Musky fishing

[sheephead24]

We are going musky fishing for the first time in June, does anyone have any advice on a good lake to fish west of the metro? And what would you recommend for lures? I was going to buy the new storm lures, the plastic 4" crappie and sunfish.

Thanks

[AWH]

If you haven't been musky fishing before, the first thing you'll want to do is to make sure you have the proper gear. It's much more than just changing what lures you would use from walleye or bass fishing, or whatever species you're used to targeting.

To start out, you'll want a good quality baitcaster reel such as an Abu Garcia 5500C3 or 6500C3. Bare minimum of 50 pound test superbraid. I would recommend 80 pound. A good medium heavy to heavy action rod in the 6 1/2' to 8' range. You need to be able to handle what musky fishing entails and your normal everyday gear won't hold up to the task.

From there, you need to be prepared if you get lucky enough to tie into one. How are you going to quickly and safely land this fish not only for the fish, but for yourself? A good quality net and release tools are a must. Once in the net, keep it in the water until the hooks are safely removed and you're ready to release it (or a quick picture if wanted).

There's much more if you're serious about getting into it. If you're not equipped to go musky fishing, there is a definite expense to get started. If it's not something that you're sure you'll want to try again, I would highly suggest that you find a friend that might have the proper equipment that you might be able to borrow, or hire a guide who will have all the necessary equipment.

If you're serious about making this more of a long term deal, you don't have to mortgage the house to get started. But there are some up front costs in order to make it a safe ordeal for both you and the fish.

Aaron

[Tim_Anderson]

As far as lakes go, I've got to admit that the metro and west of there is not my area of expertise, but....

I have caught muskies in Lake Independence, which is near Delano. It's probably an easier place for you to start than Minnetonka.

If you get up to interstate 94 and head west, Sugar Lake is between Clearwater and Annandale. And farther west yet, near Alexandria, is Lake Miltona.

Good Luck!

[esoxfreek]

lake independance has great #s and some truly large fish plus its very easy to fish.i would recommend getting their early because this is a popular lake for all type of outdoor activity.

[Bassboy1645]

Awh covered it pretty good but I disagree with the line choice. No doubt use a super braid like pp or fireline but I dont understand this cable s*** mentality. I use 30 or 40 pound powerpro for muskie thats it! I Fail to see why a guy would need heavier. Set the drag right and fight em. Thats for any fish not just muskie. It makes me sick when a bass pro skips a 10 pound bass outta the weeds and skips him across the surface to the boat and goes wild about catching a great fish. Yeah He got a new boat prolly but Just think how much more rewarding that fish would be on 6-8 pound test and that drag was screaming??

[AWH]

Because of the rigors of musky fishing, the size of the baits, etc. that’s the reason for the heavier line. 80 pound super braid has the diameter of roughly 17 pound mono. I used to use 50 pound and didn’t see a need to go heavier at the time. I now strictly go with 80. The main reason for going heavier is line diameter. The lesser pound test, the thinner the line diameter. The thinner diameter line has a much greater tendency to dig into your spool. If you’ve ever had your line dig into itself on the spool, you know the problems this can cause. If you’re fighting a fish and the line begins to dig into the spool, when the fish needs to take drag, there’s a potential problem there. Line digging into the spool can result in a snapped line not only while fighting a fish, but when casting as well.

If you ever get a backlash (I’m thinking that’s everyone, at least once in awhile!), the 80 pound is much easier to free up than the 50 pound. It just won’t dig into the spool like the lighter diameter line. But that being said, 50 pound will get the job done, no doubt. There are just more advantages to the 65 to 80 pound lines.

Back in the day before super braids, most people were using 25 to 36 pound Dacron. So again, it’s not so much the pound test as it is the line diameter. Line diameter is a huge thing.

I will equate it to walleye fishing. If you’re used to using 6 pound mono but want to try super braid, don’t go to 6 pound super braid. Jump up to the super braid that has the diameter of the mono you’re used to using or something close.

Aaron

[traveler]

Bassboy; nobodys useing 65 or 80 lb PP because they need the line strength, it's for the larger diameter, which helps in handling the line, and keeps it from digging into the spool as much. Also more abrasion resistence, easier to tie knots, and takes up more room on the spool(fuller spool retrieves line faster and casts better). If it was just about # test, 40 would be overboard, 25 or 30 lb mono is plenty.

[Bassboy1645]

hmmm.. I never thought of it like this. makes sense.Whats the line digging into the spool thing?? I dont think I have a problem with it. But I use a few layers of electrical tape to put over my knot that I tie the superline directly to the reel with rather than a mono backing.

[AWH]

Bassboy,

It's not the line actually digging into the spool. But the line digging into itself...the line already on the spool, if that makes sense. The best way to visualize it would be to very loosely reel in a bunch of line with basically no tension being applied. Now try to pull some drag. You'll see it dig into itself and actually cause things to lock up. Now try to free up the line where it has dug in and it will catch there as well. It's simply the smaller diameter that makes this a more common occurence, even under normal fishing situations.

Aaron

[CaptainMusky]

Quote:

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Awh covered it pretty good but I disagree with the line choice. No doubt use a super braid like pp or fireline but I dont understand this cable s*** mentality. I use 30 or 40 pound powerpro for muskie thats it! I Fail to see why a guy would need heavier. Set the drag right and fight em. Thats for any fish not just muskie. It makes me sick when a bass pro skips a 10 pound bass outta the weeds and skips him across the surface to the boat and goes wild about catching a great fish. Yeah He got a new boat prolly but Just think how much more rewarding that fish would be on 6-8 pound test and that drag was screaming??

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I think the huge misconception many people is that the weight of the line somehow correlates to the weight of the fish you can catch. I totally agree with AWH based on years of experience fishing muskies that you must use superlines in excess of 65#. Personally, I use 100# whiplash. These lines are so strong, but have a very small diameter. Lines that are rated for 80# may have a 17# diameter equivalent for mono. Toothy critters cut through thin line easy and with the abuse that this line puts up with you WILL want the thicker stuff. The other problem with the thinner diameter lines is they bind up on the spool especially when using jerk baits where a lot of slack line is reeled in.

In regards to setting the drag and letting them pull out line, well, I prefer to get my fish in as fast as I can. This puts less stress on the fish especially in warm water.

I mainly see this as an insurance policy. I want to make sure I am the most prepared if that fish of a lifetime happens to strike. I don't want to be worrying about my line, or poor hooks or split rings. I have had my share of problems over the years and learned from my mistakes and those of others.