Two Dutch anglers landed a boatload of giant muskies on Eagle Lake with simple Euro tactics. Here’s how

Advertisement

Angler and luremaker Sybe Mellema

#2  PINPOINT PRODUCTIVE SPOTS

The Dutch duo’s first smart move was to hire a local guide for their first day to get a feel for the lake, and to learn about the types of structure and cover that typically harbour muskies. Unfortunately, the fishing was terrible owing to a cold front that shut down the action. Instead of getting discouraged, however, Biemond says he was buoyed to learn about the types of spots he needed to look for during the rest of the trip.

So, each morning that followed, he and Mellema (above) trolled a different section of the lake with their prized Dutch crankbaits to locate the features. On the first morning, they thought they’d “cracked the puzzle” when they caught a 43-inch pike and a 45-inch muskie during their first two hours of trolling. “I remember saying to Sybe, ‘Wow, this is easy. What is all this 10,000 cast nonsense?’” he says, chuckling. “Of course, I was wrong, and our initial trolling success was short lived. Trolling just stopped producing big fish.”

Advertisement

Nonetheless, they continued to cover water and scout each morning by trolling, allowing them to locate subtle rock piles and weedbeds adjacent to 20-foot-plus deep water. Then in the afternoon, they’d return and cast Sybe Baits’ hybrid jerkbaits around the most promising spots. After four days, they had identified a good number of productive locations, where they rarely saw other anglers.