I got the virus - what would you get for $300?

[Shoot2Kill]

Some of you may have seen my post from yesterday showing the 2 muskies I caught on Friday night - my life since that night has been nothing but Musky on the brain 24/7. I cannot stop thinking about chasing those things!

I used all my buddies gear that night but he went back to Iowa and I want to get going on my own. I have my 7.5 and 8 foot salmon rods from Alaska with Abu 6600 series baitcasters on them. One of the rods will be perfect, hopefully I don't break it and need the other one. Those reels fought dozens of 40 and 50 lbs kings in the rivers up in AK, sometimes 10 minute fights, I think they'll get the job done here with Muskies as far as fighting the fish goes, it's just retrieving those lures that worries me and burning the bearings out. Both will need to be upgraded before next season obviously. I also have my king net from AK that will work pefectly.

So...my question is.....if you had $300 to spend to get started, how would you make the most of that money??

I had not budgeted for this virus but there is no way I can hold off! Types of line, lures, colors, how many of each, leaders, etc. My buddy that took me sent me a huge laundry list of what to get but I'm looking to compare ideas. What is the best I can do for 300 bucks to get me through the summer!

I'm planning a trip out next Friday evening/night! I CANNOT WAIT!

Thanks in advance to anyone taking the time to help me out!

[Esox_Magnum]

First and formost RELEASE tools, Nipex, long needle nose pliers, hook out ect. Bait selections vary from lake to lake. A Wades Wobbler or Suick, Bulldawg, Hellhound, Double Cowgirl will get you fish, colors are up to you and the water you fish. All easy to work baits ( cept Suicks,we don't get along well) Line I prefer 80# Power Pro or InvisiBraid, with 150# Flouro or 174# 12" leaders. Those 6600's will be a chore pulling blades but will work, I have caught a few on them with blades before upgrading to a better reel. Good luck with the obsession there is no know cure other than more stuff and hunting the elusive esox.

[urban cowboy]

hook out, hook cutter, jaw spreader( $40).

Abu record baitcast reel ($150)

100lb spiderwire stealth braid. 100lb butcher steel leaders. (Line and leaders $40)

1 black with orange #10 blades cowgirl ($25)

1 single bladed top rader ($20)

1 fire tiger bulldawg ($15)

1 bottle of sun screen ($10)

100 HOURS LATER, SORE SHOULDER, SORE FORE ARMS, ANGRY WIFE, AND A 50 INCH MUSKY

(.......... PRICELESS ..........)

[b1gf1sh1]

you'll find the list for lures to be enormous. i could give you a list of speciffic lures that would knock "MY" socks off. but i have no idea what lakes or what your willing to use or your level of confidence in say... a spinnerbait, or a bucktail. the best thing i think i can do is actually about as simple as can be. in this order.

call up Thorne Brothers. ask for Pat. if Pat is there tell him you have 300 dollars to spend and can he help you with some LURE selection and other things to start out on the lake/s your talking about. (if he's not in find out when he will be and call back) make an appointment to go see him and him only. the biggest reason is he is as straight of a shooter as there is and knows his stuff. he never steered me wrong on anything and has steered me away from junk. they are all good guys and gals, it's just there is a level of trust there with him. that's priceless. anyway. do that and your set. see... simple. do yourself a favor and and at least feel the lures before you buy them on your virgin run. you won't get a second chance.

suggestions, bucktails, believers/swimwhizz, spinnerbaits and topwaters. release tools, leaders and ...gps (maybe next year)... at least get a map and a marker.

[TSchultz]

You don't necessarily need the $50 knipex as your first hook cutters. The $15 compound jobbies will do fine for one summer. Eventually you will want a pair of the good ones though.

I agree your best bet is to either get a hold Thorne Bros. on the phone or go visit, and your $300 will be well spent. I've dealt with Pat before on several occasions and he is a good guy that will tell you what is junk and where you should spend the extra money.

[Esox_Magnum]

You don't necessarily need the $50 knipex as your first hook cutters. The $15 compound jobbies will do fine for one summer.

