With the presence of a warm water discharge from Bull Run Steam plant on Melton Hill Lake, many Tennessee musky fishermen think it's the only game in town. Fortunately this is simply not the case as numerous opportunities exist for those willing to hone their musky fishing skills.
While casting is by far my preferred musky fishing methodology, precision trolling and vertical jigging should not be over looked.
If your goal is to catch a trophy class Tennessee Musky it becomes quickly apparent that using every tool to achieve this goal should be utilized. Casting, Trolling and Jigging should be viewed as "tools" and should receive no preferential treatment.
A wood worker, electrician or welder would be considered ineffective in his chosen occupation if he refused to use the tools needed to complete a job.
However a master craftsman by definition is someone who has mastered ALL the skills of their trade. They have the knowledge and experience to know when, where and how to use all the tools available to them. With this in mind lets look at the absolute basics of trolling for muskies.
Tennessee Musky Trolling :
Getting started trolling for Tennessee muskies isn't overly complicated when approached properly. Trolling is simply the most effective method target specific depths.
If you have done your "musky homework" and have an active musky pattern that entails muskies holding on deeper breaks, suspended or in open water with an average depth greater that 6-8 feet trolling becomes the most effective option by an extremely large margin.
When you cast a lure it spends a very limited amount of time at its desired depth. The majority of the cast is spent achieving depth at the beginning and ascending towards the boat in the last quarter of the retrieve. Compared to the consistent running depth of a trolled lure it simply is a game of percentages, how long is your casting lure in front of muskies verse your trolled lure.
Adding trolling to your Southern musky fishing should be done in increments. I highly recommend starting with a single one or two rod set up at max. This will allow you to focus on whats important, contouring structure, contacting cover and intelligent boat control.This less is more approach with help keep headaches to a minimum while you learn the ropes of musky trolling. I highly recommend starting with smaller and mid sized musky lures until you understand how lures will react when truing the boat and contouring structure.
Starting out simply will allow you to get better feel for things than attempting to run multiple lines. Keep it simple keep it effective, one rod, one crank bait and a keen eye on your graph.
Cheers,
Southern Musky Fishing
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