Muskie Rod and Reel advice...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:23 am

Stick to one piece rods for sure.

The length will depend on what you plan on doing with the rod, and how tall you are. I'm 6'4, and use a 7ft rod for everything, jerbaits, crankbaits, spinners, and even trolling. I like the 7ft because it allows me to easily move from my retrieve into a figure eight without having to move around. I find with a shorter rod, I'm always bending down to do my figure eight. I also find I get better leverage on the fish with the 7ft rod because of my height. I recommend the Shimano Compre CPC-70XH 7ft. I have a 7ft St. Croix as well, but for the money, you can't beat the Shimano. $90 at Le Baron.

A lot of guys use a 6'6 because they find the 7ft a little too long for casting jerk and crank baits, as they find they are always hitting the side of the boat, or the water with the rod.

Either the 6'6 or the 7 are great, but you need to find the rod that is right for your style. See if you can find someone with both and give them a whirl to see which one feels more comfortable. I started with a 6'6, and have now moved to the 7 for the reasons stated above. Definitely get a one piece though.

Hope this helps.

HW

Post by **SkeeterJohn** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:28 am

I went to Ed's (Paddletales) mid last year and told him exactly what my budget was and what i wanted.

I was looking for a trolling rod so i went for an inexspensive Quarrow 7ft Heavy for under $100 and a Quantum C3 6501 (Left)
The other rod was a 7ft Heavy St. Croix for casting and at the time i couldn't run for another C3 so went for a Quantum 401cx (Not an ideal musky reel by any means but it's done me fine so far)

RJ is bang on the money... no one stops fishing for muskie. Even if you fish for them a few times a year we should all learn you get what you pay for. Don't go exspensive but don't go cheap. If you can't afford a reasonable setup then wait if possible. I'd never recommend a $60 combo to anyone that's why you only see them in places like cdn tire where they'll sell you anything.. Try finding $60 combos in real fishing takcle shops !

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:28 am

Lungehunter makes a great point. Buy gear for your application. If you plan to stick to smaller muskie waters like the Rideau, Jock, Kawarthas, etc, you can get by with medium gear for sure. 50" are there, but are not common.

However, if you fish the Ottawa River a lot, get some heavier gear. When you see your first "shovel head" follow your lure, you'll understand why.

HW

Post by **MuskieWannabe** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:33 am

Thanks guys, ordered my Abu reel this morning with a nice heavy rod to go with it. It was a muskie combo offered through a big named store in the US. Cost me about $220 but it's what everyone has been suggesting! Thanks again for all the help!

See you all out on the water!