Muskie tips for a newbie- anyone?

[Guest]

I need some input from experienced Muskie hunters.
The first week in August, my son (11 years old) and I are embarking on a Muskie safari. We're figuring on spending a week camping out and fishing. I've fished Muskies casually a little bit (I worked on Leech in the summer of 79), but never boated one. The plan is to start out on Leech, fishing a day in Walker Bay/Agency Bay and the flats, a day in Sucker/Portage Bay, and if that's going well, a day around Pelican, Submarine and Bear Island. I do have a few spots from way back, mostly around Whipholt. From there we'll probably spend a day on Cass and Pike Bay. We may or may not hit Winnie while we're in the area. From there we'd like to hit a lake or two in the Park Rapids area (maybe Mantrap or Elk). If one of the lakes on the list doesn't seem to be worth hitting, that will leave us a couple of days to head up to Vermilion (although I suppose with prefishing for the Muskie Challenge on the 10th the fish will be getting tired of the attention). The idea is to fish several different types of lakes, and probably not fish anything really intensively. My fishin' partner is a dedicated fisherman, but he IS only eleven.

OK, now to the questions. I got "the book"- the Lakemaps Muskie Lake guide, or whatever it's called, so I've got some maps and a fair idea of starting places. Of course, I wouldn't turn away any good tips...

1. What kind of tackle do we need? Jerkbaits are out to a large degree- Ben's not going to be able to throw one very long and my arms won't take it (busted 'em both falling out of a treestand last fall). That leaves us with cranks and bucktails. Can a heavy-duty spinning rig handle casting and maybe a little trolling? I'd hate to give up the casting distance going to a baitcast reel if I don't have to. We don't have a whole lot of money to spend, and it seems that we could get better equipment for the money by sticking with spinning tackle. Low-end baitcast reels are REALLY low-end, from the look of them. Not having jerkbaits to deal with, will 20 pound copolymer line make the cut, or do we need to go heavier?

2. Where can a guy camp in the vicinity of those lakes? Most resorts frown on tents, and I'm sure the campgrounds will probably be full, at least on the weekends. Can we just pitch a tent on the shoreline, if it's public land? We're real primitive- no hookups or other niceties required.

3. Night fishing. What's the scoop? I've read a few articles, so I've got some idea of how it's done, but how many people night fish muskies in Minnesota? Will we run into crowds? Is it a waste of time using anything other than surface lures at night? Do mosquitoes come from miles around to chew on night fishermen, the way they do on catfishermen?

4. Finally (for now), how does the above list of lakes look for a couple of newbies who are not averse to trying for walleyes or other rough fish if the muskies are not cooperating (and in fact, will be depending on walleyes and perch to provide a break from pizza and burgers)?

[Guest]

I'd recommend black bucktail on Leech with bright orange blade, and white bucktail with silver blade. Your son can't fish a bucktail improperly, as it works fine for almost any kind of retrieve.

On your way to Sucker Bay, give the large weedbed north and west of Pine Point a try. It generally holds nice muskies, and most anglers in that area are targeting walleyes.
The weedbed has grown each year, and it is easy to find. Go straight off Grand View and you mark it.

[BIG]

.....Cass lake is good for walleye at dusk,trolling the breaks with shad raps, and
there is a good number of muskie in there...
many large fish......for musky, an easy lure to throw is the 'musky candy' in 'flame blade' and brown (available at Reed's in Walker) - use it in the wind if you can....musky fishing can be very difficult - try not to burn out the kid - personally I would fish a different species with a 11 year old.....

[Guest]

Muskies was his idea; I would have tried something else, too. He loves to cast, so I figure on working the weeds where there's a good chance of a decent pike slamming his lure if we don't raise a muskie. I've picked lakes with an eye toward being able to change species if either of us needs a break. We should be able to switch to bass gear on Sucker bay, or drift for walleyes on Pelican or Submarine without any trouble. We can also work on "catchin' bait" if we mark any schools of whitefish. I've been watching him the last several times out. He'll cast all day and still be bummed out when we have to go in. It doesn't seem to dim his enthusiasm when he doesn't catch anything, either. He's disappointed, but still ready to get right back at 'em.

