Musky tackle recommendations for Vermilion

[PB Walleye]

I am looking for any advice / recommendations on Musky bait and color selection. I have absolutely no experience fishing musky other than a few have taken my walleye baits. I mainly target walleye but have seen a few musky in the shallows adjacent to some of the walleye structure I fish, I figured I might as well get a small assortment of basic baits to try my luck with something a little bigger. My cabin is in Pike Bay and I mainly fish the east end of Vermilion. To date I have acquired three St Croix Musky rods, two 7’and one 6.5’ medium heavy if memory serves me. I have two Shimano Calcutta 400 B reels, so any recommendations on a 3rd reel and line preference would be helpful. I am mainly looking for a basic bare bones selection of baits including colors that are tried and proven on Vermilion. Not looking for any secrets just some guidance before I purchase a bunch of colors and baits that will collect dust in the tackle box. Any information would be greatly appreciated by me and my bank account. Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

PB,

Welcome to HSO!

I do not fish for Musky so cannot help you there.

Plenty of Gator chasers on this forum that will though!

Cliff

[TomWehler]

For fun Tackle industries makes a nice 9' tele rod in various powers.

Good rods an only about $120

Reels you have sound fine to me.

Personal choice on rods an reels an we all have way to many as been doing this muskie hunting a long time.

Key is to buy something you can get repaired when it fails an fits how YOU fish, not how I fish.

Shimano, Abu, Diawa, all make many different speeds or powers you migh tlike.

Pick one up an see how it feels.

Same as rods, many companys to chose from that provide great rods.

You can get fish on low end rod & Reel combo for $250 and same fish moving up to $1000 getup.

Your call, your wallet.

People come to my boat an ask me "What do you think of my new rod an reel"? a rig that no doubt cost them $800 plus.

My answer is always "Well it sure is shiny"!

DOH!

Any lure is a good lure if you learn how to use it.

Color or patterns is a personal also.

Basic black to Wild Monster Snot or Radio active Nuke Perch patterns can an will work.

Kind of a right place ~ right time deal depending on skys, area of lake you fish an time of year. Aint muskie fish color blind?

Large or small, bright or bland, a good mix is a good mix because you learned how to use them when they work best for time you fish where you fish.

Being confident in your offerings is also a big deal.

Blades in many sizes all work, colors here also go wild in every color in the rainbow an will get you on fish.

Knowing how to work a lure is just as or in my opinion MORE important as the color or pattern.

Also know that when everyone around you is throwing one type trendy lure you will do much better to throw something totally different.

A good mix of gliders, blades, top waters an plastics is really all you need.

I mean fire tiger is an old pattern but works great.

Black leads the attack and will cover yer back.

Orange, red, green or rainbow will cover yer back.

I paint lures an have thought up some crazy stuff in patterns an made some others have thought up an ALL have caught fish as far as I know.

Any lure you chose will work.

Muskie fish aint to picky really.

They are killers an like to wallop anything in their snack & Chew zone.

then again sometimes they just come out for a look an tease you by flipping you the FIN. Then moving on just to show ya they are the home team an you are the visitor an you have to try harder, every time out.

A lure tossed in right place right time a frozen hot dog with hooks scores big also.

So many ways to go here but you will do well to stick to basics at first an venture out after a few fish as it is fun learning on yer own an you will get fish.

The Hunt matters most, to me, but some will say I'm different.

I tell people asking a long time now.

If it looks fishy, fish it.

Be it talking about a location or a lure.

Get something dark, light, something loudly bright and also quiet, some fast some slow and off you go.

Always add a few crazy looking or sounds lures just for you.

Have fun, enjoy it all.

Keep on rocken!

Tommy

[PB Walleye]

Cliff,

Thanks for the welcome, I’ve been fishing Vermilion for the last 6 years, my two sons and I went out with you a couple years ago, the last two years I haven’t fished as much as I would like due to improvements on the lake place but hope to have more time this year.

Tom,

Thanks for the input, I fully understand that there are many variables that need to be considered when selecting tackle, I hope to start out with an assortment of 15-20 pieces and build form their once I have a little more experience, thanks again for your input .

[delcecchi]

Based on my experience fishing in general, if you have 15 or 20 musky baits that is actually plenty. It sure is for bass, or walleye, or northern pike.

It would give you say, 4 or 5 baits in each major category.

[TomWehler]

PB Walleye

Here is a photo and lil video from 2008 an you can see I really do mean all different kinds of lures work an all different patterns an colors, blades, gliders, jerks, surface an divers.....

Meet in person sometime I could show some cool stuff in person an share a laugh.

Pure Corn but might give you see something you could use?

Good for a laugh any way.

Keep on rocken!

Tommy

Click video >>>

[Sorgy]

Tommy,

I see many good looking lures on that rack- not a lot of wear and tear on them Hope to see you at the expo this year.

