Wade Merschat was bank fishing at the Noxon Rapids Reservoir in northwest Montana on June 19 when he hooked into a largescale sucker that he knew instantly was big enough to beat the standing record.

Muskies are notoriously hard to catch. But as the water cools in fall, like bears going into hibernation, muskies go on a feeding binge. There's no better time than fall to catch a trophy muskie, and ...