UPDATED 08 SEPTEMBER 2024

by Robert Ceran

Using the right fishing rig is essential for catching trout successfully, and knowing which rig to use for what conditions can make the difference between catching your limit or getting skunked.

There’s a perfect trout rig for almost every situation, and that’s why it’s so important to master rigging for trout, as this will allow you to choose exactly the right fishing rig for your purposes.

In this article I’ll cover the 9 best trout rigs, and will discuss what each of them is ideally suited for.

How to rig for trout

In order to rig for trout, you need to choose one of three basic types of rigs:

• Rigs that present your bait suspended underneath a bobber or float
• Rigs that present your bait close to the bottom with a weight
• Rigs that enable you to cast and actively retrieve an artificial lure

While these three types of fishing rigs cover almost all trout fishing applications, they come in a variety of different shapes and forms, each of which is best suited for slightly different trout fishing setups.

So if you’re a beginner, chances are that you’re confused about all the different options of rigging for trout.

However, the great thing is that you can get started with just two or three of the most versatile trout fishing rigs, and then add more specialized rigs once you know what kind or rig works best for your pond, lake or stream.

Now let’s look at each of the most important trout rigs in more detail, to help you choose the best rig for your purposes.

And in case you’re also looking for the best bait to use with your trout fishing rigs, check out our article on what is the best bait for trout?

Trout fishing rigs with bobbers

Bobber rigs are among the most effective trout fishing set ups, and work especially well when fishing in shallow ponds and streams, as well as in shallow bays of bigger lakes, or basically in any situation where trout are active close to the water surface.

Now let’s look at the two main types of bobber rigging for trout.

Trout rig with fixed bobber

This is one of the simplest trout rigs, and consists of a fixed bobber attached to the line, as well as a hook and sinker to weigh down the baited hook in the water.

The depth at which the bait is presented depends on the distance between the hook and the bobber.

How to tie it: Attach the bobber to the line, and then tie the end of the line to the hook. The most common type of bobber used for this fishing rig is a round red and white bobber, but you may want to choose a pencil shaped bobber instead, which offers less resistance when a trout takes the bait.

If you’re not sure how to rig a fishing line for trout, take a look at our article on what fishing line should you use for trout?

When to use it: This is a great fishing rig to use in shallow ponds and streams, as well as any situations where trout are feeding close to the surface. It’s very easy to set up and a lot of fun to fish with, which makes it an excellent choice for beginners who want to try trout fishing in a stocked pond.

But keep in mind that the maximum depth you can fish this rig corresponds to the length of your rod, since you can’t cast the fishing rig effectively if you set the bobber higher than that.

How to use it: The best way to use this fishing rig is to cast it out with a baited hook and wait for a trout to bite, which is indicated by the bobber being pulled down underwater.

When you see this, set the hook immediately, so the trout doesn’t have a chance to spit out the hook when it feels resistance on the line. This is the best setup for trout fishing in streams and rivers, where you can use it to drift your bait into the best locations that hold trout.

Slip bobber rig

This is another commonly used trout rig, and should be part of every trout angler’s arsenal of fishing tools.

Using a slip bobber rig (aka sliding float rig) makes the fishing rig more compact and easier to cast with than a fixed bobber rig.

How to tie it: Tie a bobber stop on to your main line, and then thread the line through your bobber and tie the line to the hook. The best hook size depends on your bait, but generally lies somewhere between size 8 and 14.

If you’re unsure about choosing the right hook size for different trout line setups, take a look at our article on the best size hook for trout.

Attach a split shot or two to the line between the bobber and the hook. This stops the bobber from sliding down onto the hook and it also weighs down your bait, helping to present it at the right depth to the trout .

Keep in mind that some baits (like powerbait) float in the water, and you may need to add extra split shots to make the baited hook sink down to the desired depth.

When to use it: The slip bobber rig is the best choice when trout are feeding in midwater, and if you can’t reach them with either a fixed bobber rig or with a bottom fishing rig.

The great thing is that you can fish practically any depth with this fishing rig, as you just need to move the bobber stop up the line to whatever depth you want to set the bobber.

How to use it: Estimate the depth of the water you’ll be fishing in, and set the bobber stop to that depth. Then bait your hook and cast out your fishing rig to the desired spot and wait for a fish to grab the bait.

Bottom fishing rigs

Bottom fishing rigs are often the best choice when trout are found in deeper water, as they tend to feed close to the bottom most of the time. There are several options available to you in this rig category, so now let’s look at the most important ones.

Slip sinker rig

This is the simplest bottom fishing rig around, and is the one most often taught to novice trout anglers. This rig has been in use for more than a century, and continues to perform well in many situations where trout hold close to the bottom.

How to tie it: Thread a 1/8 or 1/4 oz sliding sinker (either a bullet or egg sinker) onto your main line, and then tie the line to a barrel swivel. Attach a leader to the other end of the swivel, and tie your hook to the leader. Choose the type and size of hook depending on the type of bait you want to use.

When to use it: This rig is most commonly used in lakes where trout hold in water deeper than 5 or 10 feet. It’s a great rig to use from shore, since you can cast it relatively far, and cover a lot of water with it.

It’s important to use this fishing rig with floating bait, since you don’t want your baited hook lying on the bottom where trout won’t notice it. You can use it with either powerbait (which is designed to float), or worms injected with air to make them float.

How to use it: This is the most common bait rig used for trout fishing setups, and is usually fished passively. Most anglers cast it out to a promising fishing spot and then wait for a bite. If you do this, make sure to check your rig regularly to see if the bait is still on the hook, and also test different fishing spots.

Carolina rig

This rig is very similar to the slip sinker rig, but unlike the slip sinker setup it is often fished actively with artificial lures instead of passively with bait, which is why we list the two options separately.

How to tie it: Start by threading your main line through a 1/8 to 1/4 oz sliding sinker. Next, thread the line through a plastic bead, and then tie it to a swivel or snap swivel. The bead stops the weight from banging into the swivel during retrieval, which protects the knot on the swivel from being damaged while fishing, and this is more important if you want to fish it actively.

When to use it: You can use this option anywhere where trout are feeding close to the bottom. It’s a great option to use when fishing in lakes, reservoirs and ponds, but you can also use it in rivers.

How to use it: While you can also use this fishing rig with a baited hook and fish it passively until a trout comes by and bites, the strength of the Carolina trout fishing rig lies in fishing it actively with a floating lure.

You can use a floating jig head with plastic lures such as trout magnets or power worms. After casting out, let your rig sink to the bottom, and then slowly retrieve it with a jigging movement.

Split shot rig

This is basically a finesse version of the Carolina rig, and instead of a sliding sinker it uses one or more split shots attached to the line. Since trout can be finicky at times (especially when fishing in heavily fished waters), it’s always great to have some finesse techniques up your sleeve.

How to tie it: Tie your main line to a swivel or snap swivel, and then add one or two split shots to the line right above the swivel. Next, tie a 1 to 2 foot long fluorocarbon leader to the swivel, and then tie your hook to the other end of the leader.

Next, thread a soft plastic lure onto the hook, and your trout fishing line setup is good to go.

In most cases you’ll want to use a floating lure on this rig, which will result in presenting your lure right in the strike zone every time the split shots sink to the bottom.

When to use it: This rig is a great option if you notice that the trout are finicky. This is most often the case in heavily fished waters, and especially in clear water it can be advantageous to use a finesse rig that’s harder for the fish to spot. It’s also a great trout fishing set up for small creeks.

How to use it: Cast the rig out and let it sink to the bottom. Then slowly retrieve it with jigging movements of your rod tip. The main disadvantage of the split shot rig is that it can’t be cast as far as the Carolina rig, since it comes with less weight on the line. Because of this, it’s better to use it when fishing in smaller lakes, rivers and streams.

Drop shot rig

This is another great trout fishing rig setup for bottom fishing, and one of it’s key advantages is that it allows you to place your lure in the strike zone and keep it there for a long time. Similar to the two previous rigs, it’s most often used with soft plastic lures.

How to tie it: Start by tying your main line to a 4 or 5 foot fluorocarbon leader with a double uni knot, and then tie the end of your trout leader to a 1/8 to 1/4 drop shot weight.

Next, take a bait hook and place it facing upwards, and form a loop with the leader line about 1 foot above the drop shot weight.

Pass the loop through the eye of the hook from below, and then tie an overhand knot with the loop. Finally, pass the hook through the loop, wet the line, pull tight, and you’re ready to start fishing.

When to use it: While the drop shot rig was originally developed for vertical fishing in deep water from a boat, most bass anglers can tell you that this rig works equally well for fishing from shore, and can even be fished in very shallow water. It’s a great trout fishing setup for beginners fishing in lakes and rivers.

How to use it: Cast the rig out and slowly retrieve it by hopping the weight along the bottom, while jigging the lure up and down. If you figure out where the strike zone is, you can keep the drop shot fishing rig there, and simply wiggle the lure in place without moving the weight. That way you can keep your lure right in front of the fish for a long time, without having to retrieve it and cast again.

Lure rigs

While all of the fishing rigs discussed above can be used as trout fishing setups with either natural bait or artificial lures, some options for rigging for trout are only intended to be used with lures. Let’s take a look at the most important rigs of this type that you should know.

Spinner rig

The spinner rig is the most commonly used lure fishing rigs for trout. It is most often used with spinners (such as a rooster tail or panther martin), but it can also be used when fishing with any other artificial lure designed for casting and retrieving.

