Inland Michigan ‘Skies - PMTT Deets - Wakin’ Up Trouble
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Is Michigan the Next Minnesota?
Think Lake St. Clair is Michigan’s only musky story? Think again.
We just wrapped a killer Musky Insider PRO Q&A with Michigan native Will Schultz—a guy who’s put thousands of ‘skies in the net, with hundreds breaking 50 inches.
And here’s the kicker: many of those fish, including some absolute super-tankers over 55”, have come from Michigan waters not named St. Clair.
Will’s not just a stick, he also co-founded the Michigan Muskie Alliance back in 2001 and is still heavily involved in the organization. When it comes to understanding Michigan’s musky landscape, this dude is plugged in.
He came loaded with maps and insider insights on how Michigan has been quietly building out a musky program that looks a lot like what Minnesota rolled out back in the day…
Except instead of the Leech Lake strain that Minnesota leaned on, Michigan has been planting their own native Great Lakes strain into inland lakes. (Translation: fish that are genetically wired to grow giant.)
Michigan’s DNR started dumping these bruisers in certain lakes as far back as 2012 using the blueprint Minnesota’s DNR pioneered. Do the math on growth rates and, yeah… there are some certified monsters cruising around right now, and Will’s been out there sticking ‘em.
Of course, the stocking program hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Michigan’s DNR has battled VHS, COVID shutdowns, bad egg takes, fertilization issues, bird attacks on rearing ponds, and fingerlings that were too small because eggs came in late. Basically, if it could go wrong, it did.
But the good news: they’re figuring it out. Some fixes already in motion include pulling eggs further south (so fingerlings get more growing time) and even installing a laser defense system (seriously) to keep hungry birds from raiding the ponds.
Wakin’ Up to What’s Really Happening Below
If you fish Minnesota lakes, you’re no stranger to sharing the water with wake boats…
But let’s talk about what’s happening beneath the surface when those 5,000-pound party wagons start surfing.
We took a peek at a report from Nathan O’Neal that breaks down a recent University of Minnesota study on the impact of powerboats on our local lakes. 👀
GIF via FOX 9 / Nathan O’Neal report
Turns out, all that wave-making isn’t just annoying for anglers and paddlers, it’s also stirring up the bottom like a blender.
When wake boats fire up, they churn the sediment deep below, kicking up nutrients like phosphorus that can cause algae blooms and cloud up the water big time.
GIF via FOX 9 / Nathan O’Neal report
And if you’re musky fishing on pressured lakes, you’ve probably already noticed one of the worst side effects: giant floating weed mats drifting all over the place, messing with your casts and killing certain methods of fishing. 😤
Nathan also points out:
“Wake boats are specifically designed to sit deeper in the lake to displace more water and create a bigger, more surfable wave.”
That deep-sitting hull and water displacement means it’s churning up the bottom at greater depths — and the study recommends at least 20 feet of depth if you’re going to fire up the ballast and drop in. 👀
GIF via FOX 9 / Nathan O’Neal report
Bottom line: This isn’t just about annoying waves… it’s about fish habitat, water quality, and the long-term health of our lakes. And the clock’s ticking. ⏳
⸻
Some Food for Thought:
This definitely raises some interesting questions for us all to ponder . . .
✅ Wisconsin has already restricted or banned wake boats on 400+ lakes. If MN follows suit, what happens to our lakes that aren’t affected by these regulations?
✅ Could restrictions push more wake boats onto select lakes and hurt the fishing there?
✅ Would limiting wake boats actually help fisheries… or could it backfire in unexpected ways?
The study did test a 35-foot cruiser yacht… but if you’ve spent any time on Tonka, you know there are plenty of even bigger boats out there throwing monster wakes. Anyone who’s seen Caddyshack knows the vibe 👇
We’re not here to start a war (we know some of our readers are both musky anglers and wake surfers). We’re just opening the conversation.
Our lakes aren’t an infinite resource. Only we can make sure they’re in strong shape for the future.
If you wanna dig deeper, here are a few solid resources:
Want more deep dives like this? Let us know! — and maybe lay off the throttle if you’re cruisin’ over prime weed edges in 8 feet of water. 😉 🎣👊
(Hey, our boats make wakes too… just maybe not at Rodney Dangerfield levels.)
🏆 PMTT Leg 3 – Big Numbers Big ‘Skies
The PMTT Thorne Brothers Late Summer Showdown went down last weekend on the Cass/Bemidji area lakes — and it was a straight-up slugfest.
We’re talkin’ 52 fish on the board, including a 53-inch super tanker. Pretty wild considering the weather did a full flip-flop from Day 1 to Day 2.
Ryan Becker & Alex McLean went full beatdown mode with six fish in the bag and hauled home the first-place hardware. 🏆
Their program? Shallow inside weedlines + sand + reeds — the early cool-down set it up nice.
