top 5 musky lures?!

[siwash]

I'm a gluten for punishment! 
 

Honestly , just interested in trying it out.  I plan to buy about 3 or 4 lures for now - those suggested above. Seems like peterborogh tackle had them.  Cabelas maybe too? 

[lew]

42 minutes ago, siwash said:

 

Honestly , just interested in trying it out.  I plan to buy about 3 or 4 lures for now - those suggested above. 

Too bad you weren't looking a few years ago when I got out of fishing, I had a garage full of musky baits, rods, reels, nets and everything else related to musky fishing including a beautiful boat and sold everything for a really good price and most of it going to guys on this board.

Edited August 16, 2023 by lew

[siwash]

How do you get out of fishing? Isn't it like the mafia?!! 🤣🤣

[LostAnotherOne]

4 minutes ago, siwash said:

How do you get out of fishing? Isn't it like the mafia?!! 🤣🤣

Musky fishing does a toll on your body after years of casting large baits.  My hands are not like they used to be.  

[lew]

42 minutes ago, LostAnotherOne said:

Musky fishing does a toll on your body after years of casting large baits.  My hands are not like they used to be.  

My quitting was nothing physical just that after 65 years of fishing I'd had enough hahaha

[Reef Runner]

15 hours ago, siwash said:

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!

PowerPro is what I’ve been using for years 80#.  
For leaders not joining two lines here. generally 120-150# reliable snaps, bearing swivel and welded ring. I can recommend Huskie Muskie leaders from Handlebarzfishing.com. 12 inch for casting, that or 36 inch for trolling. 
Rods, can be personal preference, casting you want a heavy duty but light 8 foot or more. Trolling you can use a telephone poll. I’ve seen guys use a heavy or xtra heavy downrigging rod that doesn’t cost much but do the job. 
Reels:Started with an Abu Ambassador, great real for the price and good for starting out. Still have one for trolling only (has the clicking function on the drag that alerts me when I get a pull, I can focus more on boat position and route). Casting, after time the gears will wear out in the abu from repeated retrieval of big baits. I’m a shimano reel guy: Shimano Tranx, calcuttas are ideal but $$$. 

[siwash]

7 hours ago, Reef Runner said:

PowerPro is what I’ve been using for years 80#.  
For leaders not joining two lines here. generally 120-150# reliable snaps, bearing swivel and welded ring. I can recommend Huskie Muskie leaders from Handlebarzfishing.com. 12 inch for casting, that or 36 inch for trolling. 
Rods, can be personal preference, casting you want a heavy duty but light 8 foot or more. Trolling you can use a telephone poll. I’ve seen guys use a heavy or xtra heavy downrigging rod that doesn’t cost much but do the job. 
Reels:Started with an Abu Ambassador, great real for the price and good for starting out. Still have one for trolling only (has the clicking function on the drag that alerts me when I get a pull, I can focus more on boat position and route). Casting, after time the gears will wear out in the abu from repeated retrieval of big baits. I’m a shimano reel guy: Shimano Tranx, calcuttas are ideal but $$$. 

So you are not using flouro leaders? Sound like I am basically tying the PP to a barrel swivel, then attaching the specific musky leader you suggested to the other end then finally snap and lure?

Turns out I have a medium/medium-fast duty bait casting rod by Shimano called a TDR sitting in the garage. . It's 8' "trolling" rod. Seems pretty stout and heavy duty to me. It did feels like a telephone poll next to the rods I normally use.. it'll have to do for now. I'll put the money toward some lures and terminal tackle/line.  

As I've mentioned previously I will likely just troll for now to figure out their locations and hook up with my fish.  Am I right to assume it's a fast troll that's most effective? 

 

[BITEME]

I’m not a musky guy

I will specifically go out and fish them

Im definately not in the Lew class

you don’t need to break the bank on the terminal stuff or gear good wire leaders 1 to 2 feet 50lb ers are fine Berkeley cross locks are great 50lb power pro works great medium heavy rod make it dual use trolling and casting and some kind of casting winch a buddy of mine will only use a spin caster so you can take it from there.   Keep it simple for now and if your really into it spend the money

just get out and do it

best advice I can give after a few hundred casts strip a rod length of line and re-tie it’s not bad when the floaters break free you can pick them up but you’ll be screaming when the sinkers disappear  

And for a lure I always had good luck with a big buck tail size with gold blades and brown fur

your not fishing for sharks they are not as powerful as chinooks you just need to make sure you have enough leader to deal with the teeth

thats my thoughts on it

remember K.I.S.S.

cheers

BITEME

[siwash]

Great advice, BITEME. Thanks

can bucktail spinners be trolled? 

[Reef Runner]

9 hours ago, siwash said:

So you are not using flouro leaders? Sound like I am basically tying the PP to a barrel swivel, then attaching the specific musky leader you suggested to the other end then finally snap and lure?

