I don't have a big "rig" or thousands of dollars of gear, and would like to try this on my own. If you might consider sharing your thoughts and ideas of where to go and how to go about it, I would be grateful. If you could send me a "PM", that would be great.
Thank you...
I have a 14 ft aluminum boat with a Merc 25.
Smithmerlin,
Everything you need to know is already out there in musky reports, magazines, and books. I recommend you do two things: (1) read up on all of these materials and stay current in the musky world, and (2) get out there and start practicing what you read on your own.
Some pieces of advice if you're going out on your own, especially in the Fall:
(1) Have a box in your car with repair equipment and spare parts for your boat and/or trailer in case you have a breakdown. Tools, oils, lubricants, spare tires, spare bulbs, air pressure gauge, the list goes on.
(2) Get yourself some good, tall, waterproof boots so that you can walk into the water when handling the boat at the launch. Whether you're fishing small, medium, or large lakes, you will encounter situations where you're going to have to get into the water. That can really suck when it's cold.
(3) Learn how to use live bait. Be slow, patient, and careful. Take care of the bait to keep it in good shape while on the water and while back at the cabin.
(4) Don't rely on just the live bait. You should be casting and working a lure as much as you can during the day. Some of the fish will eat the lures, and some will eat the live bait. You have to still remain prepared for a strike on any given cast. Be stealthy when a fish follows a lure to the boat - you may convert it on the live bait.
(5) Be prepared with proper catch and release tools for the musky. Get a long, strong needle-nose pliers, a jaw spreader, and a very high quality bolt cutter for badly-hooked fish. It's only a matter of time before a fish literally inhales a bait, whether it be a lure or live bait. Even with a quick-set rig these musky can sometimes turn that bait and start to swallow it fast.
(6) Be safe. Late in the year when you're wearing all of that gear, you could easily drown if you somehow fell out of the boat with all of that weight on you. If you're by yourself safety becomes that much more important.
There is much to talk about. Go out there and start doing homework with the literature.
