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Posts: 3
| Hey everyone, I've been fishing all my life but recently was presented with the opportunity to start musky fishing. Looking for some help to get started as neither me or my buddy have any experience. Looking for good quality stuff, doesn't need to be top of line, I have looked at Garcia 5500 and the shimano Cardiff for reels and the st croix premiere series of rods. I'm only 5'9" so for bass I usually don't like a rod over 6'6" so I was wondering if 7 or 7'6" would be acceptable? Also I figure couple of 1oz spinners but what r some popular brands/models and what other lures should I be sure to go ahead and be sure to pick up? Any other gear advice would be appreciated and I'm sure I'll be back with more questions later lol, God Bless. |
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Location: Illinois | I would recommend an 8ft Premier from St Croix. The length you will soon get accustomed to and will aid your fishing tremendously. I've used a 7'6 premier for awhile and that is also a nice rod which could do the job as well. |
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Posts: 147
Location: Northern New Jersey | go cardiff 400 over the abu 5500. i thought the 5500 would suffice as well but it didnt hold up as well as i had hoped. go 7'6" or longer. i'm 5'7" and have a 7'6" and wish i had and 8 footer. A one oz spinner bait will work, but there are a plethora of things that will also work. i'm just getting started as well in the musky game and have gained a wealth of knowledge from this site. feel free to private message me if you want. |
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Posts: 393
Location: Hopefully on the water | Welcome to the sport. I would go with the 7'6" rod at least. Your back will like it at the end of the day. Either reel is a good reel to start with. Get yourself some release tools ( long nose pliers, hook cutter, spreader and camera)and a big enough net. With the camera play with it in the boat in the garage and find where you need to stand or put the camera to get a decent pistucre if by yourself if kids are with you and want to be in the picture. Baits wise keep it simple to start. 10 baits. 5 in dark/bright colors and 5 in neutral patterns. They don't need to be the biggest one out there but here is what I would suggest.
-bucktails
-top water
-rubber
-jerk/glide
-crank bait
a couple of colors off that have been around forever and work are Black, black & silver, orange, walleye pattern, red. something with white.
Too many off the start can drive you nuts switching baits. Keeping it simple allows you to work the ones you have real good and keep them in the water longer which any bait will catch fish if you keep it in the water long enough. Good luck and enjoy. |
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Posts: 415
| I think more important than lures and reels for a beginner is the release tools. A net big enough to keep the fish in the water once its in the net for unhooking. Long needle nose pliers and hook cutters are essential. There's more but those are 3 essentials you must have.
I would start with a couple of easy to fish baits until you start moving/catching some fish. Bulldawgs are about as easy to fish as any bait and produce just about anywhere. I myself prefer natural colors but if you're fishing stained water you may want to go brighter. Smaller bucktails such as Mepps Musky Marabou or Musky Mayhem's Showgirl are proven producers also. |
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| A good pair of leather gloves for unhooking and handling fish. Cut up hands and infection can ruin a trip!!! |
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Posts: 162
Location: Metro, MN | You'll understand that all of these tools and accessories are 100 percent necessities when fishing for muskies and they will be expensive, but totally worth it when you get hooked.
* Fish handling gloves for hook removal
* Good large pliers and extractors for hook removal
* Go with the Shimano reels over the Abu
* Id recommend a 7'6 extra heavy rod for your height.(the st croix premiers will do great)It will seem too big at first but you will become accustomed to it quickly
* 80-100 pound braided line on your reel.
* 100-140 pound wire, or fluorocarbon leader
* A large net so you can keep the fish in the water when its in the net to breath and recover.
* Cowgirls, Raddog spinnerbaits, grinder spinnerbaits, and bulldawgs are all necessary popular baits to have available.
* Energy Drinks and snacks for long days on the water! Good luck!
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Posts: 3
| Guys thanks so much for the responses so far,this is awesome!! |
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Posts: 24
Location: Southern WI | What lakes? |
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Posts: 3
| Cave Run in KY |
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| Just make sure you have a net adequate to handle muskies. This is going to be bigger than anything you've ever used for any other freshwater species. It doesn't have to be expensive--just big enough. Also take gloves--I just use cotton yard-work gloves--and long nose pliers, 8 inches at least.
On lures, you would do well to buy a copy of Saric and Heitings book on Musky Hunting. This reviews the lure types and brands. Stick with lures that have proven track records of catching fish. Crankbaits and bucktails are the easiest to learn and probably, overall, the most effective. Don't go too big at first. There are only a few trophy fish swimming around. Just try and catch muskies. That is a hard enough task to start with. Good luck. |
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Posts: 8865
| Don't go stupid buying stuff. You don't "need" 5 combos, 300 lures, and every tool known to man.