Turns out I have a medium/medium-fast duty bait casting rod by Shimano called a TDR sitting in the garage. . It's 8' "trolling" rod. Seems pretty stout and heavy duty to me. It did feels like a telephone poll next to the rods I normally use.. it'll have to do for now. I'll put the money toward some lures and terminal tackle/line.  

As I've mentioned previously I will likely just troll for now to figure out their locations and hook up with my fish.  Am I right to assume it's a fast troll that's most effective? 

 

Tying PP directly to the welded ring already provided atop the flouro huskie muskie leader and snap lure on the end. 
 

TDR is definitely a good rod for trolling. 
 

Speed as fast as you can move without your lure blowing up out of the water, differs by the lure. 

[BITEME]

9 hours ago, siwash said:

Great advice, BITEME. Thanks

can bucktail spinners be trolled? 

Buck tails can get a lot of lift at speed to be honest I’ve trolled it slow and got lots of fish but I prefer it more for covering water up to 10 feet fan casting

i have a very difficult time trolling for extended periods for to squirrelly for that I’m a caster that likes to move around

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by BITEME

[siwash]

On 8/15/2023 at 7:39 AM, lew said:

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.

Lew, for the Jakes/Believers do you prefer jointed or not? Thanks...

 

For nets - cradles or traditional net?

 

Thanks to all! I've learned a lot!

Edited August 18, 2023 by siwash

[lew]

Never heard of a jointed Jake but that doesn't mean they don't exist so always used the straight ones but for Believers I liked the jointed models.

Nets are much better than cradles especially when fishing alone.

Myself, I much preferred the Frabil handle & frame but liked the Beckman bag better so I combined the 2 and it made an excellent combo but that was just my opinion.

[siwash]

For orange blade and black spinner baits what do you think of these:

 

https://ptboprotackle.ca/products/pearsons-grinder-musky-spinnerbait?variant=41658026360877

[lew]

Never used them but I think the Grinders have a pretty good reputation.

[lew]

Here's a fun little tidbit for you if your gonna fish the Kawarthas siwash. Many of those lakes have large patches of pencil reeds that grow in shallow water with a sandy bottom and hold lots of muskies. Throw single hook spinnerbaits into the weeds and you have an excellent chance of hooking up. I once caught 9 fish in 2 hours using that tactic.

Funny though as I've fished pencil reeds in lakes outside the Kawartha's with no luck...go figure.

[siwash]

I've got these lures in my inbox at Peterborough tackle:

 

https://ptboprotackle.ca/products/drifter-believer-muskie-jointed-tail-lure-10?variant=40463628730413

https://ptboprotackle.ca/products/drifter-believer-muskie-jointed-tail-lure-10?variant=40463628730413

https://ptboprotackle.ca/products/pearsons-grinder-musky-spinnerbait?variant=41658026360877

 

I've looked for the pumpkinseed Jake's and black and yellow Believers but they are either sold out or not available.  I figure these colours might be close given there's lots of black in them. 

[siwash]

21 minutes ago, lew said:

Here's a fun little tidbit for you if your gonna fish the Kawarthas siwash. Many of those lakes have large patches of pencil reeds that grow in shallow water with a sandy bottom and hold lots of muskies. Throw single hook spinnerbaits into the weeds and you have an excellent chance of hooking up. I once caught 9 fish in 2 hours using that tactic.

Funny though as I've fished pencil reeds in lakes outside the Kawartha's with no luck...go figure. 

Interesting... thanks! So looking for shallow waters with sand.. Will keep an eye out!

So are the reeds exposed o the surface or submerged? 

Edited August 18, 2023 by siwash

[lew]

5 minutes ago, siwash said:

Interesting... thanks! So looking for shallow waters with sand.. Will keep an eye out!

Works best in low light conditions and is deadly after dark.

Use large black single hooks spinner baits and crank them slow.

[siwash]

Great pics.. Curious - Is that a glass boat?

[lew]

No, that boats was an aluminum Crestliner.

And for your question above about the pencil reeds, they grow several feet high above the water surface.

[siwash]

Just now, lew said:

No, that boats was an aluminum Crestliner.

And for your question above about the pencil reeds, they grow several feet high above the water surface.

That's good to know - easy to spot.. 

[siwash]

Does it look like this?

[AKRISONER]

On 8/14/2023 at 10:19 AM, siwash said:

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!

not sure, lots of marinas to launch at...only free launch i know of is at the causeway on chemong. ive caught skis on the west side of the gannon narrows and east side east of kishgo  south end near emily and up in the north end near nogies creek. 

 

The lake once again, I cannot stress enough is loaded with musky. Go poke around and you will find them, its the best place to hone your blade as far as I am concerned. Theres plenty of 40+ fish to wet your chops and learn the ropes.

[BillM]

I wonder if those muskies are in the reeds chasing bullheads after dark.   One of their primary food sources..