I dissagree, been that rout and the $15 cheapies are just a waste of money. While they work ok the first time, maybe ok the second time but eventualy they won't work. The fish deserve we use the best tools at our disposal.

[ole matty]

From what I see from your post on double big fish. I would get 7000ic3 or okuma induron with power handle, they run less than $140 for various baits; big blades, plastics, jerkbait, cranks. If u want high speed reel. Saltist20 or 30 levelwind, but that's other subject.

I also agree with other about cutter they are very important but I think knipex would be better in long longggggg run. I believe they are lifetime warranty. As for lure I would get bucktail-small-harassers less than 10 bucks apiece also mepps marbous r pretty good 13-15 apiece double 10s depend on what you like double cowgirl, glittertails, bucher's tinsels, shumway's dbl 10, or llungen dc-10 but I would rather dcg over any.

jerkbait. Dive n rise-suicks, wade wobbler, big daddy,bobbie baits, etc and gliders hellhound or phantoms softtail would be good start. Pretty easy to work them

Crankbait grandma, jake, slammer and or big game

Top water; propeller ie topraider, pacemaker or topwalker, walk the dog, weagle viper would be my top choice but there's many out there. Jackpot, dunwright, one eye willey, mass masdurer, etc etc

Plastics, bulldawg, shack attack's curly sue, tackle indursties Super d.

Don't let that overwhelem you you will pick up later on..

This virus don't have cure, it will stick with you lifetime! *hopefully!*

Good luck keep us post with big fish u catch this year!

[MuskyChad]

Go check out Muskie-Tackler.com. Aaron has the best prices on baits around and you will receive them in a hurry as well. That is where you will get the best bang for your buck. Best of luck the rest of the season.

Chad

[Rebel9921]

Everybody basically hit right on the head of the nail here with their replies...

B1G is right... I dont look for anybody else but Pat when Im visiting Thorne Bros... that says lot...

Muskychad is also right... I love MTO and the service/shipping Aaron provides... Never had an complaint... hes a great guy to know and talk with...

I was the same way you are now when I started muskie fishing... and I can tell you that theres NOTHING more important than having all proper release tools... and the rest will follow...

Pat or Aaron will be more than helpful if you talked to them... they'll get you started off the right way...

[JRedig]

Originally Posted By: TSchultz

You don't necessarily need the $50 knipex as your first hook cutters. The $15 compound jobbies will do fine for one summer.

I dissagree, been that rout and the $15 cheapies are just a waste of money. While they work ok the first time, maybe ok the second time but eventualy they won't work. The fish deserve we use the best tools at our disposal.

Huge +1, i've had them fail first time out trying to cut the shank of 5/0's and larger, on 7/0's they just dent the jaw of the cutter and the hooks still look good.

[mainbutter]

Personally, I'd put it towards a plane ticket back to AK

Muskies are incredible, but King Salmon are slightly higher on my personal totem pole (please don't lynch me for saying that here!!)

Then again, I'm a little biased. Salmon were the first big fish I ever chased.

[Spallgard]

X3 on Pat Smith @ Thorne Bros.

Get the Knipex!

Dave

[EagerBeaver]

Id skip the Knipex brand side cutter and get a Channel Lock brand if your just starting out, save the money on that so you can afford a NET, a knipex cutter isnt going to do you any good with the fish flopping around......... you really only need a few lures to start out, most of the choices these guys said are good solid fish catchers.......good luck

for the record, I agree that Knipex is the best there is...and its what I use now, but i started out with a cheaper version and it lasted me a while.... It almost seems like I use a long reach needle nose pliers more than anything tho.........

[Shoot2Kill]

WOW! Thank you so much for all the replies....very good info. It's funny...I just might happened to have already planned a trip to Thornbros this coming weekend...how convenient!

Huge development....I fish a league on Thursday nights and one of the guys in my boat is a big musky guy, his summer is tied up with variousl things and doesn't know how much he'll get out for them in the next few weeks....he's going to loan me his lure stash for a while so I can get my feet wet without dropping a ton of coin - although I still plan a trip to see Pat as some of you suggested.

