6" firetiger jake
6" Bobbie bait in Black/Silver or Black/White (sucker color)
Surtface bait - silmilar to a Talley Wacker or a poe's Awaker...rear pop/pop style bait....
Spinerbaits and Bucktail that you think look good...essentially "oversized " bass lures.
Some of this stuff you can buy and send out on your Bass rods already rigged up with Power Pro - not much investment needed to get going. Other wise Shimano rods are great for the money...6.6 to 7 foot rod with a medium action and a fast tip is a good one to start with, as an intraductory rod. Reel - Abu 6500 C3 with 80# Power Pro, tie a Palomar knot to attach your 75 # single strand wire leader and you are good to go.
As with anyhting you can spend the money you want on this stuff...but to 'test the muskie water' this is a good way to start.
Let me know your questions.
Hey on the leader, how long do you go? Have you made your own? I have heard making your own is the way to go. They said they make theirs 36 inches long and they swear by them.
Glad to have you, for everyone out there, Ross won a major muskie event last year on the Pro Muskie Trail. The championship if I recall correctly. Congrats.
Good advice. I am a part timer, especially compared to you guys. I know about the stress on snaps, lost my biggest muskie a both falls ago and I had the broken leader for a long time. Until I couldn't stand thinking about being that close without the fish. Oh well.
Yeah the guy I know that uses the long leaders is a trolling, in Northern Wisconsin and he's after big muskies, 40 pounds is his goal, but he's caught lots of ones close.
Where would I look in the spring? Are they like pike and go shallow to soak up the heat?
Follow the food. If bait is shallow then some muskies will be too. The tough thing about spring is it changes from day to day. Post spawn muskies can be very difficult espessially on the SLR.