Jim Saric says if there are muskies in shallow water, you can find one that will bite. Here’s how.

Although I fish all types of lures, in early summer as the water temperatures heat up—and so does the muskie’s metabolism—it’s time to crack out the blades and get burning.

I don’t care where you chase muskies in summer. If you want to catch more muskies, simply fish more bucktails! Day-in and day-out, when you are fishing shallow cover, there just isn’t a more productive tool than a bucktail. There are times when other lures may catch more fish, but even during those times, it seems you can still get a strike on a bucktail.

Successful blade fishing revolves around four key factors: setup, blade size, retrieve speed and execution.

Blades may be easy to cast, but can wear on you throughout the day, if you are not properly equipped. My blade setup of choice is a Shimano SKIXX 9’6” extra Heavy rod teamed with a Tranx 500PG. The Tranx 500 was designed for pulling double 10 blades, but for some anglers, it is a little too large and heavy. No worries; simply use a Tranx 400 and attach a power handle. You can handle any bucktail with the 400 and power handle setup. Don’t forget to spool up with PowerPro 80-pound-test Superslick V2 and finish it off with a 130-pound Stealth Fluorocarbon leader. This rod and reel combination simply makes casting large bucktails all day long much easier.

My bucktail arsenal consists of three lures: a Musky Frenzy IC10, IC9 and 8/9. These three lures give you the ammunition to fire away at muskies anywhere muskies swim. These lures have both a Colorado and Indiana blade, which produces a unique sound and vibration, plus the big Flashabou skirt really breathes and looks incredible in the water.

Day-in and day-out, the IC9 is probably my first choice. It seems to be most versatile, regardless of the conditions, and muskies that are either extremely active or neutral will still bite it. If the fish are chasing lures and biting, I’ll most likely fish a larger IC10. The IC10 is a big-muskie magnet, and when the muskies are in a mood to eat, there’s simply nothing better. On the flip side, if the muskies aren’t chasing and you know they are in the area, the 8/9 is your best choice. These smaller blades can convert followers into strikers when they seem to ignore larger offerings.

Summer bucktail retrieve speed is pretty straightforward, and most days I would characterize the most productive speed as medium-fast. I can see my lure a foot or less below the surface, most of the retrieve. There aren’t too many days when I catch muskies in summer where I can’t see my blade most of the time. However, you always need to experiment with retrieve speed. In fact, on some days you need to point your rod towards your lure, place the rod tip close to the water and crank as fast as you can.

I play with retrieve speeds each day, and make sure that a couple times during every cast, I simply give my reel a couple speed bursts or faster cranks of the handle. This makes the bucktail accelerate, lift and the skirt flair. It’s a natural trigger for a following muskie.

Muskie fishing is becoming more about boatside execution, and blades are the best tools to be successful at catching muskies at boatside. Certainly, providing mid-retrieve speed bursts will help you trigger strikes, but if a muskie has its nose to the bucktail, you need to be ready to execute a large figure 8. This is where the 9’6” Skixx is really helpful in making big turns.

Besides just big turns, pay attention to how the muskie is reacting. If the fish is moving fast, give the lure some speed in the figure 8. If the fish seems interested but moving slower, simply slow down. I also, try different things during the figure 8, such as hesitating the lure for a split-second in the turns or accelerating in the straight. Experimenting with boatside maneuvers will trigger more strikes. Executing under pressure with a big muskie in pursuit is often the difference between catching a trophy or having a follow and a story.

You simply can’t go wrong with a black bucktail with either nickel or black blades. You’ll also want to have one with gold blades and maybe a brown or gold skirt, one with a white skirt, a bucktail with orange blades, and a real high-visibility chartreuse color. My point is to have a few that range from super-dark to super-bright, and you will be good-to-go in a variety of water and light conditions.

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