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Posts: 7
Location: Toronto On | I have never muskie fished before, but I see the guys trolling
the lake all the time and it looks like they are having a blast
when they hook one. This year, I am going to give it a shot,
but I need some experienced opinions on what tackle I should be
using. I see some used outfits in the classifieds of some local
papers, but I need to know if they are suitable for a beginner.
I troll for pike quite often, so I am guessing that it will be
similar (except for the tackle and rigs!!) Any suggestions
for a rod and reel that will be ideal for trolling?? Any help
will be greatly appreciated. |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | For a just straight up trolling reel one of the Penn's(209 is one I have heard a lot about). Daiwa or Shimano, they both have trolling reels, both have line counter models available also. Trolling rods..pick one.. I like St Croix rods myself, some guys say that just a regular trolling rod(i.e. cheap) in the right action is good enough.. If you are looking for a reel for both casting and trolling then any of the following: Penn 965, Shimano Calcutta 400, Garcia 6500 or 7000, Daiwa(don't know the model#),... If you are looking for rods that can be used for both casting and trolling: St Croix Premier or Avid, Lamiglass, G Loomis, Fig Rigs, Grandt... Custom rods Franks Custom Rods, Thorne Bros., and a couple others.. |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | I troll on Lake St Clair a fair bit. Here is a bit of what I have been doing. Down Easter rod holders seem to hold up very well, they hold securly and relese quick. You will want trolling reels that will withstand a musky peeling off lots of line. A line counter is not needed, you will get used to how far back the lure is by number of passes on the level wind (pace it off in the yard to learn). I use Daiea linecounters that double as my salmon trolling reels where I need the line counters. I use either 65 lb power pro or 30 lb mono on my reels. The power pro will not stay in the releases if you decide to use planer boards. I love the no strech tho when fighting a fish, you can feel everything better. Your trolling lures should be to be able to stay in the water up to at least 5 mph. Lokes, Wileys, Terminators, Woodies(made in Windsor), Rapalas, Swim Wizzs, Believers, and more all do well. You can troll right behind the boat in the propwash 6-10 feet back (wash rods). Down rods go out the sides of the boat with the tips in the water. They usually run 10-30 feet back. Planer board rods run 20-30 feet back. All rods can be run high or add weight up to 12 oz. That sounds like a lot but at 5 mph it will not be running very deep. Depending on number of people on board I might run sliders or downriggers also. I set my drags kinda light and thumb the spool for the hookset. Get a small hook file and hone all hook points until they will stick into your fingernail without pressure.
The first reel that starts screeming like it is about to detonate will have you hooked.
Dig around in the archives of this site. There is a ton of information available here. Also check out The Rocketmans website at.. http://www.muskie-lures.com/rocketman/index1.htm It has tons of info all for the musky trolling nuts. Welcome to this fine site. There are a lot of folks on MuskieFIRST (not me) with 100's to 1000's of muskies under their belts and carry all the knowledge that comes with that much experiance. |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | Hook file for sharp hooks are a must.. |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | I suggest you book one of your local guides and pick thier brains while you are out fishing this will also give you a chance to try some of the equipment before you buy it
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