Burning him out IS a concern, of course. If it was just me, I'd work Leech for the whole week. He's pretty much in control of what we fish for. If he gets bored with muskies, this could turn into a walleye trip, I guess; and there are always swimming beaches. I think if one of us can get at least a follow, his attention span will improve a lot. I've just gotta keep him out of Reed's as much as possible... he's worse than the old man for buying tackle.

[BIG]

......Lake Bemidji is a hot musky Lake - and
Vermillion is hotter - lots of places to fish
and windbreaks.....good walleye population...

[Guest]

I agree with scubohuntr -- Even a week only scratches the surface of what can be done on Leech.

Besides, what better place for a youngster to appreciate soaring bald eagles, osprey, loons, great stands of Norway pine, and with easy access into Walker for a malted milk or, careful, a walk thru Reeds?

[Guest]

OK, the saga continues...
I got Ben a relatively heavy-duty spinning rig. I didn't figure that spending a week figuring out a baitcast setup would be no fun for either of us. Now, can I put 65 or 80 TUFline or Power Pro on a spinning reel, or am I stuck with mono? Mono isn't all bad, I guess, but I'd prefer something else.
I've about settled on a 6501C3 for myself, but I can't seem to find a longish rod to go with it (seven feet or better) unless it has a retractable butt section. What's up with that? Why would I want the butt section to retract? The best bet I've found so far is the Maina eight footer in BP, but it's out of my price range, unfortunately. I figure I can probably survive spending forty or fifty bucks on a rod ("But, honey, they didn't have anything cheaper that would work, and I looked ALL OVER!"), but since I'm tooling up from scratch, I am fairly budget-challenged. Gotta save some money for lures and line. Maybe I'll have to get the stubby Bass Pro brand graphite rod for $20 and get the Maina or even a St. Croix next year. That way all I'll be giving up is casting distance. It probably makes more sense than getting a good rod and a cheap reel.

[David Swenson]

Scubohuntr,

That is a big trip you are planning. A lot of water to cover in a week and some of it very big water requiring a big boat. I would suggest just picking one or two lakes to fish. All the lakes you mentioned are good and each have their pros and cons. By limiting the number of lakes will make it easier for you to catch a muskie. I would suggest a small lake for a beginner. Look at Dumbbell lake by Isabella. A lot of small muskies, a small lake, with the best chance of catching one. Call it a practice lake. There are plenty of Forest Service campgrounds in the Isabella area and plenty of walleye lakes also in the area including Dumbbell.

As for equipment, spinning tackle will work if you are catching small muskies with small baits. They will not hold up to the bigger baits and the bigger fish. You also have to play a fish to long on light tackle which stresses the fish out to much in this warm weather. I can not even begin to explain the violence that occurs when a fifty inch fish is mad about being hooked. It can get ugly even when you have all the best equipment.

I understand the expense part, but cutting corners can mean losing a fish of a lifetime and harm the fish (i.e. breaking line w/ a mouth hooked shut). A 5500c, a spool of TUF Line, and a cheap rod will cost you about $125.00 and will be well worth it.

I hope this helps you some and no matter what you choose for a trip I hope you have great time with your son!

David Swenson
http://muskieguide.homestead.com/

[This message has been edited by David Swenson (edited 07-16-2002).]

