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Posts: 58
| Hey everyone. I've just recently got into muskie fishing and I'm looking at filling a tackle box over the winter so I'm ready to roll next spring. I'm looking for advice on the "staples" in a good muskie box. Let me know what you think you would buy if you were starting again from scratch. Any feedback is appreciated! |
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Posts: 95
| First- Proper release tools
For baits here is how I started
1) black&nickel bucktail
2) loon color top raider
3) regular bulldawg
4) jake or grandma
5) clothespin spinnerbait
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Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | hook cutters
Jaw spreaders
Several needle nose pliers
Gloves
Bump board
A really big net
That's my essentials, then baits... |
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Posts: 58
| I'm good for the essential release tools. I'm looking for what baits to get for my box. |
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| Where do you fish? That information might help for lure suggestions. |
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| Several Bondy Baits for jigging deep should you venture out there! |
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Posts: 58
| "Where do you fish? That information might help for lure suggestions."
Mainly up north in Canada. Murky/Muddy type water for the most part. |
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Posts: 774
Location: South East Wisconsin | Pacemaker
Top Raider
WTD Topwater
Creeper
Globe
Flaptail |
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Posts: 190
Location: Savage, MN | Big Mama Dirty B
Hardhead
Gun metal blades with black/red skirt dcg
10" Weagle
Bull dawg mag dog in black w/ orange tail.
And of course, as you have already said you had, the right release tools. Knipex, a must in my opinion. |
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| Double Cowgirl
Double Showgirl
Mag Dawg
Medussa
10" Monster Tube
Bondy Bait
Hellhound/Phantom
9" or 10" Unweighted Suick
9" Shallow Grandma
Water Chopper
10" Weagle (I don't own one, so just speculation. But the "Death March" is intriguing)
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Posts: 298
| 9" Big Game , fire tiger. |
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Posts: 340
Location: Lake County Illinois | Crane Baits 105 and 207 models |
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Posts: 311
Location: Lake St.Clair | Black orange mag dawg
Walleye mag dawg
Hellhound
Smuttly
Double 10
Hardhead
Then off course long pliers, good net and some hook cutters!
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Posts: 16
| I am fairly new myself and still filling the box...but to me I would say you need at least a few of everything and then go from there, And by everything, I mean lures for different parts of the water column and different styles of fishing. Starting from the top and working down...you definitely want some topwater lures. There is nothing more fun than fishing topwater. For topwater I like the Top Raiders, Pacemakers,Whopper Plopper type lures. There are other types of topwater lures but these are tried and true and easy to use. Next is the middle...and this is where there are the most options. You will definitely want some bucktails. Some double cowgirls,Spankys, just a variety of sizes and colors. And some gliders...Hellhounds are very popular...and for a reason...they work. Crankbaits...there are many to choose from. And you will definitely want some "rubber" baits. In recent years the "hot" baits from everything I have experienced and read are Bulldawgs and Medussas. Both come is different sizes and a ton of colors. Get a few of each to start...and then build your "collection" from there.....And then we make it to the bottom. You will want a few Bondy Baits and maybe a few of the big 10-12" grubs for jigging. Keep an eye out on this site under the "Buy and Sell" section...you can find some really good deals. Good Luck !! |
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Posts: 149
| D10 bucktails
SuperD swimbaits
Shad Rap
Suicks |
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Posts: 58
| Wow! Thanks everyone. I got some great feedback here. I really appreciate all of your input. I feel like I have a much better grasp of what I should be looking at to start without wasting cash on baits. Cheers! |
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Posts: 47
| 1) Double 10, black
2) Double 8, black
3) Shallow invader
4) Super model, black
5) Hellhound/phantom
6) Mag Dawg, walleye
7) Top/raider/pacemaker
8) HI suick |
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| SWilliam - 9/23/2013 4:08 PM
Hey everyone. I've just recently got into muskie fishing and I'm looking at filling a tackle box over the winter so I'm ready to roll next spring. I'm looking for advice on the "staples" in a good muskie box. Let me know what you think you would buy if you were starting again from scratch. Any feedback is appreciated!
Cigarettes or small cigars and a lighter. |
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Posts: 432
Location: Eagan, MN | I don't think there is such a thing as a 'must have' lure. What one guy considers essential, another will consider mediocre. Eventually, after many years of trying a lot of different lures, you will settle on a few that work for you and give you confidence. These 3-4 lures may or may not appear on anyone else's 'must have' list. |
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | If I was just starting out again the 5 baits I would want are:
DirtyB in black or baby loon
Double 8 or 9, black skirt and nickel blades. Get a weighted one, something like a musky underground custom or dadson bullet, so it casts better.
