Awesome! So many guys I know don't do the fingernail test properly (IMHO). That hook has to "sink" in a nail, just grabbing it on a nail slide isn't sharp enough. I keep all of my hooks that sharp (musky, pike, LMB/SMB) without exception. There were some missed details with rods I think. The length is only part of the length. I have a 8' 6" & a 8' rod. Lining up reel to reel, there is a 2" difference in the blank, & a 4" difference in the rod butt. I suggest to guys all the time to look at where reels line up, or line up the foregrips instead so it's the working blank compared to a working blank. I have a few different rods. I prefer a moderate fast over a fast action rod. This was missed in the video. The moderate fast I have all have a good parabolic bend when loading up on a cast. The fast actions not even close. The moderate fast seem to handle bait presentations way better also (bit hard to describe though). Boatside moderate fast tapers give the rod alot more room to give when a musky thrashes. Fast actions do not. 80# braid, 150# fluro, incorrect drag settings & something has to give with the rod being the only flexing piece of that puzzle. I agree with the rod lengths but the length is your height + boat height off the water = an optimal length. 8' or 8' 6" is optimal for my height & boat height off the water. I own a 9 & 10 footer also. They longer the better for figure 8s, hands down. The 10 footer is utterly useless for any twitching of any kind because it constantly slaps the water. 8' 6" is perfect for my height (& that 8 footer because it's only 2" shorter @the tip). I have a 7' 10" which makes 8s just so challenging (suggested to me exclusively for Suicks, which I have yet to figure out why exactly). This is a fantastic video with attention to detail!!! Awesome job. Fishing is all about attention to detail, more attention & then more details.
Love the attention to the hook. Feel like to a of fishermen don't sharpen hooks or test knots and leaders. I spend a fair bit of time in my hooks. For size and gear space limitations I keep 2 diamond files that are credit card sized made for stowing a wallet. 600 and 1000 grit are perfect for big and small hooks. I sharpen towards the point though to remove that burr that likes to form. I get them scary sharp and. Think it makes a huge difference.
I'm 9 years deep into being a muskie junkie let me tell ya I learned all this stuff slowly on my own would of loved to see this video in the beginning my arsenal of rods reels and baits makes my head spin anymore so much tackle I live right along the Susquehanna River Lancaster county so I got plenty of muskies to play with..
What St Croix Rod would you suggest for a 1 Rod Musky fisherman who has No desire to throw 1lb Bulldogs more of a buck tail small mid size crank baits ? Thanks.
The best musky fishing on my life was done with a 6’6 rod with an open face spin reel using a mepps 5 spinner on 16 pound moni and wire leader 😐, the biggest I caught were 50 and 55inch musky, with the smallest few around 45 inches. Unless you’re trying to cast to the other side of the shore from the dock, you probably don’t need a damn 8 foot rod.
Well ya that works obviously … but a big part of having heavy duty arsenal is also to protect the fish. Musky will fight til they die. The faster you can bring them to the boat and not prolong the fight, the better chance they have of survival after release.
Been going at them for one year doing well one over 50 seen plenty of beauties love lake st Clair. Wished started earlier instead of 55 years old love it what a workout.
I’m guilty of the lazy L... funny when I first started musky fishing I did a good proper figure 8. But you get tired and sore and start cutting corners.
I think maybe you can get a sharper hook by actually drawing the file toward you, going against the grain . Much like when you sharpen a knife. Otherwise you're left with that filing edge. I've found this to be true anyway. Love the insight. I'll be purchasing longer rods lol
I noticed that, too. He’s definitely pushing the file in the wrong direction, doing what he’s doing will create a large burr on the point that makes it fragile and not as sharp as it could be.
A good way to tell if your hook is sharp enough is to touch it against your fingernail. If it sticks, you're good... if it slides across your nail, it's not sharp enough. Cheers!
Another mistake is the Lexa 400, had two from factory with worm paws snapping and worm gear sliding. Had another that would bow the pinion and drive gear outwards to the point the teeth didn't touch, causing drag to slip on tight cranks. Now I'm off topic...