How to tie it: Tie your main line to a swivel or snap swivel, and add one or two split shot weights just above the swivel. Next, tie a 2 to 4 foot fluorocarbon leader to the other eye of the swivel, and then tie your lure to the other end of the leader.

Depending on the size and weight of your lure, adjust the number of split shots to achieve the right depth during retrieval. The swivel prevents line twist of your main line, but if you’re using a lure that doesn’t generate twist, you can also tie the main line directly to the leader.

When to use it: This is one of the most versatile trout set ups, and can be used in almost any setting, from small streams to deep lakes. In most cases you should try to fish this rig in the middle of the water column, but can also go deeper than that if the trout are holding close to the bottom.

How to use it: Simply cast out the fishing rig and start retrieving. Depending on how deep you want to fish it, you can adjust your retrieve speed, and you can also experiment with letting the rig sink to the bottom before you start reeling it in. However, if you’re trout fishing over weed beds, make sure to keep your lure above the weeds.

If you’re interested in fishing with trout spinners, check out our complete guide to trout fishing with spinners.

Trout fishing rig setup with bobber and jig

This is a great rainbow trout rig to use if you’re fishing over weeds, as you can fish it slowly without getting the jig snagged in the weeds.

How to tie it: Depending on the depth of the water, you can use either a fixed bobber or a slip bobber.

So start by setting up one of the two bobber rigs (as described above), and instead of tying a bait hook to the end of the line, tie a 1/16 or 1/8 oz jig head to the line. Next, you can bait the jig head with any of a wide variety of plastic lures, and you’re ready to start fishing.

When to use it: This is a great trout fishing setup for beginners when fishing over weed beds, and when want to keep your lure just above the weeds. You can achieve this by setting exactly the right depth with your bobber.

This trout rig setup is also great for drift fishing in streams and rivers, and again you should adjust the setting of your bobber to present the lure just above the bottom.

How to use it: If you’re trout fishing in a lake, cast out the fishing rig and let the jig sink as far as it can (at which point the bobber stands up straight). Then lift your rod tip to retrieve the fishing rig about 4 to 5 feet, and then pause to let the jig sink down again.

What this trout fishing setup achieves is that your jig will be slowly pulled up and then allowed to sink again. In the case of a plastic worm, this results in the worm wiggling through the water, which is highly attractive to most trout.

See also: How to rig when trolling for trout

Ned rig

The ned rig is most familiar to bass anglers, but few people know that it also works really well for catching trout. The key feature of the ned rig that makes it so effective when fishing for trout is that it is usually fished with a floating plastic tail, which is ideal for catching trout.

How to tie it: This is the simplest fishing rig to tie in this collection. If you’re using fluorocarbon as your main line, you can tie that directly to the mushroom jig head of the ned rig and you’re ready to start fishing. If you’re using braided line as your main line, it’s best to use a 2 to 4 foot fluorocarbon leader, since that’s much less visible in the water.

When to use it: You can use this rig whenever trout are feeding close to the bottom, and it works equally well in lakes, rivers, and streams. The only situation when you shouldn’t use this rig is if you’re fishing in a lake with a lot of vegetation on the bottom, which is likely to get your ned rig snagged.

How to use it: Cast it out and let it sink to the bottom, then retrieve it for 3 or 4 feet with a jigging motion, and let it settle on the the bottom again. Repeat this until you get a bite.

What are the best trout rigs?

The 3 best trout rigs are:

• Slip bobber rig
• Slip sinker rig
• Spinner rig

Between them, these three setups cover all the three main types of rigging for trout, and if you can set each of them up and fish them effectively, you’re off to a great start.

The slip sinker rig is perfect for presenting a bait close to the bottom, which is the best depth to target trout in most situations.

The slip bobber rig, on the other hand, can be used to present a bait suspended underneath a bobber, which is great when fishing for trout that are active higher in the water column.

And the spinner rig is a great basic setup for active trout fishing with lures, which is an ideal way to cover a lot of water in search of hungry trout.

If you’re currently looking for a new trout rod, check out our article on what is the best rod for trout fishing?

What are the best trout bait rigs?

The 3 best trout bait rigs are:

• Slip sinker rig
• Slip bobber rig
• Fixed bobber rig

Each of these fishing rigs is well suited for baiting your hook with natural baits like worms, maggots, minnows, corn, salmon eggs, or scented baits like powerbait.

In addition, all of them can be used for fishing passively, by casting out your fishing rig and then waiting for a trout to pass by and take the bait.

Trout worm rigs

The best rigging for trout to use with worms is either the slip sinker rig, or the slip bobber rig. The former rig is the ideal choice if you know that trout are feeding close to the bottom, and the latter rig is better if trout are feeding higher in the water column.

When using a slip sinker with a worm as bait, it’s important to make sure that your baited hook floats in the water, as trout will not eat it if it’s lying directly on the bottom. Traditionally, this has been done by injecting air into the worm with a worm syringe (which you can get in most tackle shops).

More recently, many anglers are fishing with floating jig heads baited with worms to make their bait presentation float in the water, and another great trick is to put a small marshmallow on the tip of your hook, which also makes it buoyant.

Finally, no matter which trout worm rig you use, it’s usually best not to use a whole nightcrawler on your hook, as this is too big to fit into the mouth of a trout. Instead, cut off a 1 or 2 inch piece of the worm, and thread it onto the hook.

The best hook type to use for this rig is a baitkeeper hook, which prevents the worm from sliding down the shank of the hook.

Minnow rigs

The best trout rig to use with minnows is either the slip bobber rig, or the fixed bobber rig. Your hook size should be between size 8 and 12 (depending on the size of the minnow). The best way to hook a minnow for trout is through the upper lip.

Small fish form a large part of the diet of many trout species, which is why they can be such a good bait.

Bobber rigs are great for fishing with live minnows, since you can easily spot a trout bite when the bobber goes down, and this allows you to delay your hook set long enough to give the trout a little extra time to get the minnow fully inside its mouth.

Which one of the two bobber fishing rigs you choose depends on the depth of the water you want to fish in, and on the depth at which trout are active.

When fishing with live minnows as trout bait, it’s important to weigh them down with split shots, so they stay at the right depth.

Salmon egg rig

The best trout rig setup to use with salmon eggs is one of the following:

• Slip bobber rig
• Fixed bobber rig
• Drop shot rig

Your hook size should be between size 8 and 14, and if you use a larger hook, you can thread several salmon eggs onto your trout hook. No matter which fishing rig you choose, you need to cast very gently in order to avoid ripping the eggs off the hook during the casting process.

If you’re trout fishing in a lake or pond, the best choice is a bobber rig, as that allows you to present the salmon eggs suspended in the water. But if you’re trout fishing in a stream or river, you can use a bobber rig to drift the salmon eggs with the current.

Alternatively, you can also use a split shot rig to drift the salmon eggs right on top of the bottom of the stream. The latter approach is better for getting it right in front of the trout, but it’s harder to detect bites with this style of fishing.

Egg rigs also work very well for steelhead fishing, and it that’s something you’re into, check out our article on how do you rig for steelhead bank fishing?

Final remarks

This concludes our article on rigging for trout, and hopefully we’ve helped you find exactly the right rig for your fishing technique.

Different trout rigs are ideally suited for different trout fishing tactics – bait fishing, lure fishing, trout fishing from shore, trout fishing from a boat, as well as fishing in diverse bodies of water, ranging from small streams to big lakes.

Now that you understand the basics of what each of these fishing rigs is designed for, this should help you to choose the best trout setups to help you to catch more fish in your local trout fishery.

Last updated on March 11th, 2024 at 02:49 am

Are you looking for the best musky lures for 2024 summer musky fishing?

While it is impossible to say that any one single muskie lure is best, we luckily have many great options to choose from when out on the water. Below we will take a look at some of the top best musky lures of 2024, including the best musky lures for trolling, the best musky lures for summer, and the best musky lures for Lake St. Clair and really every musky-rich water body.

When the musky feeding window is open and the stars align, a giant muskie or pike will hit just about anything that moves. In those rare instances, your musky bait selection doesn’t really matter and all one needs to do is to be in the right place at the right time. If you are extremely lucky and dedicated to muskie fishing, you will experience this musky feeding-frenzy type of action once or twice a season.

The majority of your time spent muskie fishing for trophy pike and muskies, however, will be spent casting, cranking, and waiting. The right musky lure presentation will be the difference between a big bite and a follow-up. Therefore, you don’t want to spend all of your time and effort casting second-rate lures. Here is our selection of the best musky lures and northern pike fishing baits available on the market today.

Best Musky Lures 2024

1. Musky Innovations Bull Dawg – Best Musky Lures For 2024

The Musky Innovations Bull Dawg musky lure is made of 100% soft plastic. This musky lure, which is balanced with a jig-like head, swims down in the water at a 45º angle on the descent and swims horizontal during the retrieve.

Bull Dawgs can be used as a jig, jerkbait, or a crankbait. While being retrieved, this musky lure rocks back and forth as it’s long curly tail waves frantically, a great combination that tends to drives large gamefish like muskie crazy.

We find this musky lure to be one of the most versatile and best muskie lures on the market today, and possibly the best musky lures for 2024.

Wondering what is the best musky net for the money?

