musky's in a drought?

just want to thank everyone for all the tips and suggestions. will take all into consideration. good luck everyone

Most musky anglers put their equipment away and chase other species when surface temps hit the 80 degree mark. You can also try to fish larger deeper waters that might have temps that are a bit cooler.

Sometimes you have no choice as most people only get a certain amount of vacation and we can't control the weather so you make due the best you can.

In all cases, but especially as the water gets quite warm in the peak of the summer you should make every effort to get the fish to the boat as quickly as possible and limit the amount of time the fish is out of the water to as short a time as absolutely possible. Have the release tools handy at all times, and just cut the hooks out if you think they are going to take any amount of time to remove.

With the surface water temps in the 80 degree + range its really time to put the muskie gear away for a while. Muskie just don't tolerate the hot water after a battle. The lactic acid build up in the muscles of the fish after a fight and the warm water makes it a deadly combination for the fish. I know it happened to me when I first started fishing muskie. Had a few go belly up. For biological reasons they seem to do better and release well when the water is in the 70's. IMHO.

The high skies with the warm weather isnt your friend either. I fish mostly at dusk and after dark in the summer months. Easier to avoid the heat and the recreation boaters.

No doubt the warmer the water the more risk of having one croak on you.

I battled 80 degree water on the chip last August. Didn't really get on any fish until the day after a heavy nite rain. Fished the vicinity around a creek pouring in cold rain water and got a 40".

Best bet is to fish the cooler water if you can find it. Not that all the fish congregate there overnite, but the fish that are there have a better chance of being active.

Shade sides of islands, upwind side of the lake after a steady wind for a day or more, deeper water, clear water doesn't heat as fast as dark water. Rivers can be a bit cooler than lakes also. And because there are no rules with this fish, ive heard of guys getting them way up in the thick stuff too.

Hot water does suck.