Muskie Gear

[Guest]

Never fished for the big Muskie before and now Im getting set-up for this.I dont know what I all need,but heres what Ive bought so far and would like you to tell me what else is needed.

1-St.Croix 7-2 mhf muskie rod

2-Abu Garcia Morrum 5.1-1 reel with 80# power pro

3-12-jerkbaits,spinnerbaits,crankbaits,topwater

4-flouro &steel leaders

5-Needed 1 St. Croix rod for a throwback

[RuKiddingMe]

Release tools, are as important as the gear to catch'm...

Big Net w/coated bag(Frabill or Beckman are choice)

Jaw Spreaders

Long Needle Nose pliers

Bolt cutter (hand held)

Tape Measure

Camera

and

The MN Musky Guide map book by the Sportsman Connection, will help you get off to a decent start, may even consider hiring a guide for an outing...

RU

[Guest]

Understand everything you mentioned,question on why the bolt cutter?The rest I have,except the net,maybe a cradle or not.

[Muskyfreak131]

Lee

As for your question on the bolt cutters. There are times when the ski's and hooks do become entangled sort to speak. It lots faster and easier to remove the hooks when they are cut. PLus i would rather have to replace the hooks then a future muskie trophy or any ski' actually. As for your other gear your of to a good start. But i perfer the coated

bag net over a cradle and RuKiddingMe's suggestion of the Mn Musky Guide Map book by Sportsmen's connection can be abig help. Another pionter for ya is to pick one type of lure like topwater, glider baits etc then mainly use them to master them move on to another bait then master that one etc. Even tho the sli' love all them baits lol. Good Luck to ya.

EJ

Work is the time wasted between fishing

[Scoot]

Try a light colored and a dark colored bucktail.

Be sure to pick up a ton of patience if you see it on sale too!

[CommonSense Guy]

One tool I never leave home without are quality polarized glasses. I have a pair of H3O's. They are awesome. I can't imagine fishing without them. The $10 Al Linder ones work as well

[The Grebe]

The pistol, what about the pistol? You have to have a pistol, like they used to have back in 52...get the muskie (Gator) along side the boat and start blazing away with nothing smaller then a .44 magnum!

If you put a couple through the hull, or maybe one through your hand, while you are trying to subdue the beast, tough it out, suck it up and cowboy on, your on your way to being a Muskie man! After you get out of the er, of course.

[Cooter]

Best of luck LEE!

[Jim Hudson]

Yup, release tools are a must when fishing these critters.. Even though they seem big and bad, they are pretty much wusses when it comes to stress. The quicker the release and the less stress we can put on them will greatly increase that the fish will survive to swim another day. Knipex makes a variety of good hook cutters that you could look into. And along with the cutters, make sure you carry some extra hooks, for when you do cut them.

All good ideas given to you for getting started in this game of musky hunting.

Good luck out there!!!

Oh, dont forget a first aid kit!! Just incase you get a hook or two in ya...

[Guest]

Grebe: Ive got a 40 cal or 10mm which should do the job just fine.44 mag might be overkill.Thanks to all for the info,looks like i need to spend some more,wife thinks i have to much already,and Ive only just begun.

[The Grebe]

Lee...Nope, the 40 won't work! It says right in the "Hoyle Book Of Muskie Fishing" that you can't use anything smaller then the .44 mag. it's illegal to do so, I think it says so on page 9 paragraph 3?

[Random guy]

Hook Cutters are great idea not only for unhooking a fish they also are awesome for unhooking fisherman. It is no fun to be tangled up with a hook that is tangled with a fish, a hook cutters will get you out of that situation quick.

A floating type ruler, you can measure the fish without even taking them out of the water if you’re not going to take a photo.

A reel pick for digging out the deep backlashes.

A hook file for sharpening the weapons.

Split ring pliers for changing out bad hooks or replacing one that had to be cut for release.

