I'm A Musky Newbie, And Help Needed!

[The Young Gun]

I'm just getting into musky fishing, and I have lures, rod and reel, but what pound line and leader should I use? and a mono backing on the reel first?

Any help is appreciated!

[NoBassPro]

I use 65 lb braid for smaller baits and 80 lb for larger baits with an 80 lb flouro leader. I've heard some guys say they get bite offs with 80 and recommend 120, but I've not had a problem with it.

[Bluebasser86]

I use 80lb braid and a 8" Terminator Titanium leader with enough 20lb mono that a 150 yard spool fills my Calcutta 400B. I'm by no means a seasoned musky fisherman, I've only caught 8 my entire life and all of those were in Missouri, 5 of them in 3 days on my last trip to a little lake in Northeastern, MO. I like the Titanium leader because they don't get all bent and kinked up just from being in the box or after a fish chomps one. Actually have only had a leader on for 2 of the 8 I've caught but I was bass fishing the other 6 I caught so I wouldn't suggest trying to fish for them without one.

[The Young Gun]

Thanks! titanium leader vrs fluro? what the difference? fluro you cant see but bends after getting bit?

[NoBassPro]

Flouro doesn't kink, works very well, is cheaper on a per leader basis, and its easy to make your own so you can have whatever length you want. I started using mono and then went to flouro for leaders. The increased abrasion resistance and visibilty characteristics couldn't hurt was why I started using it. I can't say that it necessarily makes a difference, but I like it and continue to use it. I haven't used titanium or any of the other wire leaders, but when I started going after musky alot most guys were moving from wire to mono leaders due to the kink issue. With titanium not kinking, it really just comes down to personal preference. A wire leader might spook a musky, but, imo, for as finicky as they are at times when they do decide to strike nothing is going to dissuade them either.

[The Young Gun]

Another question for you here, I was musky fishing with a guy the other day using a classic abu combo setup, and he told me to turn my drag up, all the way, where my star drag took tons of preassure to tighten.. Is this true that a musky can pull it out? or is there another way to go?

[NoBassPro]

You don't want your drag that tight I don't think. I use 6500 c3s and would never consider tightening them that hard. Don't think its good on the drag system either.

[SirSnookalot]

First of all, the drag on any type of reel should never be locked down, it should be set to the test strength of the line, it's ok when the fish is on to tighten up the drag a little bit, but the key to landing any larger fish is letting it run and having patience. A person not used to catching fish that make runs of 50 -100 yds or more panic when they see that line coming off the reel at warp speed, they tighten the drag down and that's when they lose the fish...........stay calm and don't get excited, it's only a fish.

I have caught scores of them when I lived in Michigan. There is a difference of what's needed to land them and what you should use. You should use bit heavier gear to land them, they do not withstand a good battle that well, personally it's a fish I would never target again. They are a pretty fish, get good size to them and they are a much rarer catch, but imo they come in pretty easy for a fish of that size.

I would be using a rod heavy enough to handle the size lures I'd be using, wire should also be used. At present the closest to muskie I catch are barracuda, they average about the same size and are very toothy too. My standard cuda set up is a 4000 spin reel on a mh rod, 14# mono or 20# braid with 30# piano wire about 12" using a haywire twist, there is no kinking. Anything other than single strand piano wire is an unneeded expense for me. Down here we can use lighter gear because we don't release them, we gaff them, someone always wants them for a meal. Not that cuda are easy to entice but once hooked give some of the best inshore battles one could imagine.

[NoBassPro]

I know Rolie and Helens probably isn't too far from you. My next recommendation would be to go there and ask them for advice. They will set you up with gear that works.

Well I will try to provide a more detailed response. With 80 lb braid, the reasons you don't want your drag set too tight are two fold. First, you can rip the hooks out of a musky. Second, I'm not sure what the actual breaking strength of it is, but I've landed logs and had a heck of a time breaking it after snagging rock piles. Point is, if you crank your drag down too tight, your line might not break, but you will quickly find out where the weakest point in your set - up is. Musky do not have much stamina, but can be amazingly powerful for short periods of time. The first time you feel a strike at boatside on braid you'll understand.

I cannot recommend 30 lb piano wire. Its not that I think you need heavier line to land a musky quickly, its that there are many differences between throwing 1/2 oz tube baits over open water and throwing baits weighing several ounces and fighting fish at close quarters that may also be near heavy cover. Also, musky like to roll. Thinner wire will cause headaches at some point if you fish enough. I do have some single strand wire leaders for glide baits, but I am a firm believer in flouro. When I was younger I always used 30 lb mono leaders for pike and had two bite offs in my lifetime. Jumping up to the 80 -100 lb test range for musky, I am just not worried until it actually happens to me. So far it hasn't. Some guys claim you need more to prevent bite offs, but until I see it those remain stories to me.

One last thing. Sir Snook fished Lake St Clair, perhaps the best numbers musky fishery in the world. Comparing it to other Michigan lakes, multiple fish days there are common, whereas in the rest of the waters the DNR is targeting a catch rate of 1 fish per 40 hours of angler effort. Size wise, it throws out some 50" fish every year, but I don't believe it poses the capability of producing true monster musky. Also, most of the fish are caught out of open water areas. That does not hold true everywhere.

[The Young Gun]

Yeah Rolie and Helens is about 40 minutes away from me, and that sounds look an good idea to go there and they should be able to set me up with everthing thanks a ton! I guess a lot os personal prefrace, but knowing what otheres like helps me choose too!