Small Feeding Windows Are Often The Norm

Joe Bucher goes toe-to-toe at boatside with a big musky that slammed his lipless crankbait.

- Joe Bucher

Late one afternoon into my third day with no muskies boated — and almost no fish action of any kind — a small pike suddenly pounced on my lipless crankbait. Then another one hit, and then another. Baitfish started breaking the surface, too, near sun-baked, shallow spots. I could sense something had definitely changed and a small window of opportunity was beginning to open.

Not surprisingly, small pike are often the first to respond when a bite is about to occur, and I was hopeful a musky strike was possible.