I also have to agree with RuKiddindMe’s idea of hiring a musky guide, you will learn more tricks and techniques in one day with a guide then you could spending years learning.

Oh ya one RED lure for good carma

[Rivernut]

One lure I can't be without is some soft plastics. A Bulldog is very tough to beat. Especially when fishing cold front conditions and heavily pressured lakes.

[The Grebe]

RKM...The bolt cutters sounded like a good idea...I have a pair of wire cutter in my box, but if the situation arose, I think that the wire cutters would put one to close to the business end of a big fish.

We are going out this afternoon and I threw the bolt cutters in the boat, just in case!

[RuKiddingMe]

Grebe, the ones I was referring to are little hand held ones a little bigger then a pair of side cutters but much more efficent for cutting hooks. Thorne Brothers has them, granted they are the spendy ones, then again if you don't lose them they'll be the only pair you ever buy... take a look http://www.thornebros.com/muskie/releasetools/release_knipex.html

RU

Gotta have red it does help the carma...

[Guest]

This bolt cutter idea I like very much as one week ago I was fishing northerns with a Shadrap and netted the fish and while taking the trebles out of the mouth, the fish did a spin-arounie,and I ended up with the treble in my hand and a 8# northern on the other treble,took my side cutters out and released the fish from my hand and then pushed the hook through the skin and cut it off and pulled it back out.If I would not of had the side cutters with I dont know what I would have done.NOT a fun deal.I have fished for forty years and this was the first time I ever put a hook in my skin,and I cant imagine a 30-50 inch muskie in that situation.Bringing a bigger cutters with is a very good idea.I looked at the one at Thorne Bros and will be buying one.Not to expensive when you are in that situation.

[The Grebe]

The little set of bolt cutters I got from Harbor Freight will do me just fine and I think I paid about $2.99 for them?

If tonights Muskie outting on Tonka is any indication of future success, the bolt cutters will get relatively little use in the boat anyways.

[delmuts]

grebe. just make sure the cutters you bought can cut those big/thick hooks on a muskie lure! i bought a small pr. and couldn't cut the big trebles.

[The Grebe]

Del...These things can cut through a 1/4 inch bolt pretty easy, I think they can take care of a Musky hook!

First I have to hook a Muskie! Then it has to be hooked to where I would need to cut the hooks and at my present catch rate, I can look for that to happen sometime about 2025!

By that time I will probably be so weak and feeble, that a sizable fish would probably jerk me out of the boat anyways and I would'nt have time to grab my trusty bolt cutters and save myself!

In addition...The way my two sons flail away with them big plugs, I think the cutters will be used for hook extraction from someones head, before they are used on a deep hooked Muskie!

[Random guy]

Good stuff Grebe.

[MuskyBrian]

In the latest Ronnie and Helens magazine they had 2 Hook cutters Listed. One for 85 dollars and one for 15 dollars. I elected to go with the cheaper model, have used it multiple times this summer with no problems whatsoever. Don't see a reason to spend a 100 dollars if you don't have to?

[Random guy]

What I would like to find is stainless steel cutters, pliers, snap ring pliers etc. Mine are starting to rust again, maybe I need to catch more fish to stop the rusting? I would guess the saltwater boys have such tools.

[Muskyfreak131]

Just wanted to say hello to ya all and since this muskie gear post has been alot focused on musky release, bolt cutters etc. I'm just passing the word that UP Musky Products has released a musky Release kit. The kit Is a mini bolt cutter, an 8"long nose plier, a galanized mouth spreader and fiskars scissors. Tools are attacted to a box/ tray with 12' lanyards. The box also has an unsinkable floatation built in. The box also has troom for gloves , towels etc. There also is a pro model realease kit that contains a pair of Knipex bolt cutters instead of The 8" mini bolt cutter. Good luck and happy fishing to ya all.

Ej

work is the time wasted between fishing

[Random guy]

Thats pretty cool I would like something along those lines for when I go on remote trips in rental boats. Everything in one dummy proof box- it's perfect.