The closest town to Paint Pond is Florence across the border in Wisconsin. For information on lodging and accommodations in the area, contact the Iron County Tourism Council at (906) 265-3822, or online at www.tryiron.org.

TAHQUAMENON RIVER
If you have your heart set on landing a muskie while casting, it's a pretty good bet that you can do it in the Tahquamenon River northeast of Newberry.

The muskie you catch isn't likely to be a legal fish, though. Only about 5 percent of the muskies in the Tahquamenon reach the 42-inch size limit, but what they lack in size they more than make up for in numbers, and you're not going to find a more scenic venue in which to fulfill your quest.

"Most of the muskies you're going to catch in the Tahquamenon River are going to be in the mid-30-inch range," said Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Jim Waybrant, "but there are a few that reach 48 inches and bigger."

Waybrant said muskies caught above the upper falls are northern-strain muskies, but below the lower falls, you'll find a mix of Great Lakes and northern muskies.

Key to finding muskies in the Tahquamenon is finding structure along the shorelines muskies use as ambush cover. Look for old beaver lodges, weedlines, downed trees and other structure that provide muskie hangouts. Cover of this type is plentiful from McPhee's Landing upstream to M-123 and downstream to the upper falls. Hotspots can be places where rivers enter the Tahquamenon like the Sage and Hendrie. Another prime stretch of water is from the access near the mouth at Lake Superior up to the lower falls. Some huge muskies are taken each spring just below the dam at Dollarville by both wading and shoreline anglers.

The Tahquamenon River is the prefect place to cast for muskies. Big Suick jerkbaits, bucktail spinners and oversized spinnerbaits worked close to cover wake up muskies. Late spring and early fall are two of the best times to catch Esox in the Tahquamenon.

For more information on lodging, accommodations and amenities in the area, call the Newberry Area Tourism Association at (906) 293-5562, or online at www.visitnewberrymi.com.

ST. MARYS RIVER
"The St. Marys River system is the place to go if you're a serious muskie angler and you know how to fish for muskies," declared biologist Waybrant.

The St. Marys River is a huge expanse of water that has muskies throughout it. With thousands of acres of water, though, the toothers can be few and far between. Trolling is about the only option when there's so much water to cover. Find baitfish, though, and you'll find muskies. That can mean walleyes, perch, suckers or carp, but keep in mind that muskies prefer soft-rayed fish.

Just trying to narrow down a location to try can be intimidating. Muskies are commonly found throughout Lake Nicolet, Lake George, Munuscong Bay, Raber Bay and Potagannissing Bay. The shallow bodies of water like Munuscong and Raber bays seem to produce the best action in May and June, and then again in September and October. Fast trolling with big, wobbling Believer-type plugs in perch, black sucker, shad and gold/green colors are the ticket. Fish in the 54-inch range are caught every year.