@@illmuskyhunter3313 They all were the HDs, many Illinois musky fisherman can confirm as they sent their reels to me for repair. I don't use them so perhaps it's operator error, but I have my eyebrows raised.
great tips overall but no chance personally of me fumbling around with a 10 foot rod in my boat, my 7 to 8 footers have served me well. i think part of the whole muskie phenom is to run out and buy the new or popular thing, stop shopping and get fishing lol cheers
Lol I caught my first muskie today. It was on a 7'0 bait caster, I was bass fishing! The thing was about 3 ft though, scared me to be honest but I enjoyed the fight! Think it was fine than bass
Would 8'6" be suitable as a utility rod for a bank fisherman. That's the size I keep coming back to. It's difficult to cast that longer rods in certain situations.
Diawa wilderness rods are 20 to 30 dollars. I've caught 20 pound catfish and stingrays bigger than a stop sign on it. Quantum 40 dollar reel. Best 60 dollar setup you could ever buy. as far as a Fishman who puts a whoopin on his rods. cheap, replaceable, but very reliable
People like to use quality gear. Not the cheapest gear possible. Most people use a $300-400 combo plus $40 in braid and a $30 lure. There's no skimping when you fish 3-4 times a week.
Using tried and true tackle, like rods under 8'6", isn't a mistake. A lot of time it's what guys have, can afford to have or are able to travel with. Other points are good.
Modern, longer musky rods being longer have so many benefits and don't wear you out as fast most of all. As for being affordable and for travel many models are fairly cheap and are telescoping. Anyone looking for a solid musky stick around the 100$ price point (less if you find it on sale) should look at the Diawa Prorex Or Prorex XT.
The only thing I've noticed I don't like about longer rods, 9 ft specifically for me, is Casting accuracy. I lose accuracy with a nine ft as opposed to 8/8'6
This comment is accurate honestly, me and other musky guys who actually target them rarely catch any, but every bass or trout fishermen we run into is telling us how they accidentally catch them all the time.
Man I buy used shit myself fish don't care what u have alot of fisherman try to keep up with one and other hell I still using those rapala magnums and if cought the hell outof them I only use the old style bull dogs seams like they run better and i have talked to some strangers and they said I'm right but I did splurge and go get the Minny onestwo in a box ain't cought shit on them but we're I fish they can b werry have a good one
@@davidcooley5135 I LOVE the Rapala Magnums! TRUE fish don’t give a Fuck. If they want to bite they’ll bite it, old or new. It’s interesting because I caught a 21 inch Largemouth Bass on a 7-9inch topwater musky lure! LOL! SHIT BLEW MY MIND! LOL!
I lost a big musky at the end of Kenny were it goes into the Ohio river because of two of the mistakes he is talking about here I lost the same fish twice just because my pole is two short I had a Sevan foot Jordan Lee quantum which is light but I do alotof creek fishing which eight foot is almost over kill just because of the trees and the cast destance but where I was at when I lost the fish I could've been using my St croix rods there longer and have never let me down but the second thing he was right about I was slinging apurple horse hair grim reaper it got ten foot from the boat and nailed it well I jerked the hell out of it well he let go or I jerked it out but since I lost him I figured I'd just real on in well I b damned if the same fish just turned around and nailed it as it was coming out of the water and I gotto looking at the hooks well they were brand new and wasn't sharp enough to break your skin so I am going to take my crash Mullins bluegrass musky rod it's a7.8 it's awesome in a creek but we're I'm wanting to get into bigger fish I'm going to hit some bigger Waterford the fall hopefully I'll get a good trade in I was looking at the shamonos because I'm trading a custom built rod I was going to see if I could get a med heavy and a heavy action 8 footers but they had shitty reviews I had one of the older ones and it was like fishing with a 2x4 so I'll hopfully find something I can trade for to were crash just sold them in his store there wasnt many made by St croix it's a awsome rodive reld in many on it I wore out a quantum smoke on it but I need some more powerful rods and sharper hooks u look at them hookson a buck tail and there huge it's nearly like taking a number 6 nail and trying to pull it threw a pine tree thanks for the video I figured this out to late I always threw plugs then I started slinging different stuff but this man is correct no pull ques if u got to get a 8 or 9 foot catfish stick I'd been better of with one of those than that damn Jordan Lee quantum it's leaving hear tmrw to thanks again
Great video, I’m more of a casual fisherman and usually try to fish for walleye and catfish, but recently I found out that the mon river in southwestern pa near where I live has some musky in it and I’d love to start catching some. But thanks for the tips!
