First Time Muskie fishign

[Hunter21]

I'm getting into muskie fishign for my first time. I was wondering if you guys could give me ANY pointers to start out. I bought my rod and reel tonight and startign tackel next. Any tips would be great

[Muskydanno]

Hunter,

Welcome to a sometimes frustrating but very rewarding hunt! You will get hooked upon seeing that first follow i guarantee it. Anyway, as far as tackle goes lets start with the release/terminal side of it.

Alot of this stuff is just my preference but i think some of these knowledgable guys and gals will agree with me and add their own input.

First and foremost A good net that allows you to unhook the fish while in the water. A frabill big kahuna or a net of the beckman variety are my choices here. A good set of bolt cutters (small) like a Knipex brand work great for cutting hooks and are a must to assure a quick release in some cases. Good set of jaw spreaders and needle nose pliers are also a must for getting the hooks out. Can't stress the importance enough of unhooking the fish while its in the net if at all possible. The way i look at it is that you don't want to keep the fish out of the water any longer than you can hold your breath . With a little practice you can get very efficient at this and snap a few pics and release em'to fight another day. You will need a good hook file also.

Now for the terminal side. You will generally want solid wire leaders for jerkbaits and the like and seven strand wire or equivalent for bucktails and pretty much everything else. I have really started using alot of monofilament leaders also in the 100 pound test variety. Use a good line such as Power pro which is my personal favorite or tuff line, in preferrably an 80 pound variety.

You don't need alot of lures to start. Just get a few to cover the water column. By that i mean get a topwater , shallow running crank (super shad rap , or shallow raider for example) or jerkbait( suick , manta , or phantom for example), hairpin style spinnerbaits,(bionic bucktail, rad dog, pearsons grinder) and don't forget the bucktail.(eagle tail, buchertail or a plethora of others) If you buy no other lure to begin with , start with the bucktail. You can cover water fast and it is a high percentage bait for hookup. As a general rule stick to natural colors in clear water with loud colors as more the norm for stained water. Black/silver blade is a popular and proven combo for a bucktail for example. Don't be afraid to try wacky colors sometimes they work! When you fish a lake that you know has muskies in it, as a general rule in the spring you are looking for weeds. Cabbage weed is ideal but they can be virtually anywhere there is food for them. Reeds , milfoil and virtually any other structure can hold them. Rocks are also key. Concentrate your efforts in the morning and evening. This is not to say you can't catch them during high sun or in the middle of the day , but go with the odds and your success rate will generally be higher.

Biggest thing is to get your time in on the water. Persistence pays off, don't get frustrated and take in as much information as possible and go from there.

Like i say , these are just my opinions but it is a starting point for you. I caught my first musky by accident in the metro area about 10 years ago and i have been a musky nut ever since. It gets worse as the years go by but it is a great sport and you will love it if you have the patience and the desire to catch these beasts!

Hope this helps you out and good luck!

Dan

[RuKiddingMe]

Hunter21,

Muskydanno gave you about the best information you'll get, put what he has told you to use and you'll be starting out as best you can...

RU

Good Luck, and muskies to all..

Will you be fishing the metro? If so which lakes...

[Hunter21]

Thanks alot guys. all the info was great...

[WMRP Member]

Muskydanno did a fine job of listing items you will need. The tools he mentioned are MANDATORY for muskie fishing and do not sacrifice quality to save a few dollars on these items or you will regret it. As far as baits go, like he said get a few to cover the water collumn and for different situations. A few suggestions to get you well on your way.

Topwaters: There are basically 2 types of topwater lures you should have. Some that cover water fast and some that are slow for when you know a fish is in the area. Topraider and Topper Stopper type lures are great for covering water fast and they catch tons of fish. Hawgwobblers and creepers are slower and great for getting fish you know are there to strike. Globes can be used both fast and slow and are great lures as well.

Bucktails: There are basically two styles of these lures. The inline spinner and safety pin styles. There are hundreds of inline bucktails out there and nearly all are good. Some are made with hair, feathers, rubber, and even tinsel for some extra flash. Blade choice is more of a concern here than anything though. Large #8 colorado or Indiana blades are great for casting over weeds. These blades have a lot of lift that allows you to keep the lure above and out of weeds, stumps or other structures without having to crank it in at high speeds. Willow blades allow you to get the lure a little deeper if needed and can be retrieved at higher speeds which can sometimes be a trigger to following fish. My personal favorites are Tinseltails, Trojantails, Bootails, and Harassers. Safety pin styles also come in different blade choices and the same general rules apply. However, safety pin styles with single hooks are great for casting into thick weeds or other cover and not getting hung up. They also can be slow rolled to get down deep in deeper water such as along deep weed edges and drop offs. My personal favorites here are Trojantails, Rad Dogs and Grinders.

Crankbaits: There are many styles out now days and all are good. Straight models, jointed, shallow and deep runners and even ones made with rubber bodies. To get started all you need are a couple shallow and deep running cranks. My favorites for shallow water include Crane Baits, Slammers, and Shallow Invaders. Deep water favs include Believers, and Depth raiders. I prefer the straight models over the jointed models for all cranks but both will work.

Jerkbaits: Again there are basically two styles here as well. Jerks that move up and down and jerks that move side to side. The number one all time best producing jerkbait ever is the Suick. Its an up and down style but get a good one and you can get them to go side to side a little as well. Another time tested producer in this style is the Bobbie Bait. Similiar to the Suick but with a little more wobble. Another newer lure is the Big Daddy lure. This lure is like a Bobby Bait on steriods and works very good. Favorite side to side or glide baits would include the Manta bait, Hughes River baits, and Reef Hawgs.

Creatures: These are usually made out of rubber. These lures can sometimes get fish to hit that will not hit anything else. Bulldawgs, Reapers, Curtis Creatures just to name a few will all work.

Get yourself about a dozen lures that covers all these types or styles and you have everything you really need to put fish in the boat no matter where or when you fish. If you end up like me, after time you will accumulate an insane number of lures only to find yourself using the same 10 or 12 lures all the time because they work. No need for hundereds of baits like I have. It can be an addiction.