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SMGS Advantage - In addition to our preparation and time on the water, we run our trips on both the New and James Rivers in Virginia which are about an hour apart from each other. When you book a Trophy Trip or Trophy Package with SMGS, we will fish you on the river where the best bite and conditions are on the day(s) of your trip. This gives us greater flexibility because river conditions and the bite do change daily, especially during the winter months. We also offer first class lodging at our Musky Camps located on both rivers and very close to where we will be fishing. |
| Peak Months - Our peak months for guiding for trophy muskies are Dec thru early-March. This is the one of the best periods to target muskies on our southern rivers, and it can be cold. Cold, wind, rain, snow, ice all trigger HUGE muskies to bite. You will need to be able to handle the weather, and having the right gear is a must. April is typically slow due to the spawn, and May and June normally signal a very strong post-spawn bite. During this period, we do a lot of night fishing. Fishing can slow during the middle of the summer, and then the bite begins to improve as we move towards winter. The fall, starting as early as September, is one of our favorite times and "can" produce some fantastic topwater fishing. |
| Gear List - Southern Musky Guide Service provides all the gear on our guided trips. For those wishing to bring their own gear, here is a short work list of our favorites. For rods, Britt prefers the Shimano Compre Muskie series. For reels, Britt favors the Shimano Curado E series, specifically Model #CU300EJ. The big handle on this reel is definitely a must! For casting line, SMGS uses Power Pro braided line in 50lb to 100lb. For our leaders, we prefer our friends at Stealth Tackle's full lineup including their flourocarbon and straight wire leaders. Lures vary across the board and you can visit our friends at Musky Tackle Online for all your musky needs. Fly anglers, please visit our fly fishing page for setups and flies. |
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| What it Takes - Hunting big muskies is not for the faint of heart or inexperienced fisherman. Muskies are plentiful in rivers that we fish, but they are not an easy catch. You need to be in excellent physical and mental shape and a proficient caster. If you are truly serious about pursuing these fish, you need to consider fishing several days. Muskies can be non-existent several days in a row, and then you hit a day when it seems every fish in the river is fired up. |
| Southern Musky on the Fly - We welcome both conventional and fly anglers. The New and James Rivers are tailor made for fly anglers who have serious casting skills and love to pursue predator fish on the fly. Britt is a skilled fly angler who considers the fly rod another tool when chasing these fish. Please visit our fly page for more info. |
| SMGS's Musky Camp - Our base camp during musky season is both first class and affordable. Please check out our package pricing that includes lodging at SMGSs Musky Camps. You can also learn more about our lodging at our Walker Creek Retreat website. |
| Musky Talk Newsletter - Don't miss the installments of Britt's Musky Talk Newsletter featuring the most current fishing reports, upcoming bites, "can't miss" lure profiles, and anything else "musky-wise" you may be interested in. Please click here to sign up, we'd love to have you. |
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