Heading up to Vermilion in August and just wondering what muskie lures I should stock up on.
Colors would as well be nice.
Also looking for spots.

Based upon what we sell and what people are telling us, the darker color bucktails, Llungen tail - DC10's, Cowgirls. Besides the black ones, walleye color/gold, sucker color also seem to popular. We have been moving some pacemakers as well.

Stop in and say Hi when you come up.

Alright, so shad colors, black, stuff that reflects light?

Get yourself a long stiff muskie rod and buy a bunch of #10 blade cowgirls.
Color doesn't really make that much of a difference except in low light.

Black is always good, nickle blades.
Also get one that really glows, chartrues blades or orange blades for lower light just before dark.
You might want to pick up a couple Show girls too and tip them with a gulp frog or curly tail. Nice to have when you want to take a break from the larger cowgirls.


I would have to agree with Dave, the pacemaker has always been my go to topwater.
Good luck, I hope you boat a 50.

I just bought a shimano 7 2' heavy rod. Should do the trick.
I caught a 47 on a medium heavy last year.

Yeah, cowgirls are great.
They do require some strong wrists and a decent reel however.

I will make sure to pick a pacemaker up.

Dont forget a few showgirls, they are downsized cowgirls.
Great for speed and covering water.(nice mid day lure)(high light)burning and turning...... They are a nice break from the heavy cows, but you still get the double blades along with the flash.

That is a nice rod, I have a few compre's myself.
I have two bucktail set ups, one for small bucktails(speed) and one for large bucktail(cowgirls).

I use the same set up for topwater and jerbaits.

ALSO, see if you can get you hands on a creeper. It is a nice alternitive to having to walk the dog, which i think is a pain in the a**. great for you post front top water choice.

Alright, thanks.
What kind of reels do you have on you cow girl rod?

I'll grap one of them as well.

shimano calcutta
400b

I would say that I like my abu record better though. ITs not as pretty but i like it better.

I think the rod will make a bigger difference then the reel.
Unless you are throwing cows everyday you will start to burn and day 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 will suck.

I am saving up for the new curado. Hopefully will get by fall.
IT just seems like a great reel.

Nice reel.

Have you ever fished the big v?

My dads got tthe older curado. I love it.
Nah, this is my first time.
I have fished big lakes like eagle, and rowen.
Should be awsome.

Hey Stealth what week are you going up there. My wife and I and another couple are heading up to Lake Vermilion from August 23-30. This is also our first time up there. We have fished Leech Lake quite a few times but we are looking for something new. From what I hear it sounds like the drive from southeast michigan will be worth it. We are staying at Spring Bay resort on the west end. Anyone have any good reports?? We will be fishing for Pike and Musky. Good luck

We staying a week before you. At lud's.
We haven't been to ths area, we fished ontario alot but not here. Should be fun.

Good luck, and be safe.

West end.
Goodwill, square, turtle, fire islands are go to muskie locations along with the merry go round reef. You will have to bust out the map or ask your lodge about these locations.

If you can get up to the north end of the lake, oak island, oak narrow, niles bay, and van riper bay are also good locations. once agian ask your lodge about the specifics in these areas.

Look for defined weed lines that cut into deep water.

Me and my buddy are heading up there friday morning for 3 days of musky fishing at the musky road rules on the water school. How busy has the lake been lately? are more fish going during the day or at night?

Okay, yeah we will, the owner seems to know his stuff.
Unlike at neilson's where don doesn't want you to catch his fish.

Me and my buddy are heading up there friday morning for 3 days of musky fishing at the musky road rules on the water school.

Where and what is this "Musky Road Rules on the Water School"?

Cool.
I don't know. Sorry.

look up musky road rules website, its a few guides that put together workshops in the winter and clinics in the summer in mn, wis, and kentucky. guys like Gregg Thomas,Luke Ronnestrand and Chad Cain. It looked like fun and I wanted to learn some new water and techniques

Alright.

stealth,
Luds is a perfect location for great access to alot of keys spots on the lake, at least the west and middle sections of the lake. All of the areas that I mentioned in the above post will be accessible.

perfect.

Muskiefishin,

For some reason I can't PM you.
Spent a week at Spring Bay two weeks ago.
Will tell you all I know.
My email is Staneilers@aol.com

Let me know aswell. =]

I'll tell you guys what worked for us. We were up there last week. On calm nights the creeper and hawg wobbler led to some strikes and follows. Stove top reef was the spot! We saw one that was definitely 50+".

Good luck!

Okay, I can't seem to find a creeper in our area.
They'll have them there I suppose.

Stealth - I wouldn't plan on using the Curado for the big blades. With the high speed gear ratio that will make an old man out of you quick. Try an Abu 7000, like the iCs or iC3, especially with the 4.7 ratio and big handle, or the Calcuttas are still great, but not quite as easy. Won't even feel like there's much there, but at the end of a day of throwing them you'll still know it.
Urban Cowboy, we were there Sat nite thru Tues morn, and noticed a couple nights it was calm then right at dark big wind kicked up and stayed. We were looking forward to throwing the topwater stuff but wound up staying with blades at and after dark with the wind. What conditions do you find most favorable for throwing topwater? Pretty calm, and low light? Do you do well on them during the day, even in chop? Thanks.

Dusk into first dark with a slight chop, blowing into a weed break, sadle, or reaf after 3-4 days of stable wheather, Unbelivable. Dream topwater conditions in mid summer.

Just think hot, calm, all day. As the sun goes down, the air temp cool, the chop picks up. THINK BIG TOP WATER.......

Cowboy, does that work best on the shallow reefs, or will it work over deeper reefs (8-15') as well? We've only fished rocks on the east side. Without giving away any of your honeyholes, can you point me in the general direction of some good weedbeds on the east side, other than Stuntz Bay? When do you prefer to fish weeds v rocks? Thanks for any advice you may have.

Just got back. fishing was horrrible.
Used all your guys baits and nothing. Even 4 different guids couldn't find muskie strikes or walleyes.
Fishing every hour of the day.

stealth,
did you fish the east end any, or only the west?

Yep sometimes Vermilion can be tough for everything. Muskies can be tough due to extreme pressure. Walleyes tough due to big perch hatch. Bass tough due to abundant small rusty crawfish everywhere. That's why they call it fishing and not catching.

The muskie can be very tough at times. It is simple, these fish see alot of pressure!!!

It sucks to throw and throw and throw 1oz,2oz,3oz lures all day for 3-7 days straight on a trip and only get a follow much less a strike. Trust me, we have all dealt with that, it is a hunt.


YOU HAVE TO RUN AND GUN.

Put together a milk run and hit it 10 times in a day instead of 3 time. Burn and turn.

First thing in the morning, make your run on 10 spots, then, run it again, and then, run it again. Instead of spending 3 hours on your milk run, cover it 3 times back and forth with in the same time frame. On a trip with limited time you cant afford to pick a reef apart for 3 hours and not get a bite. These fish will move up on these spots for limited time frames, the best thing you can do is hit as many spots as possible hoping to be at the right place at the right time. Increase your odds by hitting as many spots as possible. It is better to move and throw at multiple fish during the day insead of casting one spot for 3 hours, waiting for just a few fish to show up.

And always throw contrasting baits with your fishing partner. Give the fish multiple options.

we fished every where, hard.

You had to have seen a few fish..>??????

Right?

I just got back from a week up there and ended up with 3 fish. Lots of close calls though. Had a couple friends up about the same time and they took 13 between two of them. So there are/were fish to be had.