Winterizing & Protecting Your Musky Fishing Rods/Reels!

Winterizing & Protecting Your Musky Fishing Rods/Reels!

As the fishing season is winding down in the North Woods and people turn their attentions to hunting and warm fires, remember to take all of that fantastic gear you bought and store it right! Throwing your pole in the garage is a thing of the past when a nice super reel and rod might cost hundreds of dollars. We need to take the time to winterize our treasured sidearm and keep it in pristine condition for years to come. Here are some inside scoops on preserving your rod and reel with some tips from the Musky Shop!

M Musky 360
Fall Transition and Lake Turnover EXPLAINED

Fall Transition and Lake Turnover EXPLAINED

The transition from Summer to Fall can be a confusing time in Musky Fishing especially in colder climates where the transition is quite dramatic. When the fall transition is taking place in the air and landscape around you, imagine the same is taking place subsurface. Fall brings cooler water temps, dying vegetation, lake turnover, and a whole host of changes for underwater habitats. This extreme change can be encompassed into our "Fall Transition".

M Musky 360
Musky Structure Fishing: Getting Dailed In

Musky Structure Fishing: Getting Dailed In

Truly understanding structure and how muskies relate to it is a pivotal moment in any angler’s journey. Your career on the water is always filled with a few moments of enlightenment here and there—but when structure fishing clicks in your brain, it’s a true Eureka moment. While I delve deep into the matter of muskies and structure in Next Level Musky Fishing, what follows here is a crash course designed to point musky anglers in the right direction—or help you get dialed back in for the 2025 musky season.

S Steven Paul
Mastering the Livingston Lures Kraken for Trophy Muskies

Mastering the Livingston Lures Kraken for Trophy Muskies

The Livingston Lures Kraken, a hybrid jerkbait, is a game-changer for musky fishing. After years of development and testing, this bait has proven its ability to land world-class muskies. With its unique hard body and soft, replaceable tail, adjustable weighting system, and water-intake design, the Kraken offers unmatched versatility.

S Steven Paul
The Blade Planer Boards

The Blade Planer Boards

Musky trolling is a key component of a complete and successful musky fishing game plan. The bigger the water, the larger the role trolling plays in consistently putting trophy-class muskies in the net. As a professional musky guide, I rely on trolling as a mainstay in my year-round musky strategy. It not only gives my shoulders a break but also allows me to target muskies beyond the reach of traditional casting methods.

S Steven Paul
Lure Color 101: What Do Muskies Want?

Lure Color 101: What Do Muskies Want?

When we’re talking musky baits, we’re talking about size, shape, motion, and color. If you go down the rabbit hole of color theory online, you might come back with a slight buzz or a dislocated brain stem, so let’s take the shallow dive with classic pointers to get you where you need to go when it comes to choosing the best color for any given situation while targeting muskies.

M Musky 360
Beyond the Catch: Mastering Musky Handling and Post-Release Care

Beyond the Catch: Mastering Musky Handling and Post-Release Care

As many anglers are consumed with catching and photographing their trophy muskies for posterity, it’s less common to focus on the not-so-fun parts like musky fish handling, tool use, and post-release survival strategies. Often dubbed the "fish of 10,000 casts," landing an elusive muskellunge can flood an angler’s brain with endorphins you didn’t even know existed. It’s earth-shatteringly exciting by all accounts, so sometimes a musky’s aftercare slips under the radar.

J J.M.P
Dive N Rise: Tips, Tricks, and Info

Dive N Rise: Tips, Tricks, and Info

The keys to successfully working a dive and rise bait As a musky guide who implements many different baits for unique situations, I often get asked, “When and why do I use dive n rise baits and how does one effectively work them?” Dive n rise baits will catch muskies throughout the season and can be retrieved in numerous different ways. This is proven as they are the longest standing designs/actions in the musky fishing industry.

J Josh Kreger
Best Leader for Musky Fishing

Best Leader for Musky Fishing

New musky anglers often ask what the best leader for musky fishing is. While the question is simple the answer is a bit more complex. Understandably new musky anglers are often confused by all of the options available to them. With this in mind let’s look at the pros and cons of common musky leaders to help clarify the matter of what musky leader is the best for you. Not only is choosing the right musky leader about price point, things like life span and lure action come into play when selecting the right musky leader.

S Steven Paul