Continuing Education musky seminar to be held in the spring

One of the most prized freshwater game fish of all will receive laser focus when the two-day Musky Fishing Seminar comes to Nicolet College March 24 and April 7.

“When you hook into a musky, especially if it’s a big one, there’s nothing else like it. It’s incredibly exciting,” said Steve Heiting, the managing editor of Musky Hunter magazine and lead presenter at the Nicolet seminar.

Over the course of the two Saturdays, 16 different topics will be covered, with instruction ranging from beginner- to expert-level.

“If there’s a secret to catching muskies, and catching them regularly, it’s putting together a whole bunch of little things and doing them correctly,” said Heiting. “We’ll cover the most important aspects with the goal of helping participants put more muskies in the boat.”

Nicolet is announcing the class now in the event anyone is looking for a holiday gift for the musky angler in their life, said Jodi Fox, coordinator of the college’s Continuing Education program, which is offering the seminar.

“There may be ice on the lakes now but spring will come and musky season will open,” Fox said.

Heiting will be joined by other A-list musky hunters also presenting at the seminar. Topics will include:

– choosing the right lures for a variety of conditions.

– understanding how musky movements change during the different seasons.

– live bait tactics.

– landing and releasing muskies that will keep you and the fish safe.

– mastering the boat-side figure-8 technique.

– understanding lake structure.

– weather conditions and feeding windows.

– musky biology, distribution and stocking.

– local and regional hotspots.

– getting the most from your electronics.

– selecting and maintaining the right boat, rods, and reels.

“When you can understand and then master the fundamentals, you can go out and hit the water and expect to catch fish, not simply hope that you catch fish,” said Heiting who, along with catching countless muskies, has sat in the editor’s chair of Musky Hunter magazine for 23 years.

Each day will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Northwoods Center on the Rhinelander campus. Each presentation will run for one hour.

Kids can register at a reduced rate.

“We’re encouraging children to attend and have a discounted fee of $25 per day for anyone 18 and under with an adult registration,” Fox said.

Adult registration is $50 for one day and $85 for both days before March 1. After that date, cost is $65 for one day and $100 for both days.

Each participant will receive a gift bag, lunch, and be eligible to win a variety of door prizes.

For more information, visit nicoletcollege.edu/musky. To register, call (715) 365-4544; 1-800-544-3039 ext. 4544; TTY 1-800-947-3529 or 711 relay