# Muskie Tackle Advice



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

I've only fished musky in Lake St Clair and the water can usually be on the clear side depending on what the wind is doing. I still wouldn't hesitate to fish the baits mentioned above in your situation.


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## 6667supersport (Oct 10, 2012)

Favorite color bucktail was the Hulk Hogan, yellow/gold flashabou with gold blades. Burn one thru the water on a sunny day would always get some interest. Also caught a lot of fish on a lucky craft 170 swimbait, the faster you reel it the better it looks. My son probably caught 20-25 musky on them the one year. Was a great lure for him to throw because there is very little drag to the lure when reeling. Also caught many smallies, pike and even a few walleye on them. Color really didn't seem to matter, but if I had to pick one probably the gold and orange.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

tincanary said:


> Yep. I prefer casting, half the fun is getting that strike. You don't get that when trolling. I only like trolling for two reasons, either I'm looking for something to eat or there's no other viable option. That rush you get when you feel the bait get hammered is the best.


Try trolling rod in hand along weed lines. Strikes can still be savage.


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## 6667supersport (Oct 10, 2012)

Casting you get to see quite a few fish follow, even if they don't grab the bait, it is cool just seeing a fish that big a few feet from the boat. One of the most memorable musky I ever caught, that I guesstimated to be 50", followed the bucktail to the boat and hit the lure after the 3rd circle in which I buzzed the lure right over its head. Seeing its mouth open and it shoot forward and grabbed the bucktail, then I set the hook and it immediately came outta the water, can't believe it didn't spit the hook. Might have to blow the dust off the lamiglas and throw some lures around this June


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## hellCATw900 (Oct 24, 2017)

Thank you all for the responses. I already have some muskie killer Bucktails in various colors that I'm going to stick with... According to your advice regarding what colors to run, natural more than anything. Maybe a black with an orange tail. I've got my sights set on a few baits that I'm going to go try and pick up today. Thanks again for the advice.

Tight lines, screamin drags

Bob


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Musky killer are on the small side. Theyll work though. I had a 50" or so eat my #5 mepps.


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## hellCATw900 (Oct 24, 2017)

sureshot006 said:


> Musky killer are on the small side. Theyll work though. I had a 50" or so eat my #5 mepps.


From what I've seen in stores and from what I've looked at online and read, I would agree with you. However I don't plan on making them the forefront of my tackle... I do also fish a lot of pike and they'll work well for those. I believe bulldawgs, medusas, posidons and jointed swimbaits are what I'm going to focus on picking up and use as my primaries to start in my muskie adventures.


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## 6667supersport (Oct 10, 2012)

sureshot006 said:


> Musky killer are on the small side. Theyll work though. I had a 50" or so eat my #5 mepps.


I used to cast the smaller willow bladed lures and caught plenty of nice fish years ago. With the willow blade it would go thru the water a lot easier and you could really burn them. Gives the fish less time to think about what it was gonna do. Eventually worked way up to double eights and would run 6" twister in a contrasting color on a trailer hook off the back. Was having a local guy make me bucktails, I was buying flashabou and twisters, he would make them. He eventually started using the twister trailer too, but he got caught up in family life and no longer makes bucktails.


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## 6667supersport (Oct 10, 2012)

You should have at least two or three bucktails with the flashabou skirt, one being bright yellow. On certain days musky really like flashy things. The couple trolling boat I have been on usually run a bucktail or two to start and most used to use Spankys that are made locally (or at least were) the most popular color was Hulk Hogan which was bright yellow/gold. My buddy that made his own bucktails, Big Boy Bucktails, said his best color was red and blue flashabou. No where near a natural color, not saying fish wont hit a natural color, but I wouldn't be out there casting without a few in the box.


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## hellCATw900 (Oct 24, 2017)

Thanks again all for the advice, I decided to go with these 3 that I found at cabalas... natural perch 4d line thru perch, golden shiner magnum shallow invader and a black orange double cowgirl... I also ordered from them, a 10 inch Chaos tackle Poseidon swim bait in hot perch, a red horse colored 190 series whopper plopper, an 8 inch joined believer in 9 dollar bass color, an black/orange mini medusa and a black/orange regular double dawg... The muskie guy who works at cabelas said that natural color is his go to and with top water he prefers to throw darker colors to compliment the shadow of the bait. The pictures are of the line thru perch... the double cowgirl.. and the shallow invader. I figure these 8 will be more than enough to get me started. I just need to get the boat in the water. Again, much appreciation for all the help and the responses. If any of you have your favorites or a favorite way to fish any of these, I would welcome any tips. 

Tight lines, screamin drags

Bob


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Gold and black is my favorite bucktail color. They bite lots of other colors but it's my confidence bait.


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## hellCATw900 (Oct 24, 2017)

Do you guys prefer multistrand titanium leaders or fluorocarbon? 75 to 100 pound test range?


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

I wouldnt use less than 140 for fluoro.

Single strand wire or 135# multi strand.


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## hellCATw900 (Oct 24, 2017)

sureshot006 said:


> I wouldnt use less than 140 for fluoro.
> 
> Single strand wire or 135# multi strand.


I strung up with sufix 832 65 pound test... wouldn't double leader strength be overdoing it?


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

hellCATw900 said:


> I strung up with sufix 832 65 pound test... wouldn't double leader strength be overdoing it?


Nope. It's not about breaking under tension necessarily, it's about teeth.

Lot of casters use 80-100. Get a backlash casting a pounder and you might find out why!


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Oh and musky aren't exactly line shy.


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## hellCATw900 (Oct 24, 2017)

sureshot006 said:


> Nope. It's not about breaking under tension necessarily, it's about teeth.
> 
> Lot of casters use 80-100. Get a backlash casting a pounder and you might find out why!


I makes sense... I don't plan on throwing anything over 7 oz. That heavy action musky rod I picked up is rated for a max of 65 lb test... I was debating going 80 but figured I would be okay with 65 as long as I watch my birds nests. I'll look into the larger tests for my leaders. Thank you!


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

hellCATw900 said:


> I makes sense... I don't plan on throwing anything over 7 oz. That heavy action musky rod I picked up is rated for a max of 65 lb test... I was debating going 80 but figured I would be okay with 65 as long as I watch my birds nests. I'll look into the larger tests for my leaders. Thank you!


I use 80 and have had it break once setting the hook on a fish and lost a few snagged up lures. The hookset one must have had a bad spot. Heavy fluoro leaders don't cut off until they do... heavier the more likely it won't break.

You'll be okay with 65# main but even a 7 oz lure has a lot of momentum!


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

A 2 oz bait will snap 30 pound braid on an aggressive cast & backlash all day long. Don’t worry about the rod rating so much; it gives, plus the reel drag will kick in, even if you have it locked down. I wouldn’t want to cast anything over 6 oz with 65 pound braid & and a muskie rod unless I was doing soft lob casts.


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## hellCATw900 (Oct 24, 2017)

Only naturally that begs the next question. An Abu REVO T2 BST51 has a line capacity of 235 yards of 30 lb braid which sufix 832 had a diameter of .29mm... 65 has a diameter of .4 mm and 80 has a diameter of .45mm. According to my math, in theory I should be able to string around 175 yards of 65 lb and around 140 yards of 80 pound with no backing. Backing on a Baitcast is obviously preferred... 150 seems like it would be enough for muskie. Would you agree?


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