[Guest]

David,
thanks for the pointers. I have more or less dropped Vermillion from the list, since it would take at least a week itself and it's too darn far to drive. If I were still going that far east I would definitely look at Dumbbell. The DNR report sounds like a good action lake.
As far as Ben's spinning setup, it has an eight foot medium heavy graphite rod, which ought to be able to work a fish pretty hard if I can spool it up with TUFline or Power Pro. If I'm stuck with mono, we'll maybe have to take turns fishing muskies. He can handle a spinning reel, but he's never had to deal with a baitcaster. I'd rather see him spend his time fishing than picking out backlashes if at all possible.
I'm figuring on spending about $100 - 125 on my rig. I had intended to go with a 6500C3- is the lower line capacity on the 5500 a non-issue? I'll be cutting corners on the rod instead of the reel or the line for exactly the reasons you mentioned- I don't want to lose a fish because the line broke or the drag froze. I figure that even if the rod I end up with is a bit heavier and shorter than I wanted, if the reel and the line are good the only thing I will be losing is some casting distance and a little more fatigue at the end of the day.
I'm centering on Leech because I've been there, so I know the area a little, there are a lot of smaller lakes nearby if the weather looks threatening, and it's centrally located to a wide variety of lakes.
I'm not tied into anything for scheduling; if it's windy, we might end up fishing one of the smaller lakes around the area all week. If there's a lake not on the list that is hot while we're there, we might not spend more than part of one day on Leech. It'll kind of depend on what kind of information we can squeeze out of the guys at Reeds and anyone else we run into. This may be the only time we ever get to do this, so I would like to try to hit some of the "classic" spots if at all possible. I DO have to throw a Suick or a Reef Hawg in Portage Bay a few times, though- call it a pilgrimage.
Another plus for the Leech area is that if the muskies don't cooperate, we can fish for bass or walleyes, or even bluegills without having to move much.

[This message has been edited by scubohuntr (edited 07-16-2002).]

[Guest]

You can easily use 50 lb test Whiplash on bait casters and on spinning reels. It's great stuff. Be sure to use Palomar knot.

[delmuts]

there are spinning rods that can handle big fish, but i would strongly consider buying a bait caster this winter.( X-mas presents!!) a good ambassider reel is a good investment and not overly spendy. for a rod to use for several spiecies check out the flipping sticks for bass. they telescope, you can get them 7 to 7 1/2 ft. and in several weights . i use them for muskie, bass, trolling, and casting. you won't loose any distance with a baitcaster. you do have to learn how to use them.( another great winter project) there is good quality out there if you look and shop carefully! for lures, don't forget the buzz baits. easy to fish and can be dynamite at times. del

[stephendawg]

Here's another opinion on gear...
As one of my rigs I use a Shimano Catala 300 (used on hsolist for around $50) w/85# Power Pro and a Bass Pro Shops Graphite Series Rod (6' muskie very stiff)$19.
My other rig for deeper crankbaits and bucktails is a standard Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier (new for $60 or so) w/50# Power Pro and a 7' med/hvy Lightning Rod. If I had it to do again I'd probably save the money and get a Graphite Series rod for this application too. Although I'd get a little softer action than extra stiff. It would still be a 7 footer though. When I'm back in IN I use the reel and 50# line for pitching and flipping in slop. Works great double duty. That's one thing nice about the 5500 reels. Great bassin reel on the side.

Good luck....(We are heading to Vermilion on Fri nite.Staying at Muskego Point. Can't wait!)

Steve

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[Guest]

Thanks for the replies, guys!
I ended up with a 6501C3 and a 6'6" graphite rod. Don't have any line on it yet, but I'm figuring on spooling up at Cabelas on the way out, or maybe at Reeds. Picked up a couple of Jakes and a 9" Perch Suick on clearance, and I've got my bolt cutters (not Knipex, but they'll do for one trip). I've been trying to figure out how to get a good sharp point on hooks with a file, and it's not working too well. I think I'm making the newer hooks worse, so I haven't sharpened the hooks on the Jakes. I did sharpen up all my twenty year old stuff.
Tomorrow morning we're outta here! We'll probably be staying in the Stony Point campground if we can find a spot. Beat up old Coleman tent, beat up old Dodge Ramcharger, 16' Lund w/ Mariner 45; stop by and say hi!