Without a doubt the preferred choice of reel for muskie fishing is a baitcasting reel. Most muskie fishermen will opt for a level wind baitcasting reel as it will generally give the best casting performance and is also mush easier to use than a regular baitcaster.
Can you use a spinning reel for musky fishing?
Spinning reels should be fairly large when fishing for musky. The Daiwa Black Gold series was designed for saltwater and works great for musky fishing. It has quality components with excellent drag and bail systems. The 4500 is a good match for the St Croix rod above.
How much drag should a musky reel have?
Look for reels that have a minimum of 12 pounds of drag, 15 pounds of drag is adequate, any more than that is probably a waste of money. Any less than 12 pounds, the reel won’t last very long before it needs repair.
What size rod do I need for musky?
We find that a rod length of around 8 feet is the “sweet spot” when fishing for musky. It gives you plenty of length and strength for casting the large lures, yet it’s much easier to handle than a 9-foot rod.
Can you use a medium heavy rod for musky fishing?
Generally, a rod’s power comes in a range, from ultra-light to ultra-heavy. If you’re going to fish for musky, remember not to go below medium-heavy power. This power helps ensure that your rod is strong enough to sync with your line.
How old is a 30 inch musky?
The young musky fingerlings will reach 7 to 13 inches by the end of the summer. They continue to grow fast until they are five years old. The male muskellunge mature in about four to five years at 28 to 31 inches. The females mature in about five to seven years at 30 to 36 inches in length.
How hard is it to catch a muskie?
Muskies are known as the “fish of 10,000 casts” for a reason. An elusive predator with razor-sharp teeth and a picky pallet, specific gear is needed to fish for the muskellunge — they reach up to five feet long, and can put up a strong fight against the most seasoned of anglers, including Animal Planet’s Jeremy Wade.
Are muskie good eating?
In the end, muskie fish is indeed edible, but do remember about its high mercury levels and do not consume it more than once per month. Women who want to have children and children should avoid muskie fish altogether. Muskie can be a decent dish to have every once in a while, but definitely not as a primary fish dish.
How do you set drag for musky fishing?
Set the drag with a positive aggressive attitude. Don’t worry about breaking the line. Instead, concentrate on setting the hooks. While a drag set too tight might put too much pressure on a short line musky battle, a loosely set drag will not put enough pressure on a fish hooked at the end of a long cast.
How long should a musky rod be?
Muskie rods will usually be between 7.5 and 9 feet in length of course if you are trolling you run several different length rods depending on your boat setup. A longer muskie pole gives you that little bit extra casting distance so you can cover a bit more water throughout the day.
How do you catch a muskie from a shore?
“Run to the boat with the rod,” says Jackson. “Get away from shore, and if the muskie is moving away from you, set the hook hard. If the muskie is not swimming, lift with the rod tip to pressure it. At some point it will want to swim away, and that’s when to set the hook.”
What’s the biggest muskie ever caught?
68 pounds
The biggest muskellunge ever caught was 68 pounds and 631⁄2 inches long. It was caught on the Chippewa Flowage in Sawyer County on Oct. 10, 1949. The tiger muskie is a hybrid offspring of a true muskie and a northern pike.
How old is a 50 inch muskie?
Growth and ultimate size can vary among bodies of water, depending on factors such as lake productivity, forage and genetics. Depending on the body of water, muskellunge in Minnesota could take 13 to 21 years to reach 50 inches.
How long is a 40 pound muskie?
Just make an adjustment. No formula is 100-percent accurate, but if you have only length and not girth, this should help get you in the ballpark.
MuskieLength To Weight Conversion Chart.
| 36 in | 13.26 pounds |
| 37 in | 14.53 pounds |
| 38 in | 15.88 pounds |
| 39 in | 17.31 pounds |
| 40 in | 18.83 pounds |
What is the lifespan of a muskie?
Adult muskies have no aquatic predators, but may fall victim to disease, large birds of prey, or people. Muskellunge can live to about 18 years old, but fish up to 30 years of age have been documented.
What is the best bait for muskie?
Bucktails – Bucktails are arguably the most popular bait used by musky anglers. Bucktails produce vibrations in the water that are easily felt by a musky’s lateral line. Bucktails can be retrieved at any speed, depending on the conditions.
Where do muskies hang out?
Muskies spawn at around 55 degrees so ideal spawning sites are located in shallow, flat, marshy areas usually lees than 3 feet in depth. Protection from wind and colder main lake water temperatures make isolated bays, islands and small creek inlets all good spawning sites.
What is the best time of day to fish for muskie?
The best time of day to catch muskies is around dawn and dusk during the warmer months and around mid-afternoon during the winter. You can catch muskies during the day and even at night but the fishing will usually be a lot slower.
What eats a muskie?
Predators. Adult muskellunge are apex predators where they occur naturally. Only humans and (rarely)large birds of prey such as bald eagles pose a threat to an adult but juveniles are consumed by other muskies, northern pike, bass, trout, and occasionally birds of prey.
Do muskies bite at night?
You don’t have to deal with the sweltering heat and glare of the midsummer sun. And often, especially during those long, sunny hot spells, muskies just plain hit better at night! Best of all, night fishing may be the key to big fish — those trophies in the 25-pounds-plus category.
Where do Ciscoes spawn?
Some lakes are only a few hundred acres in size. Ciscoes spawn when the water temperature reaches the low 40s. They spawn in shallow water with a gravel bottom and sand patches mixed in, and usually do so at night.
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