??? on gearing up....

[aekhoff]

So, I am not a musky fisherman, but the lake I go to in Canada has some great musky fishing. I caught my first last year and it was 43" and right around 25# according to the length/girth calculator.

Here is my question - I caught that fish using 50# PowerPro on my heaviest bass rod. I don't have dedicated musky gear, and don't really intend to, as I only fish for them when I am there for 3-4 weeks out of the year. My questions are:

1) Would it be worth my while to get a cheap dedicated rod for musky (i have a big round Okuma reel that would work on it) if so what kind, weight length etc.

2) without breaking the bank, what would be six lures you would have in your bag chasing musky in Northwest Ontario in July? The only musky I landed came on a Silver Minnow, and keep in mind I don't have dedicated musky gear I need to be able to throw it on lighter tackle.

Thanks - Adam

[BrookfieldAngler]

Heavier gear is nice because it gets the fish in quicker and gives you a better chance at a successful release. Musky don't seem to have too much heart and dont farewell if they are stressed too long.

Regarding baits, there are a lot of factors. What time of year are you going, what cycle are they currently in, water temps, current forage, etc...

To me, one of the best all around lures you can use is the bucktail (inline spinner)

Sims spinners has a new double 6 spinner that the musky should love. They weigh 1oz so decent bass gear can easily handle it. They are posted on the front page

http://www.sims-spinners.com/

Aside from that, I would look at jerk baits and swim baits. They are all different sizes so find one that works for the gear you have.

[ToddM]

For a musky rod get at least an 8' rod. Try to get a heavy action. Gander mountain sells one, st. Croix and okuma have inexpensive options as does tackle industries. For lures get a topraider or a whopper plopper. Get a hawg wobbler in the husky size. A double 8 bucktail would work nice like a shumway flasher. Musky mayhem makes double 8's too. Get a big spinnerbait like a rad dog or a grinder. Get a hellhound glidebait. You will also need a crankbait like a crane or a slammer. Plenty of options within these categories and I never even mentioned jerkbaits.

[Marabou]

You can get Spence Petros or BPS Muskie Rods in the $50 range that will serve you well. 100% on the longer rods, much easier to throw baits and set hooks. As far as baits, if you want to keep the size and prices scaled down I recommend the following:

1.Mepps Muskie Marabu (black/orange) $12
2.Mepps Giant Killer (black/nickel) $12 or Sims Spinner #6
3. Bucher Slop Master Spinner Bait $10
4.Rapala Super Shad Rap (fire tiger) $12
5. Bucher Shallow Raider (any color) $9
6. Bucher Top Raider (any color) $15

With this arsenal, you cover all situations: slop/weeds, surface, mid depth, twitching, jerking, burning, buldging, etc.

[2sac]

Not being a musky fisherman I do catch them on topwaters fishing for bass. Also I always hear about guys using Suick lures for musky. As far as a setup, I would believe the reel is the most important. I have had muskyruin a cheaper Diawa reel. I have caught plenty of king salmon on heavier bass rods paired up with an Abu c3. I would imagine that type of combo would be fine for muskies.

[Marabou]

The big rods and reels are mainly for handling big lures and not really for fighting fish. Any skilled angler can land a muskie on a decent HD Bass Flipping rod with a normal baitcaster, just don't use that set up to throw big baits.

[Yak Man]

If you play it right, you can land a musky on just about any gear. But it's not just about getting the fish in the boat. It's about not fighting the fish to total exhaustion, so it can successfully be released.

The BPS Pete Mania series rod isn't bad. A bit heavy (to hold) but it's cheap. BPS Pete Mania reels are garbage, as I have burned the gears out of 3 already (each one a free replacement) but you say you already have a reel. I recommend a St. Croix. I forget the model, but I have one paired up on my Calcutta and love it. Heavy duty, but very light weight. Could be used for multiple species on a diff reel.


Lures : you're gonna need bucktails, topwater, and swimbaits.

Topwater : for calm water, I LOVE the hawg wobbler. (that's what I caught my 55"er on). Top Raiders are a good choice, and I also prefer the "walk the dog" style baits like the Jackpot or the Weagol.

Bucktails : seems covered ^

Swimbaits : bulldawgs or Suzy Suckers. They are so versatile. You can fish them at different depths, faster / slower. Lot of fish caught on these guys.

-------

But what lake are you going to? What is the structure? Weedy bays? Rock bars??
That is going to determine your lure choice aswell

[Musky Tyme]

what lake are you going to??

I could go up to Canada with these baits only, in order of preference ..

Black/Orange Cowgirl (double 10's)
Black/Silver cowgirl
( yes I know you said light baits but these thing are big musky killers up there and work on every lake..these things are simply must haves in Canada )
top raider
suzy sucker 6" grey and white as Yak mentioned
walleye colored bulldawg
Shumway Flasher for a smaller bucktail

[aekhoff]

Thanks guys for the very thorough responses.

I am going to Lake Dinorwic/Wabigoon, I caught a 43" musky there last summer on a AllStar 7' MH rod throwing spoons for pike and realized that I was missing out on a great opportunity there. I will be there for a few weeks in July.

I will definitely go with the cowgirl/bucktail lures as they are very straight forward to use.

Thanks again for the advice and for anymore that you might have.