Musky 360 Podcast

Transcript:

Steven: 

Alright folks, welcome to the Musky 360 podcast. Ajay. Steve. It's a nice day. 

That's cool. It's nice day for a white bucktail. 

Jay: 

You ever thrown a white bucktail I have. 

Steven: 

Deadly the The The Muppets, Mups mups musky flash not to go see pig with Mepps. 

Jay: 

Is it how you say? It you're going to find us. But you also have Suick. They're from the glorious city of Antigo too. 

Steven: 

All right. 

Jay: 

So you know. 

Steven: 

What are you going to do? You know you got freaking Mepps. You got mups, you got you got. 

Jay: 

Holding this powerhouse? 

Steven: 

Stomach equals. What are you gonna do exactly? 

Jay: 

It is what it is. 

Steven: 

Yeah, well. 

Jay: 

How's fishing been this? 

Steven: 

Week has been devastating. In what way? No, I've been smoking them it. It's that seasonal juxtaposition that happens all the time. Where you going? OK, well, it's it's cooling off up. 

Jay: 

It. 

Steven: 

North, but. Down South, the the league it's it's essentially we're getting to the end of October, which is like. I would say a month behind you. Right. 5-6 weeks maybe it worked. 

Jay: 

1. Yeah.

Steven: 

So we're getting to that prime time, which is nice. Good friend of mine. Listen to the podcast. Sean sent me a picture. You got a really nice fish on a. A joint, a believer or swim with couldn't tell, and I smoked a few in last week with with like, you know, Shell Invaders. The joint of the Headlocks been to a devastating for me. And then dive in rise. Jay, isn't it always that when the leaves change orange and the leaves change red? You know what? 

Jay: 

Yeah, well, leaves are gone here, But yeah, I know what you're. 

Steven: 

They say you know. They you know what they say, get get out of, get out, tighten. 

Jay: 

Saying, you know. 

Steven: 

It's an old Indian proverb. When the leaves are orange. 

Jay: 

Their eyes work the shallow. Yeah, it's shallower areas. 

Steven: 

Really on this, we'll. And so it will. It all come together where it would like be two senses and diving rice has been good. A little bit of top water kind of kind of disappointing on the top well, the water's like high 50s. 

Jay: 

Really. Yeah. 

Steven: 

That's not just, you know, that did not that disjointed from what you had going on a month ago, right? 

Jay: 

1. Yeah. You you've told me in the past that November I believe is a really good month for hot water.

Steven: 

It it can be just depends. I mean, I've worn I've worn shorts in December. 

Jay: 

Candy. 

Steven: 

You know, so. 

Speaker 

Yes. 

Steven: 

You know you you break up the freaking tighten and you do the diving risy thing. I I've put the blades away, you know, hard baits, hard baits and hard baits. So. 

Jay: 

MHM. 

Steven: 

That's going to be the thing, not anywhere close to live bait, but that seems to be the status quo where you're at what's hooking up, what's happening in the the Northwoods. 

Jay: 

Yeah, Minnesota too. Yeah, I talked to a buddy there a day that fishes in Minnesota a lot. Well, he lives there. So that's where he fishes and. It's been doing good. Got a couple really nice fish this week on suckers, but not a lot of action. Not a lot of action, some up and down, weather, you know, was mid upper 60s here today. Really windy, too funky, just blowing 70s tomorrow, Steve. Really. Yeah. Another one. And then it's going to come back down to, like, high in the 40s. Later in the week. So Yep roller coaster for. 

Steven: 

Nay, nay, I say. 

Jay: 

Yeah. 

Steven: 

It's. Yeah, it's, it's goofy. You. What are you going to do with it? You know it it it is what it is it I always think about seasonality as this don't look at the calendar. Look at the conditions, right. 

Speaker 3 

And. 

Steven: 

Don't. Don't go. 

Speaker 3 

What's with those little cover? 

Steven: 

If if the water temps say. It's warm. Well, it's warm, you know. Act according. So the companies, the goings, the musky shop, Jay, we have dwindled down to the very end of anything new here. Obviously the Magnus is coming out after the first of the year. Did we talk last week about the Smith lure Spoon? I think we did. 

Jay: 

1. I don't know if we did, but I'll tell you what I think. They're completely gone. There's maybe one left. So we're trying to get some more in for all those guys that are waiting. I know there's several people waiting on out of stock.

Steven: 

Yeah. Colors. They went really fast. Jody was came into the living room. 

Speaker 3 

Soon. 

Jay: 

Yeah, real big, real big spoon flutters. Great beagles. 

Speaker 3 

It's a bigger, bigger. 

Steven: 

And, and here's Jay Jays. I think you're a solid 5. Three, right? You're a small guy. Though real little fella and you're holding that up just a wee. You could put him in your pocket, folks and take him home. So here's tiny little Jay holding up that spoon and it's a big old spoon. 

Speaker 6 

No. 

Jay: 

Yeah, it's a big old. 

Steven: 

Spoon Steve, it is a big old spoon you got you could you could eat your Taco sauce out of that thing. You could use it. Listen, Jay, if you're going South of the border, you could catch a muskie on it. And. 

Jay: 

Yep. 

Steven: 

Use it as a mocha ******. 

Jay: 

Well, that is, that's great. 

Steven: 

Well. Yeah, well, you could, but you know you're you're freaking. You've been. I've been South of Madison, but now that's a big old spoon. Pretty interesting. 

Jay: 

Speaker 

Jay. 

Steven: 

Jay wears A5 a size 5 men's shoe. 

Jay: 

Size 5 no. Yeah, you do. 

Steven: 

It's a special order men's shoes. That's. 

Jay: 

Did you see the new beanies that? 

Steven: 

Smart. 

Jay: 

Came in today, no. 

Steven: 

I didn't. Three more. 

Jay: 

New beanies came in today. You got them on the homepage. 

Steven: 

You know what? OK. Can I tell you something? A random fact. Do you wanna? Why? Why? Why? Knitted caps have the palm on the top. 

Jay: 

Ohh the palm. Yes. See. Don't. No, I don't. 

Steven: 

Uh-huh. You don't hit your head on the doors. Of a ship. 

Jay: 

Oh yeah. 

Speaker 6 

MHM. 

Jay: 

1. Or slip on a banana and then hit your head.

Steven: 

On the floor, well, life is not Looney Tunes, Sir. OK, it's not. 

Jay: 

Nothing to do with that. 

Steven: 

This is not a cartoon gotcha. Get get. Get it together, Sir, please. OK, I learned that from Netflix, I believe. Where where the. 

Jay: 

Lot to learn. 

Steven: 

There where it worth, the bitter end of things that are happening. So the comings and goings of narrow, we're going to talk about more height based. Got an interesting package in the mail today. 

Jay: 

From. 

Steven: 

Don James at Figure 8. 

Jay: 

It's one of those new ones I bet he told. Me a. There's a couple I don't know much. Yeah. 

Steven: 

There's a couple sneaky. So you go. Hey, our our fish on the lake and the Muskies ain't big, right. Or spring size downsizing or springtime downsizing post spawn or just bad conditions. Got the prototype for the mini meat Grinder boys. So I'm pretty excited. 

Jay: 

Many. No, I did not know about that. OK. 

Steven: 

Yeah. I'm excited about that. We have a a buzz bait about it. You've seen that? Yeah. I've spent about a year on that. Where you. 

Jay: 

Yes, that's that one I heard about. 

Steven: 

It's not something I use all the time, but when I need it, it's ridiculous or. And and people often think like buzz bait and say it's the most redneck sounding thing ever. 

Speaker 1 

This beat. Wait. 

Jay: 

Like, no, it's got that. Swing sure, but. 

Steven: 

But. 

Speaker 

Yeah. 

Steven: 

They work is kind of the stopgap when when fish are following top waters. But they're not eating them. And and it's not something I use all the time because ohh they just followed you know, Doctor Evils twice. Well, guess what? We're going to throw after that. Yeah, you got it or we've got really thick vegetation, yadda yadda yadda. So it's just another tool done our working on it. We we've about got it where we need to be. As far as something I think would be the. Most. Perfected buzz bait for my ski fishing. It's. A big old buzz bait. Oh. Exactly right, exactly. You know, put on your UT T-shirt and, you know, let your gut hang out, you redneck. Crap it, but nonetheless. The mini meat grinder is long overdue. A lot of guys love the meat grinder, so Don's working on the mini meat grinder, which is going to be. Cool. I'm. I'm still. 

Jay: 

What? What is that thing? How? How many does it go? What's the weight? On that thing. 

Steven: 

Microscopic. 

Jay: 

Is it 1/2 ounce closed bit spinner? 

Steven: 

Bit I haven't done the weight on it. It's the small frame of the figure. 

Speaker 6 

Jay: 

1. It's OK. It's like a mini boss.

Speaker 

Let's look. 

Steven: 

Frame it's a mini boss frame, but a a meat grinder build. 

Speaker 3 

1. Cool.

Steven: 

Let's just do that real quick. Let's look. 

Jay: 

That that'll be huge. That'll be really. 

Steven: 

Good. Well, I mean. It's it's. 

Jay: 

First I've heard of. 

Steven: 

Well, you know, I don't have to tell. 

Jay: 

You everything. That's why I tune into this show. 

Steven: 

Man, just to catch up. So it's the catch up. What's going on with actually we haven't talked this much because this week cause I've been freaking slammed. So the the Mini boss. Is a Oz and a. Half right, which is a a. It's not a bass bait, but it's big. It's a big bass bait. Yeah, right. Exactly. Small blade. So the mini make moving make grounder. I came and talk many men. Oh, many man. So you have the mini meat grinder. Which is designed just like the meat grinder. Which is on the 1 1/2 ounce frame with a big old blade on it. Downturn grubs, you get the tray where you got the whole shooting match there, which is going to be devastating as a a kind of a weedless getting in the thickest things because I mean, you know, Jay, I like big fish and cannot lie. 

Speaker 

Hold. 

Jay: 

He doesn't. 

Steven: 

Other anglers can't deny, so you know I'm. I'm kind of swinging for the fence, but if you're on this thing, we're like, hey, let's downsize. Let's really take it down there or you're fishing on small fish water. It'll give you the capability there. So Don will, I would think by the time. That the ice breaks next year we'll have it perfected. We got it. Dang near close. We're working on a bucktail, but who cares? Yeah, well, in in the world of muscular vision, another exciting bucktail Boo. Right. We'll talk about that at some point. I'm not like over the moon about it. We'll probably make seven of them for me, but the mini meat grinder mini, it's so tiny, Jay. 

Speaker 6 

Jay: 

Well, I'm looking forward to that one. Be honest with you. That's all good. 

Steven: 

That I I I detect a lie. 

Jay: 

Yeah, it would be. 

Speaker 

Hmm. 

Jay: 

A good one. 

Steven: 

Empathetic. Jason, I love it now. So that's going on, man. The comings and goings. Yeah. You got beanies and a mini me grinder. Guys. OK, yeah, I'll get it. OK, calm yourselves. Calm yourself down. Right, take a chill. Pill. Take a chill pill. I know you're freaking out right now. You're in your car. You're just basically you're wrecking right now. So we're. 

Jay: 

Mm-hmm. We're kind of right in between there, Steve. You know, it's just like musky fishing season is wrapping up essentially, and it's a little bit, it's a little bit early for all the new releases, you know. 

Speaker 1 

But. 

Jay: 

So all you could do is. Hazel. 

Jay: 

Would be great if it was cold, you know. 

Steven: 

Here's some there's some hot sucker tactics because it's actually cold, but. 

Jay: 

There's plenty of time for that. It it it'll. 

Steven: 

Happen. Yeah, well, the problem is, all the boomers had to have their McDonald's meals and Styrofoam in the 80s and weren't paying the price. You know, days. What? What? I'd I'd said it to her back. Everybody's wearing white rein, and they're eating out of Styrofoam, and they've just murdered the environment. 

Jay: 

Yeah, I got. 

Steven: 

You, you know, I'm teasing. I'm not working. I'm driving an electric car or something here. Don't get me wrong. I'm just being I have nothing else to say. Anyway, Speaking of her back, I caught him up, gave him a bag of ****. Here it comes. 

Speaker 6 

1. Yes.

Steven: 

What up, Herbie? I heard you're smacking him up there. What's going on up in Canada right now? My friend. 

Speaker 7 

Well, the boat has been really good, but we had a switching weather here in the last couple of days and. With the the Fisher you. Know kind of lethargic. I mean, it's like today, for instance, we probably had half a dozen fish. 50 inches or better chasing baits and following live baits and stuff and they won't eat. Switch to the east here, but prior to that it was pretty darn good. I know Danny got a big 40 pounder couple days ago and I was getting you know. 

Speaker 6 

MHM. 

Speaker 7 

50 inch fish and butter to love. I only had a couple days. I had fish under 47 inches for about two weeks. 

Steven: 

Oh, oh, Wayne Wayne Wayne. 

Speaker 7 

And so so we're kind of tearing the hair out of our head today and yesterday we had a lot of high. 

Jay: 

Yeah. 

Speaker 7 

10s fifty kilometers or better? And so that's made it difficult for us to just where we wanted to fish. But you know, I've seen this kind of stuff before. It will turn right around. Unfortunately, I'm leaving. After tomorrow and heading to northern Wisconsin, so those of the guys that are going to be up there for a while yet, they're coming up later, I suspect it's going to be gained us this year. They're still just just books 50°. Can you believe that going into the first? Yeah. 

Steven: 

It's cause. That's what Danny had said the other week. Yeah, but she was like, well, this right now should be. I mean, you were tearing it up. It was prime time. But like, there's an extended kind of thing that's about to happen, wouldn't you say? 

Speaker 7 

Ohh yeah, normally normally we're close to the channels and stuff, you know, possibly between bases freezing up and packs the base and stuff and and I mean, yeah. 

Steven: 

Now we're close. No, no, no. I know you're on the boat right now. And and guys, he's actually. Talking on a cell phone out here in the middle of eagle, right. Yeah, I know you have have kind of mastered rigging, suckers you. You've been integral in a lot of different designs. What's with live baits being so prevalent right now? What are some of your like hard rules or what are you looking for in a sucker? Rig. 

Speaker 7 

567 off hooks heavy wire. Dangling all kinds of hardware on them when when we've actually had a fairly tough bite, but because of going to very small darkened hooks like 2-2 hot is the biggest. I'm using one hots even but then but them let them you know, round that gamma godson. 

Speaker 8 

MHM. 

Speaker 

Well. 

Speaker 7 

The owners, you know, they they bury right through anything and they hold the biggest fish to us. You don't need all the big ones going to lighter wire, 60 LB wire and just watching it after 3-4. Listen, y'all long line and instead of right under the boat, like most of my bigger fish have either been on a long line or a planer board away from the boat which tells me I don't know. Is it the scope or is it the boat that they're leery of? I'm not sure, but they're leery of something. And and in northern Wisconsin. Especially you know where everybody has been running live baits for 50 years. I think it's probably even more of a factor to consider. Stealth and distance from the boat and and things like that you know. So those are those are things that I think. 

Speaker 6 

Right. 

Steven: 

Let let me. 

Speaker 7 

Like are people are a lot of people are missing. 

Steven: 

You just said something and it's funny. Usually when we talk, there's little tidbits I catch on and it kind of sparks my memory. I've told people in the night in a in a nice way, not like you would say. I know how you would say to people, but. I've. Told people. Be quiet when the suckers are, you would probably hit them. With a hammer and. Scream at them. But you know. See if it's coming out the sucker, right. And restarts. 

Speaker 7 

This is this. I got great live baits, right? I got them rigged when they're in the water outside the boat. You can't even see my rigs. And I'll bet you a what though. Yeah. 1012 fish today that you know from past experiences on the grass, so we'll probably 50 inch plus fish. Problem beats for as long as 100 yards and not riding in. 

Speaker 6 

Speaker 7 

So you know, and I, I don't know, I don't know what else I can do and and that then then you know and and the. 

Steven: 

Gotta be selfish. 

Speaker 7 

Got. It's have been you, you know, it's the way it is. When every the bites the windows are short, the they're biting on moons, you know, almost exclusively, you know. So you know it's it's just something that's going on. Things are off, you know. But but it's. 

Speaker 6 

Really. 

Speaker 7 

Now they just have been caught by being, you know, a little bit more cautious about how you do things, pay very close attention to where you've seen or or have big fish flower during the day get. Being there, you know, half hour before the moon and being an atom during the first half hour of the moons and stuff like that. Those are the keys right now, you know. 

Steven: 

Paying. Yeah. Game. You got a game plan, strategize and pay attention. What? What? What kind of things? You know, let's say somebody, because this is coming for for northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and some other places where where? You know what? What the winner has to show up here, right? It can't be 50° all. 

Speaker 7 

Right, right. 

Steven: 

But well, it'll be weird. Be weird, but we probably if it is, we have bigger problems than muskie fishing at that point. But you know, when you get in this cold water period or should be cold water, period. 

Speaker 7 

No, I hope not. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah, yeah. 

Steven: 

You know what kind of baits are you using to at least get those follows to locate fish? I think a lot of people struggle with locating fish. 

Speaker 7 

Well, you know, most of the most of the brakes. That we've been getting on the live baits have been 18 to 30 feet, Jack Clifton, who's a good big old fishing partner, mine and caught lives assisting us. American, the largest fish in Wisconsin Northgate. Over the years. You got a cell phone with me last week and that was. 

Speaker 6 

MHM. 

Speaker 7 

Over 53 feet of water, 18 feet down. So most of the time, though, we're fishing off structure 18 to 26 feet. Lattices are out laying out in the mud. And now in the last couple of days, even though the bites become tougher, we're seeing a lot more fish come in the same day. It's off the structure. But prior to that, even now. We use a lot of rubber baits. You know the the, the, the, that new sandwich. Cross those suckers been amazing. I think it's just this thing gets sick of looking at tubes and it's just a little bit different. You know Bulldogs, you know things like that. You know stuff that we can count down and work down and break you know. Stuff like that. So, but you know, at the same time, if you got some more cash stuff on top or something, you know like a. Like a founder or a grandma or a sneaky Pete or something like that. You know, for those because they can be anywhere, right? Like I said, you know, they can be 50 feet deep, they can be 50 feet, 18 feet down. They can be two feet wide or anyways in between. So. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. 

Speaker 7 

You know, you gotta kind. Of cover the bases, but most of the fishing. Comments. On the deeper end of the spectrum, off the shallow. 

Speaker 3 

And. 

Speaker 7 

They're actually kept that we're actually catching. 

Steven: 

Right, right. You have fish staging everywhere, but the ones that will eat are. Yeah, that and that. That's it's funny. I just ran. I literally ran to that yesterday. Were like, OK. Yeah, they're suspend those. We just trolled over them all day long. You're seeing them on paying. You're seeing them on everything, and you go well, the the eaters are shallow right now. It it just is what it is. 

Speaker 3 

Yeah. 

Steven: 

You know, and you and you kind of look at somebody and go well, Muskies have to be somewhere, you know, they just don't. They just don't disappear into thin air when they're not eating. You know, they gotta have. They got to hang out somewhere. So. But I. 

Speaker 7 

So I just don't know what's going on here. I've never. I've never. I mean, you always get some fish that lazily follow live bait or or lazily follow artificials and stuff or combinations up, but I've just never seen it to this extent. And when they do that, it just it. I don't think it's conditioning or anything. Like, did you stay hungry? Yeah. 

Steven: 

You know in in. 

Speaker 7 

You know when, when, when they bite? Only on moons and stuff. That's the the peak of the, you know, the well, maybe get him to, you know, become a little more aggressive. You know, normally we catch them all, you know, through the day with weather changes and and wind shifts and stuff like that too. Besides that also. And that's not even happening. So for some reason. 

Steven: 

Yeah. 

