Muskie Basics

For the price either Pete Maina rods and reels are hard to beat..If your not going to be fishing more than a half dozen times a year they would work just fine. You can get a combo for around $150. You can also go with the Gander series musky rods for around $70 and couple it with a ABU 6500 and be about at the same range. I like the Shimano Calcuttas along with St. Croix rods..but you can get $500 in the combo and if your not going to be turning the water into a foam, you may want to go the with the first two.

There are many lines to choose from. I like Spider wire 65 or 80 for casting and trolling. I also use Tuffline and Powerpro..They are all about the same..They can run around $15-$20 per 150 yards.

I make my own leaders from fluorocarbon but you can buy them online. A good 7 Strand can work well but you have to keep an eye on it, once it gets a few bends you need to be replacing it. I can make you some leaders for free..

Nets: Either Beckman or Frabil will do the trick just make sure its a large net with a coated material. $100 to $200 for the nets..You can find one used for around $60 - $80 on the bay..

Pliers: Go with a good heavy set of needle nose and a 16" channellock. The Channellock will give you plenty of leverage to get the hook out fast.

Cutter: A MUST!!! Nipex Bolt Cutter..Nothing better..$40-$50 online.

Glove: The Lindy glove works great but you can also use the meat cutter gloves that I think you have probably used. It will protect your hand from the nasty teeth and gill rakers!!!

As far as a "don't leave home without it" bait..

Hoosier Handmade easy glider or 9" shad glider in chrome dace or chrome crappie. I also will not be without a HH Easy Glider in Pearl Shad for the morning bite. I caught 3 on mine last season and all at daybreak..One on my first cast of the morning!!!

Double Cowgirl bucktail: White for Bass Lake is the best color in either bucktail or spinnerbait.

PACEMAKER for that last 30 minutes of daylight and first 30 minutes after sunset!!! MUST MUST MUST!!! The new plastic pacemakers have a great topwater action!! The first half hour of twilight is also a great time for top water action!!

REMEMBER!!! Most importantly...Release all muskies and try not to keep them out of the water for more than a minute.. oh and give them all a little smooch on the head before gently sliding them in the water

darn it.. i have been working the valpo show.. and now heading for day 2.. but randy is right.. i agree with everything he said.. and randy can tell you.. i use alot of the bass pro pete maina rods and reels.. well actually i use the shimanno calcuttas,, but for a first rod and reel set up you cannot beat them.. i would suggest either the 7 1/2 or the 8 ftr you can throw tails to glides to jerks dawgs spinnerbaits cowgirls ect and the 8 1/2 is good for spinner baits bucktails topwater prop baits smaller cranks and so forth.. but with a longer rod the wide figure 8's are so sweet.. anyway randy is correct on all of this.. there are so many things to know about musky fishing from release tools.. definantly get nipex they can cut a 7o/d hook like its paperclip and a frabill coated net.. big game or a big kahuna but net everybody has the room for that net.. or even the large stow away, it has to be a coated net becouse its good on the fish.. it wont let your hooks get stuck in the netting and wont remove slime or split the fins and wont tear up the fish.. mouth spreader becouse they can swallow baits.. heck i have seen that deepthroat a mag dawg.. i know you do alot with randy and we have fish many times together and im sure he has shown you all about this stuff that you should know.. anyway anything else please ask.. thanx bill

Thanks for the info guys!