Needing Some Advice

[DanM]

I have not fished for Muskies in years, but 2010 I am going to give it a go. 2 questions: 1) If you could only have 4 lures in your box what would they be? 2) What type and size of line would have on your reel?

Thanks

DanM

[Scoot]

Question #2 is simple for me: 80 lb. Power Pro.

Question #1 is a little tougher, but I'll give you my "only a handful" breakdown: 1) Rad Dog Spinnerbait (black skirt, orange/yellow blade), 2) Musky Candy bucktail (black with orange or silver blade; believe it or not, small bucktails still catch fish), 3) Quirly tailed phantom (crappie pattern), 4) spinning topwater, maybe a topwalker (black).

If you really want to cover your bases, also get a 10" Believer and a Jake. No real need for any other lures, but I bet you get more than that...

[dan z]

1

blue and silver cowgirl silver blades

2

black and orange bull dawg

3

walleye colored shallow raider

4

and the biggest spinnerbait that you can get your hands on thats chartuese/white with a big curly tail rigged on the hook also white.

[hhguide]

Two cowgirls and two bulldawgs thats all you need!

[brad coin]

a 10 inch jake or 9 inch Grandma can be cast, trolled. or jerked very versatile and you get the bait fish profile.

a LOW RIDER surface bait is great for milfoil,,I see you have a stillwater location so you will probably end up in milfoil lakes the LOWRIDER has two props,,the front prop will spin and grab floating milfoil allowing the back prop to spin and still trigger strikes.

a magnum bulldawg is a must

also a double 10 or cowgirl,,they just work

[muskydeceiver]

I wouldn't suggest getting cowgirls and large bulldawgs unless you have the equipment to cast and retrieve them. What are you using for a rod/reel?

[Cooter]

Who would go fishing with just 4 lures?

I'd pick 2 bucktails, a bulldawg, and a topwater.

100lb braid

[50inchpig]

DCG

Supermodel

Mag Dawg

LOWRider

Spool up with #100 power pro, more room for error. You'll break off #80 before you know it.

Holler if you ever need a partner, I'm in Stillwater too.

[cjac]

Simmer down on all this LOWrider talk, do ya own stock on Holcombe?? Keep that plop-plop-plop quiet would ya?

The lure question is all based on what type of set-up you're looking to use, with the point being the rod/reel is far more based on the tackle you're using than the fight of the fish. You could take a heavy bass set up with 50lb braid and handle any muskie, but not handle many of the lures to cast and reel without breaking your equipment, or back, or both.

Lighter gear:

1) Couple single blade tails, Lillytail, L'il Eagletail, Mepps, etc

2) 8" Believer, simplest bait to use, cast, reel, repeat.

3) Smaller profile Topwater like the 5" Pacemaker or the Topwalker

4) Rad Dog single blade spinnerbait, black

If you step up to a heavier rod and a powerful reel, then the suggestions of the double blades, Mag Dawgs, etc apply. I also like the Weagle for a WTD topwater.

Line: Been bouncing brands the last few years and like the Cortland Masterbraid Bronzeback the best in 80#.

Let us know what rod/reel set up(s) you plan on using and that'll help with the baits.

[Scoot]

Spool up with #100 power pro, more room for error. You'll break off #80 before you know it.

I have a ton of hours with 80 lb PP and never once broke it. I tried 50 and 65 and broke both of them...

[brad coin]

actually I have Brett Erickson LOW RIDERs,,different sound,,4 left wouldt take $500 for one,,, Brett made em best,,,

[cjac]

I was giving Marc a hard time for fun!

Never heard the originals, what's the sound like.

[DanM]

My Christmas present from the kids was a BassPro Shops Pete Maina combo. The reel is the 5:2 and the rod is the 7'6"MH with a fast tip. I appreciate everyone's comments and input.

DanM

[brad coin]

slower,deeper, the kinked shaft,slightly bigger blades,,,actually a medium luke LOW RIDER seems the closest to a Brett small size,,first thing I look for at swap meets, still some around

[50inchpig]

more power to ya'll who use 80# - i won't say my casting mechanics are as good as I make them look so the backlash is a way of life for me, so be it. i only needed to lose one DCG to switch and haven't lost anymore.

not a bad combo, great for topwaters, little on the light side for big baits, might want to hold off on the supermodel for now and stick with the dcg. that combo might be a little light for the mag dawg too but you won't break the rod or anything.

