top 5 musky lures?!

[siwash]

If you narrowed it down, what are you top 5 "must have" lures?  

 

[CrowMan]

Tough to narrow it to 5...

Suick 

Top Raider

Double CowGirls 

Jake

Bull Dawg

[Weeds]

Suick

Smallish  Bucktail (Mepps or Blue Fox)

Slopmaster Spinnerbait (probably wouldn’t make anybody else’s list)

live bait works well although won’t make the cool list

some kind of top water 

[glen]

To fish any lake.  
big spinner bait.  
big rubber

bucktail
believer
SS rap

 

[siwash]

Thanks guys. I figured spinner baits would be in there. Suicks wen ti be classics. Always come up as a great lure.  
 

I am not a musky fisherman but want to give it a more serious try.  I'm one hour from Waubaushene/Severn sound and 90 min from Kawartha musky so I figure those would be great places to start!

 

when I was about 13 my late dad and I rented a boat at port Severn. It was bloody hot and we weren't catching much. I was losing interest pretty hard that day when all of a sudden my dad hooks into a massive musky on a cheap crappy tire plastic spinner type bait. Honestly the lure probably cost .50 and was about 3" long at the most.  The water was very clear and not deep at all - maybe 8'. I remember I could see the bottom without a problem. Anyhow when it hit his lure it went straight to the boat and then went under the boat! Must have been at least 4 feet long. Our cheap gear had no chance. I don't even think he had the drag set properly. The line snapped quick once it went under the boat. I will never forget that experience over 35 years ago.... etched in my memory since. I'm pretty sure I had to change my underpants when I got home! 😂
 

I've only had one other musky follow since. That was on the burnt river a couple of years ago. 
 

thanka for the suggestions!

Edited August 13, 2023 by siwash

[siwash]

Forgot to ask, what would be your favourite colour in the Suick or other lures ? Black seems to be a popular choice if I'm not mistaken?

[glen]

black 

Go to a lake with a good population of Muskie and cast a bucktail until you catch one.  
 

[siwash]

11 hours ago, glen said:

black 

Go to a lake with a good population of Muskie and cast a bucktail until you catch one.  
 

Got any lake suggestions?! 😁

[CrowMan]

Lake St. Clair for numbers..

 

[Barry Willis]

I know you asked for five but Ill give you one, the only one my Dad would use on Manitoulin Island and Georgian Bay over seventy years ago. K-B, It had to have been a foot long or more, thick and heavy. At one time the top of the small end was painted red but was scraped off from big Muskie and Pike teeth. I remember as a kid sneaking it out and admiring it still in the original cardboard box it came in from the factory.  It was covered with tooth marks. If you are curious as to what it looks like I found a picture of a nice shiny one without the red on Ebay. Due to my lack of computer abilities I couldn't figure out how to post it on the forum. I clicked on the not so shinny ones on Ebay at the top left of the page and it came up.

[Rizzo]

believer, supershadrap, bucktails, poseidon, sledge

[siwash]

6 hours ago, Barry Willis said:

I know you asked for five but Ill give you one, the only one my Dad would use on Manitoulin Island and Georgian Bay over seventy years ago. K-B, It had to have been a foot long or more, thick and heavy. At one time the top of the small end was painted red but was scraped off from big Muskie and Pike teeth. I remember as a kid sneaking it out and admiring it still in the original cardboard box it came in from the factory.  It was covered with tooth marks. If you are curious as to what it looks like I found a picture of a nice shiny one without the red on Ebay. Due to my lack of computer abilities I couldn't figure out how to post it on the forum. I clicked on the not so shinny ones on Ebay at the top left of the page and it came up.

Interesting... when I looked it up, a spoon came up.. Is that what you are referring to?

[siwash]

22 hours ago, CrowMan said:

Lake St. Clair for numbers..

 

Sounds great, but too far!

[AKRISONER]

22 hours ago, siwash said:

Got any lake suggestions?! 😁

pigeon, its friggin loaded with skis

[siwash]

22 minutes ago, AKRISONER said:

pigeon, its friggin loaded with skis

I fished it once, years ago.. recall that the big island on the north side of the lake is supposed to hold musky... we only caught smallies and panfish but it was pretty decent as I recall.   I think the we caught fish in the narrow stretch between the big island and the east shoreline. 