2. Mepps Magnum Musky Killer Bucktail – Best Musky Lures For Summer

Mepps Magnum Musky Killer is a tried and true favorite musky lure, specifically designed to catch and handle hogs. It’s no secret that BIG fish want to eat BIG baits, and the Mepps Magnum Musky Killer is among the biggest!

We consider these to be the best musky lures for summer, especially in the bucktail variety. They are made with all the qualities and features that trophy muskie and pike fishermen look for in a big musky lure for summer. Features such as easy changability, like a heavy #7 solid brass blade allowing for maximum flash, heavy-duty premium VCM 5/0 cone cut treble hooks.

This classic muskie lure weighs in at 1 1/4 ozs. Bucktails are without a doubt one of the best musky lures for summer.

3. Lixada Fishing Lures 5-12″ Multi Jointed Life-Like Swimbait Hard CrankBaits – Best Selling Musky Lure

These super life-like northern pike and muskie lures don’t carry a fancy brand name, which means they represent one of the best bangs for your bucks when it comes to musky lures. Lixada tends to be the best selling brand of these lures, however. These are also one of the best selling musky lures on Amazon.

These 5-12″ multi-jointed hard plastic musky baits are value priced and will be one of the best accessories in your musky tackle box. These muskie lures have a super realistic appearance and feature life-like swimming actions to provoke monster muskies to bite.

Features of these muskie lures include being 5-12 inches in length divided into 8-segments, double 3 set treble hooks, life-like 3D eyes, high resolution, laser sharp body detail, and a durable ABS hard plastic material ensuring long service life.

These are definitely one of the best musky lures under $25. Their low price makes them one of the best musky lures for sale.

4. Jointed Believer – Best Musky Lures For Trolling

The Jointed Believer is our top pick for the best musky lures for trolling. There are two makers of these style of musky baits that we recommend: Musky Mania and Drifter Tackle. Either one should serve you well when trolling for musky.

Musky Mania Super Believer

The Musky Mania Super Believer is a medium running plastic bait with a live action tail crankbait. The live action tail is a replaceable soft plastic.

The flash and swimming action created by the long tail, especially while trolling, gives a life-like presentation to muskies that simply cannot be duplicated by older, more conventional crankbaits. The Super Believer trolls and casts equally well, while running 12′ while trolling and 2′-6′ when casting.

Drifter Tackle Jointed Believer

The Drifter Tackle Jointed Believer musky lure is one of the most versatile musky baits on the market. It’s shallow and deep eyelet, along with its unique design and shape, enable this musky lure to be fished from topwater down to depths of 20 feet.

For fishing over thick weeds, you can retrieve this lure slowly as a topwater bait. For lighter weeds, you can use it as a twitch bait or jerk bait. You can also cast it into timber, rocks, and heavier cover working it as a crankbait.

Because this lure continues to consistently produce fish, we rank it and the one mentioned above it as the best musky lures for trolling. It has an erratic and unique action which triggers musky strikes from fish that have been presented with everything.

Need a pair of the best musky release gloves?

5. Musky Double Cowgirl Bait – Best Musky Lures For Beginners

The Musky Double Cowgirl bait by Musky Mayhem is a classic and very popular big muskie lure. Being one of the easiest musky baits to fish with, we consider these to be the best musky lures for beginners.

While it is similar to the Mepps bucktail mentioned earlier, it does differ in several ways. This muskie bait has two huge #10 spinner blades which create a large amount vibration in the water. The lure’s Flashabou skirting gives it life-like action, a larger profile, and excellent color.

Many would argue that this is the best inline spinner available, because of it’s baitfish simulating action. Being that it easy to work, can be fished in just about any conditions or terrain, is well known to produce huge musky, this is our choice for best musky lure for beginners.

6. Whopper Plopper – Best Topwater Musky Lures

The famous Whopper Plopper is our top choice for the best topwater musky lures.

The original River2Sea Whopper Plopper was designed by legendary fisherman and television personality, Larry Dahlberg. This topwater musky bait produces a sputtering surface disruption that is begging to be smashed by muskies. While it was originally created to catch musky, Dahlberg and others soon realized that bass were also highly attracted to this bait. Therefore, smaller versions were devised for bass fishermen.

You can work the Whopper Plopper super slow, so you barely hear the tail, only the tiny beads sizzling inside of it. Or, you can speed things up so the lure throws water like a flailing wounded fish. Either way has proven extremely effective.

On calm water days, it is best to run this topwater musky lure slow, as it won’t take much action to draw a muskies attention. On the other hand, during rough waters, speed up your retrieve in order to stand out among the natural water movements.

This surface musky lure casts a mile, and your ability to fish it at a wide range of speeds, makes it a deadly tool for catching musky. The River2Sea Whopper Plopper’s spinning tail is perfectly tuned right out of the box, and it is available in a variety of sizes and colors.

7. Suick Musky Thriller – Best Wooden Musky Lures

Back in the day, the original musky lures were made buy guides. The more successful the guide was, the higher prices they could charge for their services.

The first company to successfully make muskie lures that worked for musky exceptionally well was the Suick Lure Company with their “Suick Musky Thriller”, which is for sure one of the best old musky lures. The lure comes in 4”, 7”, 9”, and 10” sizes. Suick Lure Company is still in business today, so they can be ordered and this should be a staple in your musky tackle box.

Now if you study these musky baits you will notice that at the back end is a piece of metal similar to a tail. Here is a little muskie secret that you will learn only here at TigerMuskie.net that your guide will not tell you. Simply put, that metal is adjustable for changing conditions. A lot of anglers just take a lure out of the box and snap it on the end of their line and off they go. The proper way to use muskie lures that have adjustable parts is to test them out first, before you go out fishing. Make sure it is performing how it should be, and that only comes with practice and knowledge that you will gain here.

With the Suick Musky Thriller, we recommend making a slight upside down v-shape with the metal tail. Only bend the tail about 1/8th of an inch on each side. This very subtle adjust will provide much better action out of this lure, and thus produce more fish. Suicks are still definitely the best wooden musky lures.

8. Savage Gear 3D Suicide Duck

The Savage Gear 3D Suicide Duck is an amazing muskie lure that acts just like a retreating duckling making it perfect to be swallowed up by a giant muskie. This hard plastic musky lure can be fished with either long pulls or steady retrieves, slow or fast, and looks just like a real duckling!

The Savage Gear 3D Suicide Duck is conveniently designed to include both a bottom and top hook hanger, which allows you to customize the lure’s presentation based upon current conditions.

Given the lifelike features of the 3D Savage Gear Suicide Duck, it’s no surprise that it was the winner in the Hard Bait category at the 2016 ICAST event.

9. Chasebaits The Ultimate Squid Fishing Lure – Newest Musky Lures

We know what you are thinking. “What the heck is that thing?” Well, this is Chasebaits The Ultimate Squid, one of the newest musky lures on the market. Now, before you jump out of your boat, hear us out.

You might be wondering why on earth would a musky want to eat a squid, when there are no squids in fresh water. We challenge you to pose this question to anglers on Lake Michigan who have been using squid baits for years to catch giant salmon and trout on the Great Lake. The truth is, squid baits have proven to be extremely effective, even for freshwater fish.

The Chasebaits Ultimate Squid is by far the most realistic looking and life-like squid baits we have ever seen. These newest musky lures have the potential to catch massive musky. Only time will tell for sure just how effective they will be, but we highly encourage you to give them a shot.

These are definitely one of the coolest new musky lures that we have seen. Their relatively low price also makes them absolutely worth trying.

10. Cisco Kid Topper

As mentioned above, Suick has been making musky lures for decades. The Cisco Kid Topper is one of their newer, topwater musky baits.

The Suick Cisco Kid Topper looks like a little torpedo and it’s nose and tail features stainless steel propeller blades which create a large topwater disturbance which really gets the attention of any muskies in the area. This great muskie lure can be used at a fast or medium speed to keep the blades spinning properly.

When it comes to the best topwater muskie lures, this is one of our favorites.

Live Bait Musky Rigs

The old standby for musky fishing is the use of live bait. However, usng live bait musky rigs for fishing presents its own unique set of problems. One of them it that purchasing live bait can be very expensive. Live suckers which are in the 6” range and larger can cost upwards of ten dollars each or more.

Then there is the problem of keeping them fresh. In order to do that, another container must be brought into the boat, such as a five gallon bucket or a Frabill Magnum Bait Station. The larger the bait fish, the less you can carry on board or you will need a larger container. The inherent issue here is to be able to oxygenate the water to keep them alive. The more you have in the bucket, the more oxygen you’ll need to add to the water. The Frabill live well just mentioned comes with an aerator. However, if your bait station does not come with an aerator, you’ll need to pick one up. While musky lures are reusable, suckers are not.

It’s also critical that you select and use a proper live bait musky rig. Not only do you want to make sure that your expensive bait doesn’t get off, but more importantly you want to be sure that you are minimizing the chances of injuring any muskies.

You also have to ask yourself, is the live bait I am using natural bait to the water I’m fishing in? This is not to say that a muskie will not strike at any live bait presentation, but they will strike more frequently to natural bait found in the lake that you are fishing in.

Yes they work, and there are many different hooks, live bait musky rigs, and techniques of how to apply them to the end of your line. We recommend that you watch quite a few YouTube videos of how to properly rig a sucker, or hire a guide for a day to show you how to do live bait musky fishing.

Musky Lures Buyer’s Guide

When it comes to musky lures, there is no shortage of different jigs, swimbaits, crankbaits, and more available to musky fishermen. Musky baits come in all different actions, shapes, sizes, and weights. Some lures are easier to work than others, but when worked properly, each can be very effective.

