Be the FIRST to see Musky Insider every week by signing up for the email version of this newsletter. It's 100% free and we will never sell your email address! Click here to sign up and never miss another issue.

---

Jeff Andersen Droppin’ Knowledge Bombs!

We had high expectations for last Thursday’s Musky Insider PRO Live Q&A with Jeff “Jiggy” Andersen… and he did not disappoint.

🔊 Squealin’ Topwater Trick

One juicy nugget Jeff dropped was how special a topwater bait can be when you get it to squeal.

It’s an old-school bass fishin’ hack — used on buzzbaits — that Jeff started applying to his Big Tooth Clack baits, Topper Stoppers, and other musky topwaters years ago.

“You actually want the bait to calcify and even rust a little bit in the area where the blade or prop spins on the wire.”

Jeff would get the bait wet, wrap the blade area in a plastic bag, and let it sit just long enough to rust — not too much, just enough to get that magic squeal. Some baits (like the Topper Stopper) didn’t squeal out of the box, so he’d…

“…drive to the boat access with the bait held out the truck window. I’d let the wind wear the blades down until they got a little oblong — that’s when they really start squealin’. When you get a topwater to squeal, it’s powerful. As powerful as it gets.”

He’s still got a few of those “squealers” — and only breaks ‘em out when the moment (or fish) is extra special.

BTW — this isn’t just ancient history. This squealin’ topwater trick is still a thing in the bass world. We ran across a video where Cody Taylor zip-tied his buzzbait to his truck antenna and let it rip on the highway for an hour to break it in. 😂

His wife? Not quite as impressed…

🧠 Advanced Figure-8 Tips (a.k.a. Figure-8 Wizardry 2.0)

This Q&A could easily be titled “Figure-8 Wizardry 2.0” — and honestly, it should be.

Jeff came fully dialed in — he rewatched our entire Figure-8 Wizardry course beforehand, then took things to another level with fresh insights, detailed video breakdowns, and true Jedi-level figure-8 mastery.

Let’s recap the 3 Levels of Figure-8 Skill:
• Level 1 – Mechanics
• Level 2 – Triggering the fish to bite
• Level 3 – Controlling where and when the fish eats

Level 3 is all about raising your hookup and catch percentages. It’s about making the fish eat in the right zone — and perpendicular to your bait — where you’ve got the highest hook-up and catch rate… and not letting it eat in spots where those odds drop.

Most anglers never get to this level, but Jeff lives there. And this Q&A builds right on top of everything we covered in the original course.

He dives into subtle cues from the fish’s eyes, mouth, and tail that clue you in on how to adjust your technique — so you control when and where the fish bites, rather than letting it eat on its terms (which doesn’t always end well).

Here’s a little taste of Jeff doing just that — setting one up for the perfect eat, followed by a clean downward hookset (which helps keep the fish’s head in the water and reduces bait-throwing).

One of our members even called this session:

“The greatest video on musky fishing.”

🔥 Want to sharpen your 8-game and land more boatside bruisers? You need to watch this one.

Not an Insider PRO member yet? Good news — we just cleared our waitlist and briefly reopened the doors.

Now’s the time to jump in. We recently scored a fresh drop of custom-colored, members-only Musky Innovations Mag Dawgs, Pounders, and Magnum Shallow Swimmin’ Dawgs — and members are already boating fish on ‘em.

Still a few left… for now. Learn more and grab your spot here. 

---

Leech Lake Musky Intel Mission Begins

You’ve probably seen the photo — black-and-white, a literal pile of dead muskies hanging on a section of well drillers pipe looking like someone won the state lottery in toothy torpedoes. Well, that infamous Leech Lake snapshot turns 70 this year.

📸 Historic photo via MuskieFIRST

Seven decades later, and we’re still trying to figure out what makes these big girls tick. Fortunately, there’s a solid crew on the case: the MN DNR, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe fisheries biologists, and fish-head professors over at Bemidji State are teaming up for a deep dive (literally) into Leech’s muskies.

📸 Photo via MN-FISH Facebook page

Here’s the deal:

Every four years, the DNR collects and fertilizes eggs from Leech fish for stocking programs. But this spring, things got a little more high-tech. While they were doing the usual egg chores, they surgically implanted transmitters into 12 females and 3 males. More have been tagged since, and even more are planned in the future. 

📸 Photo via MN-FISH

The goal? Track these fish 24/7 and finally get some answers on how they behave, where they go, and how things like Forward Facing Sonar (FFS) might be messing with their program. Are they shallow junkies or deep-water cruisers? How vulnerable are they after being caught? Are we hurting them more than we think?

They’ve dropped electronic receivers all over the lake to listen for pings from the tagged muskies like underwater surveillance cams — but for science (and without the drama).

So why now?

DNR area fisheries boss Wade Massure heard some whispers last year about dead floaters showing up on Leech. There was enough chatter that the idea of regulating depth targeting got tossed around.

Spoiler: You try enforcing a depth rule across 100,000 plus acres…

Instead, a better plan came together — a full-blown, data-driven, musky-movement mystery hunt. With help from Reeds Outdoors, MN-Fish, and other partners, this three-year study was born.

The hope? Get the info we need before something bad actually does happen. Maybe we learn nothing’s wrong. Maybe we find issues and adjust. Either way, it’s all about protecting the fishery before we need a full-on CPR code red.

Want the full scoop? Dive into Dennis Anderson’s write-up here.

 

---

Musky Madness & Healing on Vermilion 💥🇺🇸🎣

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again… Muskies have healing powers 💪🎯

The 3rd annual Musky Madness veterans outing on Lake Vermilion went down last week, hosted by Jeremy Johnson at Whispering Winds Resort and organized by the folks at Hometown Hero Outdoors.

25 veterans showed up and 22 of them caught muskies – racking up 37 fish total, including five over 50 inches and a tank measuring 52.5”. Not bad for a mid-summer grind in some of the worst conditions musky-heads can imagine (think hot, still, and sunny).

According to Aaron Schiller, Minnesota state lead for HHO, it was a wild open-water bite. “We got fish in daylight, in flat-calm conditions. Just shows how many active fish are out there.” 🎯 Gear of choice? Bondy Royal Orbas, Tubes, Beavers, and Gladiators. 

But this event is about way more than muskies. It’s about connection, healing, and brotherhood. As Aaron put it:

 

#3 – Metal Medussa ⚙️🔥

Check out this hand-crafted chrome Medussa by Cole Lauzon — cut with a water jet, welded layer-by-layer, torched tails for shape, then chromed to blingy perfection. 💎🔥

#4 – Bucktail Builders Rejoice

Tinsel time is now! Leaders & Lures recently dropped some 🔥 new tinsel colors for 2025. Perfect for dialing in your own bucktails this season.

Sheri Murtaugh wrangled this beefy 52” Tennessee titan on a Livingston BigMakk.

This Northwest Ontario freakzilla taped out at 53.25 inches for Greg S Junior. 🧊 Absolute slob of a fish. 

Nicolas Perrier dropped the hammer on this 54” overlord on his last cast of the night, just minutes after sunset. She crushed a GB Baits Jawbreaker. Killer in-the-water shot and even better grin! 😄

Kolby Berg sealed the deal on this boatside bruiser during MN’s opening weekend. 🔥 Heck of a way to start the season!

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. 🤙

---

---

Want to see more from Musky Insider? Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for bonus content throughout the week.