Is there a public launch in Bobcaygeon? 

 

thanks!

Edited August 14, 2023 by siwash

[BillM]

On 8/12/2023 at 10:41 PM, siwash said:

Thanks guys. I figured spinner baits would be in there. Suicks wen ti be classics. Always come up as a great lure.  
 

I am not a musky fisherman but want to give it a more serious try.  I'm one hour from Waubaushene/Severn sound and 90 min from Kawartha musky so I figure those would be great places to start!

 

Do yourself a favour and hit the Kawarthas.   Gbay isn't a very forgiving place for new muskie anglers.  

As far as baits.

Double 8 bucktail

Glides, 

Dive and Rise (Suick)

Spinnerbait (Lubowski, Spanky, etc)

Rubber

[siwash]

Can suicks be trolled? What about the others? Just thinking that I may want to do a fair bit of trolling early on to search out fish locations. 
 

I have a decent reel - an Abu Ambassadeur series. Need to check which one exactly.  I don't know how these reels cast though.. may be better for trolling. I still need to buy a rod.  I do have a heavy duty rod but I don't thinking it is specific to musky. Might be okay to start out as this is probably going to get expensive! Just looked up the lures y'all recommended- holy moly! I'm going to have to re-finance my house. 

Edited August 15, 2023 by siwash

[lew]

2 hours ago, siwash said:

Can suicks be trolled? What about the others? Just thinking that I may want to do a fair bit of trolling early on to search out fish locations. 
 

Get yourself a yellow & black Believer and a 10" Pumpkin Seed Jake and troll them about 10' behind the motor in the prop wash. They catch a lot of fish.

For casting, you'll never go wrong with a large black spinnerbait with orange blades. It was always the bait I started ever day with a did very well with it. Twitch baits also work well for casting, move them fast and erratic with long pauses.

Don't go crazy buying a bunch of baits until you find what works.

Edited August 15, 2023 by lew

[BITEME]

you are the sage wise one 

[Reef Runner]

My go to’s: Jakes/believers for trolling 10inches and up. 

Casting inline bucktails (double 8s, 10s). Big heavy duty spinner baits.  Rubber (bulldawgs, Medusas). 
 

lots of good advice above. Can get pricey for sure. “Invest” in heavy braid 80# and 120# leader so you don’t donate those expensive baits to the lake lol. Best of luck. 
Reef

[Rizzo]

as Lew mentioned...sometimes the line 10 feet or less behind the boat is the ticket. I have caught many Kawartha muskies on a believer with maybe 5 to 7 feet of line out with rod tip jammed in the water. Guests/friends who I take the first time always look shocked when they watch me put a line right behind the boat....then they look more shocked when the drag on that one starts to scream!

[siwash]

Weird and crazy  fish! Right in the prop wash!

[BillM]

Running big bucktails in the prop wash can also work extremely well.

[siwash]

10 hours ago, Reef Runner said:

My go to’s: Jakes/believers for trolling 10inches and up. 

Casting inline bucktails (double 8s, 10s). Big heavy duty spinner baits.  Rubber (bulldawgs, Medusas). 
 

lots of good advice above. Can get pricey for sure. “Invest” in heavy braid 80# and 120# leader so you don’t donate those expensive baits to the lake lol. Best of luck. 
Reef

Was gonna bring up line and leaders and while I'm at it, rods too. 
For line, what do y'all prefer? I've gone with PP for smaller game with no issues.  In terms of leader, I guess 120 flouro? Should I use a snap? And are you joining the two lines with something like an Alberto knot? 
 

What about a decent rod? Preferably something that I cast and troll with. Can anything be purchased for $100 or is that junk at that price point? 
 

thanks!

Edited August 16, 2023 by siwash

[LostAnotherOne]

If you’re good with spending lots of money, time, and tears chasing these behemoths then all the best to you.  I still curse that big musky that followed my lure to the boat when I was a teenager.