Speaker 7 

This weather the maybe. The maybe the temperatures warmer than than than what the daylight hours tell the fish that should be maybe maybe something. All this you know put together is causing these. First to perhaps only feed that moves and or maybe they're feeding at night. 

Speaker 1 

MMM. 

Speaker 6 

MHM. 

Speaker 7 

I I I don't know know I'm. 

Steven: 

Do you think it could it be global warming from all the aquanet everybody used in the 1980s? All the hair, all the hair metal bands. 

Speaker 6 

Oh. 

Steven: 

You know, I know you're. 

Speaker 7 

Yeah, 59 it is loud line it is. It's muskie fishing. We try and figure out we cut some big ones here and there and we actually had some pretty good stretches in the last three weeks. Just the last couple of days with a shift in weather and high winds has. 

Steven: 

Eating. You're eating your quarter pounders out of Styrofoam? Yeah. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. 

Speaker 7 

Made it tougher. But you know, I think I'm still gonna get a few, like, take pictures with. 

Steven: 

Absolutely, absolutely. Let me ask you this before I let you get back to fishing the the the proverbial question when it comes to to soccer fishing hook sets. 

Speaker 7 

You know what I mean? Yeah. 

Steven: 

What? What do you do? 

Speaker 7 

Well, personally if I got any experience fisherman, I like to quickly set up to where the fish is directly straight down. I very seldom have ever missed a fish in that scenario. Other than that, if a fish is going, you know slightly. 

Jay: 

Right. 

Speaker 7 

Way at an angle and and and somebody you know can can do a real good hookset kind of rod. 

Speaker 3 

MHM. 

Speaker 7 

Uh. 45 parallel to the water opposite, so the fish is going. That's a good soil. If a if a fish takes off screaming. Yeah, it does. It does not just the swimming. But I'm saying takes off and doesn't stop that fish is running for his life. It hit the beach. 

Speaker 6 

Mm-hmm. 

Speaker 3 

Yes. 

Speaker 7 

How hard it knows it's up. Yeah. Do you take? I don't care how far that fish is away. You smoke that fish as hard as you can. Two or three times. Really. It it. It's crank it again. Because by the time you get to the fish. To to set the hook and probably will have shook the hook. She'll be shaking the whole time trying to. 

Steven: 

That's a great point that that's a that's at least for me, that's a rare one, but it does happen where they hit the sucker so hard to go there. It's it's like if they hit a I always thought like if they hit say like a blue gill, right, blue gills got a pretty dominant dorsal thin on it or like a. 

Speaker 7 

Get rid of the bed. Yes. 

Steven: 

Some kind of, you know, in a natural predation, they're going to get stuck, which is bad, and how they get them out of their mouth. They shake their head. 

Speaker 7 

Yeah, since there were an inch long. 

Steven: 

You know it's. 

Speaker 7 

Yeah, I'll do that. 

Steven: 

They're gonna Malfoy open, shaking their head going, you know. No, no, boy, no, no good. So that's interesting. Because like I said, sometimes you'll be fishing. Oh, OK. We just lost 100 feet of line before we could even realize what was going on. And they're screaming with the thing. So and. And you think with those, just blast them, blast them. 

Speaker 7 

Yeah. Yeah. 

Speaker 

Lee. 

Speaker 7 

You got to you can't get. You can't catch up too fast enough before the most time before they shake it. But if they just go zip, they usually wanna go from 15 feet, then they start just slowly swimming for deeper water. Those I like to catch up to as fast as I can. And. 

Speaker 6 

MHM. 

Steven: 

Yeah, typical. 

Speaker 7 

If, like so, if it's experienced people, especially if I think it's a really big person, I like to be right over the top of right over the top. Oh man, I hardly have ever missed a fish. 

Steven: 

No, straight up and down. You just smoke em, so you know it's it's one of those things where there's so many dynamics there. What? What the what sucker rig are you using right now? 

Speaker 

What? 

Steven: 

Or how are you? How are you constructing? 

Speaker 7 

I just I just make. I just make my own. It's the modifications that will be rigged. You know, I make all my own. I use 60 LB. Wire. I take one out, two out owner gamma gases and use it towards and heat heat up one of. The hooks to straighten it so it goes in and under pin in the in under the skin and help the skin so the bulb holds the the hook there comes out really easy adds either rubber band that I like. You know what you know for ease of people when the water's weather's real cold, it's pretty tough to beat that somewhere clip. 

Speaker 3 

MHM. 

Steven: 

Yeah, pretty good. Yeah. 

Speaker 7 

For most people, but but when fish are really, really tough, you can't be a black rubber, black or bond. You know, rubber band with the style through the nasal passages. It really is as clean a rig as you can possibly get. 

Steven: 

Now for our older listeners, what size Circle Hook do you recommend for an old-fashioned? Kill rig Herbie. If you intend to. Just club him when you him in. 

Speaker 7 

They get, they get thrown out of the boat into the water. 

Steven: 

Just get your old kill rig going there, boys and suckers. See Good eater sons. I'm teasing you. Anyway, I'll let you get back to fishing, guys. 

Speaker 7 

Yeah, now. Yeah. Yeah. We gotta get going. We got sunset coming up. You know, we we got a couple of girls that we gotta go try and dance with. 

Steven: 

Prime time. Absolutely. Well, her back is perfected. Live bait fish. And he's been smoking. Guys. Thank you so much. 

Jay: 

Jay. 

Jay: 

Yes, Steve. 

Steven: 

How I was picking on her back. He didn't like that comment about how much aquanet he used in the 80s, did he? 

Jay: 

Well, it's true. I mean, think about it. Yeah, it did more damage than any one person. 

Steven: 

Did did you know he was in a? 

Jay: 

On the planet, did he? 

Steven: 

He was in a Flock of Seagulls cover band. 

Jay: 

He was. He was. 

Steven: 

In 85 down to Madison, yeah, yeah. 

Jay: 

That's in between guiding too. He was working his tail off. You know, he'd guide during the day and then he'd play, you know, Iran. 

Speaker 3 

And I threw a troll too far today. I couldn't catch a ski. 

Speaker 8 

So. Away. Yep. Mm-hmm. 

Jay: 

Get away. 

Steven: 

It was disgusting. It was. They called him Steve Herbeck and the flock of Muskie Gulf. Did they? That's that's what I heard. I wasn't lying. 

Jay: 

OK, multi talented guy. 

Steven: 

If you were you, you my. He he really. Was, you know, he played the sousaphone in the band. You know, so you. 

Jay: 

Good stuff. Yeah, it was good to hear. 

Steven: 

From Herbie, though? Yeah, hearing from him that the the weather's so weird. I'm dude, we're teasing. It's weather weather. I don't care, right? 

Jay: 

It's always going. 

Steven: 

To happen. I'm. I'm. I'm sitting here going. We have our own weatherman, Jay. 

Jay: 

I wish we had our old. 

Steven: 

Weatherman, we do the Muskie weatherman. 

Speaker 1 

Did or do you need? 

Steven: 

I called him. Yes, here it comes. 

Speaker 3 

We're sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service at this time. 

Steven: 

All right. I gotta know. The weather's so wacky. Her back just said it's screwy. I had to cop the muskie weather. Man, how are you this evening? Are you on the on the broadcast? Steve and Paul, how are you doing tonight? Am wonderful. Anyway, screw screw is a good word for it. I mean you you could use 4 letters and make it a little more vulgar I think. 

Speaker 1 

Skrillex. 

Steven: 

Every any day of the week, baby, I I was just picking on her back. I asked if it was all the awkward net he used in his hair in the 80s. 

Speaker 6 

Good theory. Dippity do you do? 

Steven: 

You know all the all he was. At A at a Motörhead concert, puffing his hair up back in. Today, what's happening Herbeck just said it's in the 50s, mid 50s. As far as water temp in Canada, obviously you got a degree in meteorology. You knew some things about the weather, what is happening right now. It's crazy. It's delayed fall. Really. I mean, you know, we've had a little at least in. My neck of the woods. We've had a few. Freezes and frosts overnight that that have done some things for the water. Yeah, exactly. The neighbors out. 

Speaker 6 

There with the. 

Steven: 

The sheets covering the covering, the mums to. Come, come, right. Right. But yeah. No, I've noticed it, too. I was actually out. Not another weekend ago. And and water water temp was surprisingly cool. It was almost like this. Like, did we turn over? What did we do? Because it it was like mid 50s. But I thought it should. 

Jay: 

Mm-hmm. 

Steven: 

The warmer actually from from the weather we've had, but all it takes is a few nights. You know, you get some ******** freezes. We were down in the mid 20s, but we really just had a stagnant weather pattern, you know, across the Midwest and really standing up into the southern Canada, that's kind of put. 

Speaker 6 

The put the. The transition in the flux this year. 

Steven: 

That's in. It's funny, you say I I didn't even think about staggering, but I was on on the old Twitter. Some people called X now right. And and and they said from where I was at, there wasn't a cloud within 200 miles. Mouse. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah, it's finished. Yes. Yep. 

Steven: 

Literally, for this really weird like you've got a West Coast East Coast thing, you know is is it, is it a matter of the Hurricanes? What what what would you think caused this and what would bring things back into into focus. You've essentially had a a big Ridge of high pressure that's been dominant. 

Speaker 6 

Well, yeah. 

Steven: 

From from really the Intermountain West all the way into the upper Midwest up into Canada, Southern Canada, kind of on a. Southwest and northeast orientation and and and again that's that's kind of rendered itself to some of the hurricane development, steering hurricanes up into Florida because they're on the the front side of that Ridge or the east side of that Ridge. So it's all been the same. Whenever you have tropical cyclones, they mess up the the prevailing weather pattern. You need. You need like a kicker, you need some things to start. Start moving the weather and and and we're actually starting to see that now. I think in the next couple of weeks we'll start to. See bigger storms. Not only did we, you know, we haven't had the traditional colder fall weather in my neck of the woods in Minnesota and Upper Midwest, but we haven't had a drop of rain. We went 30 days without a drop of rain. Yeah, just insane. Not not what you'd expect this time of year. Hardly a cloud to be found in the sky. Same. You know which, obviously that's never good for fishing as well, but we're starting to see some things change up it 1 positive. Steven delayed ice. I know, doctor Randy, that that probably hurts his feelings because he's a big ice fan. But. 

Jay: 

The fun person right costs. 

Steven: 

Me money here. 

Speaker 6 

Exactly. Exactly. 

Steven: 

But, but hopefully you know, we'll have a delayed freeze up. They'll leave the docks in and that'll make maybe that early early in the mid November fishing a little bit like mid-october. Oh yeah, that yeah, I literally talked to a podcast listener yesterday. He was like, hey, I'm thinking about going to Wisconsin and, you know, after Thanksgiving. I'm sitting there going you probably could. 

Speaker 3 

Yeah. 

Steven: 

Yeah, you might be able to. I mean it, it won't take long once we, you know, get some of those freeze ups. But I'm not planning to put the boat away for a couple of weeks. I'm looking at the extended and I think I've got at least two or three more, three more outings to go which you know this this. Time of year. That's really unheard of. Yeah, I mean, you're you're getting even here in the South, I mean today. 

Jay: 

They. 

Steven: 

Obviously we have, like you know, 4550 in the morning, whatever, which is chilly for. Me ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Yeah, switch work right you. You gotta pull your socks up a little. They can't get much higher. Son. I'm over. I'll RIP holes in the end if I get them. Socks much higher. Almost paid. Almost pants season with a flannel punk. But you know I'm sitting here. Flannel song territory for you. And. You know, there's a few years where it's like, OK, the week of Halloween coming into this year, it's cold, it's not cold, cold for you, but it it it, it's knocking down, is that a matter of is for for I don't know anything worth of crap, but is it a pressure thing that's keeping like the wind out of the north of that that the. Movements out of the north buffered is there like a force that that that's pushing out of the South to the north or what does that kind of look like? Like, well, it's all you know this time of year. It's all it. It can't stay warm forever, right? I mean, the days are shorter. It's it's entering dark phases in the northern latitudes, Alaska and northern Canada. That cold air is building. You can see it. They just had a record snowstorm in in Fairbanks, a foot of snow. Why do you know? Why? Do you know this? I know, I know. Keep track of. But that cold air, you know, all it takes is northern latitude. Snow, Snow cover the darkness, the lack of daylight, that cold air. It's gonna build up. It's gonna build South. It's inevitable. But for now, I'd say just enjoy it. I mean, I hate to admit it, but we're going to turn the air conditioner on tomorrow. It's supposed to be 80° up in my neck of the woods, and that's same here. Yeah, same here. It's like 79 to 80, and you're just going holy Cannoli. But you know and Doc, where Randy can't get his natural harvest this early, which is horrible for his business model and. Exactly. And then how's Cliff gonna get out of town with the ice Rd. It's not. Even gonna form. There's not even an ice Rd. for Cliff, and he's now boyfriend Doc Boy Randy to get out of town on and it's difficult. Yeah. 

Speaker 6 

Exactly. So we'll say our prayers. 

Steven: 

Yeah. So you know, would you? Is is what's happening now, right? And I'm just, I'm teasing. I'm not climate change guy made a couple jokes earlier or whatever, but you know, gets just hot button. I like to. I like to poke the bear on the case. 

Speaker 1 

Right, yeah. 

Steven: 

Is it cyclical? Is it systemic of what happened in the South, how it's affecting the north? What would your educated take be on on why? And I know that's a that it's a mask. Yeah, that's that gets into all kinds of things. You know, it's it's it's no, there's no doubt. There's no doubt that the weather has trended warmer lately in, in fall. 

Speaker 6 

Yes. 

Steven: 

Not. We used to think of October as a cold month. It it really doesn't feel that way anymore. Although I'll tell you last year we had snow on Halloween where I live, which doesn't happen very often, so. It snowed at the. Tell you what, Christmas Christmas at the dump. You know, there's a reference to a floating trash heap, you know, at a political rally this weekend. I'm on the other floating trash heap. 

Speaker 6 

Little survey north. 

Steven: 

So yeah, so people can draw their own conclusions. I think the jury's still out on it. You know, people have people have stolen that narrative for political and other reasons, so I won't even go there. But. 

Speaker 3 

Right. 

Steven: 

But the trend, the trend of late is. Warmer. 

Speaker 6 

But it still. 

Steven: 

Gets pretty damn cold where I live every year, so I am not. I'm all for it. I guess that's where I'm at because, you know, whatever causation is not my problem and I won't. I won't be alive for it. So I'm not going to worry. 

Speaker 3 

That's where. 

Steven: 

Worry about it, right? You know, but you know, like you said, I mean, as a kid, I grew up. It's like, OK, October was. It I remember waiting for the bus and I'm not talking about ZZ Top waiting for the bus. I'm sitting there chattering my teeth going kill me now, you know. 

Speaker 6 

Or. 

Steven: 

Crisscross you missed. 

Speaker 

The bus. 

Steven: 

Chris cross. Ohh Dang. Anyway, wow. But you know it. It was far colder then. When? What I'm going for is like, you know, is is is Southern motion. You know? Whatever. Not a letter question don't care necessarily. I'm sure that somebody is sitting in pill Waukee right now. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah. 

Speaker 6 

Making them mad. 

Speaker 

But. 

Steven: 

Making them mad. But you gotta look at. It as a as a whole. Your prediction? You're like the Jimmy the Greek of weather right now, right? You're doing your best. You're in Minnesota. How long do you got? 

Speaker 1 

Yeah. 

Steven: 

Before the ice comes. There'll be ice. All we need is 11 decent snow event and then you know you get snow on the ground, you get the long nights. It'll happen. I I I think we're probably in line for ice around Thanksgiving. OK, get it done. Now is what you're saying, but that's a that's actually a big that should be a big opportunity though, like you said, that's that's two. What is that 3-4 weekends? 

Speaker 6 

Yeah, get it done down and enjoy it. 

Steven: 

Yeah. I mean, yeah, you at least got three weeks. You know, I've I've been looking at some of the longer range stuff and the pattern, the pattern looks a little more active, but there are hints at at some warm, a warm period around Veteran's Day as well. So you know, the question is, I mean, and this is for you, this is where you make your money. But but what does it do for the? Wait, what do you? Throw I. You don't for in my opinion, you where you're at with. Excuse me, Minnesota, right? 

Speaker 6 

Yeah, I'm Minnesota. 

Steven: 

I'm going to put crash test. Dummies. My my cousin Eddie, right. I'm going to get my nephew. That's three years old. A monkey with a hat on. I'm going to get every human being. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 

Steven: 

Quote UN quote in the boat. Troll when I troll 12 inch headlock as many bases in the water as I can get, I'm going to get on the outside brake and kind of comb that from like 5 to 15. 

Speaker 6 

1. Yeah.

Steven: 

You know, get out there and freaking was. Dying weed lines and just just hit it and. Well, how fast? How fast are? 

Speaker 

You driving the boat? 

Steven: 

Steven. I've I've been with you trolling, so I know what it's like. You're you're, like, left. I mean, it's imagine. Imagine the drunk driver folks. That is the calling pattern. The the throttle. The throttle is is, is, is real and and the the steering wheel is is your motion so. 

Jay: 

You will. That's it. 

Speaker 6 

Right. 

Steven: 

Or do you remember how many baits did we lose that day and everybody's looking me like he doesn't even care? Know, but I I still have a bruise from from the rod snapping on that one. So. I when I troll ID. Drive it it. It's like you know. 

Speaker 6 

That was an abusive day, I think. 

Steven: 

You yelled at me later that day, too. Hope I did, I hope I did. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah, I was. I was. I secretly enjoyed it. 

Steven: 

What you used to, so you're used to, but I'm a soft touch, but it's. The the erratic Ness of that is obviously creating lifts, falls, dips and darts, right, I think. I think the kiss of death and trolling is like we're going to troll this Bricklin and this straight line, which is like completely non organic. 

Speaker 6 

Exactly. Yep, Yep. Hmm. 

Steven: 

If I'm where you're at, ohh I'm going. To. 

Speaker 7 

You know, I had heard you preach it before. Yeah, I've heard you. 

Steven: 

You're gonna catch the spread, yeah. Preach it before, but to witness it was different like. Dude it. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah, yeah. 

Steven: 

I had. I called the Coast Guard and I was like, is it legal to have a cheater knob on your steering wheel? Like what? And I was like, OK, there's no law against that. I have, like, what truck drivers would use to slide dock boy Randy over closer to him on the steering wheel when they make a left. Right. I think that's that. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. Nice. 

Steven: 

Thing is, what the boomers would call a neck or knob because you used to be on the neck with your girlfriend while you were driving your car. Well, you do what you gotta do. But yeah, I got the Necker knob on there and it it. 

Speaker 6 

Yep. 

Steven: 

It's erratic it. It's like I when we had hit stuff and like we've we've trolled together, I'm going alright we're going to hit what? 

Speaker 8 

Right. 

Speaker 6 

Yes. 

Steven: 

And I back it down a little bit and pray it floats out. And if it didn't, you break it off and you go well. Next tie another one on. You know, highly aggressive trolling, and I was there for it. 

Speaker 1 

It it's. 

Steven: 

Well, that's something I don't talk about. A lot of the podcasts of. Like if I was like, I don't know. 

Speaker 1 

I'm a highly aggressive. 

Speaker 3 

Like, that's like some. 

Steven: 

Boomer like I'm wearing AT shirt. That's like, don't mess with me. I'm a grandpa on the back. Like I like garlic bread and Donald Trump, you know? 

Speaker 1 

Paul. 

Jay: 

Right. 

Steven: 

An error that says I was. Right, exactly. You just got this this kind of like this motif. If I'm gonna buy that like I troll with reckless abandoned, I might hit a rock with the motor, right? I I'm trying to make. And the one thing I think that you're it's resonating with you. We went in front of this island and there's this. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. Yeah. 

Steven: 

Giant rock. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. 

