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Posts: 9
| I'm a novice to muskie fishing, went on a charter and had a bunch of fun and want to get into it regularly. I troll for salmon and trout on Lake O occasionally and am familiar with the basics. I have a ton of salmon trolling gear and a big net and hook cutters, Big needle nose pliers, lots of lures between bulldogs, bucktails, etc. I am looking for my first muskie rod and reel setup. I will be casting but here's the "catch" I'm only 5'4" tall. I guess the long rods are the best but if I'm going to spend the day casting for muskie or tigers I am going to be dying with these monster things I imagine. Anyone got any good suggestions? I am considering the 9 ft TI but I am thinking these things are pretty intimidating as it is. And I am not very good with the bait caster reels but I understand they are the tools of the trade. Anyone recommend a good combo for a shorter dude who is just starting, to go out and hammer some fish with? I get a lot of my equipment used so preferably not super expensive brand new. I know it's an expensive sport to get into and don't want junk but for someone that might go out for them 6 times a year or so I don't wanna break the bank. Thanks for any suggestions. |
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Posts: 670
Location: mercer wi | I would suggest a stcroix 8'6" heavy. Either the premier ($200 new) or mojo same size n weight ($180 new). Those rods can handle #5 mepps up to mag dawgs. But being shorter maybe an 8' heavy could be better. If you can go to a store and put these rods in your hands it would help.
As far as reel, it depends on what you want to throw. Smaller 300 size reels are great ( curado, lexa, okuma stuff) but aren't build for long term abuse from baits like 10 blades. I recommend a reel in a 5 gear. Covers everything. I hear the new abu toro s is pretty great all round reel. The 50 size would be great if you have small hands. Don't worry about ipt on reels. Get a good reel an learn to use your tool then fine tune.
Little extra. You don't need $100 bucktails or topwaters. Get a jr cowgirl style, mini bigtooth, suick, manta, topraider, mid medussa, hawg wobbler, and some type of 7"-8" twitch bait.
Most of this stuff you will find on here in buy/sell.
Good luck
Dave |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | I would suggest the TI 9' XH paired with a Revo Toro S. |
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Posts: 25
| X2 on the TI 9' XH w/ Revo Toro S. |
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Posts: 357
Location: Western U.P. | ^Everything Dave said above^
Baitcasters are probably what the majority of Musky fisherman use, but if you prefer a spinning outfit, try that. A lot of people will tell you not to, but salt water guys use spinning gear for a lot bigger/stronger fish than Muskies without a problem.
You may even want to consider a 7'6" rod also. It's all a matter of preference, so choose what works for you. Go to a store with a decent selection of Musky rods, and get a feel for what length you would like to start with. Learn on that rod, and go from there. You can (and will) get more equipment later.
For baitcasting rods, Gander Mtn, Cabela's, and Bass Pro all have pretty decent Musky rods that will get you started, and not break a bank. The SC Mojo and Premiers are nice rods, but I would probably go with a TI 7.5' - 8.5' before them. Better action and feel than those 2 models (again my preference). A TI 7'6" MH 1pc could make a good starting point.
As far as reels go, stick with a name brand, keep it maintained, and it will serve you well. I prefer low profile Abu Garcia's, so I would recommend them first in the 50 size, unless you would prefer a round reel, then a 55/6500C3, 56/6600C4, or a Record are solid choices. Daiwa Lexa 300 and Okuma Citrix/Komodo are also good low profile reels for what you are doing. Not a Shimano guy, so can't offer any recommendations there, but there are a lot on this site that can. Reels are a pretty personal choice, so choose one you like that best fits your hand. Good luck. |
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Posts: 9
| Thanks guys. Ordering one of these ti rods he has special on the buy/sell. Hopefully i can get used to it. I do prefer the spinning reel but it might not work with casting rod. Reel to be determined |
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| If you are only fishing for a few hours at a time the TI rod will be perfect. Now if you put in a few 10 hour days back to back beating the water to a froth you might notice more fatigue with the larger rod. I bought a St. Croix Legend Elite for these scenarios but the Legend Elite's are $550.00 so a little expensive but really comfortable for people with smaller hands. I would also recommend putting on a low profile reel that will help with comfort also. |
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Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | I'm also short (5'7") so I can somewhat speak to that issue. I use a lot of 8-8'6" rods, and prefer a standard butt section to the extended, it just fits my short arms better. If the choice is between a cheap reel/expensive rod and a cheap rod/expensive reel, I'd go with the expensive reel. A TI rod should be fine. I'd recommend adding a balancer to any rod 8'6" or over. Personally I use a 7' rod for gliders/wtd. It gives better snap, and I don't slap the water on every tap. |
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Location: MN | I'm confused why some say a longer rod causes more fatigue. I find the opposite to be true. I find it's easier on the body to cast and do good 8's with a longer rod. Weight isn't an issue with how the light rods are these days.
My suggestion is go with a 9ft (or longer) and buy the most expensive bait casting reel you can afford. There is tons of info on this site about various reels if you do a search. I like shimano's but I know guys who like Abu products too. You will get used to a bait caster in no time.
I started with 7.5-8 footers and am now using 9 to 10 ft rods with the exception of jerkbaits. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | While I do own TI, if your looking for a spinning rod take a look at the Toothtamer rods. They have 2 spinning rods. Good rods too and the owner has good customer service.
http://www.biggametackleco.com/muskie-rods.html
James
PS-If you are getting into musky fishing try to get at least one starter bait casting setup. I think you will really like it. Takes about an hour to get used to it but you will like it. Get 100# line on the reel too, makes it easy to get your birdsnest out  |
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Posts: 9
| I actually have a couple nice heavy duty like 7 ft rods i could rig up for jerkbaits/wtd, thx guys. Now to start researching reels |
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Posts: 12
| If you go with a St. Croix Premier Glass, you get a 1-8 oz lure weight option. I have an 8 footer. For a reel, Curado. If your heart is set on a spinning reel, the Quantum Smoke or Energy are pretty nice. |
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Posts: 9
| So i got the 9 ft xh ti rod and the revo toro s. I bought 100 lb power pro 300 yds to spool with. What do i do for a leader? My first "adventure" will be fishing a small reservoir for tiger muskie from an 8ft inflatable boat within the next few weekends. Looking to get dragged around, any suggestions on a few lures to bring as obviously space is limited. Thanks again |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | I'm a small guy 5' 7 135#
My last 2 rod's I had built are 9' 8" I like the longer rods it comes to personal preference I only have shimano reels never had a problem with them so why look at somthing else .the 1 and only thing I don't like about shimano is there not American made |
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Newbie Rod and reel questions