Are you still hanging around Forest Lake this winter?

Take Care

Steve

[TomWehler]

Hi Sorgy me boy.

No Forest Lake but Musky Acres is in Chisago area.

Photo an clip from 2008 an bet don't even own or have many of those lures any more.

Big fish wire an surface lures get retired and messed up other stuff I don't give away get repainted over winter. Give away a lot of it an try different stuff.

Lots of people don't have $25 to buy a lure so I share an make smiles.

Some know I'm kind of an air brush an powder artist an I paint all winter, like bodies, guitars, lures, an like that for medium serious $$$$.

Fun junk also for free to close friends or people with no coin.

I like it, fish like it, everyone wins.

If you see Big Dan M. at Muskie Inc meeting.

Kick him in the ankle for me an tell'm Musky T says "Hey"

Keep on rocken bud.

Tommy

[JakeJ_Mn]

Anything wood from Jackpots, Suicks, some twitch divers. I have had my best luck on a Mepps single hook black bucktail and spinnerbaits banging off the rocks.

[Flyguy50]

PB, some good info from some of the best on this lake. As you might know, "sometimes" anything goes... *grins*

Jeremy......keep pitchin'!!

[guidemane]

Pike bay has way more Muskies in it than many people think. Lots of great topwater action to be had close to home. Everybody else is throwing bulldawgs and cowgirls but believe it or not, Tommy and I were catching Muskies on Vermilion way before those baits ever came along. Don't hesitate to go "Old school" to get your fish. Bucktails with hair still catch fish as well as the new style with glitter on them. Rods and reels are a personal choice as it's whatever is comfortable in your hands. One recommendation is to spend what you can afford. I use mostly 8 and 8.5ft roods with some calcutta's and some Revo's. They work great for me because they hold up very well under heavy usage.

Like Tommy said, color isn't as important as many think. Putting the bait in front of active fish is way more important. I like dark colors for topwater but it's not a hard and fast rule either. I prefer natural patterns on crankbaits but again thats just me. I'll also throw bright crazy looking stuff at times, but not all the time.

I love throwing gliders and walk the dog style surface baits but lots of people now a days never throw jerkbaits because they think they are to much work. Keep it simple to start with especially if this is just a once and a while style of fishing for you. When you get insane about it you can try more and more kinds of baits and patterns. Like Tommy I have 100's and 100's of baits some have never been in the water yet. You'll get used to throwing the stuff you like and have confidence in. Unlike what some say, I believe there is no such thing as enough Muskies baits, heck going shoping for new baits is half the fun of Muskie fishing.

Just keep it fun and fish until your arms fall off.

"Ace"

[delcecchi]

guidemane? did you grow your hair and beard out?

[PB Walleye]

Thanks again for all of the information, greatly appreciated, I think I have an adequate starting inventory of musky baits, this morning I picked up 75 used lures that came with two of the Plano® Big Game System Tackle Boxes, with that and the new items I have purchased I believe I am set at this point. Well maybe a few more!

[10,000 Casts]

It would be worth your time to go down to the Muskie show in April and pick up some Jr. Cowgirls and some double dawgs.

[Fishdoc]

Any lure can work and some will be better under different conditions/seasons. However, on Vermilion, especially during summertime, you can never go wrong with a dark colored bucktail--single or double bladed Yellow is also a good color. I use smaller buck tails early in season and when fish are stagnant, and larger lures later in season and when the fish are active. Fish in Vermilion are fairly pressured, so don't expect 3+ fish days very often. That said, fishing can be hot for short, intense periods with fast action in a few brief feeding windows. You may not see a single fish all day, and then you'll see 10 in an hour! Vermiion grows big muskies and it is common to see fish in the 50+" range during a day of hard fishing. Some fish will be in weedy areas year-round, and many will be found on rocky points and humps during summer months. During daytime, cast to locate fish in likely spots--they will often follow these lures without biting, so don't forget to figure 8. If no luck, keep notes and go back during lowlight hours to make them bite on larger buck tails or noisy top water lures. Trolling or casting with large crank baits is useful for open water suspended fish when large pods of baitfish are found in deep basins--usually in early summer or late fall. Jerkbaits--plastic (bulldogs) and wood (suicks, etc)--and large safety-pin type spinnerbaits are useful for working developed deep weed lines during summer months. Faster speeds and presentations are best when water is warm and fish are active; slow down when water is cold or fish are inactive. Fish can be found almost anywhere at any given time, very shallow or deep and everywhere in-between. Color doesn't seem to be critical, but natural colors seem to attract the most attention in my boat. Hope these suggestions are useful. Make sure you're tackled up appropriately with heavy braid line and steel or heavy fluoro leaders on a musky-sized rod and reel setup. If a spot looks good, fish it hard, from different angles and during different times of the day. Wind plays a big role on Vermilion; always fish the windward sides of islands and shorelines, and saddles--the harder the wind blows, the more you focus on those spots.