Steven: 

I think I broke broke off 2 bats in row three. OK, OK. And I turn around, tie on three want. 

Speaker 6 

It was three, yeah. 

Steven: 

To go, let's do it again. Right. I'm a glutton for financial punishment. 

Speaker 6 

Yes. 

Steven: 

But you go. 

Speaker 6 

Yep. 

Steven: 

This is what it takes. Where dude it and also too. I mean we're talking hybrids. Done. 

Speaker 6 

MHM. 

Steven: 

The three-point bait check. There was No 3 point. There was one bait check. Everything's on the bottom. Forget about everybody. Yeah, and. And we're not talking like your standard deep water troll. This is like changing terrain, hitting rocks. I mean, you, you are finding the hidden, the hidden fish. 

Speaker 1 

Through town, yeah. 

Steven: 

Praying that they hit, but yeah, you know, just just willing to. You know it at a certain point you go well. I'm willing to take the knocks. Yeah, I I it is what it is. You know it's you go from Weatherman to freaking karate. Gee, instructor like you, right, you know. 

Speaker 8 

Aye. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah, yeah, I mean. 

Steven: 

I'm gonna. I'm gonna. I'm gonna take some knocks doing this, right? Your your black belt instructor. But it's. They'll be. Some hits. Yeah, it's, it's. But it's a high risk. 

Speaker 6 

High reward. 

Steven: 

Right, exactly. And I'm saying that, you know, kind of in the same way you're thinking when you go well, I get, I get to whip some ***, but I get my get my ***** whipped a little bit, you know. So so basically. What you're trying to say is 3.3 mph. Is that what you're? Yes, that it will be 2.4 now. 

Speaker 3 

So I have. 

Steven: 

A war thumb. So if the temp is five, I'm below 5. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. OK. 

Steven: 

Right. You never go Buffalo, which is in general, right. So I want to be 3:00 to 5:00. 

Speaker 3 

Right. 

Speaker 6 

Steven: 

Now that means my turning radius as well though, which is 3 point. Five on a hard turn can get. Up to five. And and it's a later question. 

Speaker 6 

1. Yep. On on the hard side. Yep.

Steven: 

On the hard side, which is. How do you how do you figure out what 5 is on the hard side? So what he's saying by the hard side is so let's, let's say we're going in a straight line. And. You know, you're driving down the right list in the podcast right now, or you're you're passed on the Florida, Texas Roadhouse. Whatever it is that you listen, you're you've had 13 at Chili's and they're kicking me out. Whatever is right ahead of you. 

Speaker 6 

He's there on Saturday. Choose your own event. 

Steven: 

As we turn. Hard port, hard starboard. That rod will dig in. You've gotta realize what that 5 looks like. So you've gotta take. Let's say we're throwing, craves, or grandmas or headlocks or whatever, right? What does 5 look like on the rod? 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. 

Steven: 

Not 5 on the speedometer. 

Jay: 

Sure. 

Steven: 

It's an action thing. 

Speaker 6 

OK, yeah, more bounce. 

Steven: 

So well, when when let's say let's say we take a 10 inch headlock, 35 feet long. 

Speaker 6 

Maybe. 

Steven: 

It looks different as far as rod angle and dig towards the surface. And and and the amount of bend at 5 miles an hour. So you gotta test it in a straight line. Go. That's 5 miles an hour. Right. So if I'm going straight and dead straight, one bearing 1 heading, that's what 5 looks like. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah, yeah. 

Steven: 

I want to make fives on my turns, so I want to contact cover and structure at about 3:00. 

Speaker 6 

Move. 

Steven: 

But what I want the rod to look like 55 when you're on the turn. OK, I get it. You've opened my eyes. 

Speaker 6 

On. 

Steven: 

You see what I'm saying? Where it's like, which is we make initial contact, which is. I got your attention. Hello. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah, yeah. 

Steven: 

You're following me, but on the turn subsequently, after making contact where I think a muskie will be, I want nothing more than A5. Interesting. Yeah. Yeah, that's deep. Well, I need. I need a hobby. But when? When you're this far down the ramp. Ohh, you're going. That's yes. 

Speaker 6 

Have you considered music? 

Steven: 

Yeah, you know what? I'm. Picking up crocheting this week, I've. I found I found a support group that I'm going to get with and they're going to talk to me about my. Problem. So anyway, well, the Muskie weatherman, he, he he chimes in yet again. 

Speaker 6 

Awesome stars. 

Steven: 

Which one? Huh. Happy to be a part of it, Steven, anytime. To five stars the new. Chat pile album. That that's a. That's a four nine for me, the four nines. It's right. I'm live. Oh, I I got rattling speakers in the car, buddy. That's that's good to hear. I I mean you got to dial down the enthusiasm. Sometimes I want to run through. 

Speaker 6 

A wall but. 

Steven: 

You know, on a scale of one to five, how disappointing is Doc Boy Randy as a person? Well, I mean in Crocs are not wearing Crocs. Alright guys, thank you. Muskie weather. Man, we'll hear from you again soon. 

Speaker 6 

Sounds good. 

Steven: 

Jay, how informative was that? I feel I feel like I. 

Jay: 

Went to school meteorology 101 plus several other numbers. 

Steven: 

Yeah, doc by Randy talk. Woody, I carve your name in the desk at school. Jay, I did and said Steve Hearts. Jay, is that weird? Does that make you feel anything? 

Speaker 1 

Oh. 

Steven: 

Are you dead? Are you? 

Speaker 1 

Make you feel me? 

Steven: 

Do anything are you? I'm dead inside. Sounds like a new cover band. JS. He's dead inside. Nothing but the hits from the band, the cult they play. She sells sanctuary once every sin. 

Jay: 

What's that seat one. What's that one seat? To the edge of the seat. Bree, what do? 

Steven: 

You say wow. You pay for the whole seed. 

Speaker 1 

But you owe me, man. 

Steven: 

Yeah, baby. Anyway, goodness gracious. Now it's interesting, I mean, the muscle meteorologist is highly educated in meteorology and and in muskie fishing. That's why we call him that. What are you going to? 

Jay: 

Do great job. 

Steven: 

You know, also like the band chat pile. Winches bout lead tailings and weird sock, but nonetheless we fish with dog boy Randy. Unfortunately, it was kind of uncomfortable for for both of us as as you can well tell, you know it's like. Youth. Dog Boy arrangement of these people to make kind of suck between your teeth when his name comes out. Jay, it's like you like. 

Jay: 

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, Steve. 

Steven: 

Yeah, close, but nonetheless. So Jane, we've been talking about the comings and goings in the muskie shop, right, comings and goings and what's new, what's cool it's, you know, we've talked about them so many times on the show, whether it be, you know, they're Bucktails, whether it be the whip, whip lash, you know, it's like that's a. 

Jay: 

Yeah, sure. There's always something. 

Steven: 

Donkey Kong of a spinner bait, you know like. 

Jay: 

There is. 

Steven: 

Yeah. You sent me one. I get my. Hands on, OK. I see where we're going. Here, you. See that? It's a tool. Yeah, tool. 

Jay: 

It's a. 

Steven: 

You're a tool, Jay. Get your hands on. 

Jay: 

Thank you. The side over here, Steve. Even more so, I feel about this big. 

Steven: 

Tool of the month, Jesse. But. 

Jay: 

Yeah, it's change that thing, but. 

Steven: 

That was so good. Sorry you killed. Oh. But you know, get your hands on some of these baits and you see where what what people are thinking so. And we had the honor the privilege to talk to Dan. Dan Moates Jay gave me. 

Jay: 

It's kind of a once in a lifetime. Yeah, it's a once in a lifetime event and it's just like who better than to talk to than Dan Moats, owner, chief designer of Spanky Bates Leonard Roll. 

Speaker 6 

Who better? 

Steven: 

Jay, Jay, we got him. Right? We did. We got Dan moves from Spanky Bates. He finally he finally picked him up a cell phone. Guys, he didn't have one before tonight. And here he is. Finally with us. Dan, congratulations. You have a cell phone? We gave him a shout. A Bay I've been really excited to see come back. We've talked about it so much. And and and it's kind of the thing that's legend and lore people ohh behind closed doors and the quiet corners of Rangers, they talk about Grandma AM 9. So is is if it's like you know you gotta find a crack dealer to get these things. Obviously, Dan, you you understand how relevant that bait is, you've brought back the M9 Pro, the M7 Pro. What made you do that and and and and what have you done to kind of make that bait? You know, available now kind of. Walk me through your entire thought process on on the importance of this bait for your trolling game casting game and and and what you guys went through to make that bait relevant again. 

Speaker 8 

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I mean. Years ago, when we owned Grandma allures right, we learned we learned an awful lot. We learned. We learned a lot of things on. Great base and big fish, but then at the same time we kind of learned, we learned some lessons on things that go wrong and and changes that need to be made. And, you know, being continuously improving things. And there was there's a nice gap here between the the time that we own. 

Jay: 

MMM. 

Speaker 8 

Allures and now. 

Speaker 6 

MHM. 

Speaker 8 

And we never put down the project of taking and making this. Eat better. Yeah, of course. Like the old days, right? The old M9. The old Magnus Strike M9 was the one that everybody loved. And you know me included and. We we use. These bases, especially in the fall like the M7 and the M9, the phenomenal twitching games we just. 

Jay: 

Absolutely. 

Speaker 8 

Got. We just got back from northern Wisconsin. On a trip. I had two younger guys with me, you know, reeling the machines and the one wouldn't put down the new wouldn't put down the. New at 9:00. He just just absolute big fish machine. It raised the most fish it caught. The most fish, it's a fantastic. Lure. And So what we decided to. Do you know? One of the goals was to take and improve that whole piece over time. Now it's no longer a gramma lures piece. It's a Spanky baits piece and we've taken that bait instead of, you know, injecting this like a hollow cavity injection. It's now solid. It's a solid resin. 

Speaker 6 

Uh-huh. 

Steven: 

Right, right, right. 

Speaker 8 

And it's a it's a material that we call flexor. And what that means is that Steven means that it's aerated, so it's got we're able to control the specific gravity of. The resin. Tickets poured, which gives us absolute precision when it comes to the times and the rise. Yeah, exactly. The buoyancy and the beat. So now but. 

Steven: 

Yeah. We were talking not to catch up. Literally last week. Jay, correct me wrong last week or the week before we were talking about. 

Speaker 3 

Hmm. 

Steven: 

Applications in shallow situations in the fall, we're talking about this Bay and how it is, whether it be a tightened sewage or whatever. But the lip of that bait and the buoyancy is so devastating. The dead and dying weeds, because if you control the buoyancy you've you've kind of nailed that, which is the RIP Twitch Paul. And that that, you know, it changes up this time of year, wouldn't you agree Dan? 

Speaker 8 

Yeah, 100% this to us. We were casting this thing and you were from over 20 feet of water and 810 feet of water. And yeah, like so. And and now here's one of the things too, right. Like one of the problems that we always had in the old days was that when you, when you mold the plastic hollow lure, eventually they start to leak. And then then you got all sorts of buoyancy problems. 

Speaker 6 

No. 

Speaker 8 

This now this is solid so. There's no more leaking. Yeah, it's got a, it's got a through wire. It's got a heavy duty like that 7, two that we're known for that 7 two wire through wire. Right. So now if a baby, if you know, let's just say you run into hogzilla and she comes up and she breaks the beat because she gets here. 

Steven: 

Oh yeah, yeah. 

Jay: 

It ain't gonna be the best. Yeah, she gets. 

Speaker 8 

Since she breaks the beat and then, but she still got hooks in her because the two wire. Holds on right, so everybody's big concern about that is, is over. Yeah, the new polycarbonate lip. Right. It's a it's a stronger material on the lip. It's a thicker lip. And it's also a design that we, you know, like in the old days we used to say, yeah, if the grandma lip breaks like it was a design. Where you could not. Replace that lip. And of course now in this new design, if that should happen, the design is there that we can. Replace the lip. 

Steven: 

Out. I've been blown away by these because I I've been at M9 fan for I I might. I'm sitting here in what we call the bait cave on the podcast. Right, you know. 

Speaker 8 

So. 

Steven: 

Is it is full of three generations of Muskie baits and plenty of M Nines and all this stuff for you. That that bait is is tolerant to a beating, you know 4 miles an hour. It takes it, you know, ticking and clicking it takes it where I didn't realize. And I'm kind of blown away that, that, that that is a solid, but it doesn't react in that nature, you know, because I it is a bait. 

Speaker 8 

Yes. 

Steven: 

Designer myself, I'm I. I never even thought about that, that the the intrinsic buoyancy of that air introduced introduced in the resin that's brilliant and especially like you said that through wire thing it reacts just like a hollow Corvette. 

Speaker 8 

Yeah. Yeah, it's a, but the action on to this fantastic, the rise on both the M9 and don't forget the M7, right? The M7 has caught and moved huge fish. It's got a little bit of a slower rise to it. Mm-hmm. But both of these find their way through and up out of weeds. 

Speaker 6 

Right. 

Speaker 8 

It's just a huge triggering mechanism and so we've had, like I said. 

Speaker 

MHM. 

Speaker 8 

We now we've. I think we have, I think, yeah. Jay, you got like 20 to all 20 and all 21 colors there and you know, here's the here's the. 

Jay: 

Yeah, something like that. Yeah. For those. Yeah. Picture that day too. It's, you know, it's what it is, is it's a flat sided crank date with kind of a high profile. So the flat, yeah. Yeah, mental style, but it enormous amount of flash. It's just irresistible looking in the water when you get that thing. Cooking and twitch and yeah, and. 

Speaker 3 

I I. 

Speaker 8 

Then one thing you don't see one, there's another piece here that you don't that you don't even see. 

Jay: 

Is that the M13 is right behind its brother, didn't take my wallet, Dan. 

Speaker 8 

M9 so like that's gonna. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah. 

Speaker 8 

Yeah, the the O 13, like the M13's, already been prototyped. It's already been, it's already done. It's in, it's in production. This stuff here, though this resin, this flex resin takes a little longer to pour. So we're waiting on those. But Jay, you're gonna have those in maybe before the end of the year, but we'll we'll see here. 

Jay: 

Yeah, right. 

Steven: 

Well, you you hearing that you got a bunch. So just talking to me or you know get get in line behind me for. 

Jay: 

We'll take them. We'll take them. 

Steven: 

For anything that's white or walleye colored boy, so I promise you. 

Jay: 

That well, yeah, I mean, check them out. I I've got. I think I've got shorts out on both on YouTube and kick **** and Instagram and stuff like that. You can find them if you, you know, if you Google them. Right. Or you? Search for them right? It's. 

Steven: 

Yeah, absolutely. 

Jay: 

Underwater demos you can see these things. You know what they do so. Really cool color patterns. You know, there's some real standard type stuff, you know, you got your perch, your black perch, your fire map. 

Jay: 

It it's it's this weird. 

Jay: 

And then you've got some very creative new ones, too. So they're catching peoples eye. 

Speaker 8 

And we're going to continue, we'll continue to expand those. We'll continue to expand those really those kind of those cutting edge colors. Mm-hmm. As we go, we wanted to make sure that we started out with with good, solid base colors, everybody's familiar with. And then, yeah, like the napalm perch, right. That's. 

Jay: 

Yeah, that's one of. 

Speaker 8 

The. Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Yep. 

Jay: 

It's super cool. 

Steven: 

Yeah, super cool. Let let me ask you this. Just sheer curiosity and and and not trying to put you unspotted in any regard, right. I've seen it with, you know other flat sided crank baits or baits that have a small air capacity. Especially being a Southerner, if you can't tell from an accident. But. You know, I might spend the summers up in in the North Woods in Canada, you know, spring and all this stuff. It gets warm and. You'll see these small. Flat body crank baits that they they seem to expand is that new resin. Is that more heat tolerant? I'm just sheerly. 

Speaker 8 

Curious. Ohh yeah. So like when you used to leave the old dates like on the dashboard or you leave like a clear box like in your front seat of your truck, right? And everything comes in and it's works. 

Steven: 

They get a tumor the size of a golf ball. 

Speaker 8 

That's that is the drawback for what ADS. Plastic. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's that's part of that. It's part of that. That's kind of got a low, a low melting point, if you will. And it's it's it's I guess it's subject to distortion where I don't think that the. 

Speaker 6 

1. Hmm.

Speaker 8 

Present you know the the. 

Steven: 

Tolerance is gonna be way higher. 

Speaker 8 

Yeah, the flex resin doesn't seem to have that sort of a problem now. It's a good question. I haven't really put it through the test right, like, I mean we haven't. Yeah, we haven't laid this thing out like, I don't know, we had him laying them all we. Had him laying. On the deck, on one of our trips this year, and I didn't have any problems with them, but laying on the deck. Throw it in your truck today for a a couple days or different story, but I don't think it's going to be any problems with it. I know that this stuff is it's high temperature already. 

Jay: 

I want. 

Steven: 

That's what. That's what the reason I asked is is not like I said, not to put you on the spot. But like you know, I've seen. It with whether it be my bait living livers tighten or you know, depth rate or shallow Raiders of Joe. You're the app with us or whatever. You know, there's kind of that caveat of buddy. You leave that thing laying in the August Sun. Sorry, however. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. 

Steven: 

It always seemed like the thinner the body, obviously Eric expands, right? So we have expansion. We have the expansion of the molecules inside the the in the. 

Speaker 6 

Yep. 

Steven: 

Actual plastics itself, but if there's really not the if the air in the density when you're saying a resin is so tight, where's it going to go and and resin is such a higher temperature process? 

Speaker 8 

Yeah, I mean it's it's it's really. Yeah, that's right. And and when you and here's the other thing too, is part of the problem with that old school style mentality? Yeah. Of the two piece body. Yeah. It's it's kind of like sonically welded together or it's glued together. And with that process it's it's not. It's not a. It's not a quality process. You don't have a full you can't guarantee. 

Steven: 

Absolutely. 

Speaker 8 

The you can't guarantee a solid steam all the way around, so as soon as that air starts to expand, it's just looking for the the path of least resistance and it and it finds it and it. 

Steven: 

Expect. Yeah, absolutely, yeah. 

Speaker 8 

Goes that's right. 

Steven: 

That I've blown away. I didn't. I didn't realize that. But it's phenomenal. And especially for you know, my brain spinning now. But you take the M7 or the. 

Jay: 

Makes sense? 

Steven: 

M9 or? Trust me, when the M13 comes out, I'm going to torture it, which is making contacts with rocks on Eagle Lake, making contact with rocks on Wabigoon. You're not worried? 

Speaker 8 

Steve, how much would you say that your? 

Steven: 

Mind is spinning. You got me. 

Jay: 

He's getting excited. I. 

Steven: 

Can tell how? Dude, they're Jay. He's starting to drool. Yeah, I'm starting. The problem is this. That's the southern thing. That's all you know. Do you know why we drill? It's the gaps in our teeth. It lets it out. 

Jay: 

It is. 

Speaker 8 

Summer summer teeth. 

Steven: 

This summer too, summer there summer going myself and. 

Speaker 

You know. 

Jay: 

My fan, you know, a lot of people for, for, for somebody that's never walked into the muskie shop. Up and walk down. I don't know. What do you want to call it? Aisle 2 and. 

Steven: 

Jay: 

Singers, it seems. Speaking something just because I don't know off the top of my head, what do we carry 1314 different cocktail models, 30 colors deep of each or something? I mean, it's you have a massive lineup not to change. 

Speaker 8 

Yeah. Yeah, it's like. 

Jay: 

Curious here, but I was just thinking. I mean, that's your your bread and butter. Anyone that's ever heard of Spanky Bates knows that you could describe better for me. But they're heavy duty, heavy blade. Innovative, I would say double blades are probably your Forte as well. Yeah, I mean, that's, that's where it all started for us. 

Speaker 8 

Right. I mean our. 

Jay: 

Our that was that was the true beginning was double bladed flashable. 

