Choosing the best musky hard baits fishing fills a need for you. The best lures include trolling and casting lures. Each angler can choose the lures that fit their techniques. You can cast or troll almost any lure. Yet some lures work better with certain techniques.
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Consider storing the baits also. These lures tend to be large and do not fit standard tackle boxes or trays.
Joe Bucher Hard Baits for Musky
Who is Joe Bucher? He is one of the best musky anglers of all time. He catches a lot of muskies and has many trophy catches. The man knows what a musky wants in a lure. He has spent years developing his brand of lures for musky fishing.
Joe Bucher Shallow Raider
As the name implies the lure runs shallow. It is an excellent choice for casting near shorelines, humps, and submerged weeds. Use a jerk and long pause action to lure fish out of the cover. The lure is good for casting or trolling. Trolling works well at lower speeds of 1-3 mph.
- Realistic baitfish shimmy on the retrieve or troll
- Seduces game fish right out of tight cover
- Short jerks and long pauses keep the lure shallow over high weeds
- Add some slack to the line for a more lateral, side-to-side action
- Heavyweight lines and short casts for shallow runs
- Thinner gauge lines and longer casts for deeper runs
- Troll at 1 to 3 mph
The lure is 7 inches and weighs 1 3/4 ounces. You can cast these lures with extra-heavy bass or swimbait rods, and lighter musky rods. Lures cast best with rods rated for their weight.
Joe Bucher Depth Raider
Looking for a deeper running lure? The depth raider fits the need. The line size, amount of line out, and retrieve speed control the depth, It will float at rest. These lures are good for trolling and are castable in deeper water.
- Floating, diving muskie crank
- Targets big fish holding down deep
- Deadly whether cast or trolled
- Aggressive diving habit
- Running depth depends on gear, distance, and speed
- Natural tail-up buoyancy prevents hang-ups
- Rugged heavy-duty construction
It has a tail-up floating aspect. This helps back the lure out if it runs into a snag. A nice feature to have on a crankbait that runs deeper into cover.
Suick Musky Hard Baits
The Thriller model was developed in the 1930s by Frank Suick. These lures have remained productive for decades. They have a unique design for a jerk bait. In the following years, the company added more lures to the lineup. These are lures that stood the test of time.
Suick Cisco Kid
The Cisco Kid model comes in a jointed and solid version. The lure has a tight wiggle for an action. This lure digs to the depth at a fast rate. If you are looking for a medium-depth running lure, it fits the need.
- Long-bodied jointed crankbait
- Deadly on muskie, pike, kingfish, and more
- Tooth-proof plastic construction with molded diving lip
- Targets the mid-depth range
The solid model is good for casting. Trolling the jointed model imparts more action to draw in a strike. Jointed lures do not cast well. You will lose distance.
Suick Thrillers
The Thriller is a basic dive and rise jerk bait. It is available in 7 and 9-inch lengths. A weighted version is available also. It has a slower rise on the pause. The lure is proven to catch a lot of muskies.
The lure takes time to adjust and learn. The tail is adjustable for depth. It is not an out-of-the-box and goes lure. It will need tuning for the best performance. This is a casting lure. It is not set up for trolling.
- Legendary jerkbait for trophy pike and muskie
- Unweighted 7″ floating version, a.k.a. the Pike Thriller
- Great for trophy northern and finesse muskies
- Quality construction includes heavy-duty hardware
- Unweighted models are 5/8 and 1 7/8 ounces
- Weighted models are 3/4 and 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 ounces
The lure tuning needs to be done with results in mind. Do not simply bend the tail and expect results. You need to know what depth you seek. Then slowly adjust the lure to get desired effects you want to achieve. Once dialed in it is an excellent lure for musky fishing.
Drifter Tackle Musky Hard Baits
Drifter Tackle is a company focusing on musky fishing gear. This company makes a few versions of the lure. Other manufacturers make the lure also.
Believer and Super Believer
The Believer is an 8-inch lure for trolling. It has two-line tie attachment points to change the depth and action. The lure is well known for trolling by experienced musky anglers. Add in reasonable pricing making them a good option.
- Double-eye
- Dual-level diving lure
- Hollow on the inside with hard plastic construction
The super or magnum model has a rubber grub-style tail. The tail provides a larger profile and more action at the rear end of the lure. The regular model is able to be used for casting.
Musky Innovations
A younger company in the fishing lure market. Musky Innovations is best known for its Dawg line of lures. The company is operated by hard-core musky anglers. They have the experience and knowledge to design and test lures for successful fishing.
Shallow Invader and Magnum Shallow Invader
The lure has the diving and wobble of a crankbait with a soft tail for undulating action to add to the enticement. It is suitable for trolling or casting for musky. The regular model size is 9-inches and weighs 2.3 ounces. This is a nice option in casting lures with a lower weight in a larger size lure.
- Crankbait head with a soft plastic body and tail
- Serpentine action drives large game fish crazy
- Great for casting and trolling alike
- Won’t blow out at high speed
- Molded lip
The Magnum model is 13 inches and weighs 5 ounces. This is getting on the heavy side for casting. Use this model for trolling or casting in areas with good chances of a musky striking. It will lead to fatigue casting the weight after a few hours.
Classic Grandma Musky Hard Baits
A long-time favorite of musky anglers. It is available in 7.5 or 9-inch lengths. The weights are 2 and 4 ounces. A flat-sided lure with a slightly tighter action than round body lures. You can cast or troll with a Grandma. Plus the lures will work like a jerk or crankbait with casting.
- Favorite among seasoned anglers for decades
- High-impact plastic bodies and lips
- Dressed with oversized hooks
Trolling or cranking achieves a medium depth range. Using a jerk bait technique works for shallow fishing. This gives more versatility to the lure than many others. This makes it a good option for anglers with fewer lures in the tackle box.
Tackle Industries Super Cisco
The Super Cisco is a crankbait ideal for casting when a smaller lure is better. The lure is lighter at 1.6 ounces with a length of 6 1/2 inches. The lures can be used on the heavier bass tackle for the casual musky angler.
The lure runs to about 7 feet on the retrieve. A slower retrieve will allow shallower depths. Plus it has a wide wobble action. The wide wobble is great for attracting muskies.
- Great shad, whitefish, cisco, and perch imitations
- Durable finish, 3D holographic eyes, and super-loud, built-in rattles
- Tantalizing flash and side-to-side action
- Bent diving lip prevents blowout at high speeds
- Red, 3X strong 3/0 hooks
Smaller lures are typically used in the spring. Before the spawning period or in cooler waters. It does produce all year for people using lighter rods.
Conclusion of Musky Hard Baits
These lures are well-designed and productive for anglers of all skill levels. A few are suitable for trolling and casting. A couple of the lures are specific to either troll or casting uses. All the lures are in the low to moderate price range.
There are other popular and productive lures for musky. They tend to be custom-made or higher priced. This is a list of lures that fit the budget and are used by the majority of anglers.