Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 04:50 pm

I have been fishing the waters of Lake Michigan for many years and it is one of my favorite things to do. Many spots in Michigan are good for musky fishing. Some of my favorites are: Lake St. Clair, Budd Lake, Mullet Lake and many others. Large muskies are fairly common in these lakes, but choosing the best musky rods is of utmost importance. Like choosing the correct oil to put in your car, you must have the correct fishing rod for your experience.

3 Things Are Important When Choosing the Best Muskie Rod

1. Strength of the fishing rod
2. Quality of the fishing rod
3. Performance of the muskie rod

Several years ago, I discovered St. Croix musky rods while visiting the NP Outdoor Expo. St. Croix are the only musky rods that I have encountered that deliver on all 3 of the above, and for me they are the best muskie rods on the market when fishing for musky in Michigan or anywhere else. They are made of quality graphite and fit the bill perfectly.

Musky Rods: Other Factors To Consider

1. Engineering
2. Craftsmanship

The St. Croix musky rod has been engineered from a design perspective to deliver results. As far as feel and craftsmanship, I have not encountered any musky rod that is even close the St. Croix rods.

Another item that is important to me is that the St. Croix company is based in Wisconsin, so these people understand Musky fishing and are located in the Midwest. Being a native Midwesterner, I enjoy my annual pilgrimage trips in search of musky. So whether you choose to fish in Wisconsin, Minnesota, or any other location, please consider this fishing rod. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

Last year, on my annual trip to Budd Lake, I was lucky to catch several large Musky using my St. Croix musky rods, and to me fishing is about enjoyment. If you enjoy the outdoors, and love fishing as much as I do, you will not be disappointed with these rods.

My biggest issue is finding more time to be able to go musky fishing. I spend too much time working, and would love to spend more time in the clean air and clear lakes in search of the majestic muskies. My goal upon retirement (hopefully sooner rather than later) is to go musky fishing many times a year, and work less.

My Final Thoughts About St. Croix Musky Rods

Muskie fishing is one of the great joys of the outdoors in the Great Lakes region and I highly recommend the St. Croix musky rods to enhance your experience and catch more fish. We all know that luck has a certain element in fishing, but using the correct fishing rod for the job, only will enhance your chances of landing many fish.

So go and enjoy the outdoors and experience the majesty and thrill of catching fish in some of the cleanest, clearest water the world has to offer. And more importantly, go have fun and enjoy your time with a clear mind away from the trouble of everyday life.

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 04:50 pm

Where we fish on Lake Michigan, two rods per each angler are allowed. We like to fish with Fenwick HMGs, Abu Garcia Conolon Premiers, and St. Croix Legends, which are perhaps the best musky rods for sale today. Each of these musky rods feature medium-heavy power and medium-fast action. For night time musky fishing, we place strips of white, reflective 3M automotive tape about 25 inches below the musky rod tip in order to help us see how the rod tips are performing after dark.

Best Musky Rods For Any Season

The only true way for any fisherman to know for sure which musky rods work best in a given season is to get out there and fish. One needs to really experiment with different brands and lengths of muskie rods. I personally prefer to use a longer musky rod, since I find that it gives me better lure control. That being said, I do sometimes like to switch things up.

When the water is cool, like in spring or fall, I use longer musky rods, with a medium-heavy action. This allows me to cast larger lures further, and gives me better control of the heavier bait.

When the water temperatures warm up into the 60 degree range, I may switch to a slightly shorter musky rod. This is because in the summer, I may use smaller, lighter lures, and having a lighter and shorter rod allows for better control over these types of lures. Jerk baits and crank baits can be more easily controlled with a shorter, medium action muskie rod.

Musky Rods Placement Is Important

When I am out in the boat alone, I fish with one musky rod out on both sides of the boat, with each of the musky rods perpendicular to the fishing boat and parallel to the surface of the lake. With multiple musky rods set, I have to clear the muskie rods from the side of the boat if a muskie bites. Then, if necessary, I will clear the other side of the boat for a bigger fish.

Using a six musky rod set is essentially the same as using the four muskie rod set, with the main difference being that the other 2 musky rods are set in rod holders towards the bow of the boat. I will typically run these fishing lines by spreading them out with some in-line boards. I additionally use the 3M reflective tape on inside and top of the boards for night muskie fishing. I picked up this tip from my good buddy Sam over at MarinFish.org.

When I have several fishermen with me in the boat, I will run my musky rods on the left (port) side of the boat, since I am driving. It’s best when I put one of my longer musky rods (6.5′ to 8′) up towards the front of the boat, as far forward as possible. I try to have this musky rod parallel to the lake and perpendicular to the boat. My second muskie rod is about 5.5-6.5′ long and is placed should be in a fishing rod holder about 12 inches or more behind the front musky rod. This rod is angled with it’s tip up a bit about 20-30 degrees. By placing the rods in this configuration, I get about a 4-foot fishing line spread, which helps to reduce my chances for line tangles.