early spring vs late spring

[james_walleye]

Anyone ever notice a correlation between early spring or a late spring and how good the musky bite ends up being throughout the year?

[Nick Kuhn]

Well last year was probably the worst year I've ever had for muskie fishing. 2010 was my best year and looking back at pictures I was wearing a jacket fishing on May 8th. I think the cooler the water throughout the year, the better. Last year the water was too hot for too long.

[james_walleye]

Interesting, because last year I had a fabulous year.....

[crix]

i agree with nick i did the best that year

[MuskieFever]

Last year was two fold, it was good fishing, BUT it was too hot for too long. I myself stopped fishing muskies for about a month plus due to hot water temps. I had buddies really catching them but I am not a fan of watching a nice fish crawl back in the water...just my opinion. Enough of that rant. I prefer a colder spring because I think it gives the lake more time to develop more weed growth. Early springs seem to have warmer water with not much cover to show for it.

[50inchpig]

yeah 2010 was a later spring and a cooler summer and fishing was great. water temps stayed in the low 70s all summer long which i think is ideal.

last couple years it hasn't been as consistent for me with the higher temps, although good fall action made up for it and total numbers were about the same so i guess i'll take it however it comes. i wouldn't mind a late spring and cool summer though after the last two years of scorchers.

i don't disagree with what muskiefever said about the weedgrowth and cover either, there might be something to that.

[Musky Buck]

I'm in on the colder the spring the better, no ? about it after checking 24 years worth of diary, I couldn't be happier this spring. Just a few years ago, opening day wearing sorels, water temps I think 57-58, cold as heck out there and 5 casts in a nice 53" and shortly after a 45" and we missed a few and had like 15 follows some medium hot kinda and eventually it shut off completely but that hour I'll never forget really. So this colder spring doesn't scare me at all, definitely not an easy pattern as if they eat like mad one day usually the next for me is really bad, often going against the grain and trying a new lake the 2nd day.