Speaker 8 

Beginning was was top. It was right. Yeah. Tidy was top order bats in 2005 and then then it turned into a time vice. You know, advice on the dining room table, which we trashed like 18 years ago and yeah, but we we said that, you know, at the end. Of the day. You know, I'm a trade guy and there's a lot of trades guys in. This industry and. 

Speaker 6 

Mm-hmm. 

Speaker 8 

Everybody wants a quality product for the right price and I always said, you know, like half the base, we could make it better, we could make them better. 

Steven: 

Better. 

Speaker 8 

Quickly. Stronger. So that's what we did, right? We plugged in the the the .72 wire with with, with extra tempo on it. So it's got a lot more backbone. It's a lot sturdier. And of course, every part that we ever put on that on that wire shaft. It was all custom. It's all custom made in the beginning we were drilling stuff out. Yeah. You know there is. 

Steven: 

Can't go by those beads, yeah. 

Speaker 8 

Yeah, I was way speeds. I mean every single thing. But then, but then every, every place we go, you know, it was, you know, I'm I'm a research guy too, right? And, you know, that was my. I did earned for 18 years in food industry and part of the process is continuous improvement always make it better. Make it stronger and that's what we did cause so we tie on a lockdown collar where the thread locks down into that collar. The glue, the proxy glue hardens up real hard in there. So you know the thread coming out. It's not cold, it's not tight on the spring right where it's like on the surface it can be. 

Steven: 

Right. 

Speaker 8 

Cut. Of course, yes, that wire is is the claim to fame, but then we all of our blades are the. Old 40 blades and. 

Steven: 

Dan, let me ask you this and and. 

Speaker 8 

That's. 

Jay: 

And that why are 07? 

Steven: 

Two, that's heavy. 

Jay: 

The. The industry norm is really 051. So you can you know. Right. Yeah, right. I. 

Speaker 8 

Mean and that's the thing, right guys? Are guys spend money at musky baits? And let's face it, you know things are getting cheaper. Plus excise tax is always on our back. You know, like you, you gotta find a way to make this thing better, stronger and and reasonable and and people want a strong faith that. 

Steven: 

Oh yeah. 

Speaker 8 

Lasts and you. Already you like. You guys are bringing Bates and they call like 16. Hey, Shawna, there's nothing left. And like, can you rebuild this? Like. Really do want you just. 

Steven: 

Hang that up. Hang her up, do you, Dan? Let me. 

Speaker 8 

Damn. Oh man. Like there comes the time, you know. But the water is still good. Why aren't you? You know? And. And the Blazers still there. And that's the thing that we always thought too. Right. The the harmonics of the bait. It's all about the blades. 

Steven: 

Then let me ask you this. The wire is still good. 

Speaker 8 

And if you if you take. A thin blade and. You bend that up. You you change the harmonics of that beat. 

Steven: 

Forever. Dan, let me ask you something. I gotta pick your brain. Right cause and Jake can attest. I've been a a Spanky fan for a long time. We've talked about him a ton on the podcast. We don't have a lot of guests and that's just cause we rent, get on here and. All right, couple questions. 

Speaker 8 

Yes, all right. 

Steven: 

You said something about harmonics. I've I'm already asking, but there's there's two things one to know. So. Density means vibrations, right? So the the, the denser the shaft, right, the more harmonic resonance you would have. You already beat me to that secondly. Where the wire weighs more the the the blades are thicker. The bait intrinsically weighs more than your typical bucktail. Do you intend to? That? Intend that in the design process where you're going to get lower, tighter to cover and structure where more muskies are holding or was that a byproduct? Of a beefed up design. 

Speaker 8 

Good. Well, I mean on on you know, at the end of the day it's it's a, it's a little bit heavier with Bucktail. We do make multiple versions you know like well we never really get into that. We've always just settled on the best version. That's that's possible where the bait runs like people want to add a lot of weight to bait. So say yeah, I really want this heavy, but then the the rear. You know, the rear end of the bait runs low. So it's like riding dirty that doesn't. 

Steven: 

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Weird. Yeah. Up, like a weird angle. Yeah. 

Speaker 8 

Look very good. Yeah. So that's not good either. And then if you start getting this thing kind of whacked out of balance and you don't put the weight in the spaces in the right place. 

Speaker 6 

MHM. 

Speaker 8 

Umm you have some imbalance issues when you go to cast it. Castability is important. Yeah, absolutely. But at the same time you can't get it too lightweight because the flash. It doesn't absorb water like feathers and hair, so when you pull those out of the water, they're already heavy with water and they've got a little bit of a little bit of weight for the, you know, to load your rod, they with the tinsel, it's not there. So you gotta make sure you got the right amount of weight, the castability that it rides even in the water. So there's there's balance in there. You know what I mean? 

Steven: 

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And it seemed like I said, the intrinsic nature of these bats are, you know, as a as a full time guy and things of this nature, it's like. You know, throw it out. Turn the handle monkey. You know. But it seems that you get an extra foot. You get that extra distance that breaks the level of light penetration that that converts more fish, at least in my mind, just from the basic build of the Bay, you know, because like at the 88 Spanky or the 8-9 is kind of bread and butter for me most of the time. There you go. You can't mess that up. You just can't. You know it it it anybody could catch a fish on that thing, you know where I think a. 

Speaker 8 

Yeah. The other, the other piece that we really pride ourselves into is that the blades. So like the blade design, right? Like we we're at the point now where we design our own blades, the cop, the pitch, all of these pieces. Yeah. All of these pieces make make a difference. 

Steven: 

Lot. 

Jay: 

Mm-hmm. 

Steven: 

The cavitation, yes. 

Speaker 8 

What? Comes to the blades starting on a retreat and and a lot of people. A lot of people will buy bats and then it's like they gotta snap on and they gotta jerk them to get those blades going. You have that? And plus. Plus underneath, the club says you've got a nylon wear washer, which also ensures smooth hold on. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah. 

Speaker 8 

Which also which also you know ensures a. Smooth, smooth rotation of the clauses and start up every time. So a lot of great factors that go into this pay and then of course the cost on this too, right? Like you think a bait that's gonna be that beefy and that heavy is gonna cost you. Ohh so much more for quality but the reality is we we keep it we keep it tight we do a good job sourcing. And we do a good job working with our vendors like Jay to keep this thing, you know, realistic. 

Steven: 

Yeah, it it. It's spot on you. You'll hear no complaints from me on on that front and then. Yeah, something you guys did in it. I was interested in. You have a series of rods now at the Muskie shop and obviously you guys have them in other places. But what was kind of the design process there because there's something I noticed which was like a non insert I. 

Speaker 8 

Right. Yeah, yeah. So that's it. Yeah, we we did rods. We did rods. Ohh boy. I think we did rods and 13, 2013, 2015. And one of the reasons we got all the rods just cause I couldn't get the quality. Mm-hmm. It just. I just couldn't get the quality components. 

Speaker 6 

Hmm. 

Speaker 8 

That we wanted to put on these rods and we talk about the Spanky Bates name. It just wasn't representative of of the quality standard that that, that we want. You know that we're known for. Yeah. So we stopped making the rods. And then about about 2 1/2 years ago, I saw that they started to make this solid stainless eyelet with no insert and to me. That was the world and at the same time, the other piece was that the telescoping rods were coming out right back in the day and there was problems when that was kind of starting. There was just different issues with that whole mechanism. So we shared away from it. So now, Fast forward, we've got very good telescopic, you know, maneuvering and and the mechanism itself is very, very solid. And then we put these islets on without the inserts, I can't tell you how many. Trips have been. Ruined because you know, especially in the fall where a guy with a. Size 12 foot. 

Jay: 

Ohh yeah. Yep. Yes Sir. 

Speaker 8 

Steps on an eyelid or or worse. I mean it's one thing to see an eyelet that's broken. You say? Alright, man, that I was broken, right? That's bad. But it's almost worse when somebody steps at her. Like. One of the little eyelets cracks and you don't see it. 

Steven: 

Mm-hmm. Now have to brace it. 

Speaker 8 

And then when when that happened? Yeah. Then you end up losing a lure. A lure, a leader and then or a fish. And then. 

Steven: 

Yeah. 

Jay: 

Yeah, yeah. 

Speaker 8 

It's even worse. 

Speaker 

Yep. 

Steven: 

Exactly. Yeah, I I saw that. Actually, I I think they showed up right before the Muskie shot bash. Right. And I we're we're in, in the garage there. When when we're getting set up for the bash and I saw this and went brilliant it it alleviates the problem because in muskie fishing right now it's like OK we can cast. 6080 A 120 a bomb cast with musculus. You know this? Not this not surf casting. Everybody right? That's right. And and and and and at a certain point that Rod is going to translate enough feeling to you you know it's working this is not funny. 

Speaker 8 

That's right. 

Steven: 

Yes. And I'm going. Why are we doing this? Why are we? Why are we copying bass fish? We need ceramic inserts because no, we don't. We don't need that. That I find that to be brilliant. Because you go. It alleviates a problem first and foremost, and it alleviates potential lossage, you know, because it lossage. 

Speaker 3 

Yeah. 

Speaker 1 

No. 

Steven: 

Making it worse here, but a potential loss because it it a certain point you go anything that I can, you know, minimize or mitigate anything that could cost me a fish or cause mortality of fish is a is a net win in my mind. I thought that was pretty. Go in. You know the other thing that we we we we talked about as far as the trolling application and and obviously I'm a fan boy here was the whiplash. Right, because you've got this this big spinner bait. And when I we don't talk about trolling Bucktails as much as I talk about trolling spinner baits what was. 

Speaker 3 

Yeah. 

Steven: 

Kind of thought process there is. That in your brain. You know, obviously this is your baby. Is this a casting application where you were thinking trolling more or what? What was kind of the thought process there? 

Speaker 8 

Well, you know every everything for me. So I'm a caster and you know I. But I always say that, you know, we've got a huge foul like we we've had a great following on on Lake Saint Claire for so long. 

Steven: 

Uh-huh. 

Speaker 8 

Those guys, those guys are brutal on muscularis, right? They put them to the test. In fact, that's where the wear part was developed. That little nylon washer was developed on Saint Clair. Cause these guys are running. 

Speaker 6 

Absolutely. 

Speaker 8 

Pays 16 hours a day nonstop and it's wearing through. So. So we always gotta make sure that we're making things that are castable and they're also trouble. You know, there's some, you know, we do want to get into a situation where we have to create 2 lines. You have to buy 2 lanes, 2, two different dates if you want to cast the troll. All the quality features. 

Speaker 6 

Right, yeah. 

Speaker 8 

The one do with it what? You like, right? And when when we developed this bait, the first one was the whiplash with the six skirts and the big blade, the big Willow, I think you have options on that. You've got the Willow, the mag, the mag, Willow. You got the mag. 10, You got the mag, Indy. 

Steven: 

Yeah, yeah, it comes. 

Speaker 8 

With all of them, it comes with, yeah. So that that was developed for casting. That's how we first started it and then we tuned it for trolling. Yeah. And so that's just a big that's just a big fish bait. Now, people will say, well, it's kind of heavy, you know, comes in under. I think it's under half a pound. But well, listen, guys are throwing pounder of whatever out there. 

Jay: 

This is nothing more to stroll now to try profile. Yeah. I mean, what? You know, there's a lack of giant profile spinners out there, you know, to be honest with you, the biggest innervates are just heavier of the same frame size. This is truly giant. 

Speaker 8 

And. 

Speaker 6 

Why? Right, right. 

Jay: 

Yeah. 

Speaker 8 

And then I mean, of course off of that though. So then then we developed the Whiplash Junior, which is lighter, it's 3 skirts because, let's be honest, let's be honest, boys, we got we have multiple, we have multiple. I don't see demographics, but generations like fishing in this industry, right, you got like I said, I was up. I was up north with a couple. 

Speaker 3 

Fisheries well. 

Speaker 8 

Couple guys in their 20s, then these these guys can throw anything, it doesn't matter. And then you know, then I go up with, I go up to the older guys, closer to my age. Right. Like second-half of their life, right. And listen, throwing big, heavy duty stuff is is. 

Speaker 6 

Oh yeah. 

Steven: 

All day, yeah. 

Speaker 8 

It's not gonna be. She's not gonna be comprehensible for these guys all day, right? 

Steven: 

Account realistic, yeah. 

Speaker 8 

So you may you may get. By throwing that for a few hours when your hand gets tired, the downsize, and that's why we made the three, you know, the the whiplash Junior, because that's more reasonable base to throw all all day long. And I mean we see this throughout all the bait lines, right, I mean Jay? You know it too, right? I mean somebody, you know, somebody throwing. The M9. And now the M Nines are not hard to throw in Twitch. Those are easy. But yeah, start talking about double 10 spinner baits. Yeah, 10 nines. Big angry. Those get a little tougher, but then you start getting down in the like you talked about the 8-9, the eights, the little angries guys really can throw those all day and that's what it's part is you got. 

Steven: 

To be able to stay in the game, I I think a lot of it too though is, you know, you know, we got big fish down here in Tennessee and I spent all the summers up in Wisconsin, Kansas, Big Fish, big fish. 

Speaker 6 

Yep. 

Steven: 

Big fish, right you go. You know, weird places in southern Indiana or or, you know, certain places in Wisconsin or Iowa. Shad base, where a big profile is not necessarily the ticket, so it always makes sense. I you know, I think a lot of it. Like you said, the physicality, but sometimes it's important to not have. A 15 inch offering. Everywhere you go, you know, which is I think is super relevant you. 

Speaker 6 

Yeah, that's true. Yeah. 

Steven: 

Know. Which is nice. I would. I would if I ever throw a pounder again. I I will. Here in a few months. I promise you that. But you just go. Oh my lower back. 

Jay: 

You can get. 

Steven: 

You can get it done, except for that, the more pounders you throw it. I always thought each cast just takes about 5 minutes off your life like a cigarette, right? You're like, oh, well, that I'll want that 5 minutes back on my deathbed. So I'm so glad you're on the show. It's so enlightening. To hear about the product lineup, is there anything kind of brewing for 2025? You guys have been doing a lot of innovation, you know. 

Speaker 8 

Me and I want to touch on Steve. Listen, I don't want to cut you off, but I want to touch on a point this late. We were talking about the pounders and we get this question a lot and I'm sure, Jay, you guys get. Of course I mean. 

Steven: 

No, you're great, baby. 

Speaker 8 

This at the shop all the time. A lot of people ask me about our lives. And they talk about big rubber and I. Tell. Them. Listen, this this rod is not design. And to throw big rubber, this rod, these rods, these rods are designed. They're they're designed and built to bit to throw Bucktails whether it's, yeah. Blade runners. Right, the Blade Runner. Whether it's big Bucktails or small Bucktails. And of course like the the the wheel handles. Right. And people ask me about the wheel. 

Speaker 6 

MHM. 

Jay: 

Blade runners. 

Jay: 

Oh. 

Speaker 8 

Handles that revolution wheel handle with that forage power grip is absolutely a lifesaver and we we sold through that first batch. In like, no time and we've got absolutely phenomenal reports back on these lots that guys really like them. So that's. 

Jay: 

A big thing and. 

Speaker 8 

And but I do want to be clear though, it's not a big rubber rod like, right? It's a it's a heavy fast action rod and like can you get away throwing a smaller like? A smaller tube. On it, of course. Or a smaller. Schedule. Of course you could. And my boy should be smiling cause I'm pumping their tires, but at this at the same time, as you know, don't get into the heavy stuff with it. Cause of course just not built for that. And you know what the what the rod makers that sell that stuff and build those rods for those you're going to have to go to those guys for that kind of a lot. 

Steven: 

Right. Yeah, yeah, it it. It's everything's applicational based. That that's one thing I did notice about your series rods, which was. Very quite a bit of flex kind of past the third islet, right, which which translate vibration better, which is, I mean, you know, and in no way since her form, I think what what you're saying so eloquently is is, you know, they didn't. They have not said, hey, these are meant for everything. These are meant to throw Bucktails and throw them very well. Because I think a lot that's that's missed when you're throwing a bucktail. If you you know if you're a multi rod guy, is that extra flex for distance and sensitivity. I think it's super. 

Speaker 8 

Yeah, let's not forget the figure 8:00. We we it's very important that the, you know, you get a lot of fish up on the Figure 8 if you're good on the Figure 8 and you can. Really put a. Lot more fish in the boat, but it's important that you rod matches what you can do. I see guys fishing out of a little low profile boat with 10 foot rods and they're figure eights. The figures are so big and they're not precise and they can't do it. 

Steven: 

They can't do it, yeah. 

Speaker 8 

And it's like, why would you throw a rod like? Well, now I can. I can cast this almost a foot. Sealed. Yeah, I said. That's great. But we're like, we're like 30. Feet off the edge of the structure that we're. Fishing. 

Steven: 

Right. Are you are you trying to get follows? Yeah. 

Speaker 8 

So that's like overkill? Yeah. Let me cut 3 feet off the back end of that thing and let me show you how to figure. Eight, I mean, it's so yeah. 

Jay: 

If you don't convince Steve Allen. 

Speaker 8 

For sure. Yeah. I mean it's it's important. So I see too many guys who rode long that like the the rods are too long for the Figure 8. And of course, now I say that. And I fish out of a little 1 Alaskan and then I'm in the front of those axes. And now I gotta have multiple length rocks just to match those boats. Cause it's it's. A huge difference. You know that that's important. Piece too. 

Steven: 

That's a huge. You know, you're one of the few people we ever heard on that pointed out, me and Jay said all the time where whether it be like a musky shop shield rod. Or Saint Croix, or Spanky Road, or whatever. We always tell people you've got to match the right to your physical stature and the boat you're fishing out of. That's it. You know where it it's a combination of both, because if you're in a remember the old school lung ties. If you're in the nose, you're about 9 feet off the water. Some days, you know, you felt like you're just just just way hovering above where you've got to have the appropriate rod length for the for the boat you're fishing out of in, in physical stature, cause like you said, sometimes you get too long. Fraud and you've got you've lacked control. If you're not of a of a tall physical stature, it's it's just so. Thought on what? What else would you say is sort of coming in the in the works right now with with what's doing in your head for 2025? 

Jay: 

Well, Tom and I mentioned to you, Dan, the other day about that secret new, I didn't. I know Tom talks to you more than I do. But you know we were trying to develop something together. So that's what that's fun. 

Speaker 8 

Yeah, I think, yeah. So we've got, I know, I know we've got, we've got something that works here with the shop that we're going to do for you guys and it looks like it's pretty positive. We'll know a little bit more this week, but then I think the first part of next year we're definitely going to be releasing. We have a new bait that's coming out. It's going to be a whole new line for us. 

Speaker 1 

Cool. 

Speaker 8 

I can't say anything yet cool and but then next year we're going to be probably taking another bid that is a complete off the wall. If I can get this to work, it's a it's a, it's a completely different style bait and that's at the end of the day. That's the one piece that we're we're really trying to push and we've been working On this date. For over almost two years now, so we're we're hoping that we can get us some final stages with that next year, but it it takes, it takes a lot on this one. So I nothing I can really give you guys right now. 

Steven: 

Well, they're always trying to innovate. They have. I have in my opinion the best in line Bucktails in the game. Spanky Bates we we've talked about the ton. Dan, thank you so much for coming on the show. Me and Jay will have to have you on again here real soon. 

Speaker 8 

Thank you. 

Steven: 

And much appreciated, Sir. 

Speaker 8 

Have a great night. Thanks for having me. 

Speaker 1 

You pay for the whole seat, but the only deal. 

Steven: 

You pay for the whole seed, but you win me there. Yeah. Muskie crossed 93. 

Jay: 

Muskie. 

Speaker 

How about that? 

Steven: 

Dan Ski Digger versus Dan Moe. 

Speaker 1 

What's ohh man? That was. 

