High $ Musky / Pike baits – Worth it ?

I have been picking up a few lures off of Musky Flea Market. Every once in awhile I run into some crazy expensive baits. For example: Lee lures Leviathan, Barfighters, Harvey baits Javelin, BeauZooka baits. Is the high cost of these baits simply due to the Paint jobs on them, Or is the action of these baits something different. Do people mainly purchase these baits to fish with or do they just collect them ? I know musky baits in general are expensive, but these baits are at a whole different level. I see some of these baits listed and selling for 200.00 or more each. I lose a few baits each year fishing Pike in Canada and at this cost that would be really painful. Just curious if some here own and use some of these baits.

I cant comment on the musky lures, but Ive watched my wife outfish me 6 to 1 pike fishing with a daredevil spoon when I was throwing some stupid high dollar jointed shad swim bait I thought looked cool .

If I ever start musky fishing Im throwing a giant red eye wiggler.

I’ve seen these lures you speak of at Thorne Brothers multiple times. I can’t get myself to buy any, much less use one. I’d have a stroke if I was tossing a $200 muskie lure and lost it (although I can’t honestly think of a reason I’d lose it).

Even losing a higher end bass lure to a pike bite off is painful enough for this guy.

The baits are cool, great paint jobs and built in guys’ garages or workshops. But for every one of those there’s a $20-$30 bait off the shelf that will do the same thing. Most of it is a supply and demand thing and the prices skyrocket when the baits are hard to get. With all due respect, musky fisherman are idiots.

Those high dollar baits are handmade, so considering the time spent on them the cost is understandable. That said, I do not see myself dropping that type of money on a single bait any time soon, and if I did it would be for a trolling bait like a supernatural headlock or mattlock. Regarding lost baits, I can remember only 1 time I lost a musky lure in many years of fishing them. That was due to a classic reel engaging/line snap/lure flies across lake situation. My all-time best bait is an inexpensive “Harasser” bucktail.

I have people tell me all the time they can’t remember the last time they lost a bait. I think Pike are just different than Musky. We seem to get a few cut off each year when the pike misses the bait out in front and cuts the line ( 60-80 Lb braid ) Happens the most on Suicks, but have it also happen on other glide baits. Not sure if its the erratic movement on these baits or what, but pike just seem to miss the bait a fair amount. Then there is the dreaded reel engagement mid flight on a heavy bait. That has also cost us a few baits over the years.

When I first started making lures I tried musky and pike lures. Having no idea what to do, and if they would work, or how to paint them, I would feel justified charging up to 200$ for each lure. As a fisherman no way I would pay that for them because it was a horrible paint job, I doubt they would work, and it looks like the person who made them had no idea what they were doing.

gimruis wrote:

(although I can’t honestly think of a reason I’d lose it).

Backlash on a cast. Happened to me multiple times. Actually not me, but my buddy using my lures and he said it was my fault.
Remember all the rage around the Weagle when they came out? THey were stupid expensive at the time and people couldnt help themselves beating down doors trying to get their hands on them. That was like 20 years ago and they were like $40.

Yeah things have escalated since then

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You can order new barfighters still from the maker of them for less than second hand. I personally run harvey javelins and I do think its worth the extra cost. The biggest difference in dive and rise is the belly roll on the pause. The javelins and barfighters have a ton compared to suicks. Theres more people trying to flip barfighters than actually use them in my opinion. I would get on the waiting list for one and brush off the secondary ones. The one other weird lure that has been worth it is a flaptail. I paid $70 but man they move fish. Dumbest looking lure ever.

I must have some hidden gems in my musky box that I havent opened in like 10 year. Mantas have to be worth a fortune huh? LOL

Lol no mantas are still junk

tswoboda wrote:

Lol no mantas are still junk

ONly thing that was junk about them were the small hooks. I swapped them out and caught 4 fish over 40 in that Frank Schneider tourney in one day.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Backlash on a cast. Happened to me multiple times.

I can’t recall a time when I actually lost a muskie lure, ever. Of course I get back lashes just like everyone else does, but the line doesn’t break. I just end up with a birds nest instead in the reel. I have to imagine there is a weak spot or fraying in 65 pound braid for it to snap on a cast. Either that or you’re just trying to bomb it a country mile. I guess I could see a treble hooked muskie lure getting hung up on a stump or log underwater. Then you might have to cut the line and you’d lose the lure.

