1. Fish of Legend, Fish of Myth 2. Muskies-The Mental Game Seasonal Factors Environmental Factors Fishing Pressure Fishing Presentation "Style" 3. Muskie Fishing Tackle Muskie Gear-Rods, Reels, and Lures Topwaters Bucktails Jerkbaits Spinnerbaits Crankbaits Spoons Jigs and Soft Plastics Trolling Gear Lines and Leaders 4. Necessary Tools and Release Techniques Your Muskie Tool Kit Release Techniques Holds and Photos Other Necessary Tools and Equipment 5. Follows, Figure Eights, and Triggering Fish The First Step: Seeing Follows Triggering Following Fish Boatside Tactics: L-turns and the Figure Eight The Final Word on Triggering Fish 6. Postspawn to Early Summer Finding Postspawn Muskie: The Big Bang Theory Tactical Factors Tactics and Techniques Searching Efficiently-Pattern Sampling Searching Efficiently-Presentation Other Presentation Options 7. Summer Peak Tactical Factors Tactics and Techniques Presentations for Fishing Shallow Summer Muskies Fishing the Slop 8. Mid- to Late Summer Tactics and Techniques Fishing in Algae Blooms Countering Fishing Pressure 9. Early Fall Tactics and Techniques Presentation 10. Mid- to Late Fall Fishing the Turnover Fishing Fall Prime Time Fall Casting Fishing Very Late-Pre Ice-up 11. Bringing It All Together Muskies as Apex Predators Knowledge of Muskies' Seasonal Needs Knowledge of Muskies' Environment Lures and Equipment as Tools Safety and Safe Catch-and-Release The Role of Goals and Styles The Role of Fishing Philosophies The Role of Fishing Pressure Time on the Water Index Discover the pros secrets for catching more and bigger muskies. They don't call it the Fish of Ten Thousand Casts for nothing. The challenge of catching muskie is not only finding them, but also figuring out their attitude and what presentation might work--today. To find success tomorrow, you'll probably need a different location, attitude, and lure. Pro muskie "hunters" Jack Burns and Rob Kimm share their own experience as well as that of the many other muskie anglers with whom they've worked and fished over the years. They cover the basic biology of muskies and how you can use that knowledge to catch more and bigger fish. They discuss fishing tackle, release techniques, reacting to follows, doing figure eights, triggering strikes, and much more. In this expertly written book you'll find examples of on-the-water tactics and strategies covering a wide range of situations. More important, you'll develop an understanding of the why behind a particular strategy and how to adapt to different water and weather conditions throughout the year. The result is a complete, up-to-date course on muskie fishing for the beginning to intermediate angler. Jack Burns is editor emeritus of The Next Bite—Esox Angler magazine. Jack has fished muskies for more than thirty years throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and northwest Ontario and has published muskie-fishing articles in In-Fisherman and Peterson's Fishing magazines. Jack was the muskie columnist for Minnesota Outdoor News from 1990 to 2004 and has been a guest speaker at Muskies Inc. chapter meetings throughout the Midwest. Rob Kimm is senior editor of The Next Bite—Esox Angler magazine. A former instructor at In-Fisherman ’s Camp Fish, Rob now pursues muskie and pike in Ontario and Minnesota. He is a frequent contributor to In-Fisherman magazine and is the featured muskie columnist for the Minnesota Outdoor News. Rob holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and also works as a consultant in the technical communications field. Used Book in Good Condition