Muskie prefer wood as cover more than pike, but you can catch both species around wood. The best types of wood are around excellent structure.
Deep-sloping shorelines with wood are excellent areas throughout the summer and fall. Timber and brush in shallow water are great in the spring.
Brushy flats along creek channels will also hold fish, but most fish will be found on the deep side of the cover.
Fishing around different types of wood cover can be challenging. Snags will happen, but you can limit them by choosing the right types of baits and
lures. Topwater lures, spinnerbaits, soft plastics with weedless hooks and weedless spoons are the top choices among experienced pike and muskie
fishermen. The jig and pig (bass jigs) are often overlooked, but they are one of the best baits to use for pike and muskie in and around wood cover.
These jigs are great for avoiding snags and they catch lots of pike and muskie. Tournament bass fishermen are often annoyed by pike and muskie
when they are using jigs in and around wood. If there are pike and muskie in the lake where the tournament is held, bass fishermen will catch quite a
few pike and muskie on jigs. Pike and muskie fishermen need to realize how effective jigs can be. In the spring and fall, fish jigs in the shallow cover. In
the summer use jigs around fallen trees and sunken logs in deeper water.
Some other lures that will produce fish around wood are crankbaits, minnow plugs, and jerkbaits. Experienced fishermen will remove the treble hooks
on these lures and replace them with weedless treble hooks to reduce the amount of snags. By replacing the treble hooks, you can still use your
favorite crankbaits, minnow plugs and jerkbaits, that you might not have been able to use without getting hung up in the snags. With most of these fish
seeing so many spinner baits and weedless spoons, it is easy for them to pass up one of these lures. When a crank baits, minnow plug or jerkbait
comes into heavy cover, it is unique enough to get a reaction strike.
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