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Posts: 4
| Hey all!
So I am just getting into hunting the musk and am trying to best gear up. As a result I am wondering what the best overall topwater lure is. Thanks for the info!
CZ |
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Posts: 373
| PACEMAKER |
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Posts: 29
| WHOPPER PLOPPER |
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Posts: 774
Location: South East Wisconsin | Pacemaker for me. |
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Posts: 501
Location: S.Wisconsin | For me if I had to say one....chopper. I willl say that anything made by Joel Wick rocks and my Jinkerson baits are nice as well. A walk the dog bait is a must have as well so something like a one eyed willey or a weagle and throw a fishstick by Lee in there as well. Pacemaker is a nice bait as well. Sory I just cant pick one....they all have a time and place |
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Posts: 789
Location: Delavan, WI | if i could only pick one it would be a pre roi top raider in a dark color
Edited by muskymartin67 5/8/2012 6:39 AM
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Posts: 669
Location: Twin Cities, MN | Lee's Water Chopper if I could only pick one. Thankfully, I do not so I also have a couple nice Nimmers and Joel Wick front thumpers to rely on.
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Posts: 582
| i have caught more fish on a hawg wobbler than any other topwater. Its slow to fish, quite boring but for some reason on calm nights this lure produces. |
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| Hands down----the best topwater of all time----the old Musky Mania Tackle Dying Fish-----they jusy don't make 'em like that anymore. In calm conditions---the Mouldy Hawg Wobbler------in rough water-----anything with a prop on it. Good luck to ya---Jobu |
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Posts: 133
| Weagle |
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Posts: 550
Location: So. Illinois | Topraider, Pacemaker and Whopper Plopper |
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| If I recall the statistics, the Topraider has caught more 50" fish than any other surface lure. You can check on this at the Jackson Lures website, where they publish the list compiled by Muskies, Inc. If you are just starting with this pursuit, before you spend a lot of money on things that might not help, I would advise you to buy a copy of Heiting and Saric's book on Musky Hunting. It explains the various types of lures; and gives names. The book is not a Bible, but it is a good source book. Good luck. |
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Location: SE Wisconsin | Top Raider #1, Weagle #2, Pacemaker #3, Raw Roasting Chicken #4 |
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| did anyone mention topraiders? i will... TOPRAIDER!!  |
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Posts: 32889
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Weagle |
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Posts: 19
Location: Central WI | River fishing, I have had most luck on a Zara Spook. Slow walk the dog style seems best for me. |
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Posts: 2361
| Almost any identification of "BEST" is open to conflict and argument, even in the boat with ONE angler.
Warm, muggy, dark, night, and fairly calm, it would be hard for me to beat a Hawg Wobbler.
Pretty good chop on the water is going to bring out my Lee's Chopper, it stays on top and keeps its cadence.
A tuned up tallywhacker is still an excellent bait, and might pull the trigger on fish that have heard too much top raider.
Calm, with emergent weed of some type, have to go with my secret lure, and have the patience to go slow.
Riffles on the water and smart fish, hard to beat a hi fin scamper tail, stupid lure, and you have to control you pace
shallow dark water, dark frontal day or intermittent rain, holy buckets, get out the creeper and slosh it up...
Some lures I throw, I would never have anybody else throw in my boat, even experienced guys, they just wouldn't be tuned in to the bait, and some lures take a while before they "train" the angler
and still you have the problem that in any water there is generally going to be a hot lure, and that in some lakes and at some times of year a lure can get red hot and it seems like you have fish out there volunteering. but you don't always find that lure or that bite, so just get good with a few, and confident, and try and stick with a "good" surface bait and you will probably do better than average, and it does get to be a percentage game
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | firstsixfeet - 5/8/2012 9:32 AM
Almost any identification of "BEST" is open to conflict and argument, even in the boat with ONE angler.
Warm, muggy, dark, night, and fairly calm, it would be hard for me to beat a Hawg Wobbler.
Pretty good chop on the water is going to bring out my Lee's Chopper, it stays on top and keeps its cadence.
A tuned up tallywhacker is still an excellent bait, and might pull the trigger on fish that have heard too much top raider.
Calm, with emergent weed of some type, have to go with my secret lure, and have the patience to go slow.
Riffles on the water and smart fish, hard to beat a hi fin scamper tail, stupid lure, and you have to control you pace
shallow dark water, dark frontal day or intermittent rain, holy buckets, get out the creeper and slosh it up...
Some lures I throw, I would never have anybody else throw in my boat, even experienced guys, they just wouldn't be tuned in to the bait, and some lures take a while before they "train" the angler
and still you have the problem that in any water there is generally going to be a hot lure, and that in some lakes and at some times of year a lure can get red hot and it seems like you have fish out there volunteering. but you don't always find that lure or that bite, so just get good with a few, and confident, and try and stick with a "good" surface bait and you will probably do better than average, and it does get to be a percentage game
Right on.
That said Hawg Wobbler on calm, cold front type of days. Fish Stick HD brings them out like no other, and last year I fell in love with the Tidal wave for a prop type bait. I also like the Recon from H2O Tackle for another WTD option.
