Gord Pyzer’s 50 best tips, secrets and tactics for catching monster muskies

Let’s just say that muskie anglers are a decidedly different breed. In fact, we often call ourselves “muskie hunters,” rather than muskie anglers. We spend countless hours preparing for battle, and more time on the water than we’d care to admit before we finally hook a fish. And when we do net a muskie, we can’t release it fast enough. Brute strength and ignorance is what one of my fishing buddies calls it, and most days I’m forced to agree.

I’ve spent a lifetime pursuing these giants on Canada’s world-class muskie waters, from the St. Lawrence River and Lake St. Clair to Lac Seul and Lake of the Woods. And in my quest to catch the fish of 10,000 casts, I’ve learned plenty from my muskie-hunting friends, as well as through first-hand experience. Here are my 50 favourite tips for catching and live-releasing more muskies…