Steven: 

Great. That was fantastic. He he definitely knows the product line. Super informed obviously knows Muskie fishing obviously makes a. Hell of a. Bait. No complaints. 

Jay: 

Well, there's two it in in plural form. That is what I say it was like. What do you got, 13 or 14? Then I I went back and I counted. I think there's 16 different spinners that we carry from Spanky baits. Plus the rod line and the new crank baits. He's got all out and he was talking in depth about the the new M9 pros and the M. 

Speaker 3 

Plurality. 

Steven: 

As far as you can. 

Jay: 

Seven pros. Cool stuff. Listen, he had me at. 

Steven: 

M13. 

Jay: 

Yeah, I know he did. 

Steven: 

That was he. He knew he did. He was like, oh, I got this guy. I got him. Got him. Headshot. He's like, you know, like there's very, very few times where I'm like, you know. 

Jay: 

This is almost done. That's cool. I can't wait. To see him. 

Steven: 

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme. You know I love. I love love, 13 inch grandmas, those are. They're, you know, you'll see the big Jags. Whatever. They're too fat for that size of a bait, in my opinion. And and the tightness of that obviously is a huge vibration, but the hook up ratio, whatever I don't need. I say no more. You know what I'm saying? Moving on it. It just checks all the boxes. So. Jay, we've covered. Herbeck. The lack we we've. Talked about why? Why toboggans have little pom poms on the top? We've done it. 

Jay: 

All that's true. I forgot about. 

Steven: 

That, you know it's a. Hopefully, hopefully the listeners have they're going. This is not what I TuneIn for. 

Jay: 

Well, covering her back is easy. It's a. 

Steven: 

Small target. It's small target, big herbeck, little herbeck. You know it. Anyway, Jaybird, say Evita. Zane. 

Speaker 1 

I just made him mad. Yep. 

Jay: 

Thanks everybody night. 

Speaker 1 

Later. What have you done? Google must see only one. The little. Swimming, fire. Yourselfie little musky. What's the you want? Little Musk Hill station? Hi, Steve. For a life of chill. Nice day. What is it you wish? What color? Casting. For so. Long. Nice day. It's nice to meet you. 

www.tennesseemuskyfishing.com

www.musky360.com

www.southernmusky.com

www.nextlevelmuskyfishing.com

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 256: Jumping into Fall Muskies

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 255: Gettin' Messy with Esse

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 254: Musky and Pike Lures Worldwide

Transcript

Steven 

Alright folks, welcome to the Muskie 360 podcast. Jay bird. State birth statement it's hot. It is hot down South. Ohh, you were watching the Packers and Titans. It looks steamy, steamy over there. Is it finally cooled down a smidge? 

Jay 

Hey, what's happening today? 

Speaker 2 

Mm-hmm. 

Speaker 

Jay 

Yeah, yeah. Would cold front go through? It's like 60° for our day. So that'll. 

Steven 

Yeah. Nice. That'll knock it down a little bit. For instance, things going. It's been the constant complaint. It's almost the end of September. It's like earth, wind and fire with the 21st of September. What are we looking at now? It's 22nd. Excuse me. 

Jay 

It will. We'll get. 

Steven 

Glass. You know it's it's a little late in the game to be that hot that you guys were just dealing with, you know, Herbie, Herbie called me a few days ago, and he was just like, it's it's nasty. You know, a lot of pea soup and places still. What are you hearing? What are you seeing for all the the folks that are coming up there for that fall bike? 

Speaker 1 

Yeah, yeah. 

Jay 

Yeah, yeah, it's it's actually been pretty good fishing, you know, it's just like one day, you know, people get multiple fish. The next day, it won't be so great. You know, typical Muskie, you know, results. But yeah, I mean. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah, yeah. 

Jay 

Based on the majors and minors and and you know the the shallow weed thing has still been strong. 

Steven 

There you. Well, throw it and turn the handle, throw it and turn the handle. That's good stuff, you know. 

Speaker 2 

Mm-hmm. 

Steven 

So. Can't go wrong there. We might as well let the cat out the Peruvian back. Yes. So we've been teasing you and if you guys are trollers, you're going to be a happy camper, I begged. I pleaded. I begged and pleaded. I offered favors that that I will regret. Here. To death, supernatural to make us something exceptional that you're going to be able to get your hands on at the Muskie shop. He cracked out a batch of the brand new the way he's doing it, that's a different joint. All this stuff, 12 inch jointed, headlocks Jay, they're going to be out when you just got them. You saw your, you got them in your hands. I had the demo. When you do, you did the video. What's cooking, man? 

Speaker 2 

Yep. 

Jay 

Yeah, we're going to put them on sale Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM Central Wednesday the. 25th of September, just a few short days away. No, it's first come, first serve. So we got five different colors, which is cool, because how long has it been? Six years since any were made. Roughly. Yeah, something like that, you know. 

Steven 

5th, there ain't a lot of them. Not a lot of them. I guess I don't know. And then the first time they were made in and their killers. You know, they're killers. It's it's. It's one of these deals. I actually went and shot a video that Jays did, the underwater. I sort of shot shot the tutorial of the ones I'm playing with. Duff was kind enough to make me one quick to play with and of course, go go out there and smack one with it. It it's a it does the same stuff. You're supernatural baits do, but it's got the joint in it, which I like it for a slower look. Right. And here's what I learned. 

Speaker 2 

MMM. 

Steven 

That it is the baddest like speed up, slow down float. Up bait I've. Ever seen? So supernatural rock on their way up this thing has a wicked action on the float up, so surge, stop, surge, stop, surge, stop, surge. Stop. Every time that things floating. It's just nasty because the tail is. Moving when float up so. This late season stuff you hear on occasion, Jim will be on the podcast The Tube Screamer, and we'll talk about jerk trolling. We'll talk about cold water, trolling and tactics like that. Anytime you're getting in these fall temps that propelled forward, then float up right, whether it be, you know, a dive and rise bait troll like RIP trolling or surging with these baits because it looks so good on the flood and the, you know, the back brakes. So when it floats. Yep, it's a. Like this it's it's it looks very wounded and that tail section is just wagging around. So you've got an extra bit of motion there. The other thing is this is in the corners, Jay. When I'm turning with that thing right when I'm taking these jointed headlocks and making corners, they seem to scoot out quite a bit. 

Jay 

Yeah. 

Steven 

Right. So it's got a little bit more mojo in the turn it's going to help you connect with some fish if you're a serious troller or you are you're looking for a monster, get your hands on them. Like I said, it's it's, you know, sounds corny. Duff can only make so many, and I had to beg Jay. I think I gotta. I gotta. Mow his yard or something. 

Jay 

I don't know. Yeah. Yeah, we'll put the video out tomorrow on YouTube. So music shop, YouTube channel. Check it out. The thing looks great. And you had a lot of good points on it, too. It's still got that that, you know, supernatural, high speed, kind of trolling effect to it. But you said, you know, when you slow down. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah, I've picked. Ohh yeah yeah. 

Jay 

Two at slower speeds you you know. 

Steven 

Yeah, it was cool. 

Jay 

It's it's something that's. 

Steven 

And it's. 

Jay 

Jointed crankbaits you know they excel at slower speeds. 

Steven 

And that's The thing is like the illusion of speed that that's the whole trick. Like whether be a joint like the Pounder from Livingston or A to a depth rate or whatever jointed crank that you want to do. They have more. 

Speaker 2 

Hmm. 

Steven 

Motion. If you want lower speeds. Because of the joint. So they run your typical casting crank baits is just about say about the trolling charts on this they run typically just as mid shallower than the standard so. With the 12 inch jointed, I'm adding about two to three feet to get the exact same running depth that you see. Like if you go on the musty 360 app, there's the trolling chart for the 12 inch headlock, right? Add 3 feet. That's it, right. So about 3 feet extra. We'll have that thing running exactly. Where the non joiner will but that that that motion like I said in the turns, especially when you're turn like I was saying like that dig in and all this stuff on the turn. Like if you imagine when that's on the inside of a turn, not only is it floating up, but it's digging a little bit more left, right? So I like it. It's cool. It's it's gonna be one of those things. If you get them while you can, you know if you're. If you're serious about big fish and serious about throwing. I talked to Jim about it. Talk to Duff. So we've got the gizzard or not gizzard. But the black rice super popular thing. You've got a shad, you've got Superman. You've got some perch. You've got a freaking white. No walleye. So you. It's got all your bases covered there. So you know, it's cool. Excited about that. We've been teasing it, but Duff delivered, and then he sent me a picture of himself and his apron in the shop looking foolish. I'm stoked about those guys. Those are going to be. 

Speaker 2 

Yep, Yep, I agree. 

Steven 

Where the big water fishing. I mean, it doesn't matter where you're going to go, you're going to put them in the boat with that. Then the comings and the goings at the Muskie shop talked about last week threw it. Up. Magnus is up there on the on the promo where you can get signed up for it. That's going to be coming out after the first. Of the year but. Jay, I freaking took that thing out down here at home and it is dynamite. They say Jay. Yeah. Yeah. Jays been playing with one too, but nasty, nasty results on video. I'll tell you that much. But anyway, before we well, what was I going to say? What else showed up here? 

Jay 

So I know, I know. 

Steven 

Well, the boss shared stuff, which is cool. Yeah. I mean, yeah, the entire boss shared from a 4.5 to the 8 inch. I'm looking here, they make killer stuff. I I believe everything's handmade. I'm. I'm 99. It is. Yeah. And. And so custom little trolley. 

Jay 

But yeah, the lost shared family. Very cool. 

Speaker 2 

Yes, they are. 

Steven 

Casting cranks boshes we have all the trolling charts on the app. If you want to add them to your repertoire, Jay. You have all the running depths right there, but they're cool, man. Especially. I've done well in the past. The one that that I've had the most experience with is the the seven inch. Shallow boss shed. Right. Which is, which is kind of a pan fishy body. I've definitely had experience with it, but the the the 8 inch menu looks like some casting options. I mean, they're cool stuff. You cannot go wrong there. It's kind of like I'm glad that we got them because if you've done, if you've done well at any point with like tough shad, you know, trying to talk about. 

Jay 

Steven 

Sure. So the tough, she had great bait. This is a cool alternative for that. You know, I'm saying so it's like the Jake and the grandma, if you will. Or if you're, if you're downsized, trolling. Office. You can cast them at great trolling baits and and it's a nice mix up kind of in that custom vein for that. That mid range deal, right, there's there's not a lot of baits. I mean you can get your. Cool. Some some crankbaits that are like basically what I would I personally refer to as. Like. Bass baits? You know what I'm saying? Like some of the mass produced ones where these are are definitely driven for for muskie fishing and you don't have to worry about. So those are cool. Got a handful of the ledge and plow. Stuff. Legend. Outcast you've got. Those handful of those still kicking anything else going on, I can't. 

Jay 

Believe those were going really fast really fast. 

Steven 

I'll tell you what's crazy. It's funny. It's like we wait, you know, months and nothing's happening. It's like you sort of. We always get like, the the comings and the goings of the muskie shop and it gets real hot and heavy right in the early spring. And then nothing happens. This year's been crazy for the amount of stuff we've gotten late in the year. 

Jay 

Yeah. And there's more coming, too. Yeah, there's a couple other cool dates coming soon, I hope, before you know well into October, at least, you know. 

Steven 

There's more coming, always. Oh. Yeah, people are still still fishing. 

Jay 

You can still use them. 

Steven 

This year? Yeah. Yeah, it's cool. So and then. Ohh God something else. So we said the the Livingston crack and paddle tail and the curly tail will be the. They have shipped from Livingston to the Muskie shop. They're they're on the way, can't. Can't control them. 

Jay 

Yeah, you're in transit right now. So yeah, hopefully within a couple of days, we'll. 

Steven 

Have them look, you know, whoever had them on their truck was probably drunk in the parking lot at the truck stop, Jay. And I've got a little lot lizard action. Like, I don't want to live room. 

Jay 

Little boy. Could be on the train and this you know. Truck stop there. Ohh, you know that would be devastating. Yeah, bad news. 

Steven 

Guaranteed places that I can guarantee you could blow a ****** is a truck stop you put. Been there grinds to a halt. ******** gone. Transmissions, John, right? Exactly. Jays filmed it thousands of times anyway, and it is. It is what it is. Guys, I have to. I'm excited about it. Yeah, I'm leaving on a jet plane, Jay. 

Jay 

She wants to see under. 

Speaker 2 

Very. 

Jay 

I'm excited too. 

Steven 

Why? Cause I'll be gone, not bothering you. 

Jay 

No, it's gonna be. It's gonna be a great adventure. I mean, you're going with Eric from Livingston. You're going to that huge hole again. And hungry. 

Steven 

Yeah, going to have. That would be, yeah, going. 

Speaker 2 

Can you hear me? 

Jay 

To bringing the Magnus and bringing the. Pain as they. 

Steven 

Say yeah, headed over there. Went last year. Gotta gotta. By which I still have it's in my office. It's kind of shock, to be honest with it's kind of shock got award. 

Speaker 2 

Hmm. 

Steven 

For. The the Titan, which was cool again, you know freaking. It's kind of like, you know, you know, some award you won in 4th grade. My mom. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah. 

Steven 

Will keep it. Whatever. But it was cool. I was very honored and it was me. I got to meet so many interesting people. One of the coolest things ever which is talk about the opportunity to hang out. With the guy. 

Speaker 2 

Freaking. 

Steven 

Heck, the the the copy who makes it strike King strike. Strike. Excuse me. Got to hang out with Steve from strike pro. The owner of that coming from freaking Japan. 

Jay 

For all. 

Steven 

You know, so that was cool. 

Speaker 2 

Mm-hmm. 

Steven 

And you know, a lot of different stuff. So and there's this company, these dudes that are from Estonia. That have been. Killing it on cracking right they are. They are Pike influencers from Estonia. I actually remember I sent you that video. 

Speaker 2 

Steven 

The one where the guy that he's holding up about four or five weeks ago and he's holding up the bike, but those guys are going to be. So what I'm going to do next week is is there'll be a slight delay. I think we'll have it. Typically if we miss Sunday, we get on Monday, I'm going to try to interview as many people as I can, Jay, next week. So we have, it'd be cool. Like I said, I really want to pick. 

Speaker 2 

Steven 

Steve from strike Pro, you know, here. Here's a Japanese bait maker. How many opportunities do you have to be in the same room with him or some of these pipe guys? And and and hopefully you know the company Weston that makes Muskie pipe stuff is going to be there and all these different things I'm going to do my damnedest to get. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah, yeah, bro. 

Steven 

Some of these guys to sit down and and and maybe I'll just record on my phone or something like that and try to pick their brain about what's going on and try to find out what's happening. Cause if there's anything cool. That is going to be applicable for for muskie fishing in the next year. Literally what's coming out where I'm about to see it in a matter of days. So I will report back in on that, I might. 

Jay 

No doubt, no doubt about it, yeah. 

Steven 

Even. Who knows? I'll film some video and see if it's usable or anything like that, that of of some of the stuff that's going on because I'm kind of excited about it. It's it's always neat because. You know the Pike guys borrow from Muskie and we borrow from Pike and you know you look at Savage Gear, which is totally a European company and now they're in the Muskie game and vice versa. And you look at Livingston and and and we were, you know, primarily pushing Muskies and it's going into Pike pretty Dang well over there. So I'll try to report back as much as I can and try to sit down with some of the. People. I I I believe that some of the people from Shimano like of Japan will be there, so I'll try to figure out, you know, it's it there. There's quite a bit of gap between a lot of these companies where it's just like, yeah, I can get the smitty's on the phone pretty easy, you know? But it's like, remember we tried to do the. Interview with my. That's ohh man. Guy, no. 

Jay 

You know, it was. Yeah, it was. We're trying to get a hold of them. Yeah. He was in Thailand or something at the time, you know, on the. 

Steven 

Yeah, aren't they? Aren't they? Aren't they all in? 

Jay 

Water and it was just just like. 

Steven 

Thailand. No, really. Again, back-to-back to the truck stop. Yeah, he's he's in Thailand for a thing, but nonetheless, that was that was tough. And then, you know, we had people emailing again. We we tried to. I tried to create. It's like here we have bad signal and then you have really hard. Accidents and things of that nature, so I'll try to squeeze out some some usable stuff on my there's such a different scene, you know what I'm saying? And then see how much more of the guys that fish, those whales catfish have stole from us. 

Speaker 

Just cause it's. 

Steven 

I learned last year they figure out those things, the well campers. The giant campus. Yeah. So there's. Yeah, they do all that funky stuff. So I'll report back on that and see what kind of buffoonery I can get in again, you know, it's. 

Jay 

What just come on? Yeah. OK. OK. 

Steven 

Just like should be. Good. Well, you know, between that and. All the other stuff. And I believe we'll see, I think in the spring, there's going to be another European filming trip. More on that later, but that's that's the combo now, going somewhere even weirder than the Netherlands guy. Like, I'm talking like way out in the like he might be skinned and ransomed. 

Speaker 2 

Hmm. Hmm. 

Steven 

You know, we'll see we have before I cut out of here and and go across the pond mate. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah. 

Steven 

Is that what they say? Oh, no, wrong. Wrong accent. Good day. 

Jay 

No, you're. You're you're thinking about Australia. 

Speaker 2 

Oh. 

Steven 

My. Good day anyway, Frank. Cut out that we got a ton of Q&A catch up on a lot of gear talk. So we're gonna jump into it. John, I'm new to musky fishing and now and have it listen to your podcast reading Mr. Paul's book. Well, he called me Mr. Paul. That's funny. 

Speaker 2 

Steven 

And no one likes me. That's a good it's it's appreciate it. No brevity needed. I promise. Yeah. And he says he says I'm absorbing everything I can. 

Jay 

Is. 1. 

Steven 

Your information is help me immensely. I want to take a fall trip. I'm trying to decide where to go. I live in Duluth and there are two places I'm considering. Lake of the woods and the Minocqua area. I hear you guys talking about how pressure the waters of minocqua are as a new muskie hunter I am am I better surf fishing? The bigger water like the woods. Please let me know. What's what? What I should do you know, is bigger. Better if you're in Duluth. My knee jerk reaction is go. Like what? That would be me, but it's really not that far from minocqua. It's a different. OK, let's, let's, let's back this down to this Jay, right. Action. Are we looking for action? He's new to the game or looking for action. Are we looking for big opportunity? Which heading to the the North Woods might be a little more manageable? I knee jerk to Canada. But you know, if he's newer in the game. You know, I mean, it's not that, you know, here, here in this fall trip. I mean, what's it? What's it shaping up to be in, like, October? You know, what can what? What's a good day? I mean, I I haven't spent I'm I'm going to be up there actually when I get back from Hungary's house. A whole other conversation. We'll have another live from Jays dungeon, you know, a good moderate sized lake, perfect conditions this fall. I mean, you can get into what, 234? What's your thoughts? 

Jay 

Absolutely, it's. Let's just say that Minocqua lakes are pressured. I don't know if that's really accurate. I I don't agree with that. I mean, there's a how many times have you been up here and we've gone out or have we gone out with the tubescreamer even on weekends? And there's really not much muskie pressure. I mean, on some lakes. Yeah, it peaks, summer and stuff like that. 

Steven 

Well, you're saying. 

Jay 

Of course, you're going to get water skis and stuff, but pressure compared to southern Wisconsin or maybe mostly anywhere else in the planet. 

Speaker 2 

Minneapolis. Yeah. No, no, no. There really isn't. So. 

Steven 

That's the thing. There's there's pressure, but there's pressure. But there's also. No, there's plenty of places to freaking go. I mean. 

Jay 

I was talking to. Elmer just got back from Lake of the woods. He got back about what, a week ago or something like that and. I asked him. How much? What was the pressure like out there? Mostly he's like, well, actually, there was quite a bit anytime you looked around, you could see several people musky fishing. 

