“Muskie Fishing with Mepps and Erik Lennartz”

Part 5: Get Hooked on Mepps Lures

Editor’s Note: Erik Lennartz, owner and operator of Tactical Angling Guide Service in Heartland, Wisconsin, once guided for several-different species of fish, but after landing his first muskie, he was hooked. He’s been a muskie fisherman and guide ever since.

Question: Erik, how did you get hooked on Mepps lures?

Lennartz: I caught a muskie by accident. Then I started really getting into muskie fishing. When I was a kid, I used to hunt squirrels, cut off the squirrels’ tails, send them to Mepps and trade the squirrel tails for Mepps lures. I’d always known Mepps made some of the best lures for anything you wanted to catch – trout, bass (both smallmouth and largemouth), walleye, northern pike and just about any fish that swam. There’s something about an inline spinner that a fish can’t resist. I also like the small, simplistic design of the Mepps spinners.

There are many other spinners on the market that can be used for muskie fishing. I’ve tried lots of them, but I’ve had better results using Mepps lures. Because Mepps’ lures are really small, they hold-up much better, and the muskie can’t destroy them as easily as they’ll ruin other lures. Mepps Muskie lures are constructed of quality components. They’re really durable and tough. I’ve caught quite a few muskies, including 40-inch-plus muskies using Mepps lures. My biggest muskie was 49 inches. When you catch as many big muskies as I catch, you’ll go broke not using durable lures like those made by Mepps.

Question: What did your biggest muskie weigh?

Lennartz: My biggest muskie measured 49-1/2- by 23 inches and weighed between 35 and 36 pounds. General calculations reported the fish weighed 32 pounds. However, I’ve learned the body of water where I caught the fish contains muskies larger than the standard.

Question: How long is a day of muskie fishing?

Lennartz: In comfortable weather, we’ll fish for 8 hours. If the weather’s very cold, we may just do an afternoon trip lasting around 4 hours. I’ll use my Mepps Musky baits to bird-dog muskies. If the muskie follows the Mepps bait into the boat, but won’t bite, I’ll drop a live sucker down to it on a quick-strike rig. So, even when the muskies won’t take my bait, I’ll use the Mepps Musky lures to get the muskies up to the boat, so I can catch them with a sucker.

Question: What are the odds of catching a muskie while fishing with you?

Lennartz: Muskie fishing is muskie fishing, and no two days are the same. However, when we’re fishing in September and October, my clients will see a muskie whether or not they catch one. I can’t guarantee a muskie will bite. If the muskie attacks, and the fisherman makes a mistake, we won’t catch the muskie. But I’ve had plenty of multiple muskie days guiding clients.

If any guide tells you that they'll guarantee you a muskie, be cautious of them. However, there are many days when I’ll take clients who don’t expect to catch fish, but will catch two muskies. There’s nothing like catching a muskie. The excitement and the thrill of having one of those big muskie on the line keeps me going back every day. Even more exciting for me is watching someone who’s never caught a muskie, catch their first muskie, and Mepps lures help accomplish this.

For more about fishing with Erik Lennartz and to find out his muskie-fishing tactics, call 262-227-3093, or email him at tacticalangling@yahoo.com, or visit www.tacticalangling.com.