She’s 24 and she’s caught 35

Rachel rocked the boat when she used a quick-set sucker rig to reel in this 44.5-pound musky on Sand Lake, Burnett County.

I peered over the side of the boat and there the monster sat, staring at my sucker from two feet away. “Take it,” I mouthed. On command, it flared its gills in attempt to scare the sucker and then inched toward the bait. When the sucker struggled to swim away, the musky pursued and I saw the bobber suddenly change direction -- a good indication it had ahold of the sucker. My uncle and I slowly moved over to the bobber to make sure the musky was moving away. “Set the hook!” he shrieked. Minutes later he helped me boat a 45-incher.

I've been fishing since I was 2 years old and musky fishing since I was 11. My uncle, John Aschenbrenner, introduced me to fishing and I've learned most of what I know through him.

I love musky fishing. I think it’s the thrill of using the tools you have to outsmart a fish that’s tough to catch. It’s also the anticipation, coupled with the feeling of not knowing if you will catch one on a given day.

When I first started out musky fishing, I had no idea what bait to use but used whatever my uncle put on the end of my line. I still consult him to this day, but I've also picked up a few patterns and definitely have a few favorite lures. These tips can help anglers new to the sport find early success, as I did, and get hooked on musky fishing.

• Choose lures such as bucktails, spinnerbaits, or lures that won't tire you out while casting them all day. Bucktails and spinnerbaits are effective early in the season.
• Space your casts out. The clearer the water, the more space you want. This also yields a faster retrieve of your lure. For dark and murky water, really work the water and don’t worry about casting in similar spots more than once.
• Pay close attention to structure that’s submerged or on the surface. Slow down as you approach these areas and cast from different angles.
• Keep your lure in the water! So many anglers fail to do this because they’re busy talking with their fishing partner, changing lures IN prime spots instead of BEFORE reaching them, taking a short 'break' from casting, or taking out a backlash. People who minimize these activities catch more fish.
• Change baits and fishing times as fall approaches. Crankbaits and jerkbaits work better in the late summer/early fall. Fish tend to move a little slower those times of year. Top water baits work best at night and there's no better thrill than catching one when you can barely see your lure!
• Try fishing with suckers. As water temperatures cool in the late fall, fishing with suckers can be very successful. Suckers stay in the “strike zone” longer than artificial lures and increase your chances of catching one of Wisconsin’s state fish.
• Use a quick set rig instead of a single hook rig. Studies, including one in Wisconsin, have showed delayed mortality of 80 percent or greater when single hooks are allowed to be swallowed by the fish before the angler sets the hook.

Rachel Piacenza, aquatic resources education assistant, Madison