CATEGORIES

The Secret To Setting Your Reel's Drag Perfectly

Setting the drag properly is one of musky fishing’s most misunderstood and overlooked necessities.

Plan To Relax So You Can Continue Fishing

There are many equipment options that can help an aging angler stay on the water longer. The first, suggested by a Musky Hunter subscriber who likes this column, is the bike seat.

Giving A Great Spot Time To Produce Pays Off

Late last summer, my good friend Chris Button and I took our annual vacation to get away from guiding for a few days and enjoy some great fishing, make some memories, and relax for a bit.

Understanding Muskies In Transition

The transition from summer to fall is one of the most important and productive musky times of the year. Water temperatures are falling and muskies begin making predictable transitions. This is a great time to catch some really big fish in some pretty fun ways.

To Grip Or Not To Grip

RESEARCH WITH OTHER SPECIES INDICATES LIP-GRIPPING TOOLS ARE INJURIOUS TO FISH

Keep It Clean, Keep It Inexpensive, Keep It Simple

It wasn’t much of a wave but as soon as we hit it, I noticed the foam coffee cup sitting next to my client shoot upward and arc gracefully into a back summersault before nosediving into the floor of the boat, distributing all of its contents onto the carpet. Even though the carpet had been treated with Scotchguard, I knew I had to wash it as soon as we stopped to fish.

Hot Bites During Cool-Down

MUSKY FISHING CAN BE GREAT AS WATERS COOL IN EARLY FALL

From The Back of The Room

THERE’S A LOT TO LEARN FROM ENTERING MUSKY TOURNAMENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS CASHING A CHECK

Western Bear Hunting

The Struggle: Lessons Learned

Hunting Bears using Llamas

USING LLAMAS IN MONTANA, THESE GUYS EXTEND THEIR RANGE & SAVE THEIR BACKS.

The Strategic Bear Hunter

New thoughts on bear home ranges Understanding bear home ranges is important when hunting them.

Black Bears Gateway to the Backcountry

AN ADULT-ONSET HUNTER SHARES TIPS FOR NEW HUNTERS GETTING INTO THE BACKCOUNTRY

Airguns, Hounds & Horses

Sometimes hunting means doing your best to keep up

The Scout: 2020

It’s time for our annual preseason look at the habitat conditions, weather phenomena and bird populations across the Lower 48 states that will probably play a major role in the situations you face when you step into your favorite upland bird hunting spot this autumn.

Public Access, Personal Success: Tips and Stories

Use it or lose it.

From Recollections of My Fifty Years Hunting and Fishing

There are several reasons why I have written this book. I have hesitated to undertake it for a long time.

They Will Always Be Blues

Dr. Ron Salomone from Ohio and a pair of grouse dogs soak in the view along a Colorado ridge top. (Photo/Michael Salomone)

Social Distancing in Wolf Country

A wolf howl makes my hair stand on end, every time.

Tastes Good, Doesn't Kill Me

Want some big flavor? Try stirring in some guts.

The Plumed Speedsters — Pacific Coast Range Mountain Quail

It happens with a crack of a stick while walking in on a distant point; a covey explodes both left and right into the thicker stands of young Douglas firs.

Lake County

Good sage grouse country is vast by necessity. In Oregon, Highway 140 takes you there, where the soil sits on top of Miocene rocks, 17-million-year old basalts exposed by wind and water on the edges of sage plateaus. The dark igneous stones — earth’s prehistoric eyes — stare as you walk past.

Joseph Defourny

One of Belgium’s Finest Shotgun Makers: 20-gauge Bespoke Side-by-Side

A Different Kind of Quail

The fact I have never been on a “classic” quail hunt was rubbed in again last October by a gentleman with some obvious Southern roots. He had pulled up his pickup behind mine as I exited a tangle of wild blackberries that loosely followed a small creek into a steep, rocky canyon.

Sticking It Out In Prime Conditions Yields A Giant

Memorable catches stay with you, and I can think of a few, like the Immaculate Reception. Or pretty much every catch I made in high school and college. And of course, one particularly memorable musky catch.

The Lowdown On Wire Line Trolling For Muskies

There are many things that I love about musky fishing — the chase, the challenge of trying to catch them everyday, and the multitude of patterns and tactics that can be applied to catch these crazy fish. One of them is wire line trolling.

Picking The Perfect Boat For Midwest River Fishing

In Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 “Lakes,” much of the population seems not to know the state has some of the finest musky rivers in the central United States.

Shed (Lure) Hunting

CAN FISH SURVIVE IF PARTS OF HOOKS AND/OR LURES ARE LEFT IN THEM?

Cast Control In Modern Baitcasting Reels

We see a lot of reels coming into our shop with cast-control issues, which is when the cast con-trol cap over the spool is tight but the spool continues to spin freely.

Motion Without Movement In Early Summer

There is nothing wrong with a few more muskies a year.

Leaders For Short-Line Trolling With Shad Baits

We often talk about how different leaders can affect the action of different lures. In most cases, we are talking about this in regard to casting, but it can also apply to trolling. Early in the year, short-line trolling can be very effective and is a lot of fun.