When I first started targeting musky and big pike as a freshman in high school, I was using $40 catfish rod/reel spinning combos from Cabela’s. Short fiberglass rods, weak reels, and I still got plenty of fish. Don’t worry too much about it.
To each there own. I would love to have some 8-9 foot rods, but they won’t fit in my boat locker nor my truck. 7-7’6” has always worked well for me. I can’t justify replacing thousands of dollars in rods. Fish what you have.
You could catch muskies on a 3 ft child’s pole from Walmart. Doesn’t mean it’s the best option. You’re a little bitch man. If you don’t want advice don’t watch advice videos.
Awesome! So many guys I know don't do the fingernail test properly (IMHO). That hook has to "sink" in a nail, just grabbing it on a nail slide isn't sharp enough. I keep all of my hooks that sharp (musky, pike, LMB/SMB) without exception.
There were some missed details with rods I think. The length is only part of the length. I have a 8' 6" & a 8' rod. Lining up reel to reel, there is a 2" difference in the blank, & a 4" difference in the rod butt. I suggest to guys all the time to look at where reels line up, or line up the foregrips instead so it's the working blank compared to a working blank.
I have a few different rods. I prefer a moderate fast over a fast action rod. This was missed in the video. The moderate fast I have all have a good parabolic bend when loading up on a cast. The fast actions not even close. The moderate fast seem to handle bait presentations way better also (bit hard to describe though). Boatside moderate fast tapers give the rod alot more room to give when a musky thrashes. Fast actions do not. 80# braid, 150# fluro, incorrect drag settings & something has to give with the rod being the only flexing piece of that puzzle.
I agree with the rod lengths but the length is your height + boat height off the water = an optimal length. 8' or 8' 6" is optimal for my height & boat height off the water. I own a 9 & 10 footer also. They longer the better for figure 8s, hands down. The 10 footer is utterly useless for any twitching of any kind because it constantly slaps the water. 8' 6" is perfect for my height (& that 8 footer because it's only 2" shorter @the tip). I have a 7' 10" which makes 8s just so challenging (suggested to me exclusively for Suicks, which I have yet to figure out why exactly).
This is a fantastic video with attention to detail!!! Awesome job. Fishing is all about attention to detail, more attention & then more details.
Love the attention to the hook. Feel like to a of fishermen don't sharpen hooks or test knots and leaders. I spend a fair bit of time in my hooks. For size and gear space limitations I keep 2 diamond files that are credit card sized made for stowing a wallet. 600 and 1000 grit are perfect for big and small hooks. I sharpen towards the point though to remove that burr that likes to form. I get them scary sharp and. Think it makes a huge difference.
I'm 9 years deep into being a muskie junkie let me tell ya I learned all this stuff slowly on my own would of loved to see this video in the beginning my arsenal of rods reels and baits makes my head spin anymore so much tackle I live right along the Susquehanna River Lancaster county so I got plenty of muskies to play with..
very helpful especially on that last one thank you
Great job! That will help lots of new and older fisherman! Looking for more mistakes we make!
I’m in a kayak so a super long rod can be tough
What St Croix Rod would you suggest for a 1 Rod Musky fisherman who has No desire to throw 1lb Bulldogs more of a buck tail small mid size crank baits ? Thanks.
I was ready for my ego check on the mistakes. But was glad to see that I’m no longer making THOSE mistakes.
What was that 10 ft rod you have? Been looking for one
The best musky fishing on my life was done with a 6’6 rod with an open face spin reel using a mepps 5 spinner on 16 pound moni and wire leader 😐, the biggest I caught were 50 and 55inch musky, with the smallest few around 45 inches.
Unless you’re trying to cast to the other side of the shore from the dock, you probably don’t need a damn 8 foot rod.
Well ya that works obviously … but a big part of having heavy duty arsenal is also to protect the fish. Musky will fight til they die. The faster you can bring them to the boat and not prolong the fight, the better chance they have of survival after release.
What weight / color braided line would you recommend...? What about leaders...? Thanks!
Been going at them for one year doing well one over 50 seen plenty of beauties love lake st Clair. Wished started earlier instead of 55 years old love it what a workout.
I’m guilty of the lazy L... funny when I first started musky fishing I did a good proper figure 8. But you get tired and sore and start cutting corners.