LOWRiders - not sure which ones erickson made but there are a few styles i guess. i'm a big fan of the smaller version with the offset shaft and aside from throwing the humper every so often don't think i'll ever use anything else.

i never hit a guy in a body cast cause i didn't want to hurt myself.

[Musky Buck]

For me lures depend on the time of year and water temps. Retrieve speed depends on localized weather and mood of the fish if you get a few follows. The key for me is to fish the right day. In a given week you'll likely have 2 days, it varies, but a couple days that are multiple fish kinds of days, that's when I go. It doesn't work for me anymore to say lets go Wednesday when Wednesday you might need a grenade to catch one and wake up Thursday realizing I wasted all that effort and today is the day. In 15 minutes on Thursday I could have as much action as an 8 hour event on Wednesday. Get a lure you can crawl to the boat, get a lure you can scream to the boat and a few in between.

[Scoot]

more power to ya'll who use 80# - i won't say my casting mechanics are as good as I make them look so the backlash is a way of life for me...

[Muskie maniac]

Question #1: I have also used 80 lb PowerPro for years without incident.

Question #2: 1) Big bladed inline (DC-10, cowgirl, etc) - silver blades and blue skirt, 2) Soft-tailed Phantom - walleye, 3) Topraider - black with orange prop, and 4) Jake or Grandma - black, orange, and yellow

[Shawn Kellett]

4 baits huh. Coming from a guy that has waaaayyyyy too many here's my list.

1. Fire Crapppy Muskie Treat, just catches fish

2. Either blue/silver or chart DCG: just catches fish

3. 10" Suick (pick a color)can be casted or trolled over open water or slop.

4. Mag Stomper: red or other bright color

Honorable mentions:

-Mag lowrider: big fish bait, but not as consistent as the stomper

-Mag Eagletail: The original "big bucktail"; sometimes they just want 1 blade

-Weagle: would be #5 on my list but it's tougher to cover water then a plop-plop.

-10" Jake: they just catch fish casted or trolled

As far as line I HATE Powerpro. It's too loud and backlashes too easy. I prefer 80# Tuff XP or Stealth. The new Cortland stuff seems pretty good, but I haven't put enough water time on it to recommend it just yet.

[Muskiefool]

I would second the Treats that is a slump buster.

I would also say the ole Mepps Muskie Killer.

The old Ego Tail is also a great bait.

Good spinnerbaits 1 1/2-3oz, possibly the most versatile bait ever made.

Don't kill yourself on Double Cow Girls or Giant Bulldawgs or any of that garbage till you know for sure you want to keep on doing it, and you've grown to enjoy trowing things that probably have no higher Catch Per Hour than a 6 inch bait.

Keep it simple.

Don't go mental.

Enjoy the fish for the fish.

Catch a Muskie and get someone else introduced to it.

But first get a good net, pliers and bolt cutter(Knipex).

It doesn't need to cost allot.

Good luck out there

[HugoBox]

I agree with most on a top water, a 10, and a big hunk o rubber but haven't seen a believer on here yet -- pretty dang versatile for my $$.

Since we've all decided we only need four, what to do with the other 100???

[propster]

or 200

[MikeEiden]

I like Muskie Maniacs line up.. pretty solid..

1) Dbl 10's.. or maybe the new #9's may be more versital yet. -Nickle/black

2) Soft-tail Phantom or Hellhound - orange crush

3) Top-Raider - Black

4) Jake/Grandma/DDD - walleye or perch color

[dcmusky]

If I could only use 4 lures ( and I think I might have) It would be

1. Wendells musky harraser orange with brass blade.

2. The Inhaler black with orange blade.

3. Ruffs Rad Dog spinnerbait , single blade, pick a color.

4. Drifters Doc one of the best walk the dog top waters I've used, black because it's the best over all color for top waters.

And I use some other baits but most people have never heard of them, just the way I like it!

[cbrooks]

1.bulldog(black orange,motor oil,walleye, or black)

2.weagle(black or white)

3.eagle tail black silver

4.double cowgirl (blue silver or black orange)