As an avid Muskie fisherman of 35 years, I have virtually every lure you can imagine, each in a host of colors.   In fact, I have to laugh when my wife asks me why I buying a new lure when I don’t have any more room to store them all.    I don’t really have an answer other than there is always more room for a pretty lure.

I recently had the opportunity to guide a group of gentlemen who were long term anglers from California .  Although each had caught their share of large pacific coast fish, from 100+ pound tuna to Marlin, only one of them had ever seen a Muskie.

Even as experienced anglers, the first question that they asked is one that I hear often:  What Lure should I use?

With that in mind, I thought I would offer to beginners a basic that they can follow.

First and foremost, across virtually every season and condition, muskies are caught on bucktails.   They are easy to fish, easy to cast, and they hook well.   So without a doubt in my mind, I tell all the beginners that they should throw bucktails more than anything else.    I have also found through the years, that color of the bucktail is strictly a nuance.   If a muskie is in the mood, and you are in the right place at the right time, they will bite.   I have fished virtually every color combination, including those that I was absolutely sure would NOT catch fish, and have still gotten bit.    

Now, that being said, as you progress as a fisherman you do want to increase your odds no matter how slightly.   And I am a firm believer that tail color and blade color do matter, but as a nuance, and as a way to increase your likelihood by a small margin.   At some point, you will want to factor in light conditions, water color, water temperature, local natural bait, and a myriad of other factors and we will address this in more detail for future articles.   But I will leave you with one other basic tip that I live by; throw light lures in light conditions where it may be seen from further away in the water - and fish dark lures in dark conditions where contrast matters.

Happy Hunting!

Bruce Michael