No offense to the Weagle users, but in my boat a weagle fished side by side with the Fish Stick HD was no comparison. The Fish Stick HD caught more fish by a large margin, and is much more versatile (can be fished in a lot rougher water). Perhaps it was the user of the lure though. 
You can't have just one topwater for all conditions. |
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Posts: 292
| pacemaker for me! |
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Posts: 620
Location: Seymour, WI | Hawg Wobbler and Pacemaker have been the best for me. I like the Top Walker too, but the bait can have line twist issues. |
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Posts: 222
Location: c.wis | hands down black riverbait co's. Freak, in a close second a topper stopper style lure. but the ticking sound that freak makes is unbeatable to trigger fish, to go along with the amount of water they move and sound these lures produce- last year 12 fish over 40" were boated because of one freak! pressured water, and still produces. im throwing freaks now and finding active fish. oddly enough its a great search bait too because you cannot fish it wrong. wtih the tunable blades you can customize the sound you want to match the mood of the fish, from super loud hollow popping and splashing, to subtle splashing and less noise. plus on the pause the way the lure hangs in the water the fish cant mis hooks- compared to other baits I hooked up and sealed the deal 90% of the time where as the others at best 60% |
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Location: Contrarian Island | hard to beat a good running/sounding top raider...if i had to pick one tho that I would not be without it would be a Chopper... if you are buying from scratch you'll want to get at least 1 from each category ..
i.e, side to side topwater get a fish stick/weagle/etc
inline prop, get a chopper, topraider etc.
slow moving wobblers, get a hawg wobbler or something similiar
metallic sounding, get a rough runner, bs willy globe etc
creeper style, get a bs willy or something similiar...
you'll be set! good luck. |
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Posts: 286
Location: VA | Nimmer Prop Dog Plus. Frog
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Posts: 2361
| BNelson - 5/8/2012 1:04 PM
hard to beat a good running/sounding top raider...
My problem has been finding a good running/sounding top raider. I have quit throwing mine, but I snatch my friend's whenever I can, and it is slowly getting torn apart by the fish caught on it. I have owned 4 and never found one that produces like his. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | buy 5 and take the 4 back that don't sound good! ; ) |
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Posts: 720
| HawgWobbler and a Viper. I've caught more fish on those two surface lures than anything else. |
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Posts: 332
Location: Neenah, WI | TOPRAIDER !!!!!!!!!!
SAINT |
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| If you want to know which baits are the best built American Hardwood Lures are handsdown the most durable |
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Posts: 463
Location: Sw Pennsylvania | Topraider
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Posts: 54
Location: North Fork, Flambeau River | Hawg Wobbler is the champ! |
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Posts: 613
Location: big cove tannery pa | In the river i fish bass size topwaters. booyah 1/2 oz buzzbait and a zara spook. Big ones seem to like the buzzbaits... |
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Posts: 34
| My go to topwater would easily be the PaceMaker, |
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Posts: 1289
Location: WI | Pacemaker is my fav. Also like a Chopper, Headbanger, and a globe of some kind. I've noticed the fish will sometimes get keyed in on one type of lure. Best to try a few different types. Weagle is my fav walk the dog lure.
I don't like Topraiders, never caught a fish on one. I do like the Suick Nightwalker though which has a similar tail design. |
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Posts: 731
Location: martinsburg wv | black weagle |
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | chris riebe - 5/8/2012 5:54 PM
If you want to know which baits are the best built American Hardwood Lures are handsdown the most durable
+1 on this. Last year I met Mick (Phil) up on Vermilion and saw his baits he'd made. We were at the same resort and I got to gabbing with him. Never thought I'd own any b/c I'm a cheap bugger.
This spring I bought $350 worth since we had a house/garage fire and got to replace 30 yrs worth of baits. I didn't want to get another 100 random baits, just a bunch that I knew were well done!
Jeremy. |
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Posts: 833
| My favorite is the Big Mama Dirty B. The Big Mamas haven’t been around as long as some of the other products mentioned here, but they are the best made baits I’ve seen in this category. Love the profile, the colors, and the great pop the custom prop blades have in the water. Tom is also a great guy and will bend over backwards to give you great service. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | American Hardwoods go to the web site, Phil makes all of them and he has so many different styles of Top Water Baits and all of them catch Big Fish.
Edited by PIKEMASTER 5/9/2012 9:40 AM
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| I would have to say a topper stopper or muskie freak. Had the most success with those last year |
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Posts: 313
Location: Bemidji, Lake Vermilion | If/when conditions are right, nothing beats a hawg wobbler as long as its all black. |
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Posts: 6
| whopper plopper, top raider, pacemaker |
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Posts: 2274
Location: SE, WI. | First six feet; All headbangers sound good...Hand made and water tested!!! Headbanger!!! |
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Posts: 383
Location: SE Wisc and Vilas County | 8in weagle, large pacemaker and a creeper get my vote |
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | I'm in love with the salmo turbo jack |
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Posts: 31
| I second american harwood lure for prop style lures. |
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Best Topwater Lure