Musky Science - Recatch "Skies - Monster Muskies
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Science Based Musky Tips
We just had Sean Landsman (PhD in Fisheries Science) on for a Live Q&A session with our Musky Insider PRO members.
He's a VERY interesting dude with some cool insights into the science side of the musky fishing world.
Sean shared a bunch of facts and tips with our PRO crew, but we wanted to take a few tidbits and share them here in the newsletter. 👇
Sean on Musky Location and Movements
When Sean was asked if there was any data or research that would help determine location of muskies throughout the season, Sean shared the following . . .
“In terms of a seasonal basis and where fish are moving . . . that’s going to be governed by each individual water body.
One thing that does seem to be consistent across studies is that muskies tend to be pretty faithful to locations.
In the spring muskies are faithful to spawning areas. They are also most active during the spring and fall (in terms of movement) and that coincides with movements toward and away from spawning areas (in spring) and movement to overwintering areas as we get into late fall.
During the summer months, there can still be significant movement in some systems, but generally muskies develop home ranges and stay within those zones/areas over the summer.
It seems like the more structurally complex an area is, the more likely a fish will be to hold more tightly to those locations.
I would predict that the home range is going to be smaller for a fish that has decided to post up on an island complex or other large structurally complex area as opposed to a fish positioned on a smaller isolated secondary spot.
By the time the lakes experience the tremendous change of turnover, home ranges disintegrate and the muskies go on the move.
Eventually, they settle into their overwintering areas and there is generally less movement/activity during the winter months.
I f you’re an Insider PRO member and missed the live version, be sure to login to the member portal and check out the recording.
If you’re not an Insider PRO member yet and would like to be, we have reopened registration briefly to give people a chance to get in before our next heavy hitter, 29-time tournament winner and current PMTT Top Gun, Dan Wojtusik. You can get signed-up right here.
Repeat Offenders
That’s the question Ohio Guide Chad Harmon asked on a recent Facebook post.
Chad went on to share the following . . .
“Over the past two years we've caught this fish on 4 separate occasions on 4 completely different areas of the lake up to 3 miles away!”
The first time she was at 47" in June of 2023.
Then she was 47.5" in November of 2023.
Next she was 48" in February 2024
And last, in October 2024, she still measured 48.”
By the way, Chad also has an upcoming virtual Musky Insider PRO class on February 5th, called Shad Based Reservoirs A-Z. Can’t wait!
Chad wasn’t the only one who had a repeat offender pay a visit to the boat.
Christopher Ray fooled this sporty model twice last year and the catches occurred just two weeks apart.
How cool would it be to catch a personal best, let it go, and then two years later catch a new PB and find out it’s the same fish?! That’s exactly what Robbie Thaxton did.
The first catch was in December of 2014 and it measured 51.” Two years later in September of 2016, she measured 51 1/8.” Turns out a friend of his (Chris Davenport) also caught her in 2013 when she was 49.”
These are all great examples of why we practice catch and release!
Musky Insider Is Auditioning for New Talent
Musky Insider and Musky Insider PRO have grown tremendously since their launch. With a clear vision for the future, we’ve realized it’s time to add a new star player (or two) to the team. Our goal? To continue leveling up the value we deliver to subscribers, PRO members, and our sponsors.
We’re looking for someone with sharp copywriting skills, a knack for memes, social video editing chops, and a touch of design savvy. If you’re not a 10/10 in every category but know what you excel at—and how to find help for the rest—you might be exactly who we need.
Does this sound like you (or someone you know)? 👇
✅ Musky talk is your love language.
✅ You want to work for a mission-driven brand focused on making the musky fishing industry better than we found it.
✅ Writing a fishing newsletter and curating musky content excites you.
✅ You’re ready to own a social media program from creative concept to completion.
✅ You know a thing or two about email marketing and improving deliverability.
✅ If there’s a problem, you’ll solve it—or at least deliver A+ customer service.
✅ You’ve got an ego when you need it but can handle constructive feedback like a pro.
✅ You have an artistic eye for video production.
✅ Website updates and revisions are totally in your wheelhouse.
✅ You’re full of clever ideas to sell ads and add value for sponsors.
✅You want to help good people navigate the digital marketing landscape with less burnout.
Social media managers and content creators are the unsung heroes of every successful brand. And yes, we’re looking for a unicorn—but if that doesn’t scare you off, you might just be the perfect fit.
As a bootstrapped startup in rapid-growth mode, this position could take on many forms (full-time, part-time, and final details are open for discussion).
If you’ve got the skills to pay the bills, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to josh@muskyinsider.com and let’s talk.
This Week's Mashup:
Mashup time!
#1 – Pete Maina shared a piece of his past when he dropped this throwback dime on his social pages. Sounds like he’s traded in his Daisy Duke’s for full SPF coverage these days. 😂
2 – Jeff Breidenbach of Crazy Moon Cerakote asked “What happens when you do Cerakote full time, love muskies, and find an old 50” skin mount on marketplace?” Here’s your answer . . . 👇
#3 – Autumn Carner went ‘round in the eight long enough for Scott Grossi to be waiting patiently with the net and the deal was eventually sealed.
#4 – If a wide angle lense isn’t the budget, there’s always these “fish hands.” 😂 We haven’t spotted any “fish hands” in the musky community yet, just plenty of “no hands” holds.
QUICK HITTERS:
– Tough Bite Episode (video) w/ Keyes Outdoors
– Seasonal Muskie Movements! | Whiteboard Educational Vlog! S7.E38 (video) w/ Musky Mastery
– 54 Minutes Live with Matt Lenz @netbuddyfishing (video) w/ 54 or bust
– Early Season Breakline Muskies (video) w/ Mayhem’s 10,000 Casts
– Color Switches (video) w/ MuskyHunterTV
– Talk with Fins and Grins Lures and Llungen Lures (link) w/ Musky Road Rules Podcast
This Week's Monster Muskies:
It was all laughs and smiles when Shazana Hardy popped this Green Bay pork chop while fishing with Brian J Klein.
This giant ate Micah Drew’s Dadson blade baits on the first crank.
Alex Koepke dialed up this Illinois banker tanker right after the river water came up and he observed shad holding tight to shoreline. Way to read the water!
This late December monster smashed Matthew Stockton’s fly boatside. Way to finish 2024 strong! 💪
Wanna be featured in Musky Insider? Send in your recent trophy musky photos by replying to this email. You might just see your pic in next week's newsletter. 🤙
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