Secret strategy revealed: 3 light-tackle techniques for monster muskies

#1 Lighten up

During my early years of muskie fishing, I was in the same rut as most other muskie hunters, locked in the mindset that bigger and heavier was the only way to go. I always caught a lot of muskies, but found I lost just as many fish at the end of a cast during the violent headshakes, or at the side of the boat following a hard run or jump.

A few years back, I decided to try something that changed the game for me forever. I put down my extra-extra-heavy rods and winch reels and picked up some medium-heavy rods with low-profile reels. I also went from 100-pound-test line down to 30-pound and, most importantly, I reduced the size and gauge of my hooks.

I find the medium-heavy rods don’t limit the baits I can use, yet they provide better shock absorbency during headshakes, boat-side runs and jumps, dramatically improving my landing success. The low-profile reels, meanwhile, not only provide less strain on my wrist and hands, they also pack more than enough power and line capacity to handle any bait I choose. Plus, they balance perfectly with the lighter rods.

As for the smaller, lighter-gauge hooks, they require much less force to penetrate than larger heavier-gauge trebles, and they stay pinned during battle thanks to the added shock absorbency of the lighter-action rods. And the hooks don’t bend with the rod doing the work it’s meant to do, resulting in more fish landed. They’re also much easier to cut if a fish gets deeply hooked, making for less stress on the fish and a dramatically better chance for a successful live-release.

Your equipment set-up is also key when finesse fishing with drop-shot rigs or spybaits. Again, I really scale things back from what would be considered conventional muskie tackle. I prefer medium-heavy, fast-taper spinning rods, 30-pound braided line with a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader and a 5000-size spinning reel with a fast retrieve and smooth drag. And again, light-gauge hooks and the added shock absorbency of the medium-heavy rods make for a high fish-landing ratio.