The hot bait? A 7.5” OG (wood model) dark walleye Phantom with a white tail. They doubled down on that exact bait all weekend… and it was the ticket.
Sliding into second, Jason Summers & Musky Insider PRO instructor Dan Wojtusik made some slick adjustments based on past trips and pre-fishing.
Their trick? Targeting eel grass with YOY bait clouds hanging nearby. They also modded their bucktails by sliding the hooks further back to pin short-strikers that were just love-tapping in practice. Pro move.
Musky Insider PRO instructor Ty Sennett & Ethan Smith rounded out the top three by going ultra-shallow. Like boat-in-the-middle-of-the-reeds shallow.
High winds made boat control a mess for most, but Ty & Ethan went anchor mode — fan-casting spinnerbaits inside out and then repositioning and repeating the process. Black nickel blades was their hot color.
Speaking of colors — black nickel and dark naturals were the hot thread for many teams. Blades put a ton of fish in the net, but jerkbaits and paddle tails also showed up.
Fun Fact: Three of our Musky Insider PRO instructors cracked the top four! (Dan in 2nd, Ty in 3rd, and Mark Lijewski took 4th after leading Day 1.) These guys don’t just teach… they stick ‘em.
Big congrats to Insider PRO member Matt Thomas & partner Ken Smith, who snuck into 9th with a couple fish — including a buzzer-beater with 40 seconds left on the clock on Day 2. 🔥
Nice work, fellas 👊. Love seeing Insider PRO members leveling up and competing at the highest level. We’ve had multiple members snag tournament wins and top finishes since joining.
💡 Wanna level up your own musky game (and maybe sneak onto a PMTT leaderboard yourself)? Check out Musky Insider PRO before doors close! World-class instructors, real-deal intel, and nuggets you won’t get anywhere else.
This Week's Mashup:
Mashup time!
#1 – Goliath muskies aren’t the only thing shining at Tilted Toque Wilderness Lodge. Peep those northern lights reflecting off the Upper French River.👀 #Magical
#2 – Ready to ditch the dog-leash kill switch? The Fell Marine MOB+ Basepack Multifob just landed at Ezoko. It’s a wireless cut-off that keeps you safe and cord-free. No tangles, no awkward reaches, just good boating vibes.
#3 – Jay Curtis rolled up to the ramp after a jiggin’ mission and stumbled into a full-on biology lesson with the MIDNR. The crew had 12 muskies in tow, and Jay got the inside scoop—filming egg takes, milking males, and watching the future of inland fisheries get mixed up on site. Best part? He capped it off by releasing this 50” chipped tiger back into the system.
#4 – Check out this woodburned musky scene by Ian Veihman of Crooked Lake Creations. 🔥 Gotta love the dawg sneakin’ across that weed edge — straight-up storytelling burned into the grain.
QUICK HITTERS:
– A day in the life, MUSKY FISHING in @sunset_country (video) w/ 54 or bust
– MUSKY FISHING THE NORTHWOODS!! - The Banana Bait Strikes Again for Topwater Muskies (video) w/ Angling Anarchy
– North of the Border (Musky Fishing) (video) w/ Pete Maina Professional Muskie Angler
– MUSKY MISSION: GUS MANTEY EAGLE RIVER WISCONSIN GUIDE (video) w/ Smith’s Fishing Outdoors
– Becoming a Musky Angler: Lake Vermillion Opener Heartbreak (video) w/ Net Buddy
This Week's Monster Muskies:
Katie Schock Lamb flat-out torched her PB twice on the same trip — first with a 51.5”, then a 55.5” mega muskie of a lifetime on The One . 🤯 Both came with Musky Insider PRO instructor Matt O’Brien at the helm. Congrats Katie! 👊
Not even a teenager yet and Benjamin Labelle already has a 54” Ottawa River bruiser to his name. 💥 Dad Eric was on net duty for the lifetime catch. . . Some guys chase fish like that for decades, this kid’s already got receipts before middle school.👊
Jess Solberg put the steel to this heavy 51” Rowan Lake beast that smoked her bucktail way out from the boat. 💥 #TugofWar
Insider PRO member Ron Barnes stuck this 50”+ bruiser on a Hybrid bait during a solo mission. 💪
One sneaky perk of Musky Insider PRO? Early access to baits you can’t get anywhere else — like the Hybrid, a basement-born fish catcher our instructors had been quietly smashing on for years. In 2024, we had 100 made exclusively for PRO members, giving them a full-year head start before it hit the market.
You might be too late to get the first run of Hybrids, but we’ve got custom PRO colors coming soon. PRO registration is closing soon, so now’s the time to jump in. Learn more or sign up right here.
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