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Posts: 8782
| This ought to be fun. The advice for a new angler thread got me thinking. I've got ten years into chasing these fish. I like to think I know more than I did back then.
Soo. If I knew then what I know now:
1. I'd have 20 lures instead of hundreds
2. I'd have 3 custom rods and three good reels, each dedicated to the purpose for which it was intended and that would be that.
3. I'd have skipped all the trips to places near and far where there are few muskies and even fewer big muskies.
4. I'd have ONE small tackle box, with every lure I owned in it, all my tools, and room for lunch.
5. I'd take all that money I would have saved, buy a new Ranger, and spend a month in Canada every summer.
What would you do differently if you could start over? |
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Posts: 22
| Amen brother, I concur. I acknowledge my lure buying addiction and keep it under control, most of the time. My wife cannot give up ciggs and I can't stop buying lures. We all have our vices I guess. I started buying musky stuff back in 1986 and have never gave away or sold anything. People tell me my 16 foot boat is to small for all of my tackle boxes ! LOL. |
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Posts: 131
| You nailed it ....great advice for someone starting out anduring some of us old timers to... |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | For me... Repeat original posters steps 2 and 3. Buy a used older boat and still own hundreds of lures. I get that there's a specific 20 that catch most if not all of the fish I hook into. But there are SOOOO many different beautiful baits, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from buying them... Can't now as it is. Part of the musky addiction (at least to me) is buying the lures. I am addicted to buying gorgeous baits and addicted to making bucktails, can't stop and don't plan to...... that being said I am still fairly new to this sport. 6 years deep. Cast on my friends, cast on
Edited by FAT-SKI 7/16/2014 7:24 PM
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Posts: 1247
Location: Walker, MN | All good stuff. I would fish more with other anglers. I spent hundreds of days in the 90's fishing solo and figuring things out myself. It was all great time on the water though. |
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | Cut out my learning curve. Fish the places I have had great success and skip the places I have not. Buy the lures I used and pass on the ones I dont and have sold. |
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Posts: 167
Location: Tomahawk, WI | I actually came to terms with my disease last year. I sold off my assortment of rods and reels and purchased three good technique specific rods and three good reels. I am in the process of cleaning out the tackle box and actually selling the lures I never use. As for the boat, I am buying a new one, but my reason is sound. My wife want to fish but hates the boat we have. She wants a windshield and I'm not letting her drive!!! Who would have though buying a boat would make the wife Happy??? She actually has a stack of boat catalogs and is helping pick out the new one.
What would I do different. I would have taken my wife fishing a long time ago. |
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Posts: 1828
| I would have:
- established an annual Canada trip before having kids
- fished with a guide a couple times
- fished all day (rather than partial days) |
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Posts: 1220
| My first day musky fishing was perfect. It was 1976, we hired a Minouqua guide for a half-day, I caught a 42 1/2 inch muskie, fish displayed at Benett's Sport Shop, photo in the Lakeland Times, and a fish that hung on the wall for a long time (the last muskie I killed.) I wouldn't change a thing. |
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Posts: 483
Location: NE PA | I don't know that i would change a thing. I love my gear/lure addiction. I have days that are bad which make me appreciate the mediocre ones, and spend more time with my father fishing than i ever have. my one regret is that I didn't start earlier. |
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Posts: 284
Location: Eagan, MN | Great post EA...you are spot on. Good lessons there for those new to this sometimes maddening, sometimes crazy-making pursuit called musky fishing.
BrianF. |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | 10-20 years ago I travelled throughout the upper midwest fishing the some of the best muskie waters on the planet.
I used gliders almost exclusively.
Oops.
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Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | Less money on baits; more money on boat and trips to great waters with great guides. |
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Posts: 63
| My only regret (from a muskie standpoint) is that I left Wisconsin and headed west...... Now counting the days till I can return. Have another 7 years..... Don't get me wrong, love the tigers here in Washington, but I had more lakes within a 2 hour drive there, than we have in the entire state of Washington to choose from. Thankfully I feel the "Best" lake is close. |
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Posts: 306
| I agree, but if you told me 10 years ago I only needed 1/10th of the gear I've accumulated... I wouldn't have believed you! |
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Posts: 229
| You make a good point that a lot of money can be wasted on gear. Good reels are every bit worth the money too. But 20 lures is nowhere near enough to fish throughout the year. Yes, you can fish one trip with under 10 lures when you know the pattern and it holds. But to be able to fish and catch fish under different conditions, you need more than 20 lures. |
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Posts: 229
| You make a good point that a lot of money can be wasted on gear. Good reels are every bit worth the money too. But 20 lures is nowhere near enough to fish throughout the year. Yes, you can fish one trip with under 10 lures when you know the pattern and it holds. But to be able to fish and catch fish under different conditions, you need more than 20 lures. |
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Posts: 1283
| I wish I had hired guides on the lakes I fish up north rather than spending 20 years trying to get lucky. Its much easier for me to learn lakes close because I have the time to actually be on them. Starting out on a big lake or chain and only having a few days or a week to learn them is next to impossible by yourself. |
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| Muskie fishing is all about wasting money and making memories...priceless I would say. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | not sure i'd do much differently … i was welcomed in by guys who are really good at it and also frugal. hard-core guys who's advice has been spot-on. i can't think of many "mistakes" with the possible exception of being a little more aggressive earlier on exploring while in Canada. i know a great deal of water, but had i known "the system" then like i do now with the electronics we have access to now i would have an even larger range. yah, that's what i guess i'd say. |
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Posts: 1168
| Wimuskyfisherman - 7/17/2014 2:19 PM
Yes, you can fish one trip with under 10 lures when you know the pattern and it holds. But to be able to fish and catch fish under different conditions, you need more than 20 lures.