[delcecchi]

(hope the link is ok.)

http://www.in-fisherman.com/2013/09/09/small-lures-for-muskies/

Quote:

Big baits are a staple of the muskie trade, and for good reason. After all, the mantra “big lure, big fish” holds true enough most of the time. But not always. There are times when just the opposite is true. We’re talking about small lures for muskies. Times when trading foot-long jerkbaits for more modest tackle can mean the difference between a great trip and an epic fail.

Veteran North Woods guide Billy Rosner knows the drill. A lifetime of hooking up his clients with toothsome trophies from hallowed waters across northern Wisconsin and Minnesota has taught him a thing or two about keeping an open mind about lure size for monstrous muskies and trophy pike. Specifically, he’s learned top times and tricks for tapping the small-bait bite.

“Seasonally, there are times when big fish prefer smaller baits as a matter of biology,” he begins. “There also are times when, due to heavy fishing pressure, trophy muskies become more vulnerable to downsized lures. If you can recognize and react to these situations, you’ll score when other anglers struggle.”

Early Action

One of Rosner’s favorite seasonal small-bait bites occurs during the Postspawn Period shortly after ice-out. On his home waters of Minnesota’s Lake Vermilion, the pattern heats up just as muskie season gets rolling in early June.

It’s definitely a postspawn affair—which begs a quick review of muskie reproduction. Muskies spawn at water temperatures in the 48°F to 60°F-range, often in tributaries or in shallow, muck-bottomed bays—especially those with stumps, logs, or other woody cover. Males and females idle amorously along, side by side, depositing fertilized eggs that sink to bottom. The fish generally spawn twice—with the second round occurring 14 days after the first.

“After the spawn, as water temperatures warm into the 60s, you can still find fish cruising shallow bays,” Rosner says. His best bays range in size from 4 to 100 acres, sport soft or sandy bottoms, and may or may not include spawning areas. The key, he says, is finding fast-warming shallows, where the food chain kicks into high gear faster than the main lake. Warm inflows from tributaries are a plus, and areas where a creek enters at the head of a lake can be dynamite.

He cautions that even though it’s tempting to rate bays based on their southern exposure or protection from northerly winds, such profiling can be misleading. “On Vermilion, the Department of Natural Resources has found some of the most productive bays for its muskie collection efforts on the south side of the lake,” he says. Likewise, textbook access to adjacent deep water can be a plus—but isn’t a necessity. “On systems like Vermilion, with long arms and connecting channels, some of the best bays are miles from the main lake.”

Rosner notes that the best bay bites occur in the afternoon, once the sun has a chance to warm the shallows a few degrees. “You can fish a bay in the morning and not find any muskies, then come back later in the day and hit the mother lode.”

The fish are hardly on a feeding rampage. “The spawn is over and they’re looking for food,” he says. “But they’re not tearing up the place chasing large baitfish. It’s almost as if they’re looking for small meals to slowly rebuild their reserves.”

The trick to triggering these fish, he says, is a “herky-jerky” presentation spotlighting the stop, wiggle, and glide theatrics of a slender minnowbait. Indeed, while savvy pike fans dabble in small spoons during the early season, and more than a few muskie hunters tone down the size of their softbaits and bucktails, Rosner leans largely on minnow-imitating hardbaits for his early Esox adventures.“Every year, there’s a 2- to 3-week window when stickbaits from 3½ to 7 inches long are deadly on fish pushing 50 inches,” he says. Bomber’s Long A ranks among his favorites, with both the 3½- and 4½-inch versions seeing heavy duty. Other top options include Rapala’s 4-inch BX Minnow, 4-inch X-Rap, and 3½- to 7-inch Original Floating models, Koppers LiveTarget 45⁄8-inch shallow-diving Rainbow Smelt, and Smithwick’s 41⁄8-inch Floating Super Rogue, Jr. While Rosner’s shallow-water, small-bait hit list headlines straight sticks, he believes jointed versions also hold promise. “I haven’t experimented much with the Jointed Long A and similar broke-back baits, but I’m sure they’d work, too,” he says.

“You’re generally fishing depths of 2 to 5 feet, so divers are pretty much out,” he says. “But small, shad-style diving cranks like Lindy’s #5 Shadling shine for probing the deep edges of emerging weedbeds, rock shelves, and other muskie-attracting cover and structure.”

Rosner’s color wheel turns toward the high-vis-yet-natural side of the spectrum, which isn’t a surprise given the relatively clear but slightly tannin-stained water conditions. His top pattern is Bomber’s perchy-looking Bengal Fire Tiger. “It’s a killer,” he says. “I’m not sure why muskies like it so much, perhaps the way it reflects light, but they do.”