Black with orange tail or walleye with orange tail regular SuperD, Bulldawg, or Medussa
Cyco 2.5 Spinnerbait black chartreuse skirt with chartreuse blade
Black & Orange 3 oz. grinder |
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Posts: 149
| cast10K - 9/24/2013 12:23 PM
I don't think there is such a thing as a 'must have' lure. What one guy considers essential, another will consider mediocre. Eventually, after many years of trying a lot of different lures, you will settle on a few that work for you and give you confidence. These 3-4 lures may or may not appear on anyone else's 'must have' list.
+1
There are many lures listed here that wouldn't make my top 50. I'm betting folks would think the same about my list.
If I had to start over, I wouldn't buy multiples of any bait until I figured out how I liked to fish. When I started, i bought about 10 bucktails and probably have more than 20 now (very modest collection compared to many guys). I would say 95% of my bucktail fishing is done with two of them. Many of them have only seen the water a couple of times and many haven't seen the water since the day they were taken out of the package. |
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | SixBowls - 9/24/2013 4:46 PM
cast10K - 9/24/2013 12:23 PM
I don't think there is such a thing as a 'must have' lure. What one guy considers essential, another will consider mediocre. Eventually, after many years of trying a lot of different lures, you will settle on a few that work for you and give you confidence. These 3-4 lures may or may not appear on anyone else's 'must have' list.
+1
There are many lures listed here that wouldn't make my top 50. I'm betting folks would think the same about my list.
If I had to start over, I wouldn't buy multiples of any bait until I figured out how I liked to fish. When I started, i bought about 10 bucktails and probably have more than 20 now (very modest collection compared to many guys ). I would say 95% of my bucktail fishing is done with two of them. Many of them have only seen the water a couple of times and many haven't seen the water since the day they were taken out of the package.
Good point. I know a lot of people who would include a suick, glider, or crankbait in their lists but I didn't include them in mine because I don't fish with them. |
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Posts: 69
| 10" Jake
10" Believer
8" viper wtd topwater
Whopper plopper
Hawg wobbler
bucktail of your choice |
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| 5th lake Brad - 9/23/2013 4:32 PM
hook cutters
Jaw spreaders
Several needle nose pliers
Gloves
Bump board
A really big net
That's my essentials, then baits...
well said |
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Posts: 256
Location: Valpo IN | I just spent almost a week on the LOW - 90% of time I threw a perch depth raider. It will keep you more than occupied with fish. my .02 |
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Posts: 46
Location: Hayward, WI | 11,156 Suick
10,592 Crank Bait
10,071 Wiley Crank
8,247 Grandma Crank
8,093 Tuff Shad
8,057 Mepps
7,617 Bagley Crank
6,751 Sucker, Quick Set
6,345 Jake
6,099 Homemade Bucktail
6,067 Reef Hawg
5,828 Sucker
5,414 Buck Tail
5,310 Rapala Crank
5,275 Buck Tail
5,171 Cowgirl/Double Cowgirl
5,054 Crane Bait
5,012 Bull Dawg Jerk
4,595 Believer
4,573 Bucher Depth Raider |
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Posts: 1036
| Good bolt cutters.
Good pliers.
Good gloves.
Good net.
Bait wise...
Orange blades with black tails double 8's and double 10's.
Chartreuse blades with chartreuse tails, double 8's and double 10's.
Suick. Black on top, white belly.
Topraider. Blackbird.
Depthraider. Firetiger.
6 inch squirrelly phantom. sucker pattern.
Regular bulldog. White or pearl color.
Red October Tube. White and Black.
Those are my essentials. |
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Posts: 572
Location: Maplewood, MN | Firetiger phantom, black suick (unweighted), black nickel bucktail, and a topraider are some good essentials. |
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Posts: 61
| If i was starting over I would need only
squirrly phantom 6 in
show girl whitefish
dbl 10 black with silver blades
obviously there are thousands of other choices. my advice is go slow and figure out what works for you. I have tons of lures lying around that i just dont use most of the time. would rather have not bought them in the first place. that being said it is kinda fun to get new toys..... |
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| a big box loaded of big m |
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Posts: 117
Location: Northern Illinois | Bull dawgs
Top raiders/ Pacemaker
Jakes
Cowgirls
Suicks
Phantoms
Hellhounds
Good pliers/ hook cutter... Crank |
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Posts: 246
Location: Grand Marais, MN | nobody mentioned beer and cigars yet
agreed with all previous, but I'd throw in a natural forage colored big game or similar lure.
and an extra couple sets of pliers, why not, always seems to be nice to have 4 pairs scattered about in the boat
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Posts: 8782
| If I had the chance to start over?? Wow. Well, Rollie and Helen's might be out of business...
The advice I would give you is this:
Fish with everyone you can. Hire a guide or three. Do not buy a single lure until you have actually caught a fish on that lure, or watched someone else catch a fish on it. Save your money instead, and use it to buy yourself things that are WAY more important than a basement full of lures that will never see water again. Good release tools, a first aid kit, good rain gear, waterproof boots, quality leaders, snaps, split rings, a solid reel or two and a rod or two, and a life jacket. |
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What are the "Must Haves" in any Muskie Box?