Photo by Pete Maina

There is much to be said about chasing muskies "up north," but seasonal considerations and warmer water make downstate Wisconsin the place to be if you're chasing toothers in the Land of Cheese this month. For every trip not made to the piney woods this year, you can save enough money in gasoline costs to buy at least two more lures the next time you finally pull into the parking lot at Rollie & Helen's Muskie Headquarters in Minocqua.

Besides, muskies swimming in southern Wisconsin still have that pugnacious Esox attitude. They may be feeding on crappies and bluegills instead of ciscoes, but they still get fat, and they still fight hard.

There will be plenty of time for muskie fishing on North Twin, the Chippewa Flowage and Lac Vieux Desert in the northwoods next month. This month, take along a boom box with a Yoopers CD, some brats and a couple of Leinies -- and hang a pine air freshener around your neck -- and you won't know the difference. And other anglers will probably stay more than a long cast away, even if you're working Pewaukee or Wingra -- especially if you're singing along with The Yoopers or talking to an invisible friend.

The following is a look at some waters on the south side of Hodag Country where you can get your string stretched and be home in time for dinner.

PEWAUKEE LAKE
Giant muskie mounts on the walls of northwoods supper clubs may conjure dreams of what swims in the lake just down the road, but when you check the facts, there is simply no water that even comes close to producing more trophy muskies than this 2,400-acre Waukesha County lake.

Want to talk size? Numbers? Growth rates? Pewaukee leads the curve with adult males averaging 33 inches and adult females over 37 inches. Fifty-inch muskies swim here, caught by both sport-anglers and Department of Natural Resources officials in surveys.

Regarding that "fish of 10,000 casts" stuff. Pewaukee boasts .52 adult muskies per surface acre. The very best Class A muskie waters up north check in at about .33 adult fish per surface acre. Conventional wisdom says the more fish that see your lure, the greater the likelihood that one will be willing to chomp.

One could argue that these fish are better educated than their northern counterparts. DNR statistics also indicate an exceptional amount of fishing pressure per surface acre. You'll seldom -- if ever -- be alone out there. Fishing prime spots means you'll have to wait your turn to see if that black Tallywacker with the orange fin is what Ol' One Eye wants to chase that day.

This is an easy lake to figure out. The east end is essentially a vast weedflat with a couple of rocky humps, an island and a great transition area running off of Rocky Point. Since this end of the lake is shallower, it warms quicker. See you on Taylor Bay opening weekend. My Lund will be one of just a dozen or so boats there, but mine will have a female yellow Lab curled up near the stern.

Once waters warm about June 10 the fleet moves toward the west end to probe deep weed edges. Think that noise is crippled frogs thrashing on the surface on a moonlit summer night? Nope! That's the sound of 40 Top Raiders and Crazy Crawlers being dragged through a forest of red, green and white navigational lights. There will be more than 10,000 casts here on any given night. At least one will result in a hookup that will tear the guts out of a new reel.

Contact: Smokey's Bait Shop, (262) 691-0360.

OKAUCHEE LAKE
Probably No. 2 for muskies out of Waukesha County's 100 lakes is this popular 1,200-acre waterbody just down the road from Pewaukee. Access is from two good boat ramps on the south side.