In rods, steer clear of pool cues. “I use St. Croix’s 7-foot 3-inch Downsizer, in the Legend Tournament Musky Series,” he says. “This fast-action, medium-heavy power rod is ideal for 3/4- to 2½-ounce baits.” A high-capacity, low-profile baitcaster such as Daiwa’s Lexa, loaded with 20- to 40-pound braid, rounds out the rig. To ban bite-offs and limit line slicing at boatside, he adds a foot-long leader of 30-pound fluorocarbon or light wire.

Presentation-wise, Rosner says, “there’s no wrong way to fish a stickbait. You’re imitating a wounded baitfish, so it pays to try a combination of actions until the fish let you know what’s working. Cast it out, let it sit. Twitch it with downward snaps of the rod tip. Pause. Pull the bait forward a foot or two with a firm and moderately fast sweep, then pause again. Throw in a steady retrieve for 10 feet and spice it up with a sweep-pause-twitch. You get the idea.”

Often, Rosner’s quarry is in plain sight—a shadowy, seemingly spent torpedo sulking in the shallows a long cast off the bow. Even when visual recognition is sketchy, a telltale swirl often betrays the presence of a monster. “Cast beyond, then work the bait toward the fish,” he says. “And keep in mind, muskies often travel in pairs. If one flares away, another is likely nearby.”

Strikes are sometimes significant slams but more often just a half-hearted grab. Likewise, once a fish hits, the ensuing battle can start out as a mere skirmish. “in this cool water, muskies typically don’t go crazy right away unless you horse them,” Rosner says. “Apply gentle pressure and you’ll think have a 28-inch pike until the fish sees the boat. Then it’s on. Keep your rod tip low to limit jumps and hang on. A 50-inch muskie can put on quite a show in 2 feet of water.”

North Woods guide Billy Rosner knows bite-size baits can entice the biggest muskies, particularly early in the season.

Burning Hot

Spring into early summer isn’t the only time small lures shine. Once the water temperature tops 70°F and weedgrowth begins to mature, Rosner reaches for another bantamweight champ, the downsized spinnerbait. But this time, it’s a redline rather than finesse presentation.

“Burning a small spinnerbait is deadly on heavily-fished waters because it triggers fish conditioned to ignore the steady parade of bigger baits,” he says. “And it works in weedbeds both offshore and by the bank.”

Bulletproof yet light and tantalizing baits lie at the heart of the program. Rosner favors a 1/2-ounce Booyah Pikee, which features a strong but flexible wire frame, twin willowleaf blades—one size 3½, the other 4½—and an 84-strand skirt. “Trailers aren’t always a necessity, but sometimes having one makes a big difference,” he adds. When that’s the case, he threads on a 5-inch Yum F2 Houdini Shad or 3½- to 5-inch Money Minnow.

Concerning color, he says, “Sunfish, shad, and perch patterns work best in clear water on sunny days. Shades of red craw, dark blue and black work well under overcast skies.”

Using the same rod, reel and line setup as he does with stickbaits, he casts spinnerbaits over mature beds of broad-leaf pondweeds (commonly called cabbage), coontail, and other vegetation. A brisk retrieve that burns the bait at the surface in waking mode or just beneath it is best. “But sometimes, I let it drop into the weeds, then rip it back to the boat,” he adds. “Muskies have a hard time resisting when you jerk a bait off a weed stalk.”

Small in-line spinners also excel for high-speed applications. “A 5-inch, 3/4-ounce Mini Buchertail or 1/2-ounce #5 Mepps Aglia burned over cabbage or rock shelves is underrated, and has produced giant muskies the last two seasons on Vermilion,” he says. “There’s no ifs, ands, or buts. Muskies charge up and crush it.”

Rosner likes in-line spinners with perch patterns, gold or brass blades, and prefers his Mepps dressed. “Most times that’s all you need with either spinner, but sometimes a soft-plastic trailer seals the deal,” he says. When it does, a 3-inch curlytail such as Yum’s Walleye grub gets the nod. “Hook it on one treble tine,” he advises. “Don’t go crazy trying to rig it on all three. Single-tine rigging lasts longer and performs just as well.” Just one more tip for tapping the small-bait bite this season.

[guidemane]

I have lots of baits that I rarely use that can be had for a song, so if you ever want to look at them just let me know. We are practly neighbors so you won't have to travel to far to check them out. Some are old and some have never been used.

Is the ice gone yet? No Ace, go back to sleep.

"Ace"

[PB Walleye]

Guidemane,

Thanks for the offer, I would be interested in checking out any musky tackle you have available, not sure I need any more but I have been know to be an impulse buyer. I live outside of Hibbing and up there mainly in the summer but I do make it up there every once in a while. I will see if you are available the next time I plan on heading up.

Thanks again

PB Walleye