I spent about 2 hours at Gander last night just to kill the evening checking stuff out....wow. I picked up the MN Muskie Map book and a map of the lake I'll be on next weekend.

You guys talk about release tools - you're assuming I'm going to boat more fish! Ha! I have a big net from fishing kings in AK so I'm set there.

To the one talking about spending the 300 on a plane ticket back to AK.....don't I wish! I'd love to be back up on those rivers! The kings were fun, but I caught my share....this musky thing is totally different!

Thanks again everyone...I hope I don't get too annying with all my questions...I'm sure I'll have more and will for sure keep you updated on my trips out.

[JRedig]

Id skip the Knipex brand side cutter and get a Channel Lock brand if your just starting out

Have you tried cutting a 5/0 or bigger with them? And not just one of the hooks, but the main shaft of the treble? I have a lot of lures with 7/0's and cheap cutters simply cannot cut the shank.

Agreed on a long needle nose, i'd even recommend a backup of the just in case. Hook pick is a good idea as well!

[cjac]

Big diff between what can be cut and what can be cut one-handed with a 30lb fish in the other hand while leaning over the gunnel in 2 foot rollers and two other 7/0 treble hooks a foot away from your face.

That's when and where the value of the Knipex is a no-brainer.

[Esox_Magnum]

Big diff between what can be cut and what can be cut one-handed with a 30lb fish in the other hand while leaning over the gunnel in 2 foot rollers and two other 7/0 treble hooks a foot away from your face.

That's when and where the value of the Knipex is a no-brainer.

Or when a 5/0 trebles in your leg while still attached to a mad 10# pike on the other end of a Magic Make.

Nipex $50, trip to ER $300+

[Shawn Kellett]

Get a good net first off (Beckman/Frabil). Go to Northern Tool and get some good pliers and bolt cutters 2nd. I recommend Knipix, but anything is better then nothing.

As far as baits drop me an email. I have hundreds of baits that rarely make it in the boat and would throw you a good deal on. [email protected]

Rods and reels. Go to Thornes and they'll set you up with stuff that works. I'd stay away from the Okuma stuff as all the reels that I know that were out there came back. That being said I think their rods are good for the money.

[Esox_Magnum]

Okuma has fixed the reel problem, I love mine ( and it's from the bad batch) If you do run into a problem with Okumas they get them fixed and back to you in about 10 days, much better service than a few other top names.

[EagerBeaver]

The biggest difference in a Knipex and Channel lock is the legth of the handle, Knipex has the handle length a touch longer and the right bends in the right places, If you by a Channel Lock side cutter just make sure you buy the longer handle version..... more levrage for more cutting power, I have a MAC Tools model that makes the Knipex look silly, but the only thing different is it has about 3 more inches of handle...and Channel lock isnt a bad or cheap brand at all, infact there 100 percent made in USA, cant say that for Knipex !

[JRedig]

infact there 100 percent made in USA

Is that gonna help release a muskie?

[EagerBeaver]

probably not, but always good to know !

[Esox_Magnum]

I like the springs in the Nipex so their open when you reach foer them, 1 less thing to hassle with. A former giude on the pond gave me my other vauble release aid the Hook Pic, great tool also.

[b1gf1sh1]

Quote:

2 hours at Gander last night just to kill the evening checking stuff out....wow.

remember Jack's line as the Joker in Batman? ''wait till they get a loada me''...? well, ''wait till you get a loada Thorne''. walls and racks of the big stuff 6 or 7 baits deep and ten or more tall. the really big stuff needs to hang from the ceiling. now that's WOW!! still nothing like holding your first lures before you buy. and most lures there don't have packaging, now thats cool ... BTW, i won't get a bird-dog for this, i just love that place that's all. been way too long since i've been there, been busy re-adjusting my life. but there's still time.

[Esox_Magnum]

Oh yea Thorne Brothers makes a guy drool. Glad I live far enough away to resist temptation, but they are on speed dial.