Musky Lure Types

Over the past 20 years or so the number of different types of musky lures has grown substantially. Thanks to the invention of new materials and manufacturing processes, musky fishermen have been blessed (or perhaps cursed) with a plethora of options. The trend has been towards bigger and bigger musky lures.

There are so many different musky lure types and styles that we can’t possibly cover them all here. But let us take a look at some of the the most popular musky lure types.

Glide Baits

Glide baits can be one of the most effective musky lures any time of year, but they can also be one the hardest lures to work properly. Depending on your preferred style, glide baits can be retrieved fast and erratic or with a slow side-to-side action. We recommend practicing both. There are a lot of styles of musky glide baits, so try out a few different models that you can work properly and like the action of. Learning to properly work the best glide baits takes a lot of practice, but knowing how to do so is crucial if you want to catch more muskies.

Soft Plastics

Despite the fact that most soft plastic musky lures don’t resemble actual fish, they remain arguably the best musky lures of modern day. The reason for this is simple: they consistently catch musky.

Soft plastic musky baits can be cast and retrieved in a multitude of different styles, depending on the the angler and the mood of the fish. Typically, however, soft plastic musky lures are most often retrieved with a “pull, reel in the line slack, pull again” fashion. This manner of retrieve, with the rise and fall action of the bait, resembles an injured or dying baitfish. Nearby muskies will often try to take advantage of an easy meal, which a soft plastic lure can seem to be.

Perhaps the two most popular of soft plastic musky baits are the Bull Dawg and Medussa. There have been some clones of these lures come to market in recent years, and they may work equally as well for less money.

Topwaters

Topwater musky strikes are some of the most invigorating and memorable hits to watch. Once the water of the summer has warmed up, topwater musky lures work like a charm, if you know how to properly work them.

Two very popular topwater musky bait styles are Whopper Ploppers and “walk-the-dog” topwater baits. Whopper Ploppers are very easy to work, and can be very effective with a straight retrieve. On the other hand, “walk-the-dog” musky lures require some practice. These lures need to be retrieved in a side-to-side fashion with as little hesitation in-between pulls as possible, in order to be effective.

Bucktails & Spinners

Bucktails have historically been the most popular lures used by musky fishermen. What makes bucktails so great and effective is that they produce vibrations in the water pattern that a musky can easily feel. Getting the fish’s attention from a distance and triggering it’s bite response are huge advantages to bucktails.

Bucktails can be cast and retrieved at any rate of speed, dependent upon the angler and the conditions. Bucktails come with various size blades, but some of the most popular and effective ones have double 9 and double 10 blades. Musky Mayhem, Llugen Lures, and Mepps are just a few of the companies making some of the best bucktails for musky fishing today.

Warranty

Warranty of musky lures is generally a non issue. Your musky lure is not likely to simply break, or not work, like an electronic device would. Also, musky lures are subject to a lot of abuse, so you would have a difficult time proving to a manufacturer that their lure just broke on it’s own. That being said, if you do experience a problem with a lure, we suggest contacting the manufacturer. Most reputable companies will do what they can to keep you as a happy customer.

You are unlikely to ever need to file a warranty claim with a musky lure. The biggest cause of lose or damage to musky lures comes from getting snagged on rocks or other hidden debris. Nobody likes to lose a $30 lure, but it is an unfortunate part of the sport.

Price

Musky lures are not cheap. If you are new to the sport, you may be shocked to see just how expensive some baits are. On the extreme low end, cheap musky lures can be had for $4-$5. On the high end, you can expect to pay in the $20-$30 range. Custom musky lures from smaller makers can even be in the $50-$100 range.

Unlike a lot of things where higher price can often mean better performance or production, that isn’t necessarily the case with musky lures. A $100 custom lure won’t catch you any more fish than a $15 lure. We would suggest starting with the lower priced lures in the $10-$20 range. As you advance in your skills, you can consider investing in some more expensive musky lures.

Where To Buy

You can buy musky lures at most major big box sporting good stores. However, depending upon your location, the selection may be quite limited. These retailers also have higher markup on their lures, so unless you come across a sale, we don’t recommend paying full retail at a big box store for your musky lures.

Online market places such as Amazon offer a good selection of musky lures at very fair prices. You also can’t beat their customer service and return policy. Facebook musky groups and Craigslist are also good places to get custom or used musky lures at solid deals.

One last place to buy musky lures on sale is musky expos and conventions. These sports shows usually have all of the manufacturers there, both large and small, and you can often get really good deals on musky lures while at the show.

Best Musky Lures Of All Time

Musky lures have certainly evolved quite a bit over the years. From the first musky lures that were handmade, and usually made and sold by fishing guides, who sold them to their customers and local bait shops, to today’s modern musky lures made of high quality plastics and polymers. Some of the best musky lures of all time were copied from those original hand-made guide baits.

Today, some are still handmade, but mostly made by large companies like Rapala and Mepp’s to name a few. It was those first fishing guides who spent hours and hours on the water, studying the habitat, the structure, the shorelines, and water conditions, which provided the basis for their crafting of muskie lures that mimicked the natural baits in the water.

Conclusion

When you are muskie fishing, you are going to have to make a choice as far as what types of muskie lures to put on the end of your line. You have to think about what you are going to put in front of that trophy musky. If you want to get the fish to strike at your presentation, and then get it into the boat, then you are going to need to have a complete musky fishing package. That means the rod, the reel, the line, the knot you tie, the swivels, the musky baits, the leader, the net, and the boat you are using, which are all contributing factors to whether you will be successful or not. Over time you’ll develop an expertise in the proper selection of each and every one of these pieces or musky tackle. These will be the tools of your trade. The tools you’ll use to hone your craft. And that trophy fish won’t be far behind. What we are saying is that yes, lure selection is extremely important, but don’t neglect all of the other aspects of what it takes to land a giant musky.

We have just covered a few of the old tried and true best musky lures of all time. During your musky fishing lifetime you will run across many more musky lures and new innovations. The key to success is to keep trying new things, in addition to learning how to effectively use each of the baits that you already have.

We hope you have found our musky lure buying guide to be helpful. Check back often for updates to our list of the best musky lures.

Best Muskie Lures Comparison

Once the heat of summer arrives and mayfly hatches wind down, some anglers believe dry fly fishing opportunities largely disappear. While heavy hatches and water boiling with rising trout may indeed be a memory until next spring, opportunities to find fish feeding near the surface still abound. As temperatures rise, terrestrial activity increases, and it is well known that terrestrials—ants, beetles, crickets, inchworms, and more—offer excellent dry fly opportunities. But taking proper advantage of terrestrial season means covering all your bases, both above and below the water.

Get Them Wet

As noted, it is no secret that terrestrials can offer anglers superb dry fly fishing. What is less known is that terrestrials also offer some of the best subsurface opportunities of the season. Terrestrials are land dwelling insects, which makes them poorly suited for aquatic environments. Although terrestrials can and sometimes do stay afloat when they unintentionally fall into the water, they often become submerged. When a popular food source becomes submerged, the chances that a trout will decide to eat it increase. This is partially because these insects are helpless once they slip below the water’s surface, but also because trout, like most fish, are far more secure feeding when subsurface.

For fly anglers this means carrying—and fishing—both dry and sunken terrestrial patterns. In fact, even though most of what you’ll read or hear about terrestrial fishing focuses on the surface, I feel some of the best opportunities are found deeper in the water column.

Often, the best time to fish submerged terrestrials is when dry fly opportunities are present. At these times, choosing whether to fish a dry or sunken terrestrial pattern can mean deciding whether to catch a fish or two on the surface, or considerably more fish below. While I admit there are times when I prefer the excitement of surface action even if it’s intermittent, equally as often I prefer the more consistent action typical of fishing sunken terrestrials below the surface.

Heat

The hotter the weather (if water temperatures are within ethical limits to target trout) the better the terrestrial fishing will be. Warmer and drier weather not only generates terrestrial activity, it also appears to draw them closer to the streamside, where lush vegetation is in greater supply.

Wind

Warm days with strong winds are also a good time to fish terrestrials, as these winds displace these insects into nearby streams. If you’ve honed your ability to cast in windy conditions, you may also find you’ll have this wind-created “hatch” of beetles, ants, grasshoppers and more all to yourself, as foul weather keeps many anglers at home. Although most terrestrials that have been displaced by the wind will be found closer to the stream bank, your patterns are likely to produce strikes both near and far from the bank. This is especially true on smaller to medium sized streams, where the distance from drifting from bank to mid-stream is smaller than on larger streams and rivers.

Rain

A sudden rain event is another great opportunity for fishing terrestrials. I learned this quickly while fishing in northern Portugal during the 2006 World Fly Fishing Championships. Jorge Pisco, our team’s guide, mentioned that the region we were fishing was subject to afternoon thunderstorms. He then recommended we use larger ant patterns (sunken or floating) immediately after any rainstorm. The river we were fishing had dense vegetation with wide leaves full of ants. When the rain came, it created a slip-and-slide effect, flushing many of the ants into the water. Jorge’s advice turned out to be spot on for that Portugese mountain stream, and I’ve used that same approach with great success any time after a rainstorm appears during a warm day.

