False sun rises, the colors will become more obvious and the shadows will start long offering the angler an opportunity to capitalize on presenting to the best areas of the structure before the dif-fuse predawn light gives way to the direct rays of the sun. Lunar Influence The moon is a gigantic factor in the daily activ-ity patterns of musk- Continued on page 20

False ies and other fish and wildlife. The largest influences occur when the moon is directly overhead and directly underfoot. These two positions are referred to as major activity periods. There are two other daily peri-ods of lunar influence that occur halfway between the overhead and underfoot po-sitions. These periods coincide with the moonrise and moonset, and are called minor activity periods. This is where we get the terms Major and Minor. Typically Ma-jors last about two hours with the influence starting an hour before the charted time. A Minor is half that amount of time, lasting an hour with the influence starting a half hour before the charted time. So if your chart tells you that a Major will occur at 12: 00pm, expect the activity to start around 11: 00am and last until about 1: 00pm. If the chart tells you there will be a Minor at 5: 00pm, the activity should start at 4: 30pm and last until 5: 30pm. Majors are typically stronger when the moon is in the underfoot posi-tion. Past experiences have shown more muskie activity happens during this period, especially when it occurs during the daylight hours when fishing can be tougher in gen-eral. Continued on page 23