In the Midwest, there are several species of fish that attain weights of over twenty pounds on a regular basis. Catfish, carp, and muskies are frequently caught that weigh in excess of twenty pounds throughout the Midwest, and to a lesser extent, a few northern pike over the twenty pound mark are occasionally boated in the Midwest. Muskies and pike, especially the really big ones, are very accessible from now until the water freezes over. For your best chance at taking one of these toothy trophies, here's what you do.

First, you must be on "big-fish" water. Some lakes have a reputation for producing big fish; others provide lots of fish but not very many that reach trophy proportions. Typically, the large bodies of water that are deep and clear, and that have baitfish such as tullibee, whitefish, cisco, or smelt will be the home of the big ones. Gamefish that eat the baitfish listed above usually grow to the largest sizes.

One of the keys to catching big fish is to go whenever you can. There are some weather conditions that seem to be better for big fish, but if you wait for perfect weather conditions, you probably won't be going fishing very much. However, if the weather is overcast and a little windy, try to be on the water.

Contrary to what some anglers believe, the really big pike and muskies are usually in or near deep water this time of year. A great place to look for them is in green weedbeds in deep water or on rocky points or humps near deep water. When the fish get ready to eat, they move from the deep water to these locations.

My favorite bait for catching these fish is a Bionic Bucktail with a big Power Grub added for bulk. Toothy fish like these baits, and bucktails allow for good hooksets.

Jerkbaits are also very good this time of year. In fact, if two or three anglers are fishing, they should be throwing different bait styles and colors to see what the fish want.

Fifty or sixty five pound test Whiplash line is becoming very popular for toothy fish because it allows for long casts and solid hooksets. Team this with a 6500 or 7000 Ambassadeur reel and a seven foot medium to medium heavy rod (Fenwick makes some nice ones), and you have a combination that will handle virtually any fish that hits, but is still comfortable to fish with.

Much of the time, especially the later we get in the season, you will have the water to yourself, or you may be sharing it with just a couple of other anglers who also realize this is the best time to take a big one. When that true trophy does eventually take your bait, and it will if you put in your time, take a quick photo and get the fish back in the water. These fish are too valuable to the resource to be caught just once. If you put it back, it will keep growing and be on the same spot next year for you to come back and catch it again.