RUN AND GUN
I kicked the 225 horsepower outboard into gear and hammered the foot throttle down on my 21-foot bass boat. I have another, slightly deeper boat, with a little bit taller sides. It places anglers higher off of the water and standing a little farther below the top of the boat’s side, but I don’t use it often. I just love casting for muskie from the deck of my low-to-the-water bass boat. I’ve fished in a wide variety of boats over the years and have really come to develop a level of confidence when casting for these great fish on a flat, low sided, bass boat deck. I think that it provides a distinct advantage when working a bait and performing a good figure-eight as well as netting and water releasing big fish unharmed.

When trying to figure out a new pattern, a run and gun approach of quickly covering water in search of active fish is often times the very best way to go, and no other fishing boat will get you there faster than a bass boat with a big outboard. The run and gun approach of moving around a lot and covering water at high speeds, allows an angler to contact greater numbers of these supreme predators and have a better chance at figuring out just what is going on. This method is very important to anglers that haven’t been on a particular body of water
recently. I shot across the water, enjoying the feeling of early spring air on my face. In no time I was nearing the spot and bringing the big boat down off of plane.

WORKING ON THE PATTERN
This area was quite different than the ones we had been targeting and catching fish on the week prior. The areas that held most of the active muskie the previous week, were points and shoreline banks with a
moderate slope to deep water, closer to more open, main lake type zones. The area that I’d pulled into was farther back off of the basin, in a large cove with a big shallow flat. I began casting a lure that is
really nothing new to the muskie fishing scene — a lipless crankbait. Guides all over the South have been using these lures for springtime muskie for many years, even though many anglers still do not consider
them.

LURE OPTIONS
The actual lures employed for this pattern are thought of more as bass fishing lures. Lipless crankbaits from about 1/2 ounce to about one ounce take lots of spring muskie. These plugs are small by typical
muskie fishing standards, but deadly for these toothy animals in portions of the spring season. Many small, shallow running lipped crankbaits and minnowbaits from about 3/8 ounce to around 3/4 ounce can
also be very productive.

THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
Employing the proper equipment is probably the most critical aspect of this system. One of the main reasons why anglers have bad experiences with these lures is because they’re gearing up wrong. Too many anglers
use standard muskie fishing gear that’s just way too heavy and stout for these lures. Stiff, heavy rods don’t allow for shock absorption and don’t give well to large fish. The result can be straightened-out hooks or split rings, or even broken lures. Another major problem with using this improper gear for muskie fishing is the fact that these lures are compact and often heavy for their size. These lures are much easier for fish to throw when they shake their big heads beneath the water, or when they jump. A lighter rod with a softer tip and good flex down its
length will bend easily and give to the big fish. The result is little stress being placed on the small lure and a much lower chance of the ‘ski shaking the bait loose.

Good rods for this type of presentation are usually about seven to 7-1/2 feet in length. They’re light and more flexible than most. I discovered a good rod for this task several years ago — the tried and true Shakespeare Ugly Stik. The model that I use is the CAL-1101, a seven-foot-long rod that’s rated for baits up to one ounce. This is also my rod of choice for trolling small muskie lures, but it’s great for casting small crankbaits and lipless lures.

Another great option is to choose a rod that is specifically designed for this purpose. All Star Rods has many models in their rod lines that are task specific and perfectly designed to fish in a particular way with a particular type of lure. The seven-foot All Star American Classic Crankin Stick ACGT2-7ES is rated for lures from 1/4 ounce to 1-1/2 ounces. These rods are perfect for casting small crankbaits and lipless cranks for muskie.

Select a high quality reel with a super smooth drag system to match with the rod, and spool up with a low stretch monofilament line with high abrasion resistance. Lighter line means better action with small
baits, so use the lightest line that you can get away with depending on the cover present.

LOCATION AND PRESENTATION
The best areas for using this technique are typically shallow flats, points and shoreline banks with or without cover. When the water is cooler, expect to find muskie positioned closer to deep water drop-offs. As spring progresses and waters warm, they’ll move shallower and farther up onto structures away from deep water. These tactics usually work best in spring when the water temperatures range from the low 50s to the low 60s. A high-speed presentation is usually the best way to go to trigger these fish, and this is made easier with a
high-speed retrieve reel like the Pflueger President WLP. Lighter leaders round out the package.

THE TURN & BURN
A fishing tactic that my team and I developed for springtime muskie a few years ago is important to mention here. It seems to have adopted the nickname of the Turn & Burn. The idea is to come back to a muskie
that followed but failed to strike and would not respond to an immediate change-up. The tactic involves burning a small lure like a lipless crankbait at high speed, through the fish’s strike zone a short time after the initial follow. The idea is to play on a muskie’s instincts to trigger a reaction strike. This is a similar principle to the one applied here, and the Turn & Burn can be effective on the following fish of spring as well, regardless of the presentation used. Give it a try and good luck!

Outdoor enthusiasts can book guided fishing trips at southern Illinois incredible Kinkaid Lake, as well as many other great destinations throughout Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ontario with the SIMMS OUTDOORS TEAM GUIDE SERVICE. Get the very best fishing lures and leaders from SIMMS SPORT FISHING TACKLE, and much more by visiting SIMMS OUTDOORS L.L.C. on the web at: www.simmsoutdoors.com. Contact: 618-521-0526 or 573-358-5948, or through e-mail at:
info@simmsoutdoors.com. Good luck!