How does temperature set the muskie's feeding rhythm?
A muskie is an ectotherm running a gorge-and-digest economy: water temperature sets both how fast it burns energy and how fast it can process a meal. In the 20–25 °C (68–77 °F) sweet spot a big meal clears in a day or two and the fish hunts often; at 10 °C (50 °F) the same meal takes several days, so feeding windows get fewer but — because the fish still needs mass — each one can be violent. This is why cold-water muskie fishing is a game of being on the right spot for a short window, while summer fishing rewards covering water. Track the trend too: a warming trend in spring or a stable warm spell almost always fishes better than the absolute number.
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