ANSWER:

That’s the million dollar question anytime you hit the water, but in the spring and early summer there always seems to be a real urgency to make the right choice. A lot has to do with the factors like; the type of lake and the weather, etc. Considering the fact that I’m usually starting off on lakes with clear water, the weather is typically a little unstable with fronts coming through regularly, I’m going to start the season off with some of the smallest lures in my box. Small bucktails, small crankbaits, small jerkbaits, can all be good choices. The slow-sinking, 6 ½ inch Sebile Magic Swimmer is a bait that is perfect for tough, early season conditions. Its small, but has a ton of triggering capability with a seductive action and great flash. Basically I’m looking for lures that I can work slowly and precisely. Chances are in order to get bit in these conditions the lure is going to have to be right in the fish’s face.

That’s not to say you want to eliminate the rest of the tackle selection. If you’re a muskie angler with any amount of experience under your belt you know, these fish are odd, and just when you think you know what they want, they’ll go just the opposite on you. So put the smaller baits at the top of the tackle list, but do not hit the water without having a few big jerkbaits, swimbaits, topwater baits and big bucktails and even spinnerbaits at your disposal. These baits could be just the ticket if the weather patterns give you gradually warming water and stable weather. Keeping observant to the conditions around you will help you determine what lures might be the best to use.