Steven 

Well, you have you have, I mean like this is as popular as it. Gets. 

Jay 

Yeah. 

Steven 

You know, and so American side accent. I don't know, John. I mean it's it's your questions. Great. It's like Lake of the woods would be. I I would did unarguably when you get into Muskies, you're going to have a bigger size class average there, but if you need to put some under your belt. And and see a lot of different stuff than North Woods. Because, I mean, you've got clear stuff. You got tannic stuff, you got rivers, you. Got blah blah, blah, blah blah blah. Exactly. So there's like, I mean it's like we're not working for the tourism board by any means, but pick your poison, you know, like and realistically, I mean. 

Speaker 2 

With the life. 

Steven 

Fricking. It's not that far from I've driven from from Jay lives in Saint Germain. What you gotta think about when you get a minocqua, you got Saint Germain. You got Eagle River, right? If you're desperate, you go to slime Lander or plover. Excuse me? You go. That was horrible. You go. I mean, it's a long day. OK. You got a tough one, alright. Hot. I'm tired. I'm hot and bothered. But you've got. So much in the region. 

Jay 

Well you you've got the highest concentration of freshwater lakes in the world right here in Miles and Nina County. So that's something to be said. You know, it's a lot of small mid sized lakes that choose from, like you said, a variety of different lake types too. It's so cool. 

Steven 

Right now. But unarguably, if we're going to rock'n'roll for for big fish like Woods, period right now, I would not say that the US side is better than the fall than the Canadian side. Right. So the bottom half of that lake is not anywhere that I would really. I mean, there's fish there, don't get me wrong. But it's not like when you get up in the in the upper section that we can't tell you what to do, but those are kind of like that. That's kind of the juxtaposition. Of the two. Right. So if you feel like, hey, you could tackle like the woods, there's great maps, you'll be fine. You'll be safe, right? Don't let me back that up. Don't take that for granted, but there's plenty of mapping and routes right #1. However, there's great mapping and routes you know on on the north with if you want action you wanted to get dialed in, because if I was like new to the game, right, Jay, I would go. All right, I'm fish my home water. I think the Northwoods would be great where I spend some time there. I get to see a lot of different things and I might not catch a. Gigantosaurus but I can get some practice under my belt and some experience under my belt before I went to the big water. 

Speaker 

Good. 

Jay 

Yeah, you go out and he's talking on October trip, right? Because you're so you don't want to get blown off the water too. I mean, you're on a massive, you know, couple 100,000 acres. And it's just like you got a bad wind day. It's like, I don't. 

Steven 

I don't know, he said. Fall. So I mean, it's late September and we just sent it so. Yeah. 

Jay 

Think we can get out, you know? Yeah. 

Steven 

I mean, that's the thing. 

Jay 

You can just deal with it up here. 

Steven 

There is, let me put it this way. No comparison between violence and united counties and lake of the woods. However, you know what experience are you looking at? You know what? What? That's the goal. So you're going to learn a bunch on both. And the cool thing for me, you know, and and again hopefully everybody gets the opportunity at some point in their fishing experiences is seeing a lot. Of different water. Right. I think the biggest eye opening thing for me is is fishing from literally the very bottom of the habitat range. All the way to the most northern, I fished tiger Muskies literally around Washington. Seattle just just near minutes from the Pacific Ocean, right? And then on the East Coast. So those are all experiences that I have under my belt where I understand. You know a little bit more and a little bit more and a little bit more. So maybe at some point you consider it's not one or the other, maybe you make time for both because they're they're they're drastically different experiences, right. I would say the Northwoods is going to be more. Because you can hop on different lakes, boat control will be easier. Things of that nature. But like the woods is like the woods. You're on a Canadian Shield lake and and that's where the magic happens. So kind of pick your poison, Jim. The first week of September I went shallow in Minnesota. Water temps were 7°, saw two muskies in low 40s. They're in three to four feet of water and over sand in front of reeds. Jay, that sounds about right. Oh, reeds, shallow water, Minnesota. You got it, baby. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah, read. Ohh easy. 

Steven 

Great. A week later, temps are back up to seven. Three, I tried shallow in the deep edge of the weeds, a couple falls and no action. Lots of northern Pike on the weed edge up in the weeds. No muskies. Now what? 

Speaker 2 

Hello. 

Steven 

Now what? Well, that's just the ebb and flow of the game, right? You got your hot days. You got your cold days. And I don't mean temperature wise, but you've got you've got a fluctuation and activity level based on climactic changes, things that. 

Jay 

Which? 

Steven 

What I would look at is he's saying he's seeing 70 and then he saw 73. Before I would closeout a day where I'm having action. Yeah, shot a couple low 40s. Whatever it is, low, mid 40s. When you're going to wrap up. And you been on good bite. Drive up to where the fish were. Right. And I always encourage people to do this. Once you, let's say you you fished a weed edge, right? You feel like you have saturation. Cast it you have exhausted. That scenario. You can now burn the spot by driving your boat over it or into. It. Get a a. Reed with your trolling motor versus maybe your transom, so you got it. A sonar and your transom, and one of your trolling motor and go. Is it a superficial read? Is it cooler here or is it you know is there a difference between the surface and the trolling motor? Read of two to three feet, right? And take note of that when Muskies are moving, because let's say theoretically you know you saw 70° and it really pushed up shallow, but in reality in that super shallow water it was just, you know a A differential of just a degree or two or whatever it might be right, whereas now where you're reading 73. Is it? Is it? What's the differential? Or is it like the that that shallow segment of the water column, there's no differential between where you're at and where the muskies it's staged, right? Find out. Do a little homework. And that's the hard thing. When when the bite is good, people don't pay attention. Right, people, people check out. They're focused on catching Muskies, which is obviously the cult, but we still need. A lot 5. Freaking seconds to go. What's what is happening today? Let's stop trying to catch 1 and let's analyze in the very moment what is taking place that is influencing this positively. Right. We can all tell each other. We could do a podcast for four days without stopping of things that are bad, right? Right. The ******** and Moaning podcast. Things that are bad. Let's start at jet skis now I'm teasing, but. They they, you know, they got to be seen. 

Speaker 2 

That. 

Jay 

But you're right, you know that how many times? You know, people have remarked they were on fire yesterday. Why? 

Steven 

How come? Yeah. 

Jay 

What do you figure? What was the deal? Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. Clouds, you know, or something like that. Maybe it's much detail as that is offered. I. 

Steven 

Now then. 

Jay 

Don't know. But I think you're right. I don't think we. You know tend to overanalyze. 

Steven 

We overheard. No, we overanalyze bad conditions. Yeah, probably. You over. Analyze good conditions. That's when you Start learning more and more. So again. 

Jay 

What made a great, you know? 

Speaker 2 

Personal belief. 

Steven 

Is there a dual temperature read there? Maybe, maybe not. You're seeing Pike on that outside edge, but you're you're not having the musky action looking for. If they're not shallow, you check mid. If they're not mid guess where they're at, they're deep. Right. So we need to check all three phases of the game. Oregon, possibly suspend it. It's Minnesota. So what I would do if if my game plan is not clicking, I assume they're going to be that shallow sand read bite, which is totally a Minnesota thing this time of year. If it's not clicking, you hit that mid thing. You got some. Some follows or whatnot happened there. Go deeper. Right. It's a flick of the tail for them to go out of 6 inches down to 20 feet, right? So. And and like I said, when things are good and this is this is outside of Jim's question, but just generality. Take the time to analyze when things are good. Take the time to analyze. It's 5 minutes. Right. Have a cup of coffee. Stare at a squirrel. What is happening right now is good. Like today, right, Jay, it was miserable, hot, high, bright sun, dead front comp. And then Thunder clouds came. And then there came four Muskies. Well, that's obvious, right? It doesn't take a rocket genius to figure that one out. But when it's nuanced, it's often lost on us. Right. So the more nuanced the buy it is. It it it it just? They're they're on fire today. Like you said, Jack. They're they're moving. That's the difference. 

Speaker 2 

What do you think? 

Speaker 1 

Well. 

Jay 

What about the blue gill guy? There's always a blue gill guy in the area where sea fishing. Ohh, he's up on the edge of the reeds, smoking fish left and right. Remember the blue gill guy when you're in? 

Speaker 2 

*** ** * *****. Minnesota. Ohh yeah. Oh yeah. There's always one. 

Jay 

You know well. These are three steps and you know, and if they're catching fish, it's just like. 

Speaker 2 

Last. 

Jay 

Attention. What? What Doctor Ed, do you? 

Steven 

Put putting that. Know what I'm. Putting that quote on your head. There's always. 

Speaker 2 

A pleasure. 

Steven 

Great quotes in that. It's true, though it's true and they're, you know, what, they're usually the guy that's blue gill fishing. He's usually so sad. If you go ask. Him how he's doing. He'll talk to you. 

Jay 

They usually are, yeah. Sometimes they'll talk to you though. 

Steven 

My wife, my wife Evelyn, left me. I'm out here slaying the. So you know, Sir, why is that blowing around your mouth? I thought I'd catch a few more before I blew my face off. OK. 

Speaker 2 

$5 for a dozen crawlers with the quick. Charging $1000 Can you believe robbery? 

Steven 

I'm gonna eat every damn one of them. Henry. Greetings from Canada. As things start to cool down up here, I want to ask you guys about your favorite quick strike rigs and why? You prefer them. Also, what size of suckers do you prefer? Is bigger, better, or it's a snack that way to go quick strike rigs? 

Jay 

There's a bunch of good. 

Steven 

Ones there's a bunch of good ones. Can you believe they're charging $5 for a dust and crawlers? I'm gonna burn that place down. Then I'm gonna shoot myself in the parking lot because Evelyn left me because I blew gill fish too much. The Smitty's the Smitty's make a pretty Dang good quick strike. Booker makes a good quick strike. What I will say is. This I make my own. And that is is a FW tooth proof makes the multi strand wire that's coated J. 

Jay 

Sure do. OK, it's called semi colon. 

Speaker 2 

There you go. 

Steven 

There you go. So they. But when you say Babylon 5, what? 71 OK anyway, what I like to do because he he asked about sucker size, right? Sure. I I like to tailor my rigs for the fish as closely as possible, so it just takes a couple quick crimps. And I've got a custom made rig for the approximate size of what I'm fishing. Right. Something that I do with my quick strikes. I use two trebles, that is it. 1 is through their Snoop. I apologize, folks. Jay, just can you hear me? 

Jay 

Check 1-2 yes. 

Steven 

I my my phone that. You're plugged into. Just fail. I apologize. 

Jay 

Did it survive? 

Steven 

But it it's it's in a OtterBox. It's it's actually my phone is actually held and protected by a live Otter nonetheless. So I use a a custom built quick strikes for the size of the suckers I'm fishing. I put one through their snoot and we did a video on this last year. Watch it if you're wanting to learn how sucker Fish it's on the muskie shop. You know, and then I I I put 1 hook through their lip and then I put like a piece of plastic through the smitty's come like a rubber disc. My redneck trick is like cutting a little like a bottle cap down from a water bottle and jamming that over there. That will prevent the sucker from pulling out of his. Lips he make. A little disc or a square it. Matter pop that over the Barb. He ain't coming off there. Scratch off some scales, put on the other side. Whammo bammo. We got him, right. If you're not comfortable with crimping, which is super easy, but everybody's, you know, you got to get comfortable with everything. I like the Smitty rig because they they they have the little disc in there and the Booker rigs not dissimilar. What what's the, what's the other ones, Jay, if not fish, too many other ones. 

Jay 

Yeah, another one is the clipping goes from Shumway from fuzzy. So that is running. And nose rig Smitty's offer, though, that too. It's a very popular way to go. And there's really two ways to go. You either use hooks to attach to the sucker in the mouth, generally a single hook is used. 

Steven 

That's a different. That's a different. Yeah. Explain. 

Jay 

Whether it's Booker or or traditional. Smitty, rig, you know, a light like Aberdeen, Small Hook and it's just the guide that's just holding that thing and and and driving it straight. When when there is. You know what I mean? Yeah. And the nose rigs are providing the same thing. It's a centralized location boom through the nostrils. The guy called the other day. You might know our buddy Jace, you know? And he was looking at quick setting some Pike because he can't get suckers in the Dakotas and using Pike. So he's like, oh, I shouldn't use a nose rig. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah. He was next to the Herbeck thing. 

Jay 

Right. And I'm like, yeah, you know what, you probably try using the knows we're gonna play. It'll it'll probably kill it. I don't know. I've never tried that. But. So yeah, just get a traditional Smitty rig for the length of the fish. And that's what you were talking about earlier. You know, it's just like, match the, you know, going with an 18 inch shocker. A lot of people looked for that. They asked for it on the phone. 

Steven 

Oh yeah. 

Jay 

Yeah, the eighteens and 20 twos. Ohh, come. That's an extremely large fish. Yeah. And getting coverage on that on any sucker rig is gonna be, you know, I I think you're gonna. You could get you could get a huge fish hitting that and and you know no iron in the mouth so you know. 

Steven 

Yeah, you better whack. 

Jay 

Not to mention plenty of big fish, yet smaller suckers, you know, 12 to 15 inch is a great all-purpose size and any of the rigs, you know the medium or large rigs will provide good coverage treble on each side kind of high on the on the back of the sucker and whatever rig you go with, you know you. Get it? Just. Feel what works for you. The nose rings are pretty easy to use. You know it's not. The nose ring. Started with the AK-8 Herbie rig. Remember those and you had to have a baiting needle and use a rubber band and it. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah. 

Jay 

Was a. 

Speaker 2 

It was a little bit much, yeah. Work. 

Jay 

Yeah, but the rubber band would break. You know, that was the nose guiding principle on that one. Yeah. The the nose clips have taken over. And it's a little more simplistic. Same basic principle though, and they work. They work well for a. 

Steven 

Lot of people. Here's my thing is like most of my. You know. Lures most of my presentations 8 to 12 inch baits. 

Speaker 2 

MHM. 

Steven 

I mean, if you stretch a pounder out, I'm sure it's 22 inches or whatever. You know, I'm saying like it's in motion. Right. Whatever. 

Jay 

If you stretch the tail. 

Steven 

11:50 inch suckers are are more than sufficient in my book. More than sufficient. I get the I've got a 22 inch sucker. I'm going. Out here and every time I got to reel him up to reset him, I get to fight him. I mean, that's where you're at, I mean. 

Jay 

Provides a little excitement. 

Steven 

I I've had him before, Dave, where you're like, is that a fish? I'll know the suckers just pulling drag. 

Speaker 2 

Real. 

Steven 

Right, you know. 

Jay 

Click, click. Click. Click. Click. 

Steven 

Click, click, click right, accept my drags on I in the video I talk about how I said the. Drag and stuff but. Ohh shoot, there's one. There's one. No, but it's a sucker. It can be overkill. Right, it can be overkill. I like to be conservative mid range on the sucker size because. Yes, we all want to catch Donkey Kong, but I promise you Donkey Kong will eat a 12 inch or as fast as he'll eat at. 22 If it's. 

Jay 

Actively feeding well, what do you do? You think of a big muskie? You know, say something. You know 45 inches and above a really, you know, large muskie is going to look at a map. 

Steven 

Man, let's go bigger. Let's go bigger. 

Jay 

So if. I'm talking to average. The average person doesn't encounter 50 inch fish, OK? 

Steven 

I don't think a 45. Well, I don't think a 45 is gonna. I'm sure somebody. 

Jay 

'S got the point, Steve, not the point. 

Steven 

E-mail me, OK. 

Jay 

OK, let's say it's a big fish. Let's say it's over 30. It's. Let's say it's it's illegal. It's 24. I'm not sure. Must do you think they look? They they're intimidated or are turned off by something that's too big. It's just like I'm not going after that. I want a little bit easier wheel. 

Speaker 2 

See OK. So let let's talk about this. 

Speaker 

MHM. 

Steven 

A 30 inch Musk. We'll start. We'll work our way up. Right. OK, 30 inch muskie. I can. I don't even put my hands under their jaw because my hand doesn't fit in their freaking head. Right? Right. 

Speaker 2 

Right, right. 

Steven 

I we trout hold them. If somebody has to have. If if somebody's first muskie or whatever, right, we hold it up. Let it go. Move on with it. 40 incher it's a sizeable mouth, right? It's a sizeable mouth, but take a Frick in the mouth of a 40 and put a 22 and sucker in there. You ain't catching 40s. 45 is a nice fish. Right. It's a nice fish and I might diminishing it. It the IT it is all about experience and and the do not judge me on this. A 45 is a really nice fish in my book. It ain't a big. Fish. Right. If I if I know a body of water, I'm fishing like 45 and again, it's all there. There is also a modicum of where are you fishing? Right. So if we're on a Wildcat right in Boulder Junction, you know, that's what I'm saying. If we're fishing Wildcat in Boulder Junction. I I've I think, Smitty said. They got a four footer out there one time which is like huge for that. Like you don't want a 22 inch sucker on bolt freaking Wildcat, right? Because if you look at what that fish is going to hit versus. You know, on any given day, are we going out in like, in, in, in inland Wisconsin waters, throwing 2 pounders? 

Speaker 

Poop. 

Steven 

You can get a follow do it proportionally. I mean a 45 is a great fish. It's a heck of a fish. A lot of people would just just kill their grandma to catch 1 and I get it. You don't need a. Sucker bigger than 12 inches for fish of that caliber, and I think I've caught plenty of of upper 40s low, 50 inch muskies on 10 to 12 inch socks. Mm-hmm. I have. Had grabs. I actually had a sucker Jake years back. This thing lasted 3 days and it hadn't been hit twice. It was huge. It was the last one I had. It was like we nicknamed him in the tank cause like, well, I'm. I'm saving him for the bitter end cause I don't feel confident that thing was just like. Or. Bernie, we called him Tennessee Jim, but none. But he was a big he like I had to actually turn turned. It turned him right back from where I got him. I was like you have done your job. You will probably die. You couldn't set the hook on the fish. And I'm assuming it wasn't that big a fish. So little bit of my thought is yes, a big, big, big sucker will attract a big, big, big muskie. Where you're running into the dynamic of. Am I going to get hook penetration where I personally believe A50 to 55 inch Muskie is definitely happy to eat a 12 incher. Right. And if you look. At the size of their mouth. You know the old the old thing of he came up in his mouth was like a 5 gallon bucket. I think I've heard that ******** before. It's not. It was not the size of a 5 gallon bucket. I promise you. Right. 

Speaker 

Mm-hmm. 

Steven 

His mouth was, you know, the biggest of the big you open their mouth. It's not 22. And if you if you if you can slide a 22 inch sucker down their throat, right, it is no longer a muskie is a dinosaur. 

Jay 

Right would. 

Steven 

Could be I'm saying sideways. They don't have 20, so I err on the side of conservatism again, I'm not going to say 45 is not a big fish. It's a hell of a fish anywhere you go. But proportionately I think you're doing yourself a disservice because you really have to consider. How many fish you're eliminating? Do the size of your presentations right? It's like in the Northwoods Wisconsin. How many people do you know that throw double tins all the time? 

Speaker 2 

Not a lot. 

Jay 

It's not as common as in. Other areas for sure. 

Steven 

Right. And it's it's commensurate to size so. 

Speaker 2 

Hey. 

Steven 

I am a master. I apologize guys, I'm sneezing and wheezing. Freaking whatever. But you know, you've got you've got your cult to single sevens, which is great. Got plenty of 88 double nines, but we get bigger. Bigger, bigger, bigger. Whatever you see what I'm saying, it makes sense there anyway. Moving on. Frankie Love the podcast Meow Meow, Frankie says. Relax. 

Speaker 2 

Steven 

He's looking for advised on trolling baits. He says the lake got fish doesn't have huge bait. So I'm fishing. I'm looking for downsized throwing options. You know, I have a couple headlocks couple Matt locks. I feel that downsize base with my best advantage for my ski trolling. Downsize. 