B-E Aggressive

Another common sense tip is to be aggressive when casting near brush, vegetation, and other overhanging obstacles. Trout not only use these objects for protection but also as a supply chain of food. And when trout are nestled deep with the comforts of prime lie—an area offering both food and shelter—rarely do they move far for food. This is where you need to present the fly within the trout’s strike zone. A basic rule of thumb is to assume you’re not fishing correctly if you’re not occasionally hanging your fly in the brush and vegetation. Don’t be afraid to lose a fly. Be aggressive.

Two Birds, One Stone

One of my favorite approaches with terrestrial fishing is “killing two birds with one stone,” with a dry-dropper approach. Often, I’ll use a hi-vis foam ant as the dry fly and attach a wet ant off the bend. When fishing shallow riffle water, I’ll use an unweighted ant. If I need to fish deeper, I’ll attach a perdigon-style wet ant. But keep in mind you don’t need to bounce bottom with drowned terrestrials, so my dropper length typically ranges between 1 and 2 feet. Most commonly, I’ll employ this dry-dropper approach when fishing deeper water, where fish are more likely to feed below the surface. When fishing shallow banks with overhanging trees, I usually stick to using a single dry fly.

Think Local

Lastly, pay close attention to what terrestrials are active in the areas you fish. For example, starting around the middle of June, a small green inchworm begins to appear on my home waters. This small, chartreuse worm must be a trout delicacy, as I’ve seen large, seasoned fish move good distances for a fallen inchworm. A small chartreuse foam cylinder tied on a long curved shank hook does a great job imitating a floating worm, while a green weenie works great as a sunken pattern. Any active terrestrials within your area can be imitated with both a floating and sunken pattern, so my advice is to be ready to fish at and below the surface during this summer season.

There should not be any land mammals living in the wild on any of the Hawaiian islands. There shouldn’t be many wild mammals, period; the only endemic mammal in Hawaii, besides marine mammals, is a single species of bat. But there are many mammals traversing the eight main islands in the archipelago today. There are wild sheep, goats, cattle, mongoose, wild boar, rabbits, rats, mice and a small but stable population of brush-tailed rock wallabies on Oahu. None of them should be there.

But the most important invasive species for a few islands, especially Maui and Molokai, is the axis deer. On Molokai, an island of only around 7,000 people, there are somewhere around 70,000 axis deer. On Maui, there are around 50,000.

The axis deer are a fascinating and multi-dimensional inhabitant. They are simultaneously invasive and part of traditional culture; they destroy food supplies and are an extremely important source of food themselves; they are protected by law and despised by some parts of law enforcement; they are wildly destructive to Hawaii and also, during the worst of COVID-19, were a beacon of hope.

***

Axis deer, which are sometimes known as chital, are native to Sri Lanka, parts of India and Nepal. They’re sometimes known as the spotted deer, because they have white spots on their tawny coats, and sometimes as the barking deer, because they are extremely vocal. They first showed up in Hawaii in 1867, given as a gift to King Kamehameha V: three bucks, four does and one male faun, for a total of eight deer. The gift-givers were from Hong Kong, then a colony of Britain. The deer were initially released on Molokai, and they multiplied quickly; some were later moved to Oahu, Lanai and, eventually, in 1959, to Maui.

“Introducing grazing animals here was considered a good thing,” says Jeff Bagshaw of the communications and outreach team for Hawaii’s Department of Forestry; he focuses on deer in Maui. Hawaii was a base to explore the Pacific and a halfway point to Asia, but some of the early sailors found it tough to restock their ships without land mammals to hunt. A few different peculiarities of the Hawaiian islands made it a great home for the axis deer. As grazers, they prefer to eat grass, but they will browse for just about anything. And Hawaiian plants, without any native mammals that might eat their leaves or shoots, never bothered to evolve thorns, spines or toxins to discourage herbivores. There’s even a variety of native Hawaiian raspberry, called the akala, that doesn’t have any thorns.

The deer found no predators in Hawaii, either; none of the wolves, big cats, terrestrial snakes or alligators that prey on them in Asia. But because they had so many predators in Asia, the deer evolved to give birth much more often than other deer species, in the hopes of outpacing the rate at which they get eaten. In Hawaii, they have no predators, but they still give birth year-round.

The dream of those early sailors was realized, but far too well: Soon, Hawaii had an absurd number of land mammals to hunt. The deer, on a few of the islands, became an environmental and sometimes a public health disaster. “They have a huge impact on all our native species,” says Bagshaw. One example: The ōhia tree, which grows in high elevation forests, is both sacred to Hawaiians and vital for the state’s water supply (when clouds come into contact with the tree, condensation forms and drips onto the ground, eventually flowing down the mountain into rivers and reservoirs). Starting in 2010, two new-to-science types of fungus were found on the tree that are harmful to it. Trees do have the ability to heal scars in their bark, which would eventually block the fungal infection, but ōhia trees heal slowly and much more slowly now because the deer nibble and rub on the bark, keeping those wounds open and the infection much more deadly.

There are more common environmental problems, too. The deer trample the land, damaging the nests of ground-nesting endemic bird species. They’ll eat a wide variety of plants, including endangered ones, which has cascading effects on insects and birds. They’ll eat just about anything, really, including crops: Farmers have reported big losses in fruit crops and vegetables, as well as damage to sugarcane. They’re a public health issue, too: They provide food for (also non-native) mosquitoes and, when they die, they can poison delicate water ecosystems. This became a much larger problem recently, when drought led to Molokai deer dying of starvation by the hundreds—although not in large enough numbers to put their population in any jeopardy. And they’re extremely dangerous to drivers; axis is just one of many deer species that seems magnetically attracted to moving vehicles.

Given all of this, it’s not unreasonable to wonder whether the deer should simply be completely eradicated from Hawaii. And, in truth, Hawaii has taken some measures to keep the deer population from spreading: It is now illegal to move deer from one island to another, and when they were illegally brought to the Big Island in 2009, it took only a few years for the government to remove them all. Even in Maui, the Department of Forestry will remove deer from particularly delicate ecosystems, especially watersheds or places where there are endangered species, provided those places are on state land. “We’re the most isolated landmass on the planet,” says Jake Muise, one of the owners of Maui Nui, a commercial venison operation in Maui. (Muise also handled removing the deer from the Big Island, a few years back.) “If our watersheds aren’t functioning properly…water is the most valuable thing we have.”

Hawaii’s governor, David Ige, has committed to what’s referred to as the “30 by ’30” plan: to fence in 30 percent of the state’s priority watersheds by 2030, largely to protect them from the deer. That may not sound like all that ambitious of a plan—only 30 percent?—but the difficulty of constructing this fencing is truly staggering. Bagshaw says that a minimum height of seven feet is necessary for hog fencing to keep out the deer, and Muise says that even that isn’t guaranteed; the deer are clever and persistent. They’d love to construct 12-foot fences instead, with proper skirting on top and bottom, but the expense is daunting. All the steel must be imported from the mainland, and constructing long expanses of fencing on extremely rugged state lands, over rivers and creeks and mountains, is a major undertaking. That same cost of installing fencing can eat into farmers’ profits too much for it to be worth it.

But for whatever efforts the Department of Forestry has taken, the process for actually eradicating these deer from Hawaii would be insanely expensive and maybe impossible; while the Department can remove deer from state land, that land is often remote and rugged and not really the preferred habitat for the deer. Getting permission from every private landowner with deer on their property, and figuring out the liability situation for having government agents with guns there, all in the service of somehow killing and removing more than a hundred thousand deer? It’s just not going to happen.

Another reason it’s not going to happen, beyond the practicalities, is that, according to Bagshaw, the deer are legally protected. The state constitution, dating back to at least 1950, has included a clause meant to protect the traditional subsistence practices of Hawaiians. But therein lies the question: What exactly is “traditional”? Hawaiian courts have set the precedent that any practice that existed in Hawaii before November 25, 1892 counts as “traditional.” That date was chosen for its importance to Hawaiian law; it was the last reorganization of the Kingdom of Hawaii’s judiciary system prior to American annexation. And the axis deer, of course, had arrived a couple of decades prior to that date. So the law that protects traditional subsistence practices applies, just barely, to a wildly destructive invasive species.

Not only is the Department of Forestry not allowed to completely eradicate axis deer from Hawaii, it is theoretically required to ensure that the population is stable and secure. Of course, that’s not a problem it’s really worrying about; the deer is so overpopulated that the idea of saving the deer is laughable. But it would have to, if it came to that.

***

Despite the fact that the axis deer doesn’t belong in Hawaii, that bit about it being protected as a subsistence practice isn’t actually that crazy. Deer hunting, although only 150 years old, has legitimately become a tradition on the islands of Molokai, Maui and Lanai. Deer, especially but not exclusively in the more rural parts of those islands, is a major part of the culture. Many families have extra chest freezers to store axis deer, and you can find it on the grill at backyard barbecues. (Most often, it’s sliced thin and marinated in teriyaki sauce, according to Muise.)

The deer also serves a pretty vital role as a source of protein. While Hawaii was perfectly capable of feeding its own population prior to European contact, the late 19th and early 20th centuries destroyed Hawaiian agriculture. Instead of planting crops that could feed the Hawaiian people, such as taro, breadfruit and coconut, Europeans (and soon, Americans) tore all that out to plant the crops that could feed foreign imperialists, such as sugarcane and pineapple. By 1936, Hawaii was, according to a University of Hawaii study, in desperate straits: Only 37 percent of its food was grown locally. The rest was, and remains today, imported, at great expense and significant risk, mostly from the mainland United States.

