Cold Weather Tips - Fishin' The Flow - Leveling Up

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Fishin’ the Flow

While the season is winding down on many waters across the musky belt, there’s still some great fishing to be had in some areas.

This week we had Tennessee guide Cody Daniels on as a guest instructor for our Musky Insider PRO live Q&A. Cody shared that December through February is one of his favorite times to fish Melton Hill Reservoir (his home water).

One of Codys' key takeaways from this past season was the concept of “what’s old is new again.”

It started out last spring when Cody caught this state record class Tennessee ‘skie on a spot he hadn’t fished in three years. 

He also pointed out that some baits get hot, get overfished, and then seem to lose their effectiveness due to fishing pressure and conditioning. Then they become box riders or lure swap material. But, at some point, if enough years have passed, you have to remember that many of those conditioned fish have been replaced by new fish, and those baits are brand new to them. If the baits worked great before, they’re probably gonna work great again on a new crop of fish.

Cody also shared that one of the unique challenges of fishing Melton Hill is the constant fluctuation in water levels and current throughout the system on a daily basis.

One juicy deet Cody coughed up was that paying attention to what is going on with the lake levels, dams, and current flow on the waters above and below Melton Hill is vital to success.

“If they’re letting water in one dam above the lake and letting it out below at the same rate, then the fish position like they normally would on a river.

But, if they are letting water in and not letting water out below, that will do a couple things that will ultimately alter the game plan. That scenario will raise the lake level which often pulls the fish tighter to shore and cover.

But, it also reverses the direction the current is flowing and that completely changes where and how the fish position themselves.”

Btw Cody just started the Smokey Mountain Chapter of Muskies Inc. If you live near Tennessee, check it out. They’re just getting started and hoping to add new members.

If you’re an Insider PRO member and missed the live version you can find a recording in the member portal. If you’re not an Insider PRO member yet, now is the perfect time to join. 👇

 

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Members Leveling Up with PRO

Musky Insider PRO has been in existence now for just about two full musky seasons and it’s been helping a lot of folks level up their game including the instructors themselves!

Insider PRO instructor Josh Borovsky shared while I have enjoyed sharing my experiences and knowledge with our members, I have picked up so many golden nuggets from the other instructors while doing these sessions. It’s definitely helped me and my boat guests catch more fish.

I have a buddy of mine who’s a good musky stick. He’s caught hundreds of muskies and I told him about Insider PRO when we rolled it out. I think he kind of assumed it was going to be just basic intro info or something. Anyway, he kind of passed on it. But, he eventually signed up in year two.

He called me a week or two after signing up and in his words he said “I feel kind of dumb for not signing up right away. I would have if I would have known it was going to be this good. I wish you would have pushed me a little harder to join, I realize I’ve kind of been missing out.” As he watched, I think he realized all the timely tips that he missed out on applying over the course of the season.

Part of the magic of the Q&A’s is that all us guides make discoveries every year whether it’s a new pattern, a new technique, bait mod, etc. We figure out something new that makes a difference. Because we have these Q&A sessions as often as we do, our members get the inside scoop on the hot new thing. But, they find out as it’s happening while there is time to take advantage of it and people are going out there and scoring. So I think there’s some real value there even for the most experienced musky sticks.

But, we are really moving the needle for members that come into this averaging 12 or less muskies per year as well as the ones who can’t seem to break that 50” barrier. We have been able to help a lot of those people break through. 

Here’s a great example.👇

“First, thank you for all of the great information and classes on Musky Insider PRO! It's been phenomenal to learn from these and has allowed me to boat 10 fish so far this summer. I caught one all of last season before I joined...10 was my goal this year and I hit it in 6 weeks thanks to you and your counterparts!"

Later this fall we got another message from Ethan... 

 “I had to text you with a new PB! 50” 1/4 X 23.75" girth. Using what I’ve learned from you this year! By the way… fish #25!! Smashed my 10 fish goal this year. Keep the classes coming!!”

Ethan went from 1 fish in 2023 to 25 fish in 2024. Now, that’s what I call leveling up! You can find some other great success stories on our Instagram and Facebook pages as well.

Just a quick reminder, registration for Insider PRO is only open briefly for the holidays, and we’re offering $30 off on your first year of membership with promo code: HOLIDAY30. (Promo offer ends 12/18 11:59 PM CST)

There’s plenty more benefits to Musky Insider PRO than what we’ve covered here. You can learn more or get signed up right here.

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Late Fall Gear/Tips

For all you laaaaate fall musky commandos that still have an open season and water to fish on . . . 

In previous years we have put together a short list of important stuff to have on hand for late season musky fishing. Specifically, a thermos of boiling water, a blow torch, WD-40, floor mats and hand warmers.

We thought we'd expand on that list with a few more must-have cold weather fishin' essentials - we'll keep it short & snappy:

1.Fresh Line - Now's a great time to put on fresh line or reverse the line that's already on your spool. Fresh line has less water retention, which is HUGE when air temps are below freezing.

2. Extra Gloves – Bring several pairs of extra gloves. We'd recommend keeping a pair dry and warm in your bibs/jacket, and you won't regret adding hand warmers to your system.

3. Toe Warmers – Try putting them on top of your feet instead of below – they will last longer. We'd definitely recommend grabbing the adhesive style to hold 'em in place, too.

4. Propane Heater – The old buddy heaters work great for reviving your frozen hands after handling a late fall 'skie.

5. Shake It Off – Consider shaking off a fish if it's not "the one". Less handling = warmer hands and more time with your bait in the water.

6. Bag of Kitty Litter or Cherry Stone - For added traction at the boat ramp if the launch is iced up, and it usually is....

7. Tow Strap – In case you need a second vehicle to help pull you out.

8. Move Less – Running between spots is what freezes up all your shhtuff. Minimize runtime and you'll have less problems with ice.

9. Ice Chisel/Scraper – Great for breaking up ice buildup at the boat ramp.

10. Small Flathead Screwdriver – When you need to gently chisel ice build-up from your fishing reel.

11. Safety Equipment – Wear your lifejacket, bring rescue items (throw ropes, life rings, etc) and emergency blankets and towels. If someone falls in the water, having a ladder is ideal, otherwise you can stand on the motor and trim up if you're unable to climb back into the boat.

12. Extra Rods & Reels – Bring every functioning rod and reel you can fit in the boat. Stuff breaks this time of year, so it pays to have extras.

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This Week's Mashup:

Mashup time!

#1 – Sometimes, a musky can bite off more than it can chew. Bet that lil’ bugger got caught up in her gills and she couldn’t choke it down.

#2 – Check out these Blue Water Baits 9” Ciscos that recently arrived at Ezoko just in time for the holidays! 🎄

#3 – Meant to be hung at Christmas time, these Moore Musky ornaments deserve a spot to be admired the entire year!

#4 – We often think it’s challenging to break ice to get out. But the 54 or Bust crew had some work getting back in after only a couple hours.

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