Chasing Muskies Before the Storm: A Risky Fishing Obsession

An angler reflects on the irresistible draw of stormy skies, still water, and a change in the air that says the big fish are about to bite. Should I stay or should I go?

An impending storm can be too much for a muskie angler to resist. | Joe Shead

The Muskie Call and Logic Fails

I want to fish tonight. I want to go out, even though I know I shouldn’t. I want to launch my boat in the still waters of a north woods lake, even though the weatherman says I’m gonna get soaked.

I want to see the water so deathly still, feel the air so heavy like a weight on my shoulders. I want to look to the west and see an ominous, ebony sky approaching.

The Storm Builds, But So Does My Confidence

But instead of motoring to shore like the rest, I’ll stay. I’ll stay and wait and beg nature to have her way with me, because I believe the biggest muskies will love this weather. I’ll keep pitching a hopeful lure to the weedy bays where I know muskies lurk, but whether or not they strike won’t matter.

I’ll be watching that sky. I’ll see lightning ripping jagged lines across a dark tapestry in the distance and I’ll watch the progress of the bubbly rain making its way across the lake toward me. And then when it envelops me, and only then, I’ll fire up the outboard.

Have I Overstayed My Welcome?

Squinting into the spray as I struggle to see my way, but I know this lake well and I’ll find the landing. I’ll run to the truck, drenched T-shirt sticking to my skin and I’ll race to back the trailer into the lake. I’ll slosh right into the water to load up, surprised to find the lake water much warmer than the rain. I’ll yank out the boat and stow everything quickly as the deluge continues to pound down. Once I've slumped into the driver’s seat, I'll turn the defroster to full blast as my wet clothing fogs the windows.

Cold, Wet, and Very Much Alive

Then I’ll drive home slowly in the torrent, happy to remember what it feels like to be alive.

Please Don’t Try This: Maybe the Only Part of This Story You Should Read

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Yes, we’ve probably all been here at some point in our lives as anglers, but we want to make it clear that this story isn’t about a great idea. In fact, testing the forces of nature is generally a pretty bad idea. If the test goes poorly just one time, it can all be over. Always put safety ahead of catching fish.