Many anglers are unaware of the predictable feeding frenzies that take place nightly on many muskie waters across the United States and Canada. Throughout the summer months, muskies readily feed after dark on most clear-water lakes that regularly experience heavy boat traffic. The action is predictable, but some advice is in order.

First, you must know the water well. Before planning a night outing, investigate the water you intend to try. Map the best-looking areas. Once you’ve pinpointed some likely looking spots, make note of a few landmarks you can use at night. A larger tree, an electrical tower, a resort or island are a few examples.

The best spots to consider include mid-lake weed humps, shallow-top rock bars and large underwater points. The best humps, bars and points contain cover and lots of baitfish. If daytime anglers are observed catching perch, crappies or walleyes in such spots, it usually spells big muskies after dark.

Sound and silhouette are the two key items to consider in lure choices. Choose a lure that makes a lot of noise and is big enough for the fish to see easily in low light. Big, slow-moving surface baits are popular, but they can be surprisingly unproductive on many outings. Surface lures can produce active muskies cruising the shallows on calm nights, but many nights are cool and windy. Muskies generally hold deeper and tighter to cover in these weather conditions and rarely strike a surface lure. That’s when subsurface lures come into play.

Check high weed tops with large bucktail spinners such as the SuperBuchertail 600 series. Bucktails sporting large Colorado spinner blades usually produce best. The sound frequency emitted by this blade is particularly effective. Retrieve the big bucktail just fast enough to keep it above the weed tops. Most hits occur near the blade, so make certain there’s a sharp hook in this position.

Check deeper cover or edges with a large, jointed deep diver. I designed the DepthRaider crankbait primarily for night fishing. Straight-model crankbaits with an internal rattle also work well at times. Bump these big crankbaits into cover and along the bottom as much as possible. The added noise from these underwater collisions attracts muskies. It’s not uncommon to get strikes after dark when the lure has just collided with some obstruction.

Retrieve speed is often critical to nighttime success. First-time night anglers tend to retrieve too quickly. Slower, steady speeds combined with frequent “cover collisions” usually produce far more strikes.

Choose lures that work well at slower retrievals. The best surface baits make all kinds of noise at a snail’s crawl. The most productive bucktail spinners contain a blade that spins at minimal speed. The deadliest of night crankbaits should produce a rod-pounding vibration with only the slow movement of the rod tip.

Line and wire-leader visibility are not factors when night fishing. This is one of the biggest reasons why night muskies are so vulnerable. So, the best policy is to beef up your tackle after dark to a heavy-action, 7-foot baitcasting outfit loaded with 35- to 50-pound line. Use thinner-gauge lines in the 20- to 30-pound range only when extra depth is required with deep-diving crankbaits. Heavy-gauge lines restrict the depth performance of diving lures, although most lures still will reach an effective range with heavier lines. Thinner-gauge lines might make a lure run too deep. Match this item of your tackle properly.

Ample lighting also is important for a safe and productive night outing. A boat’s running lights should be in top running order, and a flashlight comes in handy for rerigging lures and unhooking fish. Many night-fishing vets prefer to wear some sort of headlamp, which enables them to battle a muskie and keep a light on a hooked fish at all times. It also helps that both hands can be working the rod and reel. Holding a flashlight obviously is not practical. The Fuji Fisherman’s Headlamp features a durable battery pack and high-powered krypton bulb. Rechargeable batteries also can be used with this unit.

Keep all tools and landing equipment in a ready-to-use location. Once a fish is hooked, digging through storage compartments and tackle boxes is not a good idea. Wear heavy-weight gloves when handling the fish and be extra careful in the dark.

Fishing after dark is the surest way to land a lunker in summer. Find a well-known, clear-water muskie lake loaded with daytime boat traffic, learn it well, rig up with the proper equipment and try a night muskie outing. It’s an exciting way to fish.

If you want to try a different, exciting fish species or technique, you’ll find plenty of suggestions in every issue of MidWest Outdoors. Subscribe on our website.