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| Hello all!
My friend is looking to get into Muskie fishing! he recently got a gander mountain giftcard and is looking to get his first muskie setup, and maybe a few lures. He wants a lower profile reel and was looking at getting the Abu Revo S but im not sure if its great for muskie fishing? He also thinks he wants a st.croix rod which i dont think is a bad choice.
What i'm asking for help here with, is what do you think a good setup for him would be that is from gander mountain, that would cost up to 250 bucks tops? this rod has to be able to do it all pretty well, small bucktails, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and be able to work some soft plastics as well.
Let me know what you guys think! any help is appreciated.
Thanks again.
Mavrik |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | Well if I sit and think about it. I would say the Gander series Musky rod in the 8ft range to 8'6" would be a good choice. St croix rods are undoughtedly one of the top choices, but with a low budget and the amount of money that the rest of the gear costs, might be good to go in a different direction. So again the Gander series rods are well built. I know a guy that has used them and says they hold up. Also you want at least an 8fter. I Don't own a revo s. But am not sure if they are built for the brutal lures and beetings that we put our gear through. I persoanlly own two Revo Toros. They are some of the best reels on the market but you can spend all most $300 on just one of those. With getting a low profile musky reel your going to spend more then you can afford in terms of a $250 budget. I would say pick up a Shimano Cadiff or a Abu Garcis 6500 series. Yes, they are both round baitcasters but IMO will hold up better then a reel not necessarily built for muskies.
Both of the reels I mentioned are around $100 - $150 range. The pole I think is about $100 or $150. There are other items that he needs and are CRUCIAL to musky hunting. A good net, one that has a wide mouth to hold the fish. A good set of long nose pliers and one that everyone on here will tell you. Is a great set of hook cutters, Knipex is the most popular.
With everything that he needs to really get into the sport he can easily spend a lot more then $250. Just make sure that he knows about the essintials. Pole, reel, net, hook cutters and release tools.
But the pole and the reels I mentioned I would look into... idk, maybe someone has used the Revo S for muskies, but I think it is more of a high end bass reel.
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Posts: 133
| Abu 6500 or 6501 C3 with a GM guide series rod, all for around $180. Good starter for light to moderate gear. I still have 2 of these set ups that are still a pretty good go-to rod and reel combo. |
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Posts: 44
| Thanks for the help!
I have the exact setup you are talking about, a 8 foot gander rod with a Shimano cardiff, and i love it, im just seeing what other options would be available to him.
I have taken him Muskie fishing with me before and have taught him how to properly land and release a fish. I also agree he should probably have his own set of release tools, but for the most part he will mostly be fishing in my boat which has release tools and a nice big net, which is why i didn't include the cost for them.
Thanks again for the help, and nice to see another angler from plymouth! hope to see you on the waters soon.
Thanks.
Mavrik |
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| The Revo S is mid-range bass reel, so I wouldn't throw any true musky lures with it. Bass jerkbaits, rattlebaits, and the like work well for it. It has a place in the boat, but it isn't what someone would want for a starter reel.
A Shimano Cardiff would be a much better option for a general, starter reel. If he's interested in a low-profile he could look into the Revo Toro line and 300 series Curados. They tend to be somewhat technique specific and are fairly expensive.
Gander rods are nice, and since your friend has a gift card that could be a good option. If the gift card runs out before he's got a rod I'd look into one of the new 8' Tackle Industries rods. His 9' rods have been a huge success, but the 8' will probably be better to start out. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | My Tackle Industries TI rods are on special at a lot of retailers for $120 until June 1. You can read more about them on: http://www.tackleindustries.com/muskypikerods.html
Depending on where you live I might be able to help you with local retailers who are carrying them and there are also a few online retailers who have all my rods with low or free shipping too.
Thanks,
[email protected] |
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Posts: 190
Location: Savage, MN | My first muskie set up was a 7' gander rod and a abu 6500. I dont know what other finances are available for your friend but I would agree with catchandrelease that a TI rod would be a much better starting point. They are really affordable and imo of greater quality. I think that they still have them on their site for $120 plus $5 shipping is an awesome deal. Just a thought. Only 65 more days to the MN muskie opener. |
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Posts: 908
Location: South-Central PA | It's hard to beat a TI rod, especially if you are on a budget. There's just nothing out there that compares with the cost vs. quality that you get from a TI rod. Pair it with one of the reels mentioned above and you've got a killer beginner rig. As far as lures, get a variety: bucktails, cranks, etc.
jeremy |
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Posts: 55
| I own 6 of the Revo S reels for bass fishing. I don't think they'll last very long throwing muskie baits. I agree with some of the others that an Abu 6500 C3 would be a good start.
If he really wants St. Croix, the Muskie Mojo is a very nice lower prices St. Croix. |
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Posts: 981
| if he wants a croix i think hed be happy with a 8'0 MH premier or mojo. Its pretty easy to find used premiers now at a great price.
if he decides hes open to others ill be yet another echo and recommend a TI 9'0 tele MH. If he wants lower profile for muskie there wont be much out there thats below 200 and they tend to be your revo toro 50 or 60 or the curados. |
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| I am very content with my Gander Mountain Guide Series Muskie rods. I have three of them. The longest is 6'6", but I have transport limitations. I especially like an IM 8 in 15 to 30 lb. line weight. Good for the bucktails and crankbaits I throw. You are going to find that to do jerk baits well, you need a rod with a stiffer tip than is ideal for bucktails and cranks. I would start with the bucktail and crankbait rod and worry about a rod for jerk baits later. Being a tight fisted guy on recreational stuff, I only have Abu Garcia 6500c3 and Shimano Corvalus reels, both under $90 when I bought them. They work well enough for an amateur--at least to start. One thing I would add, it is worthwhile buying a superbraid line. I use 65 lb Power Pro. I converted to that after being stubborn about sticking to 20 lb. supposedly Extra Tough mono. Too many snap offs. Tell your friend to master his knots. Don't throw anything out there with less than a well tied Trilene knot; or a Palomar. You don't want to lose a trophy size fish because you were too lazy to learn and tie a good knot. Skis are tough, especially around the boat. And one other thing, don't go out without a net adequate for muskie. It doesn't have to be expensive, but it does have to be big enough. A pike/walleye net isn't enough. |
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Posts: 833
| It might be more appropriate to ask what baits he wants to use as well as how often he wishes to fish? A guy fishing a full 6 month season a few times a week is going to be much harder on gear than a guy who travels to fish 3-4 times a year. |
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Beginner Muskie Rig?