- Best Overall: Shimano TranX.
- Best Lightweight: Abu Garcia Revo Toro Beast.
- Best Baitcaster for Comfort and Versatility: Daiwa Lexa WN.
- Best Budget: Lew’s SuperDuty 300.
- Best Spinning Reel: Shimano Stradic FL.
- Best Fly Fishing Reel: Redington Behemoth.
What is the
best gear ratio
for a
musky reel
?
Okay, so I’ve bought countless musky reels to find the “right” gear ratio. 5.0 to 5.2 is my sweet spot. It is the best all around gear ratio for doing anything you want. Put the right power handle on there and you can burn double 10’s or 12’s if that is what you want to do.
What pound test should I use for musky?
The standard used to be that 30- or 40-pound test was plenty with mono and Dacron. But with braid you want higher test with greater diameter. I use 80-pound on 90 percent of my casting reels.” No matter which braid you choose, Maina recommends mono backing on the spool.
What gear do you use for muskie fishing?
Popular muskie lures include large jigs, jerkbaits, surface plugs, bucktail spinners, and some diving plugs Bucktails and jerkbaits are especially favored for casting, as well as large topwater lures. These are particularly good over the top of submerged cover, and along the edges of shallow submerged cover.
How long should a musky rod be?
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.
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 is a 8.1 gear ratio good for?
High gear ratio reels | 7.1:1 thru 8.1:1 High gear ratios are best for techniques where taking up slack and bringing a bait back to the boat are critical. Topwaters, jerkbaits, jigs, plastics and even lipless crankbaits warrant the use of a high-speed reel.
What gear ratio is best for chatterbait?
Generally speaking, chatterbaits require a fast retrieval, meaning anglers should be using gear ratios that are faster. The best gear ratio for people fishing chatterbaits is between 7.3:1, and 8.1:1.
Can you use a medium heavy rod for musky?
Typically, shorter individuals that are on low decked boats or fishing from a bank, won’t need a rod over 7′ and beginners should stick to medium weight tackle so a Medium Heavy rod will do fine I recommend a Musky Shop Shield Rod or St. Croix Mojo Musky.
Are muskie good eating?
People who love eating muskies will tell you that muskie tastes quite similar to bass. Others believe it tastes more like pike. Either way, muskie is more of a
bland fish
with not as much flavor as other fish species, like salmon or tuna Much of the taste of the fish depends on how you cook it.
What’s the biggest muskie ever caught?
For muskies, the world records for length and weight are held by two different fish. The maximum documented length is 72.04 inches (183 cm) , and the heaviest documented weight is 70.10 pounds (31.8 kg), according to FishBase. Holm notes that world-record fish are not always caught by sportsmen.
Where is the best muskie fishing?
The three best big-water producers of giant muskies are Green Bay, Lake St. Clair, and the Ottawa River/St. Lawrence River systems Anglers have a legitimate shot at a 50- to 56-inch muskie nearly any day of the season there and it’s possible a record fish swims in at least two of these fisheries.
What gear ratio is best for crankbaits?
Low gear ratio reel | 5.1:1 thru 5.4:1 A lower fishing gear ratio reel is ideal for big baits that pull a lot, such as deep crankbaits. These reels have the highest amount of torque, allowing you to put less effort into retrieving the bait and more energy towards finding the fish.
How do I choose the right gear ratio?
To find the ideal selection, multiply the final drive ratio by the redline speed in fourth gear (152 mph) and divide that by the top track speed (140 mph) This would yield a theoretical 3.33—which is close enough to the nearest available final drive ratio of 3.36:1.
What is a good gear ratio for spinning reel?
Spinning reels with 5.2:1 gear ratios are recommended for most ice fishing presentations. Even though the reel might be filled with
lighter line
of 2- to 4-pound test, the power provided by the low-speed reel will allow you to fight and pull a heavyweight walleye or northern pike through the ice.
How hard is it to catch a muskie?
Because of this, they’re prized game fish throughout their range. Muskie are also famously hard to hook, hence the nickname “fish of a thousand casts.” They’re difficult to trick and impossible to predict Even so, there are a few go-to tactics for both species.
What
pound leader
is musky?
Anglers will find a host of leaders designed to make pike and muskie fishing a happy affair. For fishing techniques where the risk of bite-offs is lower, fashioning an 18-inch long leader from 50- to 80-pound a test fluorocarbon line is a good option.
How do you target a musky?
Try heavy action rods from seven to nine feet long Pair a muskie rod with a large bait-casting reel, preferably in a fast gear ratio, to allow “catching up” to fast-moving fish. Heavy action rods have the backbone to not only fight such a large fish, but also to cast the jumbo-sized lures used to target muskies.
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.
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.
How do you fish muskie from shore?
“ 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.” The exact bait placement required for shore-fishing has its advantages.
What is an extra heavy rod good for?
This 7’4″ Extra-Heavy Extra Fast rod is the lightest, meanest flip stick available. With a fast tip to help you cast and work your bait and the strongest backbone of any rod in our lineup, this rod is a game changer for heavy cover and flipping.
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 much drag is enough?
The rule of thumb for drag setting is 30% (or 1/3) of the line breaking strength So for example, if you are using a 15 lb test line, then the optimal drag for your reel should be around 5 pounds.
What is a 7.1 1 gear ratio good for?
Medium speed baitcaster Next, we’ve got medium speed reels, which includes models with a gear ratio from 7.1:1 to 7.9:1. This is a really good standard gear ratio for baitcasters that can be used for a wide variety of fishing tactics – anything involving spinnerbaits, chatter baits, or shallow diving crankbaits.
What is a 7.5 1 gear ratio good for?
7.5:1 Reel – With my 7.5:1 gear-ratio reel, I like to use this reel when I’m fishing single-hook lures like a buzzbait, a spinner bait, bladed jigs and a frog.
What is the best spinning reel?
- KastKing Centron Spinning Reel.
- Penn Battle II Battle III Spinning Reel.
- Piscifun Flame Spinning Reel.
- Daiwa BG Spinning Reel.
- Pflueger President Spinning Fishing Reel.
What is the best gear ratio for all around fishing?
A gear ratio of 4.9:1 is great for all-around use of lures as well. Don’t worry if your gear ratio is slower though, you can still work lures effectively.
What line is Carolina rig on?
For a more finesse technique on a spinning combo, use 6 to 10-pound test line Likewise, for a bait casting combo, use heavier 10 to 15-pound test as the size of the Carolina fishing rig increases. We recommend straight fluorocarbon or braid as a main line with a fluorocarbon leader.