View Full Version : Novice Muskie Angler seeks book advice
bassandmuskienut
11-14-2001, 02:44 PM
I'm a new muskie nut who fishes Pomme De Terre Lake in Missouri. I was wondering if you could recommend any good muskie books for a novice like myself. I already have the Joe Bucher muskie/pike book which I thought was very good. All opinions welcome and appreciated. Now I'm thinking about changing boats. I've got a fishing addiction bad.
Dan Klis
11-14-2001, 02:58 PM
Hey there
Check out the "Northern Pike and Muskie" book by the Hunting and Fishing Library (maybe under Creative Publishing these days). All the books in the series are excellant. Also get some subsriptions to fishing magazines (ie. InFisherman, Esox Angler)
Dan
DHardy
11-14-2001, 03:56 PM
I have to echo Dan's sentiments about a subscription to a magazine. I think that magazines are probably the best resource for tips and techniques... that being said... Esox Angler is, by far, the most complete and cutting edge magazine in the musky world. Also... if you are looking for a book... I would recommend Pete Maina's Muskies Suck. READ IT BEFORE YOU FISH! You could avoid making the same mistake that all of us have made...
dpratt
11-14-2001, 04:34 PM
"The Complete Guide to Musky Hunting" by Jim Saric and Steve Heiting is a pretty good book. I got it for Christmas last year and it helped me through the month of January. I picked up some tips, however didn't get on the water much this year, so I can't say they put fish in the boat.
The Pike and Musky book mentioned in another reply is also excellent, as is "Muskies Suck!" by Pete Maina.
Get all three... they will keep you busy for a while and you'll be ready to hit the water come opening day (read Pete's first... you may change your mind about musky hunting!)
Dick Pearson's book "Muskies on the Shield" Is really good too. Especially if you ever plan to fish Canada. Also, Check out your local library. Some of them have good Muskie book selections. I even had our library order some they didn't have. They also have videos! Ya gotta have something to do in the winter.
BJT
Hi, I'll second Dan's suggestion on the Pike and Muskie book from the Sportsman's Library. Besides some pretty non-nonsense information, it's a great introduction to the terminology and standard techniques/equipment/baits. Kind of like a survey course your first year of college... Plus the phenomenal photography.
Dick Pearson's book is a must. Have to cite freely-admitted bias here (I edited the thing) but it really is pretty packed with info. It's about the Canadian Shield in particular, but most of the information in there - especially when it comes to how to think about muskie fishing - applies no matter where you fish.
Good luck!
RK
fishpoop
11-15-2001, 01:20 AM
Secrets of a Musky Guide and Secrets of a Musky Guide II are good. Also,"Before I forget" by Len Hartman is good reading. It's more of a story type book than a how to, but some of the history is interesting reading. Yes, I know that Len has admitted to lying about his record catchs, but the stories in the book are still worth reading. The Book Crankbaits by Joe Bucher is a great book. While it isn't strictly musky fishing, all of the techinques for fishing crankbaits can be used for muskys. "Time on the water" by Bill Gardner is great reading.It's his journal of 1 full season of musky fishing in Wisconsin. Soem of these books might be out of print, but if you can find them they are worth it. I know for sure that Time on the water is out of print.
The North American Fishing club has a book co-authored by Otis(Toad) Smith and Joe Bucher that's good. The title is pike and muskie. I got my copy when I was a member of their club. Not sure where else you could look for it. Maybe Amazon.com or ebay might have it.
A book that I recomend to all fishermen. Is called "Hook,Line,And Sinker," by Gary Soucie. It is the bible of everything in terminal tackel. It is obviously not about muskie fishing but it has everyting you need to know about snaps, swivels, hooks, leaders, wire, lines,sinkers, knots, bobbers, split rings,etc. It covers everything from panfish to shark. Tired of spending big money on snaps? Read his chapter on snaps. You'll learn the best styles of snaps to use, the best metal that snaps are made from, the best companies that make snaps,etc. When your done with that chapter you will have the info you need to buy the best snaps on the market. Snaps that won't open on your biggest muskie ever, and you'll save money in the long run becuase you won't have spent it on cheap junk snaps. The same info holds true about any other piece of terminal tackel. Wish I had read it before I spent money on cheap brass barrel swivels, then junked them and went out and bought the good ones.
The Complete Guide to Musky Hunting is a must whether you are casting your first musky lure or are a seasoned veteran.
Get book full of information!!!!
MuskieKid
11-15-2001, 12:34 PM
Check out Spoonplugging, your guide to lunker catches by Buck Perry. Great book for any species.
Dan Klis
11-16-2001, 10:10 AM
Spoonplugging is the best book ever written about fishing!!!
Dan
Did someone say musky books? I now own about 70 musky and musky related books. If you are looking for some serious how-to stuff, go with any or all of Rizzo's books, all but the deadly Secret Method book are readily available. The Bucher book you have is also an excellent source of info. There are 2 Sternberg books (Hunting and Fishing Library and North American Fishing Club) that are also excellent. They both describe the different types of lakes and rivers and how to approach them. Dick Pearson's new book is also fantastic. The Steve Heiting and Jim Saric book is also a must read, as is Heiting's older book, Musky Mastery. There are a bunch of others that may be harder to find, including books by Robert Smith, C.H. Shook, Len Hartman. There are many older books that are pretty in depth, but many are based on old misconceptions and half truths. I even have a book that claims that muskies and northerns are actually the same fish and environmental conditions determine which they will turn out to be. If you are looking for entertainment, Time on the Water, Muskies Suck, Musky Musky on the Wall, Muskie Fever, Musky Chronicles, Muskie Mania and many others.
Ken K