Going On Top For Muskie

Sure it's great to grab your rod out from between your legs as your trolling and set the large trebles deep into the fish's mouth just before your rod decides to take a swim. But believe me, once you've experienced a hit on a surface lure, you won't want to be firing up the trolling motor any time soon. These fish hit like a ton of bricks, literally!
Choosing topwater lures is much the same as choosing crankbaits. You'll want to take into consideration the colour, the size, and most importantly, the action. The colour of the topwater you choose should agree with the weather, water conditions, and time of day. For example, you wouldn't want to put on a very realistic looking topwater with very little action at midnight because the fish won't be able to find it if it isn't making much noise and the realistic paint job won't help a bit for the muskie can only see the silhouette. Same goes for muddy water. The fish can't see the nice design, so why use it. Use a colour that will get its attention. The opposite goes for clear water. If you use a bright orange lure, the muskie won't know what it is let alone want to bite it. This is when you would bring out your fancy coloured lures with every line, colour and curve. This is also a good time to bring out buzz baits.
If you've ever used a Super Spook and tried to bring it straight in, you will find it looks like a chuck of would being dragged across the surface of the water, nothing more. But if you decide to use this lure correctly (walk the dog method*), this chuck of wood turns in to a violent, struggling, baitfish just waiting to get viciously attacked by a set of monster jaws that are home to dozens of razor sharp teeth. A basic rule for topwater fishing, the more disturbance and noise, the more success you will have.
Sure there are many great new lures on the market today, but I would have to say that my personal favorite lure for these spectacular fish would be the Suick. This lure is designed to float at rest and dive when jerked. You know when you are working this lure right when you can feel the booming sound of your lure plunging down into the water every time you jerk it. Stickbaits or shallow diving crankbaits can also be used as substitutes because they can be worked the same way. Supposedly 9 out of 10 times the muskie hits your lure as it floats to the surface, but I have found that 75% of the time they hit it while it's at rest on the surface.
While surface fishing, the hit is half of the fun. Be ready for the excitement of a lifetime when seeing a muskie come from nowhere and imbed its teeth deep into your lure. Also, with all the excitement, DON'T FORGET TO SET THE HOOK!
*Walk the dog method- You can use this method for mostly Zara Spook products but also some imitations as well. Evenly jerk with brief pauses every once and a while. The bait should move in s "Z" pattern through the water when worked correctly.
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