Always using a leader of course, whether that be steel, titanium, or fluorocarbon. They ain’t biting through that.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Mantas have to be worth a fortune huh

Sorry not so much. I purchased several last year at around 22.00

Some can be worth it and some are not. I personally would not spend that kind of money on a lure. I say this sober. My most expensive baits are Mattlocks. Bought 2 used, and after having success I picked up one at full price. Any bait that puts a +50” fish in my boat is worth it. Until I see that fish, they are not. There is the problem. Do you think you would have caught that fish if you had different bait on? One doesn’t know.

I felt guilty asking so much money for one lure and got sh!t for it. But I didn’t even make minim wage after everything was added up and my time removed. So I stopped making lures for people. Quality hand made stuff cost more than Chinese plastic. I have had multiple people offer me stupid money for baits I made that brought in nice fish. Saying “you can just make another one.” This is not true. There are characteristic differences in wood. Knots and wood grain can affect the way a lure reacts. Not all $$$ lures work the same even in the same line form the same manufacture.

I use 100 lb line. It is not for the muskies. It’s for the bait.

gimruis wrote:

Always using a leader of course, whether that be steel, titanium, or fluorocarbon. They ain’t biting through that.

We use 125Lb. fluro leaders. The ones we lose are not cutting the leaders, they are cutting the braided line out in front of the leader. Try to always check both the leaders and the first few feet of line after each fish for nicks.

I see. How long are the leaders you use? 12 inch? I guess I could see a toothy predator miss the lure and slice the braid in front of it. Would be some really bad aim but I’m sure its possible.

The pike I catch aren’t like the Canadian ones you speak of. The ones I catch here are mostly the 20 inch slime dart variety.

gimruis wrote:

I can’t recall a time when I actually lost a lure, ever. Of course I get back lashes just like everyone else does, but the line doesn’t break. I just end up with a birds nest instead in the reel. I have to imagine there is a weak spot or fraying in 65 pound braid for it to snap on a cast. Either that or you’re just trying to bomb it a country mile.

I use 100# powerPro now, but back in the day I ran ProMax from Berkley and loved that line! It was unreal. If you ever got a backlash it came out super easy. I have experiment with other lines before settling on Power Pro and some major issues and I was never using anything under 65#. I run my spool control really loose and yes, make very long casts with 3 or 4 ounce lures so that is part of it. I broke my line 1 time on a hookset on the MIssissippi North of my house. Broke the line at the end of the rod. Must have been a bad spot. I did get the lure back, but sadly no fish still attached. Im sure it was a World Record.

The bigger the fish the worse the aim. Eyes are farther apart and that gives them a bigger blind spot in front of their nose. That is why they swipe at it.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Im sure it was a World Record.

LOL I’m sure it was too. Had to be.

This thread is the exact reason I refuse to ever go Musky fishing. You guys are crazy. I have a lot of money into fishing stuff, and more walleye gear than just about anyone except those fishing pro. But the money they get for rods and lures for Musky is just plain nuts.

gimruis wrote:

LOL I’m sure it was too. Had to be.

WHere do I get my imaginary trophy?

Wait, maybe that line was called ultramax. I forget. Been so long, but it was a braided line with a mono core. Anyone remember it?

It could be expensive, but not for me. I run a simple 16′ tiller, basic 12v bow mount and a simple 2d helix unit. A couple of combos that maybe cost $250 each, and a handful of inexpensive bucktails, livingston and llungen cranks, and maybe a medussa in the fall. I am happy with the number and size of skis I catch and am not into it for much money at all.

topshotta wrote:

It could be expensive, but not for me. I run a simple 16′ tiller, basic 12v bow mount and a simple 2d helix unit. A couple of combos that maybe cost $250 each, and a handful of inexpensive bucktails, livingston and llungen cranks, and maybe a medussa in the fall. I am happy with the number and size of skis I catch and am not into it for much money at all.

Well that’s not how I roll. I would get addicted like anything else and have a huge tackle box full of goodies and several way to expensive combos.

I prefer a 1oz Johnson Silver Minnow tipped with some kind of soft plastic and a wire leader, inexpensive and very effective.

I actually love to throw this with a #14 fly rod. I like fighting them with both hands.

Regardless of whether or not you fish muskies you’d be astonished the amount of money you have wrapped up in fishing tackle. I can guarantee you I have north of 10k and that probably doesn’t include the musky stuff. It adds up. We all know we don’t buy it in one sitting so it’s from decades but it really adds up.

I lost a bucktail one morning on Bald Eagle. The snap broke on the leader. That bucktail just kept going, and going, and going right over the horizon. NASA called me later that week to help identify whatever it was that had just entered orbit.

SR

Houston, we have a problem!