My suggestion would be to sit down with your buddy, and work out the essentials - you need a net, you need release tools, you need a variety of lures. If you have ten lures and your buddy has 10 DIFFERENT lures, you'll be good to go in any conditions. ONE of you needs a good net. ONE of you needs hook cutters, long pliers, jaw spreaders, and release gloves.
As for lures? If you've been fishing your entire life, you know most of this already. You need to be able to cover different depths, different retrieve speeds, and have a few colors. The only difference is that the lures are a lot bigger.
You fish bass - you need a Zara Spook. For muskies you need a giant version of that.
You fish bass - you need a few inline spinnerbaits. For muskies you need giant versions of that.
A tail prop, a dive and rise jerkbait, a few sizes of double bladed inline bucktails, a big soft plastic or two (bulldawg, Super D, etc.), a jerkbait, a glider, and you're good. When you find your "style" and what works for you? THEN you can go buy every brabd and every color lure imaginable. You can do that now, but you'll wind up like the rest of us - a basement full of stuff you don't use, and two dozen lures you don't ever want to be without.
Simple advice: Don't let someone else tell you what brands and colors of lures you need.
If I had it to do all over, I would have used everyone else's lures at first, and only bought the ones I had caught fish on. |
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Location: Illinois | I suggest doing exactly the opposite of what EsoxAddict said. SPLURGE. Buying lures is half the fun of musky fishing if you ask me, and it's why we all did/do it. Having too many awesome lures is what it's all about. Sure, you'll end up with lots of decent lures that you might only use once or twice a season. It is exciting to buy a new lure. Eventually you will learn which ones work best for you, but even then, buy more. Why? Because you want to catch muskies on new lures, and hopefully add to your list of "ol' dependables". Sure it's a waste of money, but you will find one man's junk is another man's gold- sell your under-appreciated lures online or at lure swaps- the musky equivalent of a swingers party.
I echo what everyone said about release tools- big, rubber coated musky-sized net, long nose pliers, Knipex brand boltcutters (the best boltcutters on the planet, and worth every penny), couple jaw spreaders. Other essential tools needed are polarized sunglasses, hook sharpener, split ring pliers, bumpboard and camera.
The day I shop purchasing musky lures for good is the day I quit the sport. Your new, so do like everyone I know does- go crazy. Dop you need every color of your favorite bait? Of COURSE you do! |
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Posts: 566
Location: Elgin, IL | Welcome to musky fishing. Looks like you have some great answers, all good.
Learn proper catch and release methods.
It's a great game...play it well. |
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Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | You also should look into joining the local muskies inc chapter, you can learn alot there. |
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Posts: 8865
| muskellunged - 6/2/2012 12:35 PM
I suggest doing exactly the opposite of what EsoxAddict said. SPLURGE. [...]\
Or you could just take all that money you would have spent splurging on stuff you will never use (and wind up selling for less than half of what you paid for it) and take a couple trips to Canada instead. |
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| esoxaddict - 6/3/2012 1:12 PM
muskellunged - 6/2/2012 12:35 PM
I suggest doing exactly the opposite of what EsoxAddict said. SPLURGE. [...]\
Or you could just take all that money you would have spent splurging on stuff you will never use (and wind up selling for less than half of what you paid for it ) and take a couple trips to Canada instead.
Very, Very, GOOD advise
The other guy's advise,.... Is foolish.
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Mike, I don't know where you will be fishing the most localy but my best advice is to cantact a few of your local guides and see if they can help you with some starter packages of baits. Here in southeastern wisconsin I have hooked up plenty of new muskie fishermen at Smokey's Muskie Shop. Getting the standard good local baits to start out will get your feet wet with a starter box. Learning to use them at the best times and places is way more important than having 300 new baits.
Most guides will be glad to help you get some well known basic baits to get you started. If you live in WI and down my way I would be glad to help you get the must have starter baits. John at Smokey's will also be glad to help with a package deal as he has in the past. Great Muskie Shop with a personal touch.
Good luck and enjoy the rush of muskie fishing!!!! |
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Location: Illinois | Spinner baits are such a versatile bait, they can be used in any situation. Use black with nickel blades in clear water, and black with orange blades in stained. Some good brands are Ruff Tackle RadDog, Llungen NutBuster, and Pearson Grinders.
It is practical to buy only what you need. After all, fishing for a fish of 10,000 casts is, if anything, practical!!
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Posts: 294
Location: Bloomer, Wi | great combo would be gander mountain 8ft rod 2-8oz rating and shimano cardiff 400. i have one of those setups and its great for anything except pounders and big suzys. but will throw just about anything else. im 5'8" and love using 8' or 8'6'' rods.
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