Best early Muskie baits

I was wondering what the best baits were to use early in the Metro. I figure having an extra rod or 2 tied up for ‘skies while bass fishing couldn’t hurt!!

Been my experience that the smaller the better. Jointed Rapalas, #5 Mepps. I’ve seen early Muskie caught on Bass spinner baits also. Also try the Bulldawgs. They just tear them up and you can buy smaller sizes of those. Only problem is they only last for one or two fish then they are pretty much trashed.

I’ve heard a lot about using the small to mid-size bucktails for early season ‘skies and burning them over the tops of new vegetation growth. Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits have been spoken of producing well in the same area/situation. My personal experience still lacks the results to be acknowledged as credible information, but it’s what I’ve read. I have produced bass and pike very well and quite handily using these techniques…………I just need to use them on waters that frequent muskies for the probability of an encounter.

Go get’em MFO!!!

THANKS DAVE I’LL BE ON 2 SAT HOP 2 SEE YOU THERE

it seems every muskie hunter has a good go to bait for every season, i prefer using smaller baits this time of year, my personal favorite for early muskies is a mid sized suspending jerk bait like a husky jerk or bomber, looks and feels like bass tackle and it is, but it seems the skis get into them especially when they are fished slow, like 3to 5 second pauses, anyway, my 2 cents

Try a #8 Walleye Pattern Shad Rap. While trolling on Leech for pike and walleyes two weeks ago I caught a 46″ Muskie.

Did you catch anything else with that new pattern?

Although I use so many different styles and brands , larger jerk baits seem to really outperform everything else till the weeds get up into your way. Even then until the sultry/steamy days of July and August they are still my go to baits. I usually use full size musky versions though and don’t really down size the bait. What I do instead is plug in more pauses and stops, and jerk stop, pause, jerk, stop pause rather than jerk pause jerk pause,jerk pause. To be honest though even in very cold early water you have to try faster retrieves occasionally. Some of those monsters just don’t seem to pay attention to what type of action their next meal is supposed to have.
Keep in mind the first presentation above is basically a feeding presentation and the second a re-action aggression type strike. Most days these critters seem to have an attitude anyway, so you will be somewhere in between. I really don’t have much luck with my thrashing /propellor type baits until like I said until J uly or August.

I use small #5 mepps and I like to twitch a small rapala over a weed line. I have tried to jerk pause, pause, jerk and had some good luck with that.