Fishing Articles & Pro Fishing Tips

Over the span of his professional fishing career, Author and Outdoor Educator Joel DeBoer has authored many, many top-notch articles on the "How To's" of becoming a better angler. On this page you will find just a sampling of some of his articles and tips - we hope you enjoy!

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Green Bay Autumn Muskies
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The annals of ‘trophy musky fisheries’ include some legendary waters: Eagle Lake, Lake of the Woods, Georgian Bay, and the St. Lawrence River just to name a few.  There is a newcomer to this list however, a name the while relatively new, is showing that it will indeed write its very own chapter before the years are through.  That fishery is non-other than the bay of Green Bay.

Over the past several years the Bay of Green Bay has become one of the top-producing trophy musky waters in the United States. Every season, numerous fish in the low to mid fifty inch range are being caught, with the bulk of these fish also thankfully being released.  My good friend and guiding colleague, Captain Brett Jolly in fact released from his boat the largest fish caught in the state of Wisconsin last year from the waters of Green Bay – more on that a bit later.  Many avid musky anglers, myself and Captain Jolly included, believe these waters are home to the next world record musky.  The fish have unbelievable growth rates, with some reaching the fifty inch mark in as little as ten to twelve years.   The fertile waters of Green Bay play host to an enormous forage base, which coupled with warm water temperatures, helps to spur above-average growth rates for the resident predator fish species, including the mighty muskellunge. 

The autumn months of September, October, and November have become the most popular time of the year to target muskies on Green Bay. As Captain Jolly points out, the key to the fall bite is the baitfish migration; both Gizzard Shad and Whitefish migrate towards the lower end of the bay, and the muskies subsequently follow close behind.  The cooling waters of early fall bring loads of shad seeking warmer water into the lower sections of the bay. Green Bay is at the Northern end of the Gizzard Shads range; being a warm water species, the shad migrate towards the mouths of rivers, as these areas provide water temperatures closer to their comfort zone.   As autumn progresses, the Whitefish begin moving to shallow gravel areas in preparation for their spawn which occurs just prior to ice-up.

Beginning in September, Gizzard Shad begin to show up in large numbers in the lower bay.  The key to finding concentrations of shad, and the more-than-likely following muskies, is using your Humminbird electronics effectively.  Not only are the Down Imaging and Switchfire modes incredibly effective in finding areas holding bait, but as Brett points out, the Side Imaging feature allows you to eliminate vast areas of potential ‘dead’ water on both sides of your boat in addition to helping locate schools of shad that conventional sonar equipment would miss.  

Typically shad are found on large flats with little to no specific structure holding them, making trolling with planer boards, such as those manufactured by Off-Shore, the most effective technique. At this time water temperatures are in the upper sixties to lower seventies, and with the warmer water, speed becomes a critical factor. Covering water quickly at speeds of 3.5 to 4.5mph will help to trigger and locate active muskies. During the early autumn period, smaller-statured lures, especially those mimicking shad, tend to be the most effective.  “Matching the hatch”, although usually referred to in fly-fishing, becomes an important component when attempting to target fall Green Bay muskies.  Lures such as 5 and 7 inch Tyrant Tackle Czar crankbaits, excellent shad imitators due to their size and profile, become top musky producers on the Bay during this time frame. 

During the past few musky seasons, another tactic that has been catching-on, and for good reason, is speed trolling with double-bladed bucktails.  Captain Jolly prefers to run a 4-8ounce snap weight 3 feet ahead of double-eight or double-ten bladed bucktails such as the Tyrant Tackle Little Louis or Tilky Tail.  Classic “fall baits” – maybe not; however, do not short yourself on opportunity.  Simply put, speed trolling double-eight and double-ten bucktails such as the Little Louis and Tilky Tail has already become a hot ticket to giant Green Bay muskies for those in “the know.” 

Fall isn’t only a trolling bite on Green Bay.  During years in which September still hosts warm water temperatures, meaning those in the seventy-degree range, casting shallow weed and rock bars on the lower bay can produce excellent results. In this situation, Jolly’s bait of choice is the double-ten bladed Tyrant Tilky Tail. Speed cranking these big baits is the key to action. While this is usually a very short lived bite, it is also quite an excellent bite as well!  The autumn double-ten casting bite typically only lasts until surface water temperatures hit the lower sixties; at this point, trolling becomes the “go-to” method, as the muskies begin targeting shad.

As fall progresses and water temperatures begin to drop Jolly point out, so should your trolling speeds. Once the water temperatures begin reaching the fifty degree mark, speeds in the 2.5 to 3mph range are typically best. When looking at lure size during this period, smaller baits in the 5 to 7 inch range continue to be the best producers. The muskies will still be found on the large shallow flats of the lower bay near schools of shad.

In late fall, when the water temps start hitting the lower forties and even down into the thirty-degree range, the whitefish begin showing up near shallow gravel shorelines, points, and humps throughout the lower Bay of Green Bay. Captain Brett is fortunate to boat a large number of muskies throughout the season, each one visiting the confines of his Frabill net and then successfully being released; however, late fall is his personal favorite period due to the fact that it is the time he begins to see some of the true monsters of the bay.  For example, just last season during the late autumn period, one of Captain Jolly’s customers caught-and-released an enormous 55 monstrosity sporting a 27.5 inch girth!  Using the conventional length x girth x girth divided by 800 formula, the beast can be approximated at roughly 52 pounds - a true giant by any musky hunter’s standards!

 The key to scoring on giant muskies during the late fall period means incorporating larger baits to your trolling spread.  Jolly predominately uses crankbaits in the 8 to 10 inch range that resemble whitefish, such as the Tyrant Tackle 9 inch Czar, as he has found that these style lures produce more and larger fish for his boat on a regular basis.  The key to remaining successful throughout the late-autumn period… although larger-profiled baits begin producing consistently during this time period, Brett continues to run smaller shad-sized offerings in his trolling spread; the reason is simple - the whitefish and shad schools often overlap.

Green Bay may not be the most historic or traditional of musky destinations, but the statistics of recent years simply cannot be denied – it has become, simply put, one of the premier musky fisheries in the world.  Looking for that next world record - bring yourself to ‘The Bay’; trust me, they’re out there…  

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