“Wisconsin Muskie Fishing with Brian Long”

Part 3: Open Water Muskie Fishing

Editor’s Note: Brian Long from Glidden, Wisconsin, owns and operates Brian Long’s Muskie Guiding and has been guiding for muskies for 40 years.

Question: How do you catch muskies in open water?

Long: In the clear-water lakes, the muskies will often suspend, because big schools of ciscos will also suspend out in the open water. Several acres of ciscos may move up and down in the water column. So, the biggest predators will be where the bait they feed on is located. You’ll have these big muskies cruising around the big schools of ciscos out in the open water. But here in Wisconsin, motor-trolling is not allowed in many of these lakes. What you can do is known as row-trolling (like you row a boat). To row-troll, you need an old-fashioned rowboat that comes to a point on both the bow and the stern. You put on your rod and rod holders, and you row around the lake all day long trying to get lures over the school of white fish and cicsos.

Question: What lures are you using when you row troll?

Long: I’ve found that the best lure to troll with is the Mepps Giant Killer for the same reasons as I gave you before. The Giant Killer runs a little deeper than many other lures that we can use. If I’m by myself, I’ll usually have two rods out. If I have a client with me, I’ll usually have three rods out. We want our lures to get down about 10 feet because, even if a muskie is holding 40-feet deep, it can come up to that 10-foot depth just by swishing its tail. The muskie’s eyes are on the top of its head, so it can see a lure that’s above it. But, the muskie usually won’t go down to get a lure. For this reason, you’re better off with your lure being above the muskie, rather than down below it.

Question: When you’re row-trolling, how long do you fish?

Long: I usually fish all day. If I have a client who also knows how to row, both of us may row. Now, some people enjoy the process of rowing. Our boat’s set-up for rowing, and we have oars that are set-up in leather to make rowing easier. You can twist the oar, and you don’t get blisters. It can be a very effective way to catch big muskies. The only problem is that you don’t see a muskie follow-up and take the lure, and you don’t have the excitement of doing the figure-eight beside the boat. You don’t get to the see the fish you miss like you do when you’re casting. The good news is, on a day of muskie fishing, you’ll rarely see very many people rowing for muskies. That’s one reason we catch so many big muskies when we row-troll.

Question: What color of Giant Killer do you like when you’re row-trolling?

Long: I like a silver blade. I don’t believe that the color of the tail is nearly as important as the color of the blade.

To learn more about muskie fishing, contact Brian Long at 715-264-4974, or email him at brianlong@centurytel.net.