August is part of what musky anglers like to call the ‘Dog Days of Summer,’ and is sometimes considered a tough time of year to fish. Water temperatures are warm, even up north, but musky are definitely on the move.

Musky have had all summer to set up their summer patterns, and anglers are primarily running around looking for active fish. The key, according to Lucky Craft’s Cary Bever, is recognizing musky have fairly long periods of low activity, and then windows during the day, or over a course of a couple days, when they get very active.

Bever, who actually likes to fish during the ‘Dog Days,’ looks forward to the topwater bite when fishing for musky in the summertime.

“The key patterns in August are definitely topwater patterns, using the Lucky Craft Sammy 128 and the Lucky Craft Gunfish 115,” Bever explained. “A musky’s metabolism is at its max right now, and they are eating machines.”

Both the Sammy and the Gunfish are two very different lures, but both good for fishing for musky this time of year. Bever explained that most casual anglers consider all topwater lures to be the same, but in fact, they have quite unique characteristics and uses. Musky react very differently to different offerings, because they have seen a variety of baits by this time of year.

The basic difference between the two Lucky Craft topwater baits would be the modified popper face on the Gunfish. It spits more water and makes more commotion as it goes through the water. Along with the ‘walk the dog’ action, it has a greater attracting quality with the extra pop, and triggers the fish to actually come up and eat the bait.

Conversely, the Sammy doesn’t have the popping face and is primarily a walker. It walks back and forth, and has very high triggering qualities, also causing the fish to eat the bait. It doesn’t make as much commotion as the Gunfish when it moves through the water, but both baits clearly have their place. An angler must experiment day to day, and sometimes several times a day, to find out what the fish are going to go after at that particular time.

When fishing for musky, using strong line and a leader is a must, because with those big teeth, they can bite through just about anything.

“Most musky anglers use super line, also known as braided line, and typically use 65 – 80 pound test – sometimes 100 depending on the particular location.” Bever said. “However, even with braided line, musky can bite right through it, so a leader is a must. With topwater baits, one of the recommendations is to consider using fluorocarbon leaders when fishing in clear water. Fluorocarbon line is almost completely invisible in the water, and the fish aren’t able to see it when going after the bait.”

In addition to bait and line selection, there are several other factors affecting musky fishing in the summer, such as water depth and clarity. Wisconsin native, Bever, has experienced first-hand how musky inhabit shallow water.

“There will always be musky shallow during the warm water period,” Bever said. “Anytime you have enough water over weeds, topwater is the best choice. Northern waters will thermocline as they stratify, and anglers don’t have to worry about the bite being any deeper than 18 to 27 feet. Topwaters become a great offering, because, even in open water, musky will suspend.”

According to Bever, water clarity influences the choice of bait color more than anything else. Darker colors, such as MS Black, are great colors, regardless of water color or clarity, mostly because it provides a silhouette. Shell White is a good color for stained water, because the fish will be able to see it more clearly. MS MJ Herring, and the other realistic finishes, are good colors because they are tailored to the forage available to musky.

There are several key areas to fish for musky, including the northern lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and even Canada. However, cisco-based lakes, such as Wisconsin’s Lake Tomahawk, create ‘musky mania’ for anglers, and, according to Bever, there is nothing like it.

“Ciscos, also known as tullibee, are known as pelagic forage, gang up in schools, and are found in very deep, clear lakes,” Bever explained. “They basically look like a giant shad, and for open-water musky in these types of lakes, ciscos are candy – musky live to eat these fish.”

Cisco-based lakes grow big fish. Ciscos are school prey fish, and a great source of protein for musky. They are also the right size for musky to eat, growing anywhere from 1/2-pound to 2 pounds, and 11 – 15 inches in length.

“Ciscos roam open water, much like schools of shad would do, and mostly school up at the thermocline,” Bever continued. “You might be sitting in 100 feet of water, but the ciscos will be stacked up around 25 to 27 feet. Schools of three or four musky will position around them and push them up. As the musky push them towards the surface, the ciscos start flitting around and the musky just hammer them.”

Lucky Craft’s topwater baits also come into play during this phenomenon. According to Bever, the ‘best cisco replicas ever built are the Lucky Craft colors of MS MJ Herring and MS American Shad, bar none.’

Lastly, a technique uncommon to some musky anglers is night fishing. Many of these northern lakes experience a lot of recreational boat traffic during the day. Skiers, wake-boarders, etc. can put musky into a nocturnal pattern, causing them to feed primarily at night. According to Bever, topwater baits are still a great choice.

“When throwing the Sammy or the Gunfish at night, you do not want an erratic retrieve,” Bever said. “You want it to be very steady. If it’s an erratic motion, the fish will miss it, because they can’t anticipate when to strike and can’t really see the bait. A steady, very rhythmic retrieve will help the fish hit the bait more accurately. And again, one of the key colors for fishing at night, regardless of water clarity, is using black colors, such as MS Black.”

By: April Drum/Cary Bever