On Lanai, for example, the 3,100 or so residents rely in large part on the barges that deliver their food. If there’s a disruption in that service, from, say, a devastating global pandemic, store shelves are empty. Those on Lanai and Molokai, and to a lesser extent Maui, have to figure out some other way to feed themselves, and the incredibly abundant axis deer are a major part of that equation.

Of course, the deer aren’t exclusively a help. Fresh produce imported from the mainland is quite expensive in Hawaii, and backyard gardening is more than just a hobby for many Hawaiians. But as anyone who lives near a deer population knows, there are few things deer like more than absolutely destroying a carefully planted garden. They are damnably difficult to keep out, requiring at least an eight-foot fence, which is not affordable for most people. So the deer provide subsistence, but they also might take some away.

The Department of Forestry is engaged in an awkward dance regarding the deer. It can’t eradicate the deer, even if that makes ecological sense. But it’s also the agency that hands out hunting permits, and boy, is it ever handing them out. “On Maui and Molokai, there is no bag limit and there is no season,” says Bagshaw. “You can hunt ’em like a videogame from sunrise to sunset, if you want.” The permits cost $20 for the year and require no more than a gun license and an easy online application. Frankly, the Department of Forestry would love it if hunting was even more common than it is.

But the state’s resources for actually dealing with the deer problem are extremely limited. With most of the deer on private land, the ability to actually hunt on prime land tends to come down to one-on-one relationships between landowner and hunter, which isn’t much good for efficiency.

Commercial operations have been slow to take hold. Muise, a Canadian who came to Hawaii on a volleyball scholarship more than 20 years ago and never left, started Maui Nui with his wife, Ku’ulani. Muise grew up in an extremely rural part of far northern Alberta, and the self-reliant subsistence he learned there carried over to a place that’s about as different, ecologically, as any place on the planet. Maui Nui is one of the only companies selling axis deer commercially at scale, and the reason for that is, well, it’s insanely difficult to do so.

“The process of harvesting a wild animal has crazy amounts of overhead that go into it,” says Muise. It is legal to give hunted meat to anyone you want, in the United States, but to sell it, it has to be inspected. Unlike some states, Hawaii has no state meat inspection service, so Maui Nui has to go straight to the USDA. On every single hunt, a USDA inspector must accompany Maui Nui’s hunters and examine every single wild axis deer for health before giving a thumbs up to the hunter to take a shot. And that hunter can only take that one shot; the USDA regulations for humane commercial hunting strictly require that the animal be rendered unconscious immediately, with a single shot to the skull. This process is slow and liable to spook the deer, so it has to be done at night, when the deer are more calm, which requires all kinds of equipment. Maui Nui’s hunters use military-grade infrared binoculars and, as of recently, a drone, to locate deer in the dark.

Until very recently, there were no USDA-approved butchers for deer in Maui, so Maui Nui had to, at truly ridiculous expense, send whole deer carcasses via barge to processors on the mainland, and then have the broken-down deer shipped back. It now has its own butcher, but all of this—the equipment, the hunting training, the hourly fee for the USDA inspections, the butchering facility—requires an insane level of investment. The idea of, say, selling axis deer in Whole Foods? It’s not nearly as easy as going hunting.

Other states have programs to make use of overpopulated game animals. In Pennsylvania, a public-private partnership called Hunters Sharing the Harvest operates a network of deer processors throughout the state. Hunters can bring in a kill to any of these facilities, it’ll be broken down and venison—highly valuable protein!—will be put into the food bank system. Hawaii has no version of this, owing to the lack of state resources to inspect and approve processors. And that’s especially galling, because, unlike the white-tailed deer of Pennsylvania, the axis deer in Hawaii is apparently delicious. As a subtropical species, the axis deer has much less intramuscular fat, which carries that gamey flavor that many find unpleasant in other deer species. “When we talk about people eating venison, there’s a general apprehension because it’s most associated with something gamey they’ve had in the past,” says Muise. But he describes axis deer as an extremely clean, non-gamey meat, somewhere between beef and lamb in flavor.

To Muise, there’s a balancing act involved and some point at which the damage caused by the deer and the value of the animal to Hawaiian society can meet in the middle. But his operation by itself isn’t nearly large enough to slow down the population growth of the deer, let alone reduce the population to a sensible number. Neither the public nor the private sector has the ability to get the axis deer under control. And given their damage to public health, the delicate ecosystem of these islands and agriculture, the time might have come for a better plan.

If you want a powerful, versatile lighting solution, the best flashlights still offer advantages over headlamps in many scenarios.

Flashlights point wherever you want, not just where your head is pointing. Also, due to fewer weight constraints, they tend to have more powerful, longer-lasting batteries and incredible power for modest-sized devices.

And to be honest, I’m a flashlight buff. Yes, I also use headlamps a lot when I’m outdoors. But more often than not, I grab a small flashlight from my truck center console and, if I need two hands for a project, clasp it in my teeth. I just love having the ability to point it wherever I want without having to crane my neck in a specific direction.

So if you love torches, read on for what we’ve determined to be the best flashlights available today. Because GearJunkie focuses on the outdoors, I rated these based on weight, size, battery life, color rendering, and lighting versatility. You can learn a lot more about how I tested and chose these flashlights below, but right up top, I’d like to state that this guide focuses on truly excellent flashlights that can perform day in and day out — whether you use a light professionally or simply need one for camping or to store at home for a power outage.

This isn’t a list of “light cannons,” as you’ll rarely need one million candlepower model. But, I did include one monster in case super-powered lighting is your jam.

Be sure to read the buyer’s guide and frequently asked questions for helpful tips. Also, have a look at our comparison chart to help steer your decision-making.

Editor’s Note: For our September 6th, 2024 update, we tested the Coast G32 and added it to our lineup. This model is a good budget choice with the option to upgrade to a rechargeable battery.

The Best Flashlights of 2024

• Best Overall Flashlight: FENIX PD36R PRO
• Best Budget Flashlight: ThruNite Archer 2A V3 Cool White
• Best Value Zooming Flashlight: Coast G32
• Best EDC Flashlight: NITECORE EDC27
• Most Versatile Flashlight: NITECORE P20iX 4000 Lumen USB-C Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight
• Best Flashlight With Long Range: Olight Warrior X Pro
• Best Flashlight With Zooming Lens: LEDLENSER MT10 Flashlight
• Best Flashlight for Mechanics: Blackfire Rechargeable Weatherproof Magnetic Flashlight With Lantern

Flashlights Comparison Chart

Why You Should Trust Us

In short, our primary flashlight testers are not just super into the outdoors; they’re also flashlight nerds. We really love the technology that goes into flashlights and headlamps. As the author of this article, I personally spend hours every month testing the newest flashlights to see if they can outperform our favorites listed here.

For the record, it takes a long time and impressive performance for a flashlight to earn a spot in this article. I constantly test new flashlights and updates from our favorite brands and update this article many times each year to keep it up to date with the best flashlights available.

This article has evolved significantly since it was first published back in 2018. At that time, it explained in depth why I love flashlights, and how they are different in use from headlamps. I still love flashlights for their directionality and ease of use in many situations. However, our team has done much more testing since this guide’s inception — and has new recommendations based on those results.

So, how do I test flashlights? First, I use them in controlled environments, measuring both runtime and brightness compared to claimed numbers. I put them on a scale to check the weights. I submerse them in water and drop them onto concrete.

These flashlights also get significant field testing. Our team takes them on all kinds of adventures — hiking, mountaineering, backpacking, hunting, boating, and camping are all part of the mix. Most of our team’s tests occur in the mountains of Colorado and fields and forests of the Midwest.

I take all this information and experience and compile the best advice for you. Over the years I’ve tested about 50 flashlights specifically for this buyer’s guide, selected from hundreds pitched to me by brands and examined at events like SHOT Show and the Outdoor Retailer convention. My goal is to give you the same advice I give my best friends.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Flashlight

There are a few important specs to consider when choosing a flashlight: size and weight, max power output (usually noted in lumens), minimum power output, runtime (especially in lower modes), durability, and waterproofness.

Before we get into some of those details, I’d like to share some details about how I chose flashlights to test for this article. And there have been a lot of them.

First, I look for flashlights that work well for both home and outdoor use. This means I look for higher output than flashlights intended primarily for indoor use. I also only include flashlights that can function after at least a 1m drop, are water-resistant, and have a max runtime of at least 8 hours — enough to get you through a summer night at a minimum.

Next comes the question of batteries. Because of the efficiency of modern flashlights, there are now just two real choices: flashlights that run on AA or AAA batteries, or rechargeable flashlights that run off one of many higher-end battery systems and are almost always included in the light. Gone are the days of giant D-cell flashlights. But there is still a significant argument between those who believe disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries are better. I will get into it more below, but our team likes rechargeable batteries more in most cases.

Lumens: Max Output

For most campers, anything over 1,000 lumens is overkill. You’ll often find yourself using much lower settings, especially around camp. However, those big numbers can be nice, especially if you need to see faraway objects.

Battery Life

Another important consideration is if the flashlight uses its own rechargeable battery or if it runs on disposable batteries. Most people will get more value out of a flashlight that offers long runtimes and is easy to recharge.

