Musky, Musky, Musky

[SMLangler]

My goal over this summer is to catch a musky. This has been my goal for a couple of years now but I just haven’t had the money to spend on getting the equipment to do so. I am looking on getting a good rod reel combo and a couple of versatile lures. I’m willing to spend around 400 dollars. Can you please help me out in getting some equipment.  Any advice is nice too.

 

 

[slonezp]

I catch them on bass gear all the time. Your best bet is to find a quality musky fishery.

[MarkH024]

I catch them on bass gear all the time. Your best bet is to find a quality musky fishery.

x2

 

My biggest musky shown was on  7' Medium/Fast Triumph.  I do have dedicated set ups for Musky.  Don't go bananas on gear unless you want to become an avid musky guy.

St. Croix Premier Musky 7'6 MH/Fast is what I use to throw 75% of my musky stuff. I have a Curado 300DSV for that rod, but I also have an Abu C4 when I throw really big blade lures or bulldogs.

 

[newriverfisherman1953]

Any medium to heavy bass gear will work fine till you decide to get more involved in it.  My son in law caught a 45 inch musky on a 5 ft. ultra light rod and 6# line last summer.  He was using a beetle spin, caught a small smallmouth and the musky decided to take it.  

[Snakehead Whisperer]

I agree with what everyone else has said. A bass frogging rod/reel will do well for musky fishing. Use a steel or heavy flourocarbon leader on 30-50lb. braid if you're really worried about breaking off a fish. Hope you nab one.

[Hyrule Bass]

good luck finding the musky in smith mountain lake. they have a tournament every year and no one catches a thing...

[SMLangler]

I'm planning on going to the James. And thanks for the advice everyone.

[WRB]

I would look at the Okuma Guide special heavy 7'11" rod and Shimano Cardiff 400 reel combo for about $400 with a swimbait thrown in.

This outfit works great for dual purpose bass swimbaits and musky lures to 5 oz.. For line 25 lb Big Game works good, unless you are worried about the toothy musky biting the lure off, then go with 65# super braid or a steel leader.

The most productive musky lures that I used are the Marathon Musky Hawk inline spinner and the old Suick. For combo lures use a 8" Slammer wake bait or a 68 ROF 5 Huddleston.

My PB musky was 37 lbs caught on a 1/4 oz hair jig, not your typical musky tackle, but the average musky where I was fishing ran around 15 to 20 bs with occasional 25-30 lbs class fish; lake of the Woods, Ontaeio Canada.

Good luck!

Tom

[mjseverson24]

I would get a 7'6" st croix mojo musky rod with a old style baitcasting reel use 65lb braid and use a 50#-80# floro leader. this set up would be less than $200 now for baits you should get three double bladed bucktails, one in a very shiny color in silver or blue, then one black/orange then one natural forage color. now you are going to want two bulldog type lures one black/orange and one natural forage color. then two topwater baits like the joe buchar top raider, one in black and the other in some natural forage color. then you will want two jerkbaits like the joe buchar shallow raider in like a shiny finish silver or blue, then one in either a natural forage or black. with all of this you should be right about that $400 good luck...

Mitch

[ColdSVT]

I have learned to bass fish when I want to catch a musky. if I put on a steel leader and launch big musky baits tjey show ne no love.

I have lost more bass gear to musky and pike than I care to think about lol

[Bluebasser86]

I catch them on bass gear all the time. Your best bet is to find a quality musky fishery.

I fished for musky for several years with traditional muskie gear at a the only two decent muskie lakes we have "close" (3 hours drive to each of them) Canada, and Minnesota. In all that time I caught 1 on a bucktail, 1 on a 1oz Terminator spinnerbait, and 1 on a 1/16oz crappie jig. Then last year we went to one of the lakes in Missouri that I've muskie fished before to fish for bass. We caught 9 muskie that weekend, 2 on spinnerbaits, 1 on a tube, 2 on buzzbaits, 3 on squarebills, and one on a bucktail. We also had 1 follow a worm to the boat and 1 follow a deep crank to the boat and one blow up on a muskie chopper bait. If you're on a lake with muskie and they're actively feeding you'll know. 

[slonezp]

I have learned to bass fish when I want to catch a musky. if I put on a steel leader and launch big musky baits tjey show ne no love.

I have lost more bass gear to musky and pike than I care to think about lol

 

 

I fished for musky for several years with traditional muskie gear at a the only two decent muskie lakes we have "close" (3 hours drive to each of them) Canada, and Minnesota. In all that time I caught 1 on a bucktail, 1 on a 1oz Terminator spinnerbait, and 1 on a 1/16oz crappie jig. Then last year we went to one of the lakes in Missouri that I've muskie fished before to fish for bass. We caught 9 muskie that weekend, 2 on spinnerbaits, 1 on a tube, 2 on buzzbaits, 3 on squarebills, and one on a bucktail. We also had 1 follow a worm to the boat and 1 follow a deep crank to the boat and one blow up on a muskie chopper bait. If you're on a lake with muskie and they're actively feeding you'll know. 

It sucks but that's the breaks of the game. We regularly catch them and pike on jigs, swimjigs, senkos, and topwater. 

[The Young Gun]

Tackle Industries makes great rods... I have a XXH 8' (3-12oz) paired with a Abu Garcia Revo Toro Winch 60.. Spent 70 on the rod from James the owner of TI and the reel 200 used and shipped with less than 10 hours on it..

[Bankbeater]

I wouldn't throw a spinnerbait for muskie.  Muskie and pike have been known to bite the skirt off of them.  Around here the muskie like rat-l-traps, but they should hit anything a bass will.

[newriverfisherman1953]

Throw a spinner.  Musky love 'em.

[BradH]

Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, lipless cranks.  If you already have decent bass setups you're good.  Just use a leader of some kind.  On bass sized tackle a 12 to 17 pound chunk of fluoro tied to the mainline with a back to back uni gets the job done for me.