I think maybe you can get a sharper hook by actually drawing the file toward you, going against the grain . Much like when you sharpen a knife. Otherwise you're left with that filing edge. I've found this to be true anyway. Love the insight. I'll be purchasing longer rods lol
I noticed that, too. He’s definitely pushing the file in the wrong direction, doing what he’s doing will create a large burr on the point that makes it fragile and not as sharp as it could be.
Great video man.
What about in the spring for smaller baits?
Great advice!
A good way to tell if your hook is sharp enough is to touch it against your fingernail. If it sticks, you're good... if it slides across your nail, it's not sharp enough. Cheers!
Doug can you put an extra weights on the big Bucktails to get them down in the water more?
yes you can
Another mistake is the Lexa 400, had two from factory with worm paws snapping and worm gear sliding. Had another that would bow the pinion and drive gear outwards to the point the teeth didn't touch, causing drag to slip on tight cranks. Now I'm off topic...
Gotta get the hd
@@illmuskyhunter3313 They all were the HDs, many Illinois musky fisherman can confirm as they sent their reels to me for repair. I don't use them so perhaps it's operator error, but I have my eyebrows raised.
As a reel repair guy, I saw more lexa reels fail than any other. The pinion yokes I would order by the 50’s
great tips overall but no chance personally of me fumbling around with a 10 foot rod in my boat, my 7 to 8 footers have served me well. i think part of the whole muskie phenom is to run out and buy the new or popular thing, stop shopping and get fishing lol cheers
What’s your favorite 9’rod and reel combo?
Lol I caught my first muskie today. It was on a 7'0 bait caster, I was bass fishing! The thing was about 3 ft though, scared me to be honest but I enjoyed the fight! Think it was fine than bass
Some good toothy info here!
Would 8'6" be suitable as a utility rod for a bank fisherman. That's the size I keep coming back to. It's difficult to cast that longer rods in certain situations.
Same
I’ll go along with that 🎣
THANX AGAIN" from Tiger's Only Idaho!
Diawa wilderness rods are 20 to 30 dollars. I've caught 20 pound catfish and stingrays bigger than a stop sign on it. Quantum 40 dollar reel. Best 60 dollar setup you could ever buy. as far as a Fishman who puts a whoopin on his rods. cheap, replaceable, but very reliable
People like to use quality gear. Not the cheapest gear possible. Most people use a $300-400 combo plus $40 in braid and a $30 lure. There's no skimping when you fish 3-4 times a week.
Using tried and true tackle, like rods under 8'6", isn't a mistake. A lot of time it's what guys have, can afford to have or are able to travel with. Other points are good.
Modern, longer musky rods being longer have so many benefits and don't wear you out as fast most of all. As for being affordable and for travel many models are fairly cheap and are telescoping. Anyone looking for a solid musky stick around the 100$ price point (less if you find it on sale) should look at the Diawa Prorex Or Prorex XT.
The only thing I've noticed I don't like about longer rods, 9 ft specifically for me, is Casting accuracy. I lose accuracy with a nine ft as opposed to 8/8'6
I threw that same bucktail around this evening to no avail.
My tip for catching musky is don't specifically target them I've caught way more of them by accident while bass fishing...
Terrible advice
That’s the dumbest advice I’ve ever heard Doug
In the past 30 yrs I've caught 6 when intentionally targeting them and 43 by accident...
Doug I agree somewhat. My first Muskie I ever caught was while I was bass fishing.
This comment is accurate honestly, me and other musky guys who actually target them rarely catch any, but every bass or trout fishermen we run into is telling us how they accidentally catch them all the time.
Buy the latest greatest biggest rods so you can throw the latest greatest biggest baits.....
Man I buy used shit myself fish don't care what u have alot of fisherman try to keep up with one and other hell I still using those rapala magnums and if cought the hell outof them I only use the old style bull dogs seams like they run better and i have talked to some strangers and they said I'm right but I did splurge and go get the Minny onestwo in a box ain't cought shit on them but we're I fish they can b werry have a good one
@@davidcooley5135 I LOVE the Rapala Magnums! TRUE fish don’t give a Fuck. If they want to bite they’ll bite it, old or new.
It’s interesting because I caught a 21 inch Largemouth Bass on a 7-9inch topwater musky lure! LOL! SHIT BLEW MY MIND! LOL!
How do you even haul 9 or 10 foot rod around?
Easy if they are telescopic.
