Welcome to Steve Heiting Outdoors

Thank you for visiting the official website of professional musky angler Steve Heiting. On this site, you can learn more about Steve, find out where you can hear him speak, read some of his articles, and learn what tackle and equipment he uses on the water.

 

Seminars To Focus On Northwoods Patterns, Electronics, at Nicolet College

RHINELANDER, Wisconsin — The lineup for Nicolet College’s annual Musky Seminar, which will be held on March 23 and April 6, has been announced.

Participants can attend one or both sessions, which will be held in the Northwoods Center on the Nicolet College campus, located one mile south of Rhinelander just off Hwy. G. 

Ten different classes are planned for the two-day event, plus an end-of-the-day question and answer session each day. “As in the past, we’ve changed up the focus of our seminar lineup to keep things fresh and informative,” said Steve Heiting, Fishing Hall of Famer and the event’s lead presenter. “This year we’re focusing on patterns that are applicable to almost any northwoods water.

“A fishing pattern involves much more than the lure,” Heiting continued. “A pattern involves as many variables as you can determine, and figuring patterns out is the key to being consistently successful on the water.”

But that’s not all. Previous attendees have asked for discussions about high tech electronics, and the 2024 Musky Seminar will provide presentations about forward facing sonar and side imaging sonar.

Joining Heiting in presenting seminars are northwoods guides Rob Manthei, Ken Jackson and Will Buhler.

The schedule and session topics are as follows:

Saturday, March 23
10 a.m. — Basics Of Musky Fishing/Landing & Release
11 a.m. — Early Season Musky Patterns
Noon — Lunch
12:30 p.m. — Summer Musky Patterns
1:30 p.m. — Livebait Strategies
2:30 p.m. — Forward Facing Sonar Techniques & Ethics
3:30 p.m. – Question and answer session with the presenters

Saturday, April 6
10 a.m. — Develop Your Own Musky Patterns
11 a.m. — Pre-Turnover Musky Patterns
Noon — Lunch
12:30 p.m. — Choose Your Lake According To Season
1:30 p.m. — Get The Most From Side Imaging Sonar
2:30 p.m. — Fall Musky Patterns
3:30 p.m. — Question and answer session with the presenters

Cost is $60 for one day and $100 for both days. Lunch and a chance at door prizes are included in the registration fee.

To register, click here or call Email: CE@nicoletcollege.edu. Phone: 715-365-4544.

 

 

New Musky Tips Videos Airing Weekly

The third season of Steve Heiting’s Musky Tips, a series of video tips offered on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, premiered January 15, and new videos are becoming available each week.

“I’m having an absolute blast doing this,” Steve said. “My goal is to help others become better musky anglers, and my tips are focused solely on that goal.” 

Click on the image to view Steve’s 2024 Musky Tips trailer.

Steve recently posted a trailer for his 2024 Musky Tips. To view it, click on the image at right.

Steve’s tips are typically less than five minutes in length. He vows not to post any clickbait or ridiculous antics on his videos just to get you to watch. “I realize everyone’s time is valuable, so I keep my tips focused and to the point,” Steve said. “In each tip I introduce the topic, and then use musky fight footage and video demonstrations, with voice overs, to teach the points being made.”

Stealth Tackle has again signed on as title sponsor of Steve’s Musky Tips. To view Stealth’s full lineup, click here.

Tips will drop at 7 a.m. Central on Mondays for 15 weeks starting January 15. 

Steve recommends viewers subscribe on YouTube so they don’t miss an episode. “I’m slowly building a reference library for musky anglers,” Steve said. “With this season, I’ll have 45 regular tips posted, plus my Bonus Tips which I release in the summer. I hope you enjoy them, and even better, catch a few extra muskies because of them.”

 

 

University of Esox To Conduct
One School For 2024 Season

When Fishing Hall of Famers Jim Saric and Steve Heiting launched the University of Esox Musky Schools in 1996, they had no idea they would still be conducting the events nearly 30 years later. But a growth spurt in musky fishing occurred during that time and students are still signing up. 

“Our mantra has always been to ‘fish hard, fish smart,’ and there is no shortage of anglers who want to become better at their sport,” said Saric, host of “The Musky Hunter” TV show and former publisher of Musky Hunter magazine. “Our goal is to shrink their learning curve and help them improve as musky fishermen.”

Saric and Heiting will conduct one school in 2024 — the Summer Musky Tactics session at St. Germain Lodge near St. Germain, Wisconsin, June 7-9.

A “musky” is the shortened term for the muskellunge, the largest freshwater predator fish in North America. The word “esox” is derived from the Latin name for muskellunge — esox masquinongy. “We felt it was fitting to include that in the name of our schools,” said Heiting, now a northwoods guide after working as managing editor of Musky Hunter magazine for more than 27 years. “We try to convey to the people with whom we work to become lifelong students of the sport.”

Schools combine classroom seminars with fishing, and are held at premier resorts and facilities. Students are encouraged to ask questions during multimedia classroom sessions, which are conducted in an informal atmosphere. A low instructor-to-student ratio is maintained as the school has only 23 openings. Saric and Heiting are assisted by a variety of guides at both schools, including fellow resort owner Rob Manthei.

More than 3,000 muskies have been caught at University of Esox schools, which have been attended by nearly 2,000 anglers.

Dan Hedman (left) caught this big musky at the Summer Musky Tactics school in 2023. It was his first musky. He is seen with instructor Steve Heiting.

Important data from all muskies caught is recorded as students are taught to use previous catch data to predict future musky fishing outings. “Being the apex predator, muskies are low in number in any water so they can beextremely unpredictable. However, if you recognize the same conditions in which you have previously succeeded, you can often fish in the same manner and replicate your success,” Saric explained.

Numerous giant muskies have been caught during University of Esox events, up to 54-1⁄2 inches in length. “Even more importantly,” Heiting noted, “is no musky has ever been kept at one of our schools. We not only teach our students to be better musky fishermen, but to be respectful of other anglers and the musky resource. Every school we conduct includes a seminar on catch and release practices.”

Saric and Heiting have developed friendships with many of their past students, and regularly receive photos of their musky fishing successes. “That’s what makes our schools so much fun for us as instructors,” Saric said. “It doesn’t get any better than when somebody takes something they learned at one of our schools and catches a big musky, whether it happens at the school they attended or five years later. It’s all about people enjoying themselves fishing for muskies.”

For more about the University of Esox, click here.

 

 

 

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