Going to War with the Great Muskellunge, aka Apex Predator

I think there's this a big misconception by fishermen those that start musky fishing, a good example is how Jeremy Wade who is known for catching River Monsters, had a super tough time just landing his first musky. You're not going to catch this Apex Predator just by using same tactics you've learned from fishing for other species and apply it just by casting for a few hours for these beasts. Hey Chum, there's a reason why they call it the fish of 10,000 casts. Sure you can use some of the new technology like Jon Bondy is using like Garmin Livescope to locate these Apex Predators and make it easier... But if you don't have the money, all I can say is, get ready for War!

We're talking hours and hours of casting, using heavy gear that will put strain on your back and joints(feeling you got hit by a dump truck the next morning when you wake up for work), as well as fishing in very cold temperatures to cross that 50 inch mark! I suspect there's a reason why some of the top guides like Jason Quintano own the lake record for St. Clair, isn't just because he's skilled and uses the latest fish finder technology, we're talking hardcore mental and physical determination. Those same characteristics Quintano used used in the sport of hockey, he's uses to catch musky... My brother was friends with Quintano, I heard he was bit of a brawler back in his hay day. These are characteristics that I suspect your average bass and walleye fishermen don't have and I suspect this is why the group of this hobby will always remain small. I know some of these guys actually heat their rod lockers in December, exchange rods once their rod guides ice up, casting non-stop in sub-temps for hours on end just for that monster musky in the Fall. Do bass fishermen do that? And don't get me started on those who thought they caught a 50 inch musky just by trolling with a paid charter and think it's a big deal... lol First you're letting the boat do all the work and second, most the time you're not capturing the full essence the way musky like to fight when you catch them casting. A lot of times when musky chase down a bucktail trolling with a charter, they can be a bit worn out afterwards, you're not going to get a musky to jump like this trolling, you're just not... I still have major respect for musky fishermen that troll, but it's just not the same thing as casting, sorry!

This is probably why those that are good athletes in hardcore sport in football and hockey, actually make good musky fishermen. I guess I should add in basketball and few other sports, considering how Christian Laettner got the musky bug. Once hated by all basketball fans, I'm really not surprised he has the determination to become a great musky fishermen. Remind you, before football players go out on that field, they're preparing for war. In truth, they are fighting a war, seeing what some of these athletes sacrifice in health just to compete in this hardcore sport!

I've shown that there's ways to bypass throwing big rubber and use some of the lighter spinning equipment and cast the lighter lures like the Strike King 8.0 to catch musky and now even lighter rubber like the Chaos Mini Medussa, something quite unconventional within the sport of musky fishing, but there's a reason why Quintano owns the lake record and that's ripping big rubber like the Bulldawg Pounder. My thoughts are, us bass fishermen know how effective jerkbaits like the Megabass 110+1 can be on northern pike, it's no different how well a reaction style bait like the Bulldawg puts musky in the boat like the money bait. But it still takes hard work, than just jerking a slashbait to land a 5 pound smallmouth bass, probably why the majority of fishermen will never get into the sport and easily get burned out! That's why musky fishing isn't for pansies, plain and simple!

Some of the most insiprational videos I've seen are from football movies hands down, quoting James Brown. "I don't get strokes mutha fucka I give'em, we put pressure, we win, we penetrate we win, you do it as tough as possible it is to do, and you do that in all things, you die hard, that's what I'm talking about, you die hard!" Yes, you do that in all things in life!!! Sometimes when I'm trying to get my last few casts musky fishing at dusk or dark when my body is completely broken down, these clips from Jim and Lattimer are what I think about!