Spinning Gear for Muskies

[TrophyEyes]

So I am getting my father a muskie rod and reel for Fathers day. He has use my baitcaster in the past and it has led to nothing but frustration. He really hates baitcasters and at 58 years old, he really is not in the mood to learn. Are there any suggestions for spinning gear that can handle some of the muskie bait out there. Could any spinning gear handle Cowgirls?

The set up I am looking at is a St. Croix Premier Extra Heavy/Fast 7' rated up to 2oz lures. I was going to pair that with a Shimano Stradic 6000 or 8000. Each of those reels pick up 42" per rotation. Gears are 5:7 and it has 29lbs of drag, which I believe is 2 lbs more than my TORO. Anyone have a better suggestion?

[sbro73]

Shimano has a muskie spinning rod out there, CPS-M70MH (Thorne Bros.), rated at 3/4 - 2 oz., matched with a Shimano Stradic 5000, I have used this combo for jigging and light stuff like Showgirls. I believe the 6000 and 8000 might be a tad heavy as they weigh in at about 21oz. Plus you will have to wrap your finger or use a glove for protection.

[Shawn Kellett]

You'd be better off to get him a Curado 300 (very easy to cast) instead of a spinning outfit. One of the problems is casting, the tip of his finger is going to fall off after a couple days of casting that thing. Also I don't thing they'd be very good with DCG's as spinning reels aren't known for their power.

[chief]

Certainly spinning isn't a common option amongst muskie anglers, but it will definitely work for taking large predatory fish. After all, let's not forget about the many thousands of saltwater anglers who use it daily for stripers, bluefish, tarpon, etc.

Still, I'd advise you not to expect a happy spinning experience with double cowgirls and the like. Most traditional (less "retrieve resistant") lures will work fine, however. The rod you mention should perform well, but I'd also suggest you look at the many saltwater/inshore rods offered by all the usual suspects. The saltwater world offers far more heavy spinning options than the freshwater universe. Personally I don't think you have to jump up to a 6,7, or 8 series reel. A 4000 series reel with #50 braid will balance well with your rod, and it'll minimize fatigue. I use such an outfit for the occasional dabbler guesting in my boat, and it satisfactorily handles eighty percent of my lures. ( If you personally inspect the current crop of 4000 series reels, you'll see they're pretty hefty. A 5000 series is fine, too.)

Accept some lure size limitations, and your Pop will be fine.

[mainbutter]

I've got a shakespeare MH tiger rod paired up with a pflueger president 6760. I've used the same setup for king salmon, and it seems to throw smaller musky lures great. Laugh all you want at the makers of ugly stik, but you don't have to spend $200-300 to find a quality spinning rod. I know that midwesterners love their St. Croix and G. Loomis rods, but as it was mentioned previously, it's a good idea to look at what saltwater equipment can offer.

It's my in-between setup for muskies and pike. I certainly won't throw DCGs and pounders with it (rated up to 8 oz I think? up to 6oz. for the Tiger Lite rods).

#7 colorado blades aren't out of the question certainly, and it fits the bill between my medium setup and whatever I pair my 7000 up with. I think it'll fit the bill nicely for glide baits, bigger swimbaits, small musky bucktails, and some of my chunky largemouth bass soft plastics very nicely.

Penn makes VERY nice reels that would be very suitable for musky fishing (both baitcasters and spinning). I think Penn is ridiculously overlooked when it comes to midwesterners buying tackle.

[Tempus_Fugit]

Agreed on Peen being ovelooked. I use only Penn made in USA SS series spinning reels (no longer made in US, but widely available used, prices for them are on the rise though). I also bought a 565 level wind over the winter for pulling DCG's.

[TrophyEyes]

So I reconfirmed with my dad that he only wanted a spinning reel, even against the best advice in the world. Thanks for your responses. We did go with the St. Croix 7' XH, which is rated up to 2oz. and a Shimano Stradic 5000. I did make a couple lures for him with a big profile, but #8 colorado blades. I think he will love it.

[chief]

Your Dad will be very happy, and effective, with that combo.

[urban cowboy]

Just remember, when fishing cowgirls you get alot of line twist with a spinning set up. Wait until you have a big ball of fishing line all twisted up and narley hanging out of the reel down to the floor of the boat.

You think backlashes are frustrating.....HAHAHA

Went through the same thing with my dad.

[chief]

(Psst....urban),

(As your pediatrician has told you so many times....Ritalin is only effective when you take the full dose.)

[urban cowboy]

Im telling you man, anyone that has fished cowgirls for an extended period of time with a spinning set up will tell you that line twist is inevitable. Bad line twist. I wish this wasnt the case because spinning set ups pick up so much line, so fast, that you can burn the lure through the water.

Not trying to be a downer here. Spinning set ups work great for curtain applications. I just wish I would have hit this thread earlier before he purchased.

My dad was the same way so he purchased a 5000 shimano on an offshore rod that he used for 1 year. It wasnt until he used the spinning set up that he realized that everything seems alot easier with a bait cast reel. Long story short, the spinning set up is collecting dust if anyone wants to buy it from me.

[Brad B]

urban cowboy,

I may be interested in it as a possible rod and reel for flathead catfish. do you happen to have a picture. what length is the rod. let me know how to contact you.

[mainbutter]

@urban cowboy's post:

The solution to the DCG twist is to simply not throw DCGs.

I wholeheartedly think that baitcasters are the #1 way to go for most musky fishing, but there is plenty that you can do to fish for muskies that doesn't require baitcasters.

Smaller bucktails and inline spinners will catch 'em too. I was made a fan of the "musky killer" mepps for pike last summer, but have gotten a number of musky follows on it as well (no takers as of yet).

In addition, as long as it's not too heavy (differs for different people, but I like the 2-5oz. range), you can use: glide baits, jerk baits, crank baits, WTDs, spinnerbaits, and the whole range of other musky lures that doesn't include heavy soft plastics and DCGs.

If someone wants to use spinning gear for muskies, they have to match their other tackle and lures to the rod and reel as well. You can't throw pounders or DCGs (I mean, you can TRY, but I certainly don't recommend it), but you still have a wide variety of producing lures at your disposal still.