Musky fishermen please stand up.

I posted this last year about this time.

How many of you focus at least one outing or trip a year to search out the toothy ones?

Steve,

Good to hear from you!

I fish Mille Lacs a lot. Spend a ton of time up there from the opener till the walleye bite dies off. Never did this year!! I was planning on hitting the Musky bite, but never did….. Hope to next year.

For a guy starting out…(like me) What Rod, Reel, Line and say 4-5 baits would you go out and get? Let’s assume I have $250 and want some change in my pocket when done shopping!!

Jon J.

Hey Steve I made it out this year and had a great time even though I didn’t catch any. I’m planning on a few new rods and reels that I can use on muskies and sturgeon and quite a few trips this year. I have a favorite bait picked out I just don’t have it yet. I need a couple of Salmo Sliders as soon as they become available its a great looking bait and I plan on catching a couple of monsters with them. Want to get together for some fishing and some photo’s. Steve

In my guiding I have the following set ups available to clients. This is also what I would recommend to someone just getting involved.

St. Croix Premier 6’9″ (PM69HF)
A great all around rod! Stiff enough to throw the heavy Gliders, yet long enough for deep figure 8’s at boatside.

St. Croix Website

AbuGarcia 6500 C3

This is simply a great reel for the $$$. Easy to use, and can be serviced almost anywhere.

AbuGarcia Website and product info.

For line I personally use 80lb Tuff-Line and have never found a reason to even try a different line.

Good luck with lures! I could write a book….

Make sure you get a quality heavy leader. I ONLY use Sampo Staylok snaps and swivels. I can thank the stay lock snap for helping me keep the 52 1/2 40+Lbs..hooked in my picture. I’ve lost fish on other snaps and will never go back.

Good luck!

Steve Cady
Musky Nut Guide Service
http://www.muskynut.com

Thanks for sharing this info Steve. I get the very same question many times at my part time job. Unfortunately, I’m such a walleye nut, I don’t have much experience with muskies other than what I get from other co-workers.

consider me standing. I fish muskies thoughout the year, but always hire my favorite muskie guide for a full/new moon hunt in August. Fish the Hayward WI lakes. Put 6 in the boat last year on August 22nd (full moon). smallest was 39″ and the largest was 44″. fished from 2 PM ’til dark. best muskie day I’ve had in my life. 4 on figure 8 bucktails and two on quick strikes.

Jon J, Cady put you on some sweet equipment.

lures?

bucktails (any color as long as they’re black!)

Bucher Top Raider

9″ Suick

Maina quick-strike sucker rig. best there is IMHO

Big plastic sucker colored Bull-Dawg lure

Count me in Steve! The tremendous increase of walleye/bass pressure in my neck of NE Wisconsin/Green Bay has gotten me back into Muskie fishing. I found there are a lot of clientele out there that enjoy this exciting fishery. I plan on focusing a much greater portion of my guiding to Musky.

I set up my clients with St. Croix 7-71/2′ Med Musky rods and Shimano 400 Calcuttas or Quantum Iron 4 s. I like 65# Powerline and Tyger 80# leaders.

This is a happy client from last season. 43″ CPR

Oops! I’ll try the attachment again.

I’ve been looking for 2 years to team up with someone on a venture! This coming year will be no different so someone give me a hollar if you have an open seat! Have gear, will travel! I tried it a couple times this last year on my own……………very poor efforts as one was from shore and the other in an inflatable raft! Dangerous way to go but I simply ask, “How bad have you got it?”