My older brother; Billy Meiser has been a Musky guide on the Chippewa Flowage near Hayward, WI for nearly 40 years.

I'm wanting to build him a boat rod for tossing plugs and bucktail spinners.

I figure this would probably be a medium duty Musky rod.

I'm thinking that I can do the basic build correctly <> But I am not familiar with these tools, and need advise for selecting the most suitable blank power, seat, and guide system for this situation.

I guess I could just ask him, but I want it to be a suprise gift.

Any solid advise would be appreciated.

Also <> I think that he would appreciate a finely done butt weave detail, and incorporating a "Musky" profile into the weave would be very cool.

I'd like to have Doc consider doing this part of the build, but I am not sure how to reach him.

Thanks in advance for direction ... Bob Meiser

rmeiser@charter.net or 541-770-4766 PST



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2008 12:15PM by Bob Meiser.

Hello Bob,

I live about an hour from the Chip, and have a good friend that guides it full time, and he uses a 6'3" med-hvy. The two biggest things to decide on for a muskie rod are power and length. The power is really dictated by the weight of lures being thrown, and for bucktails a Medium is really popular, with a Med-Hvy running a close second.

For length on a bucktail rod, most guys use 7' to 7'6". Some really like 8' rods, and shorter guys (like me), or guys fishing out of boats that stil lower to the water like Rangers, Tuffys, and smaller boats, like shorter rods like 6'6", 6'9", or 6'10".

If I had to answer your question based on the info given so far, a 7' or 7'6" Medium would be my pick. Guides are really your choice, and there are a variety of good casting guides to choose from.

If you yave any other info to add I'd be glad to chime in.

Good Luck - Marc

Bob,

I just made one for a friend of mine, we Musky fish together fairly often. I made him this Batson Musky blank:

IMU876
Matte Clear
7'3"
1
17-40lb.
3/4-3 oz.
0.775
7.0
Fast
H
3.45 oz.

With a GOOD reel he should be able to throw about everything in the Musky tackle box. I made a 12" straight cork handle, blackened the last 4", inalid a 3" pewter musky pin in the blackened rear part of the grip, shaved 20mm reel seat, epoxy ramp forgrip, EVA butt cap, and guides as follows: Batson Blue Zirconium ring tich frame: 1-UD 10, and the rest sz 6 ring flys all the way to the tip, spiral wrapped Steve Gardner style.
Turned out to be a really light, super nice rod.

DR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2008 02:15PM by Duane Richards (DR).

Great info guys,

Marc ... Billy works with Treeland Resorts in the Summers.

Been a Proff at UW Eau Claire for many years, but is now retired, so has lot's more time for Muskies ... };^) ... !!!

I really like the Spiral wrap approach DR ... Makes good sence to build a casting rod this way for the larger gamefish

Thanks a bunch <> Bob Meiser

Bob,

You can get hold of Doc at Docski377@aol.com

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

The 3M76MHF is a very versatile blank. It excels for bucktails but will do just about anything you ask of it. Rated for 3/4 - 3 ounces.

I really don't like fishing with anything shorter than 7' for Muskie fishing. Anything less and its very hard to properly figure 8. Much less handle the fish after you've hooked up on the 8.

Fuji SiC guides, spiral wrapped.

I'm a fan of cork handles on rods that are in the hand more often than not. Split grips are fine for me as well as I only grasp the rod behind the seat and at the very butt. Split grips also make locking the rod in your armpit a bit easier.



..........................................

