Buoys marking shallow rocks and humps around the lake are fished hard for a variety of species. Wehler said there are more humps that are not marked, and anglers who stumble upon one of these should fish it hard.

Wehler throws many bucktails throughout the summer, and color can change depending on the conditions. Wehler said keep it simple most of the time, but don't be afraid to try something weird if they aren't biting or following.

"Jerkbaits and topwater lures also work very well, and don't just try topwater fishing at night," he said.

Additional information on Lake Vermilion can be found at www. muskytomguideservice.com. Lodging and area information can be found at www.lakevermilionresorts.com or by calling 1-800-648-5897.

MILLE LACS
As if you needed another reason to fish Mille Lacs, the lake with something for everyone. It's a distant second to Vermilion with "only" 478 muskies on the list, though that's 100 more than third place.

Fish on this heavily pressured lake are no strangers to a large selection of lures. This could be why the muskies have a reputation for being followers. Many anglers, this author included, seem to have more heart-pounding follows on Mille Lacs than any other lake.

Almost every muskie expert consulted for this article had some advice for Mille Lacs muskies. The good news is that their collective knowledge showed that a wide variety of tactics work in many locations. Translation: This lake is loaded with muskies. Of all the locations mentioned, the sharp breakline along the north end, the bays on the west end and the bays on the south end were the top spots.

Al Pederson of WoodsNWater Guide Service said the muskie bite tends to move around the lake as the season progresses.

"I'll start out on the south end in Cove Bay in June, move up by Vineland in July and then by August the best action is on the north end," Pederson said.

There are a dozen accesses around this 132,000-acre body of water, and each one will get you close to the muskie action.

"From the Fourth of July until the lake freezes over, Mille Lacs is an absolute sheer dynamo place to fish," said Tim Edinger, a Brainerd-area guide for Walleye Dan's Guide Service.

The Vineland area is one of Edinger's favorite locations, especially in July and August. Emerging cabbage beds are great locations for throwing bucktails or slowly retrieved deep-diving crankbaits. Once the weeds thicken up, Edinger divides his time between the inside weed edge with topwaters and the deep weedline with bucktails.

"Never give up on anything, and see what the fish are going for that day," he said. "If the action is slow, keep switching it up."

Additional information can be found online at www.millelacs.com or by calling 1-888-350-2692.

DETROIT LAKE
First stocked in 1989, Detroit's muskie population is strong, as indicated with 378 fish on the list. Only 3,000 acres in size makes it more manageable than the top two lakes. Four boat launches line the shoreline of Detroit Lake.

"I've had my best luck on this lake throwing black and silver as well as red and yellow spinnerbaits," said Brian Kaiser of Musky 101 Guide Service and creator of Kaistertail lures.