When I designed the Critter for Livingston Lures, the goal was simple: create a compact musky bait that could get bites when other lures cou'dn't even get a follow. The result is a lure that may look small at first glance but consistently delivers big fish results through versatility and control.
From the beginning, I had three core principles in mind: a small profile, a quick fall for its size, and true multi technique versatility. The Critter can be straight retrieved, worked like a mini tube, or jigged vertically. That flexibility opens the door to endless retrieve combinations and allows anglers to adapt to conditions instead of forcing one style of presentation.
One of the biggest surprises during testing was how effective the Critter proved to be in shallow water. Fished on a straight retrieve like a bucktail, the two rear Colorado blades produce a heavy thump and generate lift, allowing the lure to track cleanly over shallow weeds and cover. The paddle tail adds additional pulse and vibration, creating a compact presentation that moves serious water.
This makes the Critter especially effective early in the season, when muskies have already seen waves of small bucktails and lipless crankbaits. It offers a familiar size but delivers a completely different sound and feel, often triggering fish that ignore more traditional options.
Where the Critter truly separates itself is on the fall. When paused, the lure drops nose down while the blades continue to spin and the tail continues to pulse. This creates constant movement even when the lure is falling, which is why a reel stop cadence has proven so deadly.
A simple retrieve of two handle turns and stop, one turn and stop, then two turns and stop creates a surge forward followed by a controlled nose down fall. As soon as the reel handle turns again, the Critter jumps forward with the blades and tail already engaged. This stop and go method has produced exceptional results in early season situations and over deeper weed growth during summer.
During final testing in Canada, a tough summer cold front slowed musky activity to a crawl. While many anglers struggled just to move fish, the Critter continued to produce when worked along deeper weed edges using a reel stop cadence. Its compact profile and quick fall allow anglers to maintain precise control of depth, and even in free fall the lure stays alive with spinning blades and a kicking tail.
The Critter also excels when fished like a downsized tube. Big tubes have their place, but there are times when pressured or neutral fish respond better to a smaller presentation. With short upward pops of the rod, the Critter lifts and falls like a compact tube, making it a powerful follow up bait or a primary presentation during cold fronts and early season conditions.
Despite its size, the Critter is built like a tank. It features heavy duty through wire construction, strong split rings, and custom 2X VMC hooks designed to handle the punishment that comes with big muskies.
The rear blade assembly was also built with customization in mind. Two small Colorado blades are mounted on a three way swivel attached to a stainless steel rear loop and covered with heat shrink tubing. Remove the heat shrink and anglers can experiment with blade combinations. Running a single 500 size Indiana blade, combining willow and Colorado blades, or switching to a straight swivel with a small willow leaf for a faster fall are just a few of the options that have proven effective.
The Critter was designed to introduce a new style of musky lure into the conversation. Straight retrieves, pulls, pauses, hops, and pops all work. For anglers looking for a compact, highly versatile bait that can still handle the biggest muskies in the water, the Critter proves that big results really can come in small packages.
Cheers,