I disagree with this. 73 fish last year and they came on a total of 4 baits. Caught them as early as the first week in May and as late as Thanksgiving. They came in all types of water. Rivers, very shallow, weed edges, secondary breaks, suspended, and everything in between. Baits are tools and more often than not when you think you need some sort of a specialized wrench to do the job a simple crescent wrench will do. |
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| ulbian, if you're willing to share, I'm curious what those 4 baits and color/size exactly are? |
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Posts: 229
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Ulbian-
Good for you that you caught 73 fish on 4 baits. Good job indeed! Say you had 5 bucktail/spinners, 5 bulldawgs, 5 topwaters, 5 jerks and 5 cranks. And you also had a backup for every bait, that is 50 baits. Now think about trolling. How can you get by with less than 6 cranks for a two person spread in WI? I am certainly not a bait washer and sometimes throw only one bait all day, but if you are going to invest the time and money into this sport, you should have at least enough baits to fish the way you want. You might be able to get by with only 4, but I am going to have what I feel I need and sometimes that is multiple backups on certain bucktails. If the fish are biting and I need to cut hooks or the shaft is bent terribly, I want that same bait back in the water as soon as possible.
Edited by Wimuskyfisherman 7/18/2014 11:38 AM
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Posts: 134
| I disagree with this. 73 fish last year and they came on a total of 4 baits. Caught them as early as the first week in May and as late as Thanksgiving. They came in all types of water. Rivers, very shallow, weed edges, secondary breaks, suspended, and everything in between. Baits are tools and more often than not when you think you need some sort of a specialized wrench to do the job a simple crescent wrench will do.
With more variety how many would you have caught?
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Posts: 80
| Wimuskyfisherman - 7/18/2014 11:37 AM
Ulbian-
Good for you that you caught 73 fish on 4 baits. Good job indeed! Say you had 5 bucktail/spinners, 5 bulldawgs, 5 topwaters, 5 jerks and 5 cranks. And you also had a backup for every bait, that is 50 baits. Now think about trolling. How can you get by with less than 6 cranks for a two person spread in WI? I am certainly not a bait washer and sometimes throw only one bait all day, but if you are going to invest the time and money into this sport, you should have at least enough baits to fish the way you want. You might be able to get by with only 4, but I am going to have what I feel I need and sometimes that is multiple backups on certain bucktails. If the fish are biting and I need to cut hooks or the shaft is bent terribly, I want that same bait back in the water as soon as possible.
The guy caught 73 fish on 4 different lures. I think hes fishing the way "he wants"
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Posts: 229
| Angler II- Why the hostility? I was just giving my opinion why I think one needs more than 20 baits. I have no problem with Ulbian or that he caught 73 fish on 4 baits. I also think many people own way to many baits that they don't use or know how to use. I personally feel the need to own a variety of the same baits of a few types. I like to have color and size selection in those as well. I need backup baits too. My point is that I personally feel the need to have more than 20 baits total. Can I get by with a couple baits on any one day or trip- YES!. But, I need to have more tools at my disposal. Baits are just tools! I can cut a 2 X 4 with a carpet knife but my circular saw or table saw is much better and faster! Lighten up friend! |
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | BBT - 7/18/2014 12:13 PM
I disagree with this. 73 fish last year and they came on a total of 4 baits. Caught them as early as the first week in May and as late as Thanksgiving. They came in all types of water. Rivers, very shallow, weed edges, secondary breaks, suspended, and everything in between. Baits are tools and more often than not when you think you need some sort of a specialized wrench to do the job a simple crescent wrench will do.
With more variety how many would you have caught?
Possibly 0? Possibly less? That's not really a question that can be answered. |
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | Wimuskyfisherman - 7/18/2014 1:16 PM
Angler II- Why the hostility? I was just giving my opinion why I think one needs more than 20 baits. I have no problem with Ulbian or that he caught 73 fish on 4 baits. I also think many people own way to many baits that they don't use or know how to use. I personally feel the need to own a variety of the same baits of a few types. I like to have color and size selection in those as well. I need backup baits too. My point is that I personally feel the need to have more than 20 baits total. Can I get by with a couple baits on any one day or trip- YES!. But, I need to have more tools at my disposal. Baits are just tools! I can cut a 2 X 4 with a carpet knife but my circular saw or table saw is much better and faster! Lighten up friend!
