Setting Up My Boys For Muskies

I have a 14 year old muskie head and his little brother 11 also is getting the bug. The 14 year old is throwing a 6’6″ MH St Croix Premier with an older Abu Ambassador that wore out over the weekend. My 11 yr old is currently using a bass set up. Being they both love fishing for northerns and muskies and I have little experience – I would greatly appreciate some input.

I have a 7′ MH Premier and a 6’6″ Premier. My plan is to have my 11 yr old start using the 6’6″ Premier and my 14 yr old use the 7′ Premier. My 11 yr old casted the 6’6″ very well this weekend (and caught a northern on his first cast with it).

I’ll need to get them reels – both want low profile. We throw a variety of lures, from bucktails to spinner baits to top water, to cranks. My 14 yr old is convinced he wants a single handle reel – but has yet to try one. I was looking online at the Abu Toros (and the 50 different versions), Diawa Lexas/Lexa HD’s and the Curado 300 E’s. I’m not sure what size, varieties and types of models and ratios would be the best for either of the boys – or if there are any other brands to consider and/or lower priced options. Not sure if I should get them similar reels or have my 11 yr old get a little lesser reel and eventually move into his older brother’s reel and upgrade the older brothers in a few years. Finally, if anyone has any used reels or know of any goods deals it would also be really appreciated. Thanks again.

The revo toro 50 NaCl with the 5.3:1 gear ratio (standard ratio, not HS or winch) is a perfect match for both boys. Abu is introducing new revo reels and they may have discontinued them, though. The replacement looks like the Revo Toro S model # Revo T2 S50. The 5.3:1 gear ratio is important, as is the 50 size for muskies.

The revos are very durable on top of being excellent and versatile reels. Consider spooling them with 65 pound Power Pro line. You’ll want this thicker line because it’s more shock resistant and better for backlashes. A 7′ MH is a great match and if they ever decide they want heavier rods the reels will still be great. I have three original revo toros that are at least five years old and still going strong.

As for the rods, the trend these days is to use longer rods and it’s for multiple reasons. A longer rod will give you a better cast with heavier lures. Most importantly, it helps get your figure 8s deeper and out further from the boat, which will often make the difference between getting bit and just watching the fish swim away.

A longer butt on the rod will make it so you can tuck it under your arm, which will greatly reduce fatigue that comes with throwing and retrieving big lures for hours on end. The only rod I have that’s less than 8′ is the one I use for jerk baits and walk the dog type topwaters.

As for that Ambassadeur, what exactly happened to it? If the handle spins, but the spool doesn’t, you most likely burned out your pinion yoke. It’s a little plastic piece that Abu sells on their website for 35 cents or so. It literally costs more to ship than the piece itself does, so order a handful of them. It’s the most common thing that goes kaput on those reels and it takes less than 5 minutes to fix.

Thanks for the replies. What is the difference between all of the Revo models (Toro, Winch, HS, etc)? What gear ratio(s) do you think would serve them best?

On the Ambassador, on the exterior, the post that holds the handle and then the silver bolt stripped, so the reel is very sloppy.

I really like the Shimano 300EJ! I wasn’t sold on the low profile, and normally used the Calcutta 400b, then I started throwing the EJ more and more. Now, it has became one of my go to low pro reels.