Jay 

I get it. 

Speaker 2 

Hmm. 

Steven 

Well, heck, well, well timed the boss. Yeah, those shut up. Like I said, there's this seven. I'm pulling it back up. 

Speaker 2 

Dingy. 

Steven 

7 inch or there? 

Jay 

Is 4.5 is very popular, very popular little trolling model. There's a joint model. 

Steven 

You got that? 

Jay 

Of it too. 

Steven 

You got that you got? 

Jay 

You know, another good one would be a deep 6 inch slammer if you want to get down a little bit, it will be on 10 feet. Rolling that good noisy little. 

Steven 

That. Yeah. Who doesn't? Everybody wants to get down. 

Speaker 2 

Hmm. 

Steven 

Anyway, you got that. Ah, downsize profiles and we mentioned earlier tough shed, great trolling Bay the like you said, the slam are deep. There's your killer little ernies. Rarely talked about, still a killer. Yep, very inexpensive 1599. Caught a billion muskies on little earnings over. 

Jay 

The other, yeah, friend that loves that big. It's a big guy. It's a big guide platform or presentation form too. Loves it. 

Steven 

Yeah. Freaking frosty that he's a freaking he's a little earlier. Obviously. You got your luncheon stuff 20 too short. You know that their stuff kind of falls under those parameters. Heck, I'm looking here and if this was trying to. 

Speaker 

MHM. 

Steven 

Because Spanky's been doing some of this stuff right with the grandma, all the M9 and all that stuff. Yeah. Yeah. But you have down to a 4.5 grandma. 

Jay 

Yeah, it's really downsizing. Yeah, it's a little minnow, little shallow. 

Steven 

But cool stuff. And then the other thing I was going to point out is this killer. If if you want wonder and you want that. Big Waka waka waka, waka waka waka. Action freaking swim with six. 

Jay 

MHM. 2 weights, 2 depth settings. 

Steven 

Yeah, versal, that was that was the that was the. 

Jay 

Cool. 

Steven 

The trolling bait forever right still has a place muskies don't know the difference. They don't muskies don't follow trends, but that 6 inch swim with is going to be something I would think about. What else? I'm looking here. Digging through digging in the dirt, obviously your depth Raiders all that stuff would be good. But you know, if you're you're you're downsizing. Like I said, swim whizz it up. Man. That would be my. That would be like probably my one like that. That swim Wiz. That would probably be the first one I would grab. Right, because it's such. I mean, it's just a trolling machine. Right. But you got so much, I mean, heck, I'm looking here. What? Even the Adams customs you've done that the Havocs? There's so many downsized cranks. Go with go with you know. Check out the boss shed stuff if you want. Just like. I know it would work anywhere. Swim with us. Anyway. 

Jay 

Another weird option too would be slim Bates. If you want to go real shallow like the Vipers, right? Livingston, like the Fish Lab stuff, you're ratic side kicking out of thing, you know, real shallow hide in water. 

Speaker 2 

Ohh yeah well. 

Steven 

Column. Well, that's The thing is I I've had really good luck throwing the Vipers. You got that shine glide from savage. Good. That's talked about the other day. That's great. Any of that stuff. But you know, as far as a good proper throwing. Grab this and and I'll say this. If you're a trawler and you've not troubled, swim with us. Do it. Like you gotta have that in your belt. You gotta you gotta grease one on a swim whizz at some point in your muskie fishing career to go. I've done it. Been each fall. My Family Guy at my family and I go north to fish to Minnesota, trying to get my wife on her first muskie. What should I do and what should I not do? So we don't end up in a big fight and she falls in love with muskie fishing. 

Speaker 2 

Hmm. 

Steven 

I've had that fight in the boat, Jay. We fish for something else. 

Speaker 2 

No, absolutely. I want to catch something. 

Steven 

I'll truck. I'll drop you off for that. *** ** * *****. This ***** amount $5. Worms so. 

Jay 

Charlie's worm shack, Bemidji. 

Steven 

Bemidji, check it out. Charlie's worm. Jack. We got worms, and they squirm. 

Speaker 2 

Get in the. 

Steven 

Tuesdays, 50% off flats. We just, we just don't sell them, we breed them. Anyway, sorry guys, I'm we're we're mentoring. 

Jay 

Yeah, they're overstocked on. Friable worm bedding. You know, you gotta put. 

Steven 

The you somehow gotta live lives in a pile of it. We're we're idiots. So muskie fishing can suck and it is a grind house, right? We all know that the first time you take someone that is never musky. 

Speaker 

Yeah. 

Steven 

Finished. They're going to be excited. This is like guide stuff, right? Everybody shows up with vacation energy as I call. 

Speaker 2 

It right, they're right. We we're gonna. 

Steven 

Kill them. No, dude, it's not bright sun. Dead flat comp. It hasn't blown it. You know, they don't get that. Do not take people on grindy fishing experiences. Out of the gate, if you can. Avoid it so. What I've always recommended if you're going to break somebody in, especially with female anger, and I don't mean female angler, it's the wife and he's making it out. Whatever. Right, I've got some ****** female clients I've there's some amazing female Muskie angler. So it's not male. Female. It's like new to it. Whatever. Don't freaking do a sun up to sundown. Fricking hell ride right? Right. Focus on the best times of day, you know, maybe you do sunrise, maybe you don't. You definitely do sunset and keep it easy, right? Don't be like babe. They're on freaking 12 inch Livingston lures. Head hunters jerked left to right and pounders. Right. My number one guide bait is the Steves meat grinder. A small monkey could catch a muskie with that back right. Throw it out, turn the handle fish on him. Keep it simple, as easy as a bucktail might seem to you to a new angler, a double weighted bucktail, and I've I'm a guide I deal with it all the time. You might go. There's no way. Yes, there's a way that people can't get them to go or they have problems with them. When you start muskie fishing, the first bait is a spinner. Right. And a top water. Throw it out. Turn the handle fish on it. That's it, right? That's where I would. 

Jay 

Start. Yeah. Get them out there on peak times. Like you said, you know, majors and minors. Yeah, if that, you know, if a couple hours before dark, you got a moon, period. It's like, OK, plan on. 

Steven 

Yeah, don't. Don't freaking. Right. That right right, be strategic and have fun the rest of the day. Again, this is coming from a place. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah. 

Steven 

Of experience where I've taken my spouse and beat her into the ground for 12 hours in Canada. Right. The timing of when we met Jay, not you and I, but my wife. Not correlated to Canada, right? 

Jay 

Jody Michael. 

Steven 

Oh, let's go do this. Ohh you you like perch cropping basket. You'll love it through musky torture. All right, you stupid. Alright. 

Speaker 1 

Most. 

Speaker 2 

Hell. Way to go, boy. That's my boy. 

Steven 

You know, keep casting Jody. Yeah. I said you ain't moving. I said Twitch, not RIP. You're. Telling me you're here? You know, keep it simple and keep it fun. And you know what? That is transcendent. That's freaking transcendent, whether it be your wife, whether it be your, your, your dumb cousin Eddie, or your boss, or your, you know, your your wife's boyfriend, whoever you're taking. Just make sure make sure that you keep it light and fun. You know they fall in love with it. They fall in love with it, and then then you can start grinding. The quickest way to ruin it for somebody is to take them on that hell ride and just beat them into the ground DF. I love the show. It helps me pass the time before my trips to North America. I fish in Canada for Muskies when I get the opportunity. I live here. Oh ****, I live here in South Africa. Obviously there's no muskies keep up the great work, lads love DF. Whoa, no question. That's cool. Didn't expect that one. I'll take it though. 

Speaker 

Awesome. 

Steven 

Jay Jay is. Available to go to South Africa at any moment. You would have fun with that. Jason. What are your favorite muskie glide bats for fall Jay? 

Jay 

Musky glide baits for fall. Little bit bigger than the small 6 inch stuff. Go with the regular hellhound. 

Speaker 2 

Can't beat that? Yeah. 

Jay 

If you had like gates, yeah, it didn't get any easier than that, yeah. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah. Yeah, it's worth talking fall. Yeah. 

Steven 

Right. Don't come out with your 6 inch. I mean they'll work, but 6 inch phantom, 6 inch tail go with the eighter. Yeah, that's all. 

Jay 

The bigger profile you thought would go with that 75 phantom. That's a soft tail that's got a same type glide kick the kick. Oh, geez, there's some. 

Steven 

For me, it's going to be the hot tails. 

Jay 

Hot tails, big smileys. Those are really good. There's seven or an 8 inch model. Go with those. Got nice little wiggle and and twitch. The side kind of action. 

Steven 

I I I said well the answer. 

Jay 

What else, Steve? 

Steven 

Becomes. This is it, it's. The choice of glide Bates is gonna be based on conditions. Right, so smartly run shallow, but if it it's fall, we're on bigger profile baits in the muscular shallow smelt will be perfect where it's they're holding deeper on a break or deeper on on on a structural cover thing whatever it is you know a heavier glider like the hot tails might be more applicable. So it's not a A1 size fits all scenario right? Because it's a matter of buoyancy rate of fall. More so than just about anything else. Right. We don't want to run a a one of the shallowest glide base I'm aware of is and I'm not knocking to catch tennis official river run man to s s right? 

Jay 

MHM. 

Steven 

That is the. Super shell. You do not want to do that when Muskies are staged in a cold front in the fall. On 1015 foot breaks that that makes no sense. 

Jay 

Right, it does cause you're gonna be, you know, too far or how. Yeah, that. Up in the weeds. 

Steven 

Like I was about to say, dude, that was said. I'm moving them up in the reeds in Minnesota, which is inches. That that, that dog will hunt son. Right. So that is a applicable guide for fall under that circumstance? 

Speaker 

Right. 

Steven 

Right. Which is you can tell I've been writing the next book at this point I'm preaching guys, it's coming anyway, but it's the it's the application. Right. Bait. Yeah. Excuse me. The baits application or it's it's it's value to you is dictated by properly using it when conditions are appropriate. 

Speaker 2 

All right. 

Steven 

As simple as that. So a manta super shallow. Glide bait could be the best fall glide bait for four days of your season, followed by the heavier action of like a hot tail's fishtail. Could follow that up if climactic conditions. Point you in that direction. That's true, you know, and I've been thinking about this much. You can. I've just been up by own freaking just over analyzing everything. I was on the phone with Doctor Bob. Yeah. I mean, it's good. Crazy Town where I'm at. And I get asked all the time by the folks on the boat and we're going to this. I'm going to this hungry thing and like. You know, with the weights, what's up with the weight system? Everything with the weights, the. The crack in the because I don't want to freaking have to think about it. If they're on 8 inch tightens, I just want to turn around tomorrow and go. They've been hitting this profile on this action. I want to get it exactly where I I want to get it. 

Speaker 

Hmm. 

Steven 

Where it needs to be. Right. And that's my problem with like we talk certain bait classes, right? Where that S. Manta. Is only valuable to me as an angler in very narrow bandwidth, right? That's a very narrow band that that bats value to. Me. Whereas I have some custom made gliders that are heavier than freaking. It's like throwing a bowling ball and they're only valuable to me on that. On that flip side of that coin. If you will. So for me it's about having baits that have as much traction as much value through all conditions. Because I'm telling right now on the best of days Muskies go shout in the fall. And the best of days in the summer, Muskies go shallow. And the worse they go deep, it's it's nothing. 20 feet is nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing with it. That's that. That's one of the hardest things, I think, for people to get through the head. It's like, OK, my boat is 21 ZJ, right? You're you're freaking. You look across your your house, or you look across the room or whatever. Or the car you're sleeping in. Is it 20 feet? So you know, that's not a huge move for a fish, however. It is a huge amount of water that we have to cover when we have such a narrow vibrational profile and visual range. You see what I'm saying? 

Speaker 

Yeah. 

Steven 

20 feet away. Whatever. I'll, we'll get there. But you know, whatever. You see what I'm saying, Mandy? Female masking go here. Thanks for all the tips. Wonder if this is this guys. The guy's wife and she's like I hate my. I'm teasing. I don't wanna go fishing with him. Teasing. Mandy, female masking. We're here. Thanks for all the tips. I'm looking for a new reel. It's the one I have. Seems too big for me and it's hurting my wrist. I have a Saint Croix legend. Charming elite. But I'm using a revo beast. Love Steve's book, love all the great songs you guys make me giggle, Jay. You make somebody giggle. Legend, Terminal elite. That's a super light rod. Great rod and the the Revo Toro beach. That's what, 400 size? 

Speaker 

Mm-hmm. 

Steven 

Yeah. Well, we get down from every we talk. I tell you right now off the top of my head. Drink 300. Yeah, it'll. 

Jay 

60. 300. Feel a lot.

Speaker 2 

But it's still rigged. 

Jay 

Those bees, they sit, they sit kind of high. I'm not knocking them. They say higher feeling than even the drinks 400, even most of the I've got some fantastic die was like as well. 

Speaker 2 

Frame. 

Jay 

You know those TW's? It's a smaller, lighter fueling platform. 

Speaker 2 

They're great. 

Steven 

I'll say it's funny because I did. I was been so kind to help out with reals last couple of years and and so all my client reels and all my my guide rails right now are TW's and Pro rexes. 

Jay 

Think you'll be happy with? Either one of those. 

Steven 

Right. With the T wing bar and all that's. Wonderful. I picked up. I love the real don't get me wrong, the old white abuse. Right, the the Revo was it Revo solo, yeah. Or at Revo S? That was my real forever. You couldn't pry that on my freaking hands. 

Speaker 

Yeah, yeah. 

Jay 

*****. No, I think so. 

Speaker 2 

MHM. 

Steven 

I picked one up for the day and physically in my hand went holy crap, it felt heavy verse. How much weight reductions happened between that and and and and the pro racks. Sure, sure. And I'm not big on like ohh the real way, but I get it. If you're, you know, everybody's physicality is different, right? So there's no like one answer. I mean, if you're 6 foot 15. You know, and it's like, Tim, my buddy from the Netherlands, he could pull him a fricking tranks 500 if he wanted to. He's a giant buddy. Fish is a 400 and it's probably it's. It's not a big deal for him, but. The the the one thing. And we always say this all the time. I don't believe personally. And I'm not talking like Chinese, you know, and stuff like that. That's on the market. I'm talking like Daiwa Shimano, Abu Garcia, akuma. All the different brands right now. I think they all make really good reels. So it it's. Hard for me at a lot of junctures where you know, a couple years back in the podcast, I'd say do this, do that, do that. I feel like all the reels are pretty Dang good right now. 

Jay 

Well, that's the thing. I mean, I I look at the, the the last four reels that I've bought, I mean, I'm slowly progressing into the you know, the twenty 20s here, Steve. You know, inch by inch. It's just like, you know, in the last five years, the amount of. All the type changes that have occurred and and gone into the engineering of all these reels, but everything you mentioned, they're fantastic. 

Steven 

Right in the. Whether it be weight reduction, whether it be balanced on the rod. 

Speaker 2 

Mm-hmm. Blah blah, blah blah blah. 

Steven 

Blah, it's great. I mean, if you do look at, OK, we'll get to your question, man, I swear. But we. 

Jay 

Yeah, well, size, yeah. 

Steven 

Always grab a hold here. Remember the first dial, Alexis the blue ones. Versus what we have now? Wait, if you know I'm saying it was a far larger reel. Yeah. So they're getting smaller. They're getting lighter, and and they're as strong, if not stronger. Blah blah blah. So. We always say it and I always kind of lean towards it's about the, the, the comfort level for you. I would say flat out. Probably for most people, the most comfortable reel is the 400 tranks. Like it kind of transcends. I'd say the Pro Rex frame is slightly larger than the the 400. I mean, talking ever since slightly right, whereas like the the the current model, which I I'll tell you what I'm it's interesting. I'll see it in Budapest if they got that what because of booze, got new stuff coming out. So I want to see what they're doing. Right. Hopefully they're there. But. If I'm a, if I and I have these in the boat for female anglers. Uh, my wife has one the the the the trunks 300. 

Jay 

That's what Jody uses primarily for, since she mostly got it. 

Steven 

She's actually she well for Muskie and then she has a she's got a freaking 150. 

Speaker 2 

Which is just. 

Jay 

Steven 

It's awesome. It's like a excuse me. It's like a DX150 from Shimano. It's kind of a. Yeah, it's a. It's like a hyped up bass reel from hell, but. But for Muskie, she's doing the 300 and I have 300 for. For, for for female clients children, things of that nature. Or people just smaller people. Whatever, it doesn't matter. We all come in different shapes and sizes. If you if you hang out the truck stop long enough, you'll you'll you'll realize that. 

Jay 

Mm-hmm. 

Steven 

We're all different. But we're all beautiful. But. That would be my go to for a female angler. The same thing. However, I would say what is it is the. Shiite, it's the Kuma. No, it's the pin pin had the. 

Jay 

The fathoms will. 

Steven 

Now the other ones, the smaller ones, I can't remember the name. I don't even know if they make them anymore. Doesn't matter. That would be my thing is, is that's going to be the go to go with the. Forget about it. Go with the Shimano 300. It's bulletproof, it's perfect. You know, I that's where I'm at. Personally, I can say this Jays like the I have the dial of 500. I can't remember the TW. 

Speaker 

Yeah. 

Jay 

No, no, no. It's like Alexa 500. 

Steven 

Or whatever. Yeah, huge. It's great real. 

Jay 

It's huge. Yeah, it's a big platform. 

Steven 

Real big platform, so you know it's applicable when it's applicable, however. 

Speaker 

Mm-hmm. 

Steven 

The Iowa are swimming Shimano Tranks 300. That'll get you done. Whatever, Vince. I'm a creeker from West Virginia. Creeker wanted to know when you when, when you guys think the best time to check out? Wisconsin. Mainly central Wisconsin would be looking to plan a trip next year. Thanks in advance. Jay, take it away. When's the best time for central? 

Jay 

Ch. From Wisconsin, I wonder where he's fishing. Uh. 

Speaker 2 

Peeping or I don't know. 

Jay 

Stuff like that, probably the river system. I don't know. There's not quite that. There's not a lot of lakes varieties in there. I mean, there are some, but the best. Depends. You know if you're going for. 

Steven 

He's talking for an extra generality, though. He's talking for next year. 

Jay 

Early season, depending on how the weather situates, you know the first couple, everything's a little bit ahead of northern Wisconsin. In central Wisconsin there there is a noticeable difference. I mean it's it's it's closer to the southern Wisconsin range, which really kicks in a good two weeks. 

Speaker 2 

Yes. 

Jay 

For us, if not 3. Weeks, judging strictly from ice out and and, you know 6-7 eight 10° warmer every day it makes a big difference in May. So the first week of June could be excellent, especially if you're fishing river systems, getting that quickly warming water. 

Speaker 2 

Well, if he's. 

Steven 

A creeper? He could do that, baby. 

Jay 

Yeah, right there. There's a lot of opportunity there, a lot of river stretches that contain big fish too. So that's a great time of the year, let's say, right, between Memorial Day and say the second week of June to an early season trip and probably right about now say mid-september. And that would be another good option for for a good action. 

Speaker 2 

So. 

Steven 

Or early or late. Essentially. Yeah, for that. 

Jay 

Farming it gets really hot, you know? And if, if, especially if you're fishing river systems, you know, if it's a hot summer, you could run into some slow periods in the middle of summer. 

Steven 

Well, that's that's anything for sure, but that'd be cool. I mean, you just don't hear a term in saying it out loud. You hear about, you know, Madison Chain, all the stuff in the house South and then you hear anything, you know, freaking Hazelhurst Minocqua Eagle River, all that stuff, North Central. It's maybe it's got. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah, yeah. 

Steven 

Family there, Jay. 

Speaker 2 

May help. 

