differently.” “I like the slower pop.” Robbie (talking about tail-spinning topwaters): “I like going slow with it. The way the moonlight shined upon her hair (scales and fins?)” And staying until it’s completely dark isn’t a bad idea either, especially if it coincides with a moon rise. Whatever the reason, you HAVE to be casting at sunset. (Everyone: Insert favorite jet ski curse here.) The surface temp might dip a degree or two as well after the heat of the day is over, and that could jumpstart the entire food chain. Fewer recreational boaters is a factor, too. Less light penetrating the water is high on the list. There are probably 50-plus reasons why sunset is the best time to encounter a 50-plus-inch muskie. Lee: “Folks, if you have only limited time to fish, go at sunset. Robbie: “Fished all day, I don’t think I got a single bite all day, I was out 12 hours or so, and finally sunset was there, and I got that beautiful animal (46-incher).” Windy shorelines are almost always better places to begin your search for summertime muskies than the calm side of the lake, or the calm side of islands and other lake features. Wind concentrates baitfish, and muskies follow the food. Robbie: “Yeah, anytime you had a good windy day, that’s when I was out fishing.” Lee (podcast quote): “I guess the one common denominator for summertime muskies in general was wind, right Robbie?” ![]()
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