Battery Type

As noted above, our team prefers rechargeable batteries in most situations. Most rechargeable batteries, such as the 21700 rechargeable li-ion battery included in the Fenix PD36R PRO, offer superior performance to both disposable and rechargeable AA or AAA batteries. But more importantly, flashlights that include this type of high-end rechargeable battery do not have hidden costs. And those who will use a battery more than casually will find that the cost of batteries will very quickly add up to more than the cost of the flashlight.

Next, rechargeable flashlights generally have a charging port or system built in. As you can see with our choices, our favorite flashlights today use USB-C charging. This is quickly becoming the industry standard as it is much faster than micro-USB charging. And unlike magnetic charging systems (or other proprietary chargers), you can easily find a USB-C cable anywhere and likely own several already.

One final note on AA and AAA batteries. Some folks argue that it is easier to replace batteries in the field than to charge them. Our testers have carried small battery chargers on many adventures, and they work great with flashlights for long trips. For trips over a week or two in length, though, disposable batteries still have an edge.

So keep battery and charging style in mind when you buy a flashlight. It will make a difference when you’re packing for a trip as to how many cables you’ll need to bring, or if you’ll need to buy batteries continually through the life of the product.

However, it’s convenient to quickly change batteries and refresh your flashlight in the field. Both are valid options but consider how you’ll use the light (and if you mind constantly buying new batteries).

Quality and Output

Modern LED flashlights vary in the quality of their color rendering, meaning you can see color better with some higher-end lights. The best flashlights on the market should always give you a colorized, realistic view.

Better-quality lights also tend to have more efficient LEDs. Some even have “regulators” that electronically manage the power output, resulting in consistent lighting. To expand on that, first understand that most flashlights, even very good ones, lose a little output as they run and deplete the battery. Better flashlights use a regulator to manage this drop-off. Poor flashlights tend to lose power consistently over time, gradually becoming less and less useful as the battery slowly drains.

FAQ

Terry Drury Explains What Thirteen Is

Editor’s Note: Mark and Terry Drury have been a part of the Mossy Oak family as long as there has been M.A.D. Calls and Drury Outdoors that produces videos and TV shows. But the history of the Drury brothers and Mossy Oak goes back even farther than the history of Drury Outdoors. Mark Drury was a salesman for Mossy Oak in Missouri, Iowa and Kansas while in college, but Mark did more than sell Mossy Oak camouflage. He was one of the early members of the Mossy Oak family. When Mark and his brother Terry founded Drury Outdoors, Mossy Oak was right there for them and with them. According to Terry Drury, “Some of our best friends in the early days were Toxey Haas, the creator of Mossy Oak, and his dad, Fox Haas, Ronnie “Cuz” Strickland, Bill Suggs and the late Bob Dixon. Our company and our family plans to continue with Mossy Oak, until we go out of business, or we pass away.” Drury Outdoors produces “Bow Madness,” “Dream Season,” and “Thirteen,” all TV shows airing on the Outdoor Channel. The company also produces “Natural Born,” which airs on the Pursuit Channel. Also “King of the Spring” may return in the spring of 2015 on the Outdoor Channel.

“Our show, ‘Thirteen’ is the way Mark and I have divided-up deer season from what we’ve observed, documented and used to predict the movement patterns of older-age-class bucks throughout the 13 weeks of deer season,” Terry Drury explains. “In the 13 weeks that the show airs, we’ll be sharing all the information we have and use each season to consistently take trophy bucks all across the United States. We also allow the viewers to see the mistakes and blunders that we make as well as our successes.”

Phase one of “Thirteen” is titled, “In the Beginning” and runs from September 13 – September 25. At this time of year, not having much wind and having warm-to-hot temperatures are the factors that most impact deer movement. Here’s what we do. We study the most recent Reconyx trail-camera pictures we have, and we hunt the does. We never hunt in the mornings, and we never try to take an older-age-class buck during this period. Everyone needs to assess the buck-to-doe ratio of the whitetails on their properties every year before deer season starts. In areas with many more does than bucks, then you need to harvest does with a bow then, if your state allows harvesting does with bows. That’s exactly what we do. We try not to hunt anywhere we know a mature buck has been seen by our trail cameras, and we try to hunt the fringe regions of our property.

EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) hit our deer herd pretty hard last year, especially our mature bucks. To balance the buck-to-doe ratio on our land, to sharpen our skills as hunters and to improve the accuracy we’re attempting to achieve with our bows, we use the “In the Beginning Time” of deer season to prepare to hunt and take older-age-class bucks. Many hunters prefer to take does at the end of the season after the bucks have finished breeding. However, we prefer to take does at the beginning of the season to sharpen our hunting and woodsmanship skills and also to reduce our doe population before breeding season starts.

We don’t hunt in the mornings during Phase 1, because just before daylight and right at daylight is when the older-age-class bucks are moving. We’re more likely to spook them then than we are to harvest them. If your trail cameras don’t produce pictures of a mature buck moving during daylight hours, then you’re almost doing more harm than good by hunting early in the morning.

Here’s the exception to that rule. If an unusually cold front moves through our hunting lands, giving the mature bucks a reason to move, then we may hunt them. But at this time, the pictures you’ll most often get on your trail cameras will be from 4:30 pm until 4:30 am, which means you won’t have an opportunity to take them with a bow. When we’re hunting deer, Mark and I have our own Hippocratic Oath – do no harm. We feel you’re doing more harm than good for your hunting area, if you’re walking around there and having your scent there at a time when you’re less likely to see a buck.

Too, one question Mark and I often are asked is, “When hunting in hot weather, how do you keep the biting flies, mosquitoes, gnats and no-see-ums off you?” Mark and I both use Thermacell that puts out an odor that I’m convinced won’t spook the deer but do get rid of the bugs. If the bugs are going to be really thick, I’ll use two or three Thermacells.

Tomorrow: Terry Drury Explains Phase 2 – Greener Pastures Deer Hunting – September 25 – October 12

This post covers the best beginner compound bows for hunting for both youths and adults. These bows are excellent choices for the money and are also high-quality, making them a great value.

There’s no sense in spending a lot of money if you, a youngster, or someone you’re buying for is just getting into bowhunting. A first bow is supposed to be effective but not break the bank. That said, you don’t want to go too cheap or the bow or its parts might end up breaking or make the bow inaccurate, leading to frustration.

Fortunately, there are some great options on the market that are good quality for the price. I’ve listed some of the best beginner compound bows for hunting below.

This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use my links, but it does help fund these posts in hopes of bringing more value to you!

Best Adult Beginner Compound Bows For Hunting

Bear Archery Cruzer G-2 RTH Compound Bow Package

The Bear G-2 has been one of the best-selling bows for beginners in the industry because it’s a ready-to-hunt (RTH) out-of-box budget compound bow package that has a smooth draw cycle, incredible adjustability, and just feels great in the hand. For these reasons, it’s won the hearts of both youth and adult beginner bowhunters.

It has an adjustable draw length of 12-30 inches and an adjustable draw weight of 5 to 70 lbs. This allows new bowhunters to grow with their bow as they progress. Also, Bear Archery is a reputable brand that has been creating bows for a long time.

As I write this post, you can still get the Cruzer G-2 at a very good price, however, Bear seems to be phasing the G-2 out and replacing it with the G-3, so get it while you can!

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Bear Archery Cruzer G-3 RTH Compound Bow Package

The G-3 is the next generation of the G-2. The G-3 has an adjustable draw length of 14-30 inches and an adjustable draw weight of 10 to 70 lbs making it slightly less adjustable than the G-2. However, the reduction in adjustability has given it improvements in performance. The most obvious is the 75% let-off, a +5% increase, making it easier for beginners to hold the bow back. All of the accessories are Trophy Ridge.

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Diamond Archery Edge 320 Compound Bow Package

Diamond is another well-known bow company that makes great bows for beginners. Their Edge 320 is one of the best bows for beginners because of its adjustability. The draw length is adjustable from 15-31 inches, and the draw weight is adjustable from 7-70lbs. You can find this bow at about the same price as the Cruzer G-3.

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Diamond by Bowtech Prism Compound Bow Package

The Diamond Prism is another great bow for youngsters and adults. The draw length is adjustable from 18-30 inches which fits the majority of hunters and the draw weight adjustable from 5-55 lbs. This bow can grow with the hunter and with these specs, it will fit both teenagers and adults.

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Sanlida Archery Dragon X8 RTH Compound Bow Package

This is one of the most popular hunting bows on Amazon because it’s cheap, adjustable, ready to hunt, and it works. It has an adjustable draw length of 18-31″ and an adjustable draw weight of 0-70 lbs.

The adjustability at this price point makes it one of the best hunting bows for the money. The 31″ max draw length is great for individuals with a longer wingspan. Most bows offer up to a 30″ draw length so it’s great to see a budget bow with a longer draw length.

I’m not sure about the build-quality long term, I suggest buying from a reputable bow company.

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Best Youth Beginner Compound Bows For Hunting

These bows are not designed for adults, they are for youth bowhunters only. Bows in this category will likely need to be upgraded once the kids get older and outgrow their bows. These bows are perfect for kids that are younger than teenagers but are adjustable enough to last them through all or most of their teenage years.

These bows offer some better benefits than the highly adjustable bows for both you and adults. For example; they are smaller and lighter weight making them more manageable to hold for smaller and younger kids. Also, they’re generally cheaper for these reasons.

Bear Archery Royale RTH Youth Compound Bow

This is one of Bear Archery’s bows designed specifically for youth hunters. It has an adjustable draw length of 12″-27″, adjustable weights of 5-50lbs, only 27″ inches axel-to-axel, and only 2.7 lbs without the accessories, making it one of the best bows for youngsters, especially for the price.

