Our good friends, the Muskie addicts, will tell us that there is only one fish ( Muskie) in a lake and all of the other fish are bait. In a lot of ways that is very true. Muskie is at the top of the food chain and will eat almost everything they can get in their mouths. Other fish react to what a Muskie is doing or not doing.

But that is also what we use to locate & catch the Muskie. Their desire to eat & eat & eat. Follow the bait fish and you will find Muskie. In Shabbona Lake, the Muskie in early Spring feed on white suckers and gizzard shad. But they will also eat anything from a minnow to a duck.

Muskie after ice, until they go thru their spawning ritual, will be in less than 10 feet of water. That 10 feet of water could be shallow water or it could be the top ten feet of 35 feet of water.

Locations include the No Motor Zone, the North Cove, the Northeast Bay, standing tree tops in 35 feet of water and the only current area on the lake, the Spillway Bay. Some Muskie, particularly the mid range ones, will follow schools of shad radomly throughout the lake.

The number 1 lure for Muskie at Shabbona Lake over the years has been the Super Shad Rap. Besides being the right size (about 7″ long), it can be either cast or trolled, diving to a maximum of 9 feet. Another great lure is the SS Shad, which only dives down 3 feet and can be fished very shallow.

Make long casts, give the Muskie plenty of opportunity to strike your lure. In the Spring Muskie are hungry, believe it or not, you will get more strikes than follow-ups. They want your lure or bait. Give it to them. Always, always do a figure 8 with your lure next to boat side.

Trolling versus Casting versus accidential catches. As we all know Spring weather is very unpredictable. Wind is always a factor. Even no wind affects fish reactions. As a general rule, casting is easier on less windy days and trolling is used more on windy days. But it is good to try both, if you can. Trolling, you are looking for schools of baitfish. Run your lure right thru the schools, at that magical depth of 9 feet. Casting, make that cast a long one. remember you are targeting water 10 feet or less. Some days they want an eratic fast retrieve, sometimes they want a stop & pause retrieve. The secret is, if your not getting strikes, don’t stick with that technique, try something different.

Accidential catches is what many fishing stories are all about. That Muskie that hit, right when the lure hit the water. That Muskie that hit your lure, on your 99th figure 8 at boat side. But the most memorable for many Shabbona anglers is when that Muskie hits something totally unexpected. Every year we hear about the Muskie caught on a nightcrawler, Crappie minnow, walleye jig and minnow, leech under a slip bobber and I’ve even heard of a muskie caught on stink bait!!!

The best story from last year was from a Crappie fisherman, who had just caught a Crappie. After he took the Crappie off, he looked at his minnow still on the hook. It was “pre-chewed” but still alive. So he threw it back out again and caught the Muskie in the photo attached.

The longest Muskie, on April 20th – 21st, could be caught on a …

Muskie fishing, you’ve got to love it!!!