Musky Trolling Trip

It is popular opinion that Lake St. Clair is the musky capital of the United States and arguably the world. With approximately 110+ species of fish (many forage fish to musky) combined with Lake St. Clair’s shallow basin, clear water, vast area of weed beds, and connecting water ways makes for a Musky’s dream habitat. There is an estimated population of 150,000-175,000 musky in Lake St. Clair and connecting water ways which puts about one fish to one acre of fishable area on the body of water. Lake St. Clair while growing in popularity for casting has been for some time considered more favorable of a lake for trolling. The expansive area of Lake St. Clair and its open shallow weedy basin makes for a lot of area to cover in search of these apex predators. So covering water fast with a spread of four to nine rods in the water with mixed presentations being fished helps finding fish, establishing patterns, and in coming across more actively feeding musky. The typical range of speed when targeting musky can is between 3.0-5.5MPH and certainly is an efficient way to cover water. Much like casting heavy duty rods, reels, lines, and leaders are used when trolling and are essential to hooking, fighting, and landing these large fish at higher rates of speed. Common baits ran while trolling include bucktails, large body baits, spoons, and occasionally crankbaits. Trolling for musky is physically less demanding of a client in compared to casting and doesn’t require prior fishing experience to jump right into. Trolling is an approach used successfully throughout the June-December musky fishing window and can at times be a good backup plan to inclement weather days. Prior to your trips departure it is essential that clients purchase a Michigan fishing license and Ontario fishing license.