Jay 

Well. You know. Yeah. I mean, hey, experience flober baby. I mean, look for the famous water well. 

Steven 

Maybe. What you could go see the Tommy Bartlett magic show. I see I see signs for that every time I'm driving up, so that would be. That's cool. So go early, go late. Here comes Kenneth. 

Jay 

The Dells is not far away. 

Steven 

I know this might be dumb, but can you explain what tannic water is? I live in an area where all of our water waters are very clear, and I've never heard the term used outside the podcast and some musky videos. I know I'm an idiot. Don't make fun of me, we would never. Kenneth doesn't know what tannic water is. Me, now, I don't deal with with lunch, tannic water, myself, until I'm up in the north. Tanic water is water that is stained by the tannic acid of pine trees. Intent and it creates this kind of brown look. Jay, why don't you, Mr. Northwoods? Explain. 

Jay 

Common in flowages, there are some lakes that have bizarre tannic water that one we fished last year last year two years ago, we went out there several times. The one that's very shallow and very dark, almost a blackish water with really low visibility. I'm talking like under a foot. That's kind of uncommon. I mean, generally tanic water around here you're you've got 3-4 feet visibility. Which is no. I consider that moderate visibility. I like that personally, you know. Gin. Clear water can be tougher. Tougher to fish. You know, fish are spookier and and they generally, you know, have it deeper, deeper zones and they're they're harder to target. So when fish are active, tannic water. Could be the trick too. I mean and if it's spring, it warms up faster and absorbs sunlight. Way that you know super heats it quick. 

Speaker 2 

Right. 

Jay 

Yeah, there's there's a lot of. There's a lot of options around here that have tannic water. It's not all Gin Clearwater, although we have that too. We have deep, clear lakes that are Canadian, like, you know, with rock, and that they're the whole deal. And in limited vegetation. But tannic water usually has, you know, they're generally good weed lakes. To where the weeds will grow. To 10 feet plus 12 feet. Unlike some of the deep clear lakes around here, they're more I consider more infertile, and that weeds don't grow in abundance. And you know, you don't have that thick, dense weed. Growth, with the exception of a few that have mill foil, we're seeing that on a few lakes like that one we fished out by Eagle River, which got inhabited by milfoil. It's kind of rare around here, but it's starting to happen here on a few lakes, and that stuff is incredible. And you see that in Clearwater, and you have these mats of vegetation. Litter. Really that go from the top to the bottom of the lake, 10 feet, 12 feet down. Right. So they've got. There's vertical, there's. Literally, vertical walls of vegetation, which is not. Not something that that lake normally is going to has ever had historically, so. Imagine it's incorporating some huge changes to the fishery. 

Steven 

Exactly. So I just looked here just to double check the Google says you will have tannic water in the South too, because of Cypress trees. So it's a vegetation, think tan. 

Jay 

So effect OK. 

Steven 

It's. So a little bit of that marshy swampy guy, I think. Yeah, it's just a coloration. You know, it it just changes things. I think in some capacity where, you know, I'm not changing my taxes entirely, but light penetration is different. Things change up quite a bit. Greg, excuse me. I'm dying here, Jay. Uh, that's the last time I eat a French dip before the pog jig, rippers, or the New Saint Croix rod for jigging. Thoughts. Thanks. OK. 

Speaker 2 

Greg. 

Jay 

Well, they're both going. To be removable now, so that's a plus. 

Steven 

Neither. But anyway I I am of the school of neither. 

Speaker 

MHM. 

Steven 

Just tell I've said it before. 

Speaker 

Steven 

Rotate your radius in your armor. Right and set the hook. Because Jay, make a hand, right? Like you're holding a big Ripper. Move it up and down. OK, what does that look? 

Speaker 

Was it? 

Speaker 2 

Like. 

Steven 

Awkward, awkward anyway. I prefer to hold the floor grip right so I can really lean into the bicep on the hook set and sit across the body while jigging. Yeah, that's me. I don't know. Big companies are taking the leap, Jay. You said Saint Croix's coming out. They got jig Ripper things. All that's. 

Jay 

Yeah, Saint Croix's making the move on. Well, they discontinued their musky mojo and they discontinued the the tournament series. Those are done. And there's not many left at the shop. So yeah, they're both going to have. They're both going to come out with a grasp. They call it the grasp handle system. And that's on the way. 

Speaker 2 

Good news. Get him. 

Jay 

It's supposed to be. This year. Or we don't know when. So. Yeah, that that's a removable. Handle 2 sizes, little tiny one and about the original size that the tournaments had this last year that were fixed and a decent size handle now. 

Steven 

Too small, no. 

Jay 

Not large, still a little bit smaller than. 

Speaker 2 

Here they are. 

Steven 

The jig, there's my thing. Yeah, Saint Croix. Ohh, Saint Croix. Saint Croix, Saint Croix, Saint Croix. I've had that size handle in the palm of my hand in the store. It literally Jay. If I grab that like a jig Ripper or pistol grip, it comes to the center of my palm. That's it. Not enough meat there. Not enough is what you're saying, OK? Once again, Jay. Pretend you're holding a jig. Gripper, right? And then thrust at your face. See how you can set the hook. 

Speaker 

MHM, MHM. 

Steven 

But I'm just saying I don't feel that that is a substantial enough handle. That's my opinion. Sorry it is what it is. 

Speaker 2 

Flat out. 

Steven 

You know, I'm holding. I've held those in my hands and gone. OK. Is that enough for me to transfer power? Across the board, changing my physicality, changing the dynamic. Of a hook set. 

Jay 

Because what I'm envisioning with this being kind of a smaller handle like you're like you're describing here is that half the power is directed to the handle and the other half is directed to the two fingers that are still on. The foregrip. 

Steven 

Well, for me it's. Like I said, rotate your hand. Right. You're so you're radius and you're on a turn in your arm and you focus on. You focus on a a different motion, right? So with the jig Ripper style things, right? If you think of setting that up, it's less natural to me to go across my chest than when when I'm. If I'm holding the foregrip of rod. It's a much more bicep movement to me. At least you know I'm. I'm not freaking. 

Speaker 2 

Hmm. Mm-hmm. 

Steven 

That's where I'm at. Moving on, Dave. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah. 

Steven 

Steve love, the crack and any plans for a 7 inch model, yes. Take the scissors and cut 3 inches off. That's what I do. That's a little ninja trick, Jay. That's a big trick. Yeah. So, when? When? And. If you look the way this bait was made. The crack and and so the way the the wire, it protrudes out of the back. And the way it sits in the skirt, you can cut 3 inches off the skirt and have a hook set. Flush right there. I think I said it before, but you can do that super easy because you have the same. Diameter on a 7 inch model. Trim it back. Take the split ring off, Shorten Shank, Shorten the Shank on your hook and you're in the game. Robert, I keep getting leaky crank baits. Any tips for fixing them? No matter how many? Of a certain brand. I'll pass on that. I buy. They all seem to leak. I'd buy them from different stores, not just the Muskie shop. I'm not upset. Just don't know how to fix them. How do we fix a leaky crankbait Jay? 

Jay 

That can be difficult. You got to assess where the leak is. You got to get all the moisture out of there. Two ton epoxy over the crack or the seam would be one way to do it. 

Steven 

Well, it's tip with. The hook hangers. 

Jay 

The typically in the hooking area, OK, He's talking about. 

Steven 

The model, the model he's talking about, right? Yeah. What I do with any like plastic crank bait that is joined together. They're hypersonic sealed. It's not a bad practice to drop a little super glue under the hook hanger. That's where the water is. And then get all the water out by shaking it like a fool. Take the hooks off. Shake it like a fool and get the water out. Let it dry for a couple days and put some. Put some super glue in there. It is not one of my baits, Ryan. I love shallow invaders, but my hooks keep getting caught on each other. Should I do the mod where I see people adding a bar that I've seen in videos? It seems like it adds weight to the bait and is a little complicated. What's your best idea to stop the hooks from hanging, tangling, flat out, love showing better grade back? Take the rear hook and jam it in the tail. Right. But yeah, but do it in the manner. 

Speaker 2 

The easiest. 

Jay 

Way to fix. 

Steven 

That you got a little play in the split ring. You don't. You don't want to. Be real tight, yes. Right. Shove it in the meat of the tail. But the split ring has a smidge of play, so it won't impede the action. You will not hook fell again. You don't need to mod the bait. You don't need to do all this weird stuff. Stick the rear hook in the tail. You're done. The other thing talk about bait. What I like to do. And shell invaders because. I've shell invaders hold up very. I will just take super glue and pull the tail back just to spin and drop the Super glue in there just to really secure that guy up too. So I'm not worried about like the tails pulling out or anything of that nature. 99% they head hunt that bait. Right. So just jam the freaking hook in the back of the tail. 

Jay 

And be done with it. I'd recommend that because it will work its way out after a while. So yeah, that's all you need to do. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah. 

Steven 

It is what it is, Mr. Nelson. Ohh. We got a Mr. on the show, Jay. Hello I enjoy listening to your show as I'm a lifelong muskie angler. I'm about to turn 70 and still like hearing all your zany stories and all the new tactics and baits. Oh, that's cool. I know that he's not the oldest listener, though. Jay, your dad beats him. He's only he's only turning 70. He's rookie. Rookie numbers, they say. 

Jay 

Which? Numbers. Yeah, right. 

Steven 

He said. I know there are so many new baits so I wanted to ask you 2 fellas what old bats do you still? Use. I hope my tackle box is not just a collection of antiques that my children will have to throw. Go out. What a cool, quick. Mr. Nelson, thank you for listening. Appreciate that. Very cool old baits that are still gold, Jay. So works Suic absolutely Cisco kids. You know, the Booker staff, obviously. But. 

Jay 

Yeah, I've got some decorators when they came out and probably when they come out 92 or something like that, I remember. 

Steven 

Maybe even let's go older than that though. 

Jay 

That I still use. Giant jackpots. 

Steven 

Pose giant jackpot, baby. 

Jay 

Yep, got some super old ones. 

Steven 

Tom loves bermex. 

Jay 

Breaking open the. 

Steven 

All the Lakewood. 

Jay 

Of Doom, the Lakewood of Doom. Ohh, baby. No, I'm not going to talk. About that one. There's some crazy stuff in. 

Steven 

Here, Steve's been dead since 74. 

Jay 

Crazy old reef fogs. Crazy old, you know. 

Steven 

Reflux, we talk about that. 

Jay 

Stuff you can't find anymore. Crazy old grammas. 

Steven 

That's your favorite crazy old grandmas, isn't it? 

Jay 

Handmade stuff. 

Steven 

What? What? What's something you still use? He doesn't want to know what you collected. 

Speaker 2 

Safe. 

Steven 

Something that is old school as heck that I still use. That has served me with it, always been the freaking and he just passed. What's the gooches freaking tallywhacker baby? 

Jay 

The number. 

Speaker 2 

One goal is how. 

Speaker 

Hmm. 

Steven 

Gooches tallywhacker. It is a tail prop bait. It sounds different from all the rest that works. The pose giant jackpot that that plays in my game. We've talked about reef hog, that's a different experience, right? There's nothing wrong with it, but like, don't expect left to right, obviously. So it's have been around since the dawn of time. They were invented before Muskies were invented. What else, Jay? What? What's something? That's like kind of 70s. This guy's turning 70. He's muskie fishing in the back of. 

Speaker 2 

Ohh my gosh. 

Jay 

That 70s would be probably swim loses. 

Speaker 2 

There you go. 

Steven 

We talked about it earlier. That's my call swim with still got him in the. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah. Mm-hmm. 

Jay 

Boat I'm going 9 inch sewer like it said so that's fine but I still use yeah. 

Speaker 2 

That would be it. Hey. 

Steven 

Can't go wrong there. Your tackle box is not all antiques. They still play. Thank you for listening, Mr. Nelson. Much appreciated. Sean. Look at the upgrade. All of my trolling reels. I troll 4 in total. What is the best option? That you feel is. Better than the cuma convectors that I currently have. What do you think, Jay Convectors fine trolling. They're just big. 

Jay 

Yeah. Good basic real. There are some good Dias. I'm trying to think of what the model is on those and the cool thing about trolling reels is that you don't even have to spend half the price on a good casting drill, you know? 

Speaker 2 

No. 

Jay 

That's what's awesome about it is you can get set up for, you know, a fraction of the cost of a brand new trains or something, you know. 

Steven 

I'm looking at what ways. And and I get it. It's like with the with the convectors. I ran them forever with being a lefty, right? Being a lefty, right? But being a left is an angler, correct? That was the only option I have for a long time. And then I am with Diawara. So I'm running the Diawara line counters. And they're great. But I'll I'll say this. I would the jump. From the convector to the cold water. Is a big jump and as far as quality in in downsizing the entire profile, the Kuma. 

Speaker 2 

Cold water. Yeah, yeah. 

Steven 

That I mean the the convectors are 109, the cold water is 13999. The Penn rival line counter is about the same size, slightly smaller, but not like kind of a downsize from the convector. But then Akuma has the convector low profiles. Right. So if you, the kumas have served you well, they make the low profile convectors, which is a smaller platform. So Akumas kind of got the the the the CAP by the proverbial tail right now. Because the next step up from that is you get into like the Shimano takota or the dial Alexa. Right. So for for musky great trolling reels, there's not a ton of options because it it just is what it is. What do you think, Jay? Like if. OK, you're the you're and I get it. Convectors are big. And you you feel like you should be fishing on wicked tuna with that real. It's a huge reel. 

Jay 

Yeah, I'm not sure why he's done with them, is it? If it's it's, it's the sheer size. Because I mean, you're not casting. 

Steven 

Well, he's the one that he said he wants to I I'm assuming he said he wants to upgrade. The one thing I'll. Say they're slow. They're like 401 or something. Right. So they're, I I ran them for years. I got my own qualms. They're bigger. And hell, they're hard to store. They hold 7 billion miles of line and reeling in a Jake with 100 feet out takes, I mean, literally you could have a birthday before you get back to the boat. 

Speaker 2 

Mm-hmm. 

Steven 

So. 

Jay 

Yeah, that's been my take away on those darn line counters is the one thing is most of them are offered in really low gear ratio. It's like come on, guys 4, two to one. Really, you're cranking your brains out trying to, you know, pick up line when you got a you know when you got. 

Speaker 2 

Well. 

Steven 

Some if those are the the two negatives of of what, we'd say that, that that sign. But there's nothing wrong with them. I've caught more. The majority of my trolling fish have all come on a cumin convector of the big ones, right? 

Jay 

A fish on. It's like, come on. 

Steven 

Just because I've been with with Dias less, however, they served me well, but it's just slow real. OK, so we're looking at 4, two to one on the cold water Akuma. Right. But it's a smaller profile. The Pro Rex line counter, that's a six one to one. Real. And it's a far smaller profile. So the upgrade you can make from the CONVECTOR would be a smaller profile with a higher line pickup, right? So the cold water. 

Speaker 2 

MHM. 

Steven 

Like I said, there's about where you're at as far as real speed. To the convectors you already have. Whereas let me check this one here. 

Jay 

Well, there is a connector, a high speed conductor that we have out now too, so that's got real high speed back up. 

Steven 

25 four yeah, so you could go with a low profile. Convector the pro racks or the Dakota and the Dakota is 10 bucks cheaper than the dime where the the Dakota is kind of like. The Cadillac of of trolling reels? Really. In my opinion, it's kind of a ridiculously nice trolling reel. I think that's what the tube screamer runs. 

Jay 

I think he. 

Speaker 2 

Does I mean, you know? 

Steven 

That's what I would run it. 

Speaker 2 

For in the musky shop, you know? 

Steven 

It's over real. It's really not that bad. I'm just picking. But so if if you're going for the convector, let's downsize their profile and let's speed up. Our line pickup, so really that's going to be your your options there. You've got the dial with Saltus. What's this? I've not had one of those in. My hands the. Saltus, what's the size of that J cut in your hand? 

Jay 

Saltus is a. It's a high sitting reel. 

Steven 

Is that OK? 

Speaker 2 

So what? Yeah, yeah, that. 

Jay 

Would be probably if you want to upgrade your you you're talking smaller, lighter, great, great quality and the things got a high speed retrieve. So I think problem. Called with that one right there, which is what? That's one or two. 

Steven 

Colder. Yeah. Can't go wrong. I mean, it's a wicked. I mean, it's as good as they. 

Speaker 

Yeah. 

Speaker 2 

Get. 

Steven 

That it's as good as they get. 

Speaker 2 

Hmm. 

Steven 

Jay, we have rambled on, ramble on, really endlessly. Well put. However, we appreciate all the questions. I'm sure you guys will have a ton more. 

Jay 

We do have some guys in the shop Friday. One guy from. Finland and his wife, I didn't even tell you about that. Hmm. Yeah, yeah. Neat couple. Yeah. What? He finishes up where? Where you guys went up by Tim. He finishes the summary. 

Steven 

Yes. Sure, something. Yeah, I'll be the. I'm going to try. I'm going to e-mail the guy. There's a guy in London that it was crazy because look in the other ones, there's a guy that that came over and we hooked, hooked up and had a drink. Well, was in, in, in Amsterdam. That's a podcast guy and we're we're just ************ about stuff and then like. There's a guy in London we got. I'm gonna try to meet up with, cause they have, like, the world's craziest layover. So yeah, it it blows my mind and like the the e-mail from South Africa really like it kidding me. So we we were appreciate it. I appreciate all the support Jay doesn't, which is something we'll talk about. 

Jay 

Regal. 

Steven 

Jay Jay's kind of mean, but anyway, Jay, just next week. 

Jay 

MHM. 

Steven 

Hopefully we can recap. The comings and the goings of the the biggest fishing show and on the entire continent of Europe, see what's happening there. Maybe, maybe I'll just have some pepsis and jump in the fish tank. What do you think? 

Speaker 2 

Jay 

1. Well, we'll be safe, man. It's a long. Trip. Can't wait to hear.

Steven 

About it, nothing scares me. 

Speaker 2 

Baby, say goodnight Jade later. 

Jay 

Done right guys. Thanks a lot. Bye. 

Speaker 1 

I can't get to sleep much longer. Expecting it to survive. Boldly, and the major just waiting to arrive. Shopping all my books. Right. My pole position well. 

Speaker 2 

Yes. 

Speaker 1 

Stand out and turn them widely on. When time will tell. 

Speaker 2 

She got. 

Speaker 1 

It's just a broken top one up. 

 

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Musky 360 Podcast Episode 252: New Magnus Swimbait User Q+A

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 251: Is it Fall? Danny and Steven Herbeck and Ramblings

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 250: Fall Musky Game Plan

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 248: Fall Transition Muskies

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 247: Musky Tactics

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 245: Canada Post Bash Hangover

MUSKY 360 PODCAST EPISODE 244: WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP

MUSKY 360 PODCAST EPISODE 243: Super Mega Sized Musky Talk

MUSKY 360 PODCAST Episode 242: Live Imaging The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 241: Summer Musky Rants

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 340: Summer Muskies

Musky 360 PODCAST Episode 239: Figure 8 Lure Co. plus User Q+A

Musky 360 PODCAST Episode 238: Old School Musky Gear

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 237: Musky Ninja Tricks | Q+A

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 236: Early Season Musky Magic

On this week's Musky 360 Podcast,  interviews from 3 different perspectives on the early Musky season ahead of us in the north, including Hall of Famer Joe Bucher. Host Steven Paul and co-host Jay Esse treat you to the greatest mothers day gift ever in the intro...enjoy!

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 234: Cinco De Muskies

Musky 360 Podcast Episode 232: Early Season Musky Q+A

Whole Lotta Musky! Welcome to this week's Musky 360 Podcast with Steven Paul and co-host Jay Esse. Structure fishing. How to recognize and capitalize on dominant Structure.  The beginning and ends of structural anomaly and the tide of predation. All this Musky fishing info plus listener Q&A!