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PSE Archery Mini Burner RTS Compound Bow Package

The PSE Mini Burner is another great option. It’s a small bow with a lot of adjustability for youth hunters. For example, the bow only weighs 2.5 lbs, the draw weight can be adjusted from 5-40 lbs so any young hunter can pull it back, and the draw length is adjustable from 16 – 26.5 inches. This is one of the best sub-300$ bows for youth hunters.

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Diamond by Bowtech Atomic Youth Compound Bow Package

This is Diamond Archery’s bow is the ultimate youth bow for the youngest bowhunters. The draw length is adjustable from 12-24 inches making, so it fits the smallest of youth hunters. The draw weight is adjustable from 6 to 29 lbs, which makes it too light for deer hunting. But it’s a great bow for hunting smaller animals and introducing youngsters to bowhunting. The bow only weighs 1.9 lbs making it the lightest bow on this list. It’s only 24 inches axle to axle, also making it the shortest bow on this list.

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What To Look For In A Compound Bow For Hunting

In order to get the most for your money there are a few things to consider before purchasing your first bow to ensure you get the most out of it:

Adjustability

For a beginner, a highly adjustable bow is recommended because it will allow the bowhunter to grow with the bow and prevent the bowhunter from outgrowing the bow.

Draw Length

Youth bowhunters will want a bow that has a highly adjustable draw length because it will allow them to grow with the bow instead of outgrowing the bow and needing to buy a new bow.

Draw Weight

An adjustable draw weight is important for youth and adult hunters because as you become stronger you’ll want to increase your draw weight so you can shoot arrows faster, flatter, and more accurately. You’ll also want to be able to start at low poundage and work your way up to higher poundages gradually.

Bow Size (Length, Weight, and Width)

Take into consideration the size of the bow you’re buying. For example, if you’re hunting you might want a short, lightweight, and slim bow that is easy to carry through the brush.

Speed (to an extent)

Speed is important to an extent, but do not fixate on this as a new bowhunter and just buy the fastest bow in your price range. It is better to have a bow that feels good to use.

Draw Cycle Smoothness

The draw cycle has a lot to do with how a bow feels. A smooth drawing bow will feel better in the hand so it is important to try as many bows as you can out to see what you like best before buying a bow.

Let-off

Compound bows are great because they have let-off which reduces the lbs you hold back at full draw. This makes it easier to hold a bow back at full draw for longer periods of time, which is very helpful in hunting situations. Let off is the % of draw weight you are holding at full draw.

So, if you have a 50 lbs draw weight and you have an 80% let-off then you are only holding 10 lbs at full draw. A good let-off is helpful, especially for beginners.

Ready to Hunt Packages

Ready-to-hunt bowhunting packages are great for beginner bowhunters because you don’t have to spend time figuring out all of the accessories for a bow, the bow comes with them. This is a great way to get more for your money too.

As you improve as a bowhunter and learn more you can buy replacement accessories that are of higher quality. This is another great way compound bows grow with you.

Don’t Buy A Used Hunting Compound Bow (Beginners Only)

Many times new bowhunters will buy a used cool-looking bow from someone only to find out that the bow isn’t adjustable enough to fit them. I recommend buying new for your first bow and working with a pro shop to tune the bow and arrows specifically to your body. This way you’ll ensure the bow is shooting the way it is intended to for the most accuracy.

Don’t Buy Soley Based on Bow Specs

It’s important to get your hands on as many compound bows as possible and to try them out in the archery range before spending your money. Each bow will feel different to you. You want the bow that is most comfortable for you.

Print out this list of the best beginner compound bows and bring it with you to the archery shop near you. Try out as many as you can to see what you like best.

Even if you see a better deal online, go into the store and try them out. You’re not obligated to buy a bow after trying them out, so you can go back home and order the one you like best online. This way you’re making a more educated purchase.

More Bowhunting Resources For Beginners:

The Best Anchor Point For Drawing A Bow

27 Best Bowhunting Gifts For Bowhunters In 2024

Top 5 Most Comfortable Tree Saddles For Saddle Hunting [2024]

Reputable Hunting Bow Brands

• Bear Archery
• PSE Archery
• Diamond Archery
• Mathews Archery
• Bowtech Archery
• Hoyt Archery
• Prime Archery
• Xpedition Archery
• Elite Archery

Stores That Carry Hunting Bows

Some great places to find hunting bows include:

• Amazon – Free Two-Day Shipping For Prime Members
• Cabela’s – Free Shipping on Orders Over 50$
• L.L. Bean – Free Shipping on Orders Over 50$
• Kittery Trading Post
• Walmart
• Dick’s Sporting Goods
• Local Archery Shops

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• Instagram

In terms of the biggest tuna ever caught, you are looking at a monster that weighed 1496 pounds. The beast was a bluefin tuna and was nabbed off the coast of Nova Scotia. How big do tuna get? Well, they grow huge, but the maximum size will depend on the species of tuna and the Gulf of Mexico is a haven for tuna of all sizes. [1]

Tuna Species of the Gulf of Mexico

Tuna fish size ranges from the smaller Tunny and Skipjack to the massive bluefin and yellowfin.

Yellowfin – Fish with Baitfish, Squid, or Crustaceans

Yellowfin are found the world over, they are one of the most targeted tuna with around 12 million pounds caught by rod and reel around the world. [2] Yellowfin can grow to six feet in length and over 400 pounds.

Bluefin – The Biggest of the Tuna Species

If you are looking for a monster game fish, the bluefin tuna is likely a good target. They can grow to 13 feet in length and weigh upwards of 2000 pounds. That’s a ton of fish that is as long as two NBA basketball players. The record for a pole-caught blue tuna is 1495 pounds.

Blackfin – A Smaller, but Fun Tuna

Blackfin tuna reach a size of 39 inches and a weight of 46 pounds. Most anglers would rather target yellowfin or the elusive bluefin tuna, but the blackfin tuna is a strong fighter and very good to eat.

Little Tunny – A smaller variety with Trophies in the 30-37 pound range

Little tunny is a schooling tuna that feed on baitfish and crustaceans. You find them in open waters and along the coastal waters. Fishing little tunny is a big sport because while they are smaller tuna, they are strong, and they fight hard. You can also use little tunny as live or cut bait for bigger tuna and shark fishing. [3]

Skipjack – A Trophy is 25-33 Pounds

Skipjack is similar to little tunny in that they stay small and are schooling fish. You can target them with herring or baitfish, and you will find them in coastal and deep waters off of Florida and around the Gulf. These are not the biggest tuna, but they put up an amazing fight. Even at 20 pounds, they will bend the rod and fight.

Albacore – Thunnus alalunga – A True Tuna

A big albacore is going to be around 39 inches though as a species they can reach lengths upward of 51 inches. Unlike many tuna, you find albacore in schools without other species of tuna. By nature, these are highly migratory fish, and finding them may mean focusing on baitfish. April and May and Late fall are the best times to target albacore. [4]

Bigeye – A bigger version of Yellowfin

A trophy bigeye tuna will approach 5 feet in length. According to Sport Fishing Magazine, the record for bigeye tuna is 392 pounds six ounces. Bigeye are often found near the surface where they feed on baitfish, but they can also be deep at over 800 feet. [5]

Some of The Top Tuna Species Caught in the Gulf of Mexico

The holy grail of tuna fishing is the bluefin tuna. They are elusive fish that seem to be on everyone’s bucket list of big fish. In truth, the blackfin is likely to be a bigger fish. Yellowfin are another top tuna species for anglers who want to battle big fish.

In comparison, the world record for yellowfin is 388 pounds 12 ounces but in Florida, the record is 240 pounds. [6] According to American Oceans, the biggest bluefin tuna is 1496 pounds. [7] That is a massive difference in size which is why almost everyone wants to battle a bluefin. Our list of top tuna includes:

• Bluefin
• Blackfin
• Yellowfin
• Bigeye

What’s the biggest tuna ever caught?

The biggest tuna ever caught was the 1496-pound bluefin. In the Gulf of Mexico, the biggest tuna ever caught is thought to be the bluefin tuna caught by Ron Roland off the coast of Louisiana. It topped the scales at 1152 pounds. Both of these catches tell us why bluefin tuna is on everyone’s fishing bucket list. [8]

Conclusion

If you are wondering how to catch a tuna, the options are fairly simple – deep sea fishing while trolling with live or cut bait. One of the problems with fishing tuna in the Gulf is that the geologic structure of the Gulf is diverse. You need a captain that understands the topography of the deep water and the location of deep structures.

Tuna – all species – are highly migratory. So, fishing them requires that you know where they are right now as their location is not static. Many species of tuna range from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and elsewhere in the tropical waters of the globe. Even smaller species of tuna or small fish will put you on par with some of the best game fish on the globe.

Silver salmon, for example, is one of the most sought-after fighting fish around, and they weigh around 20 pounds. They do not compare in fight and strength to a small tuna. That is why tuna fishing is so popular. Not only do they fight hard, but they also taste good too.

While tuna is available all year long, April and May are great months to target tuna off the coast of Florida. November and December can also be peak months for tuna fishing in the Gulf while the summer months are busy for tuna anglers. What do you do between April and November? You fish for tuna or other big fish. A charter boat is probably going to be one of the best options you have to fish tuna during their peak season and also during the off-season.