He didn't show you anymore hostility then you showed Ulbian. "Good for you that you can..." is kind of hostile way of starting a conversation. |
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| I would be really impressed if someone could catch 73 fish on 73 different lures.... |
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Posts: 229
| BenR - 7/18/2014 1:54 PM
I would be really impressed if someone could catch 73 fish on 73 different lures....
How about 4 fish on 73 lures? |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | 73 muskies on the same 4 suckers would be really impressive. |
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Posts: 153
Location: MN | I would have saved the money I spent on the 400+ lures I have and just bought the 4 I use the most.
Suick Raider Vibrax Believer. |
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| Flambeauski - 7/18/2014 3:18 PM
73 muskies on the same 4 suckers would be really impressive.
I think lures catch thousands of suckers each day... |
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Posts: 85
Location: Michigan U.P. | I am only two years into my addiction but I was told early, "ugly lures catch fish, fancy lures catch fishermen. " |
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Posts: 156
| Regarding the whole "how many lures" debate...I've gone in cycles. I bought a lot at first. Then settled on maybe 15-20. However, now I am expanding again. Why? I see the water being pressured more and more every year. I called it (to my fishing buddies) after my 2012 observations that blades were not as effective...and last year paid attention to every boat I drove past. All I could hear was the clanking of blades when guys were casting. Stupid me...DUH.
So what did I do...I picked up some new baits this year, and pulled out some 20-25 year old baits that never even saw the water (stuff I bought late 80s, early 90s). I've been tuning them up, and am going to be "different" this year. See what happens...
(BTW, not saying I wont throw blades either, but I started making my own...and got some new color combos, weights, etc that I will be testing out for my two weeks in Canada)
Edited by MstrMusky 7/18/2014 9:23 PM
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Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | EA - Spot on....game changer for me was putting HB side imaging & gps on Esox Maniac... Headed to Canada for a week on a new lake... Lure's, they all go with me. I usually have 4 rods rigged with different lures, including a couple of crescent wrench's.
The others come out when appropriate. First lure on a big fish spot is a hot pink 9" Alien. My Alien's are not in this photo......although there's a hot pink 6" one in the bulldog's & rubber photo.
Have Fun!
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 7/19/2014 8:21 AM
Attachments
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 Al's Muskie Lures.jpg (259KB - 171 downloads)
Bulldogs & Rubber.jpg (245KB - 179 downloads)
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Interesting. Arguing over who caught what on which and whether they should have. Ben, that there was funny...
I had a couple hundred in the boat and a couple N WI 50s before I used a second bait type. I was on a mission of sorts. Probably did cost me some fish, and certainly cost me some fun...topwaters for muskies are pretty entertaining.
If I had it to do over I wouldn't change a thing. My journey through what muskie angling has to offer has been more fun that I can express. |
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Posts: 455
| That lure collection is ridiculous! I would stop driving over the St. Lawrence to fish in Canada. |
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Posts: 34
| I'd of started a staple musky fishing industry website like this one |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Wimuskyfisherman - 7/20/2014 4:51 PM
Quote removed
Lots of jealousy with this one.... |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | He obviously has no idea what I was talking about.
Point was those fish were all caught on one lure style, a Creature. I was guiding full time on the water every day, and had BETTER have produced a number of fish. Long time ago in a galaxy far away...there's lots of guides these days who catch in a month what I caught back then in a year, and a big percentage are 50s.
EDIT: If I was going to try to 'brag' I'd have done a better job of it.
Takes all types. |
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| sworrall - 7/20/2014 8:24 PM
He obviously has no idea what I was talking about.
Point was those fish were all caught on one lure style, a Creature. I was guiding full time on the water every day, and had BETTER have produced a number of fish. Long time ago in a galaxy far away...there's lots of guides these days who catch in a month what I caught back then in a year, and a big percentage are 50s.
Takes all types.
I appreciate the intro into creature fishing, probably my favorite and most productive method. Also lots of bonus fish:-) |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Ben,
I found the original tools for the Fliptail Creature. The gent who's building the lures is a really nice guy, too. Just got a shipment of 100 black and red/purple. He's making me 100 yellow before fall. Feels good having one tied on again. |
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| That is awesome, I have been using mostly jigs fished like creatures. Nice colors as well! |
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | The biggest thing for me was "preparedness." Having the right tools, right net, figure 8 technique. I wish I would've invested in all those things first, rather than all the lures.
I still have the same rods and reels I started with 15-18 years ago and many of the same lures. I didn't have the coated bag for my net, didn't have the knipex, didn't understand the figure 8. |
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Posts: 1036
| I came to the realization that I owned too many baits. Took up too much storage in the boat too. So now i have a shelf in the garage that holds all of the baits. And when I want to go out, I usually choose 2-3 boxes (empties that I fill from other boxes) with what I want to use. And the reality is, I choose about the same dozen baits, regardless of condition, then another dozen based on the weather.
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