Muskellunge

Range: native to the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes and Mississippi basins, from Quebec to southeastern Manitoba, south in the Appalachians to Georgia and west to Iowa. Many states outside that range stock pure muskies, tiger muskies or both.

Habitat: muskies favor lakes and rivers with submerged weedbeds, rock and wood near deeper water, though some live in clear lakes with few weeds. The best big-fish spots are usually "complexes" that combine several kinds of cover: a thick weedbed, rock points, a reef or two and a steep rock wall, all close to deep open water. Thick weeds that most anglers skip often hold the biggest fish.

Seasonally:

• Spring: shallow, sheltered bays and coves that warm first, often 1 to 3 feet deep; west-facing bays catch afternoon sun and wind and warm fastest.
• Summer: weed beds and weed edges; in the hottest weather, bigger fish drop to deeper points, ledges and drop-offs.
• Fall: weed beds until the water cools into the 40s°F, then open water near points and drop-offs where baitfish school.

Casting and the figure-eight

Casting big lures around cover is the classic approach. Muskies often follow a lure to the boat, so finish every retrieve with a figure-eight: stand at the side of the boat, push the rod tip into the water and swing the lure in wide loops the length of your rod. Practice it on every cast so it's automatic when a fish appears. With a follower, speed up rather than slowing down; if the fish is level with or above the lure, it's usually ready to eat. Changing depth, pulling the lure out of sight and bringing it back past the fish, can trigger a hesitant one.

Timing

Muskies can be caught all year, even through the ice. Fishing is fairly consistent from late spring to mid-fall, and early fall is often the best. Low light, overcast days and a warm rain can turn fish on.

Trolling

Trolling covers water and puts big lures in front of fish that are hard to reach by casting: bucktail spinners run just over the tops of submerged weeds, or crankbaits along deep points and drop-offs in late summer and fall. Speed trolling can be productive.

Tiger muskies

Tigers act much like muskies but bite more readily and are often caught by bass anglers. They're at their best when the water warms in early summer and stay aggressive through the heat. Use smaller lures than you would for pure muskies: spinnerbaits, crankbaits and lipless rattlebaits along weed edges and weedy bars.

Use a long (8½- to 9-foot) medium-heavy to heavy rod, which makes the figure-eight easier, with a sturdy reel and braided line, and always use a wire leader. Carry bucktail spinners, crankbaits, jerkbaits, glide baits, big spinnerbaits, large soft plastics and topwaters. Bring a large net, long pliers and hook cutters, keep the fish in the water as much as possible and release it quickly. Check your state's regulations for size and bag limits.