Get some rhino rod holder on the top of your car
There are 9 foot rods and longer that are 2 piece collapsables. They might not be “musky rods” but where there is a will there is a way.
Nobody:
Musky fisherman: I need a 10 foot rod for a fish I catch beside the boat
I lost a big musky at the end of Kenny were it goes into the Ohio river because of two of the mistakes he is talking about here I lost the same fish twice just because my pole is two short I had a Sevan foot Jordan Lee quantum which is light but I do alotof creek fishing which eight foot is almost over kill just because of the trees and the cast destance but where I was at when I lost the fish I could've been using my St croix rods there longer and have never let me down but the second thing he was right about I was slinging apurple horse hair grim reaper it got ten foot from the boat and nailed it well I jerked the hell out of it well he let go or I jerked it out but since I lost him I figured I'd just real on in well I b damned if the same fish just turned around and nailed it as it was coming out of the water and I gotto looking at the hooks well they were brand new and wasn't sharp enough to break your skin so I am going to take my crash Mullins bluegrass musky rod it's a7.8 it's awesome in a creek but we're I'm wanting to get into bigger fish I'm going to hit some bigger Waterford the fall hopefully I'll get a good trade in I was looking at the shamonos because I'm trading a custom built rod I was going to see if I could get a med heavy and a heavy action 8 footers but they had shitty reviews I had one of the older ones and it was like fishing with a 2x4 so I'll hopfully find something I can trade for to were crash just sold them in his store there wasnt many made by St croix it's a awsome rodive reld in many on it I wore out a quantum smoke on it but I need some more powerful rods and sharper hooks u look at them hookson a buck tail and there huge it's nearly like taking a number 6 nail and trying to pull it threw a pine tree thanks for the video I figured this out to late I always threw plugs then I started slinging different stuff but this man is correct no pull ques if u got to get a 8 or 9 foot catfish stick I'd been better of with one of those than that damn Jordan Lee quantum it's leaving hear tmrw to thanks again
how do you work a jerkbait with only the handle? will it work on a glider also?
I think he meant the reel handle. You can get good movement from the bait by turning the reel half way hard and a short pause.
Great video, I’m more of a casual fisherman and usually try to fish for walleye and catfish, but recently I found out that the mon river in southwestern pa near where I live has some musky in it and I’d love to start catching some. But thanks for the tips!
I like 12 foot rod
Tackle industries sell good 2 piece musky rods for about 200 bucks. There 9 footers and have a good warranty
or making a circle with your bait boatside instead of big long figure 8's 😎
anyone know of a good 9ft rod for under $180?
Okuma evx
Ugly Stik Big Water rods. They make 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 foot rods and they range from $79 - $130.
I fish out of a kayak and a 9 foot rod is too long
Which kayak do you have? I have a hobie compass and a 9' is perfect for me. I usually muskie night fish on the yak. Crazy fun!
sengx it more about the fact it’s literally impossible for me to transport it in my car 😂
sengx my kayak is prolly big enough tho
Get a tackle industries 2 piece musky rod 9ft
Not all of us have the money for all these rods. So we gotta work with what we have.
When I first started targeting musky and big pike as a freshman in high school, I was using $40 catfish rod/reel spinning combos from Cabela’s. Short fiberglass rods, weak reels, and I still got plenty of fish. Don’t worry too much about it.
Cripes...looks like you're casting an entire chicken.
Thats why bob mehsikomer has caught over one hundred 50" muskies on a 7 foot rod. I guess he has been making a mistake his whole life
This guy is a moron.
To each there own. I would love to have some 8-9 foot rods, but they won’t fit in my boat locker nor my truck. 7-7’6” has always worked well for me. I can’t justify replacing thousands of dollars in rods. Fish what you have.
You could catch muskies on a 3 ft child’s pole from Walmart. Doesn’t mean it’s the best option. You’re a little bitch man. If you don’t want advice don’t watch advice videos.
@@claymac7895 well put , this was all good advice whether essential or not everything he said gives an edge
If he had been using a 9 footer, he coulda had 200 over 50inches!
i could never figure out why they do the figure eight at the boat
It's because it triggers strikes.
Following fish, its deadly
Soooooo many muskies hit right at the boat. I've also caught them off a dock at shore on figure 8.
Not every one can afford 4 to 6 hundred dollars on a 9'6"or a 10' rod
That reel need some care and oil/grease. It screams like a piglet.