Don't get frustrated. It's Muskie and you'll never fully understand their behavior. Don't get caught up on the perfect side to side action with any glide bait you throw. The non-mechanical kinda all over the place bait will out produce a perfect side to side action. You want a glide bait to move all over the place in my opinion.

Second, just like everyone here, including myself it takes time…lots of time on the water to consistently produce fish. If your having trouble at Thorn switch it up…throw stuff nobody throws. Fish on days you think would suck (weather pattern wise) and just keep learning a little bit each time out. Fish the open water, fish the edges and certainly try and fish the slop (weeds). Sure there super thick but there are plenty of tools (baits) that can get right in the thickest of stuff and come out clean.

Last, do it all now cause my guess is in a couple weeks temps will be at 80 and your Muskie fishing will stop unless you fish at night or really early mornings.

"bails" said:
i would be dreaming if the original conversation was about launch to launch. im 6.8 miles from the backside thorn launch and i was 4.5 from the charlton park launch. im not 20 min. from camp's launch i was speculating. i usually don't count the time to smoke a cig. and yeah…. im a dreamer arent all muskie fisherman? 🙂 whats more sad is ive never fished campaeau and its so close but thorn is my backyard i gotta know it i dont care how many people tell me its a tough lake, its still my backyard i cant stop fishing it… which brings me to my report. surface temps 73 to 74, definitive weedlines are now existent and i didnt see a fish anywhere, well i had back to back largemouths that were 19 to 21 inches right where my muskies should be. its like a switch got flipped and the fish have clicked into summer mode and i have to go find them, even during the worst conditions im hellbent on this lake. if i didnt work so much i would declare war once again on the waters but its a waste of time. im glad i have a year under my belt but i hate feeling confident showing up at a lake and realizing 4 hours into it im lost once again! the one factor that im sure some of you veterans can help me out with is the amount of pressure that thorn takes. ive seen alot of people muskie fishing it this year and i dont see it changing until the fall. this also triggered into my head the amount of schooling baitfish in open water that werent there a couple of weeks ago. are they feeding under the open water targeting the baitfish??? i dont know! it should scream out bucktails all day long in my mind with the surface temp crossing 70 but i still feel like im chasing a select few instead of the majority. ill get it down its just a matter of time. im sure its the same on most muskie waters it just frustrates me i had such a good spring and i dont want to go a month without a muskie. last year i had so many pike inbetween it was okay, i just want muskies…. i have a sickness that can only be cured by a fish! love it. on a side note… has anyone here worked the new glideraider? i bought one and fished it but im struggling with the action. for such a big bait its very touchy, when i can see the bait and work it side to side it looks amazing, i say that but it doesnt touch a claw's action but it is a bigger body style. i like the bait but struggle with keeping it functioning the way it should. it looks great for 10 seconds then it shoots to the surface and falls to hell. the talonz claw still rocks i would buy 10 of the same build and color tomorrow mike ill send you a picture its lights out in the right condition. my last muskie i caught i was trolling it slowly and had a fish instantly hit i threw it out behind the boat when the graph looked good. i actually enjoy it when trolling at slow speeds and ripping the bait and pausing it. ive caught 3 fish while doing it this year and works great with my light boat while drifting with the wind slowly. any feedback on the bait would be great there are still alot of baits ive never worked and i wonder if its not really that touchy, its just a big bait that im working too hard.. im still a one-trick pony when it comes to baits and success but i dont wanna be. i still hate castings double tens… what a crappy day if you dont hook up! its a good thing ive seen it work or i would sink them to the bottom.

I just started making gliders and they are touchy to say the least. You need to take drive over to Austin which is gin clear and learn how to work your gliders there. You will see the bait the entire retrieve . If double tens are too much go to double 8's or Get some Mepps Giant or Musky Killers. Buck tails and glides catch fish. You want to really have some fun? start throwing weagles at dusk and experience the thrill of a top water strike.

I guess the real point is stretch out a bit. Get over to camapu, hit Lower crooked and Austin. Travel a bit and enjoy some new water. Michelle and I love our Claws and Little claws as do many of the guys in the club. It is but one trick in the box. I have my favorites as does every guy and Gal on this forum and in this club. Try Long where it seems nothing works but bull dawgs and double tens. Its an adventure Bails. That is why they call it musky hunting . Cheers 😀

I took that to mean that only if casting double-tens all day without a strike it's a crappy one… I totally get where bails is coming from, but I think he is really just saying that in jest.