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Bob I just returned from a trip to the mighty Chip, it's a beautiful chunk of water loaded with many species of fish. I don't fish for musky's very often, but built a new one on the Batson 876 blank. I like the rod, but don't fish for them all that often also I'm no expert so the 876 worked fine for me. I have a friend that fishes for them quite often and he asked me to build an 8'er on a LGM 96 1XH Lamiglas, he has many different rods under 8' long and said that he prefers the eight footer for heavy bucktails and spinners. He said that it makes it much easier to figure 8 and the extra length will move the lure further when he's pumping the rod on a retrieve. If your brother has the majority of his rods shorter than eight foot you may want to try a longer rod and let him try something different. I know that a spiral wrap will help with landing a large fish, but a musky is known as a fish of a thousand casts. A spiral wrap will actually be a handicap, on the retrieve the tip is usually close to the water, the tip will actually be on the wrong side of the rod and will cause torque on the tip with the use of heavy baits, you will retrive much more than you will be landing fish. I made his rod with a split grip with out a fore grip to save weight, he doesn't use a fore grip when he's landing a fish. Your brother may use a fore grip so you may want to see how he fishes before you fit the grips. I have found that musky fisherman have many of there own ideas, so you may want to feel him out and try not giving out too much info so you can keep the surprise.

"A spiral wrap will actually be a handicap, on the retrieve the tip is usually close to the water, the tip will actually be on the wrong side of the rod and will cause torque on the tip with the use of heavy baits,"

Mark,

All my musky rods are spiral wrapped and I'd not have it any other way. I don't understand the torque you speak of Mark. Please elaborate more. How can a tip be on the wrong side of a rod? We typically throw 2-3oz lures with 5-6oz lures on occasion as well, depending on the situation. Never have we had a "tip issue". I do agree that feeling him out might be worth the conversation. On 8ft rods, I simply dont like them, ....why?...... because I cant get them in the house! I hit everything with them. My ceilings are 8ft and anything over about 7'6" is a PIA for me.

DR

Bob,

I have been fishing the Chip for the past forty years and like most people started out with the old 5' broomsticks and have graduated to using primarily 7'6" to 8' rods. I am rather short and fish out of a Tuffy and still prefer the longer rods, much easier to cast and when you get one of those really snakey critters hot on the figure 8 you can't beat the longer rods. Some great advice in previous posts. You might want to check whether your brother palms the reel or not, that could be an important issue to consider with the handle design. Batson makes a great rod but you might want to check out St. Croix . I personally favor Diamondback blanks but they are not easy to find, I have purchased them from Thorne Bros. I have not been able to find their musky blanks from any of the sponsors on the left. The spiral wrap is great and seems to be less tiring on my wrist when cranking in those hard pulling bucktails.

If your brother has been working out of Treeland's I am sure he knows my son in law,Ty. You can give him a call and I am sure he can provide some great advice.

Good Fishing
Jeff Leonard

Duane it's a personal preferance. I retrive most of my lures straight away instead of at a 90 degree angle to the line. When the tip is down close to the water a spiral wrap will have the tip top on the bottom of the rod, the line will come out of the tip top and as you crank the heavy baits back the tip top will want to try and right itself and try to move to the top of the rod causing torque (the same priciple that makes the spiral good for fighting a fish). Perhaps this is unique to me, but it's the way I do it and with the tip top on the bottom of the blank on the retrieve it will try to turn the rod over and causes discomfort for me. Many musky fishermen will count it a good day if they have a couple of follows and one hook up. If I cast several hundred times in the day and catch one fish it makes it foolish for me to spiral wrap a musky rod. Again it's my personal preferance Mark.

All great advise here guys <> Much appreciated.

I too am from Northern Wisconsin originally ...

... But the last time I fished Muskies with a boat rod <> Eddie Ostling was still making his own "Eddie Baits" one at a time up in Spider Lake area ... So that kinda gives you an idea of how old I am ... };^) ... !!!

The wife and I had a farmstead in Price County in Lugerville area (near Phillips/Park Falls)

I fished mostly river Muskies on the South Fork of the Flambeau <> The Jump River near Ogema, and the Black River around Greenwood as well.

It seems Muskie rods (like most rods) have evolved into very specialized fishing tools ... So this project is going to be especially fun for me.

... Far different tools then those early 5' meat sticks mentioned.

Jeff ... I think that I will try to contact Ty, as this will really help me dial-in this rod for my brother <> Yet still keep it a secret ... };^) ... !!!

Thanks again <> Bob Meiser