# Line for clear water?



## TeamPlaker (Jul 5, 2006)

Anyone have recommendations for line to use in clearer water?


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

I would use the same line as you normally would (high test braid i'm assuming), but I would use a flourocarbon leader. Stealth tackle (http://www.stealthtackle.net/) makes a fantastic leader that will perform well with any lure.


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## TeamPlaker (Jul 5, 2006)

Yeah, I use 50 lb. braided line. Didn't think about adding a flouro leader... thanks.


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

Yeah, the stealth leaders are awesome. They hold up incredibly well, way more durable and versitile than singe strand wire leaders. Also, you can save some cash in the long run if you buy a leader kit, where you can create your own flouro leaders in any size for about half the price.


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

I'll second the flouro leaders. I bought the stuff to make my own last Spring and made 3' trolling leaders out of 120 lb Yo-Zuri HD Carbon. I'm still using the first two!


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## magnus (Mar 10, 2008)

This is a no brainer. Flouro leaders are the key and make your own it is a lot cheaper and it is just tying a few knots. We started to catch a lot more fish when we made the switch. Whats going on Steve any luck at WB?? I am really going to try and learn the lake better next year. Leesville is the beginners lake, i need to make the switch full time to WB. Phil (striper4life) just got a house right by Berlin. I saw an article that some Ohio organization had Berlin as a good musky lake. I know its the only lake with natural reproduction, but are overall numbers anygood? Basically is it worth a musky fishermans time? I would say no.


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

I was told that this photo is from Berlin many years back. Notice the OHMC emblem on the hat. Berlin does have monsters. You may have to put in a whole summer, but it would be worth it


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Hah, really! I figured they would cut off... I think I'll give that a shot  I put a 10 lb floro leader on once, and got 4 hits in a half hour... then threw my wire leader back on and got bored waiting on the fish. Muskie are far more line shy than anyone gives em credit for, IMO.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

MJ, where did you dig up that relic photo from? lol That's friggin sweet!

As for musky being line shy I say, YEAH RIGHT! Maybe in some circumstances......like casting in an ultra clear lake(we don't have anything in Ohio that would be classified as "ultra clear"). However, when you're trolling at 3.5 to 4.5 mph with big deep diving cranks............you can use spotted dacron which is about as visible as water ski rope and catch fish.

Also, 50 lb test is kind of on the light side for a musky rig. I use 65 lb Spiderwire Ultracast and I know some guys use 80 or 100 lb Spectron. I might use 50 lb in the spring or during cold water periods when I am typically throwing smaller baits. I sure wouldn't go tossing around any pounders with it though.


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

Mangus, I wouldn't target Berlin. Yes there are some but I don't think it would compare to WB or Milton. Some guys get some fish back in that creek that is on the south side of the camp grounds and goes east. Can't think of the name of it right now. WB has been slow. I was out last Friday morning and Saturday late afternoon. One really big hit on Friday. It peeled off 20' of line in a heartbeat and let go. Still amazes me those fish can grab a 10" lure full of needle sharp hooks traveling at 4 to 5 mph and just let go without getting hooked. Makes your heart stop though. Nothing Saturday.

Critter, I don't know how much, if at all, the fluoro helps in our lakes as far as line shyness but they hold up incredibly. I fish deeper than most and bang the bottom. With that comes my share of snags. Probably one or two a trip. I'm still using the same two I tied on in the Spring.

Clayton, I hope that 10 lb was a typo.


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## esox62 (May 19, 2006)

ive had 50 lb braid snap, casting. i use 65 now and 80 for trolling. i havent found any difference in two y ears of flouro vs. wire leaders as of yet. but it has held up well and i do like the invisibility. that is a great photo jim. where did you find it? berlin had a reputation awhile back of giving up a 40 lber each year ,but that has waned . i got one up mill creek a couple yrs ago. i was amazed to see muskies in 82 degree water way up a creek in summer chasing shad balls in 4 fow...but yeah i would concentrate on the branch or milton instead of berlin. it is a huge, huge lake to learn. but mill creek i s t he place to go if you choose.


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

The photo was sent to me by a friend who went to Kent State with me. He said his Dad (who is deceased) used to fish Berlin all the time back in the 70s and 80s for skiis. He lives literally 5 minutes down the road. The fish is an absolute boss, and the marker on the back said it was 53", 42 pounds. I scanned it at work a while back.

Anyone know anything else about this photo? There are a lot of guys from OHMC on here, that's why I'm asking. I'd love some insight if anyone knows anything!


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## esox62 (May 19, 2006)

"ABSOLUTE BOSS" is the perfect description...staring again at this beast, i think its the biggest ohio musky ive seen yet...i have a good idea where he was. even though the photo is prolly 25 yrs old..very cool.


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## Stripers4Life (May 2, 2007)

musky innovations make a good flouro leader if your not interested in making your own. however making your own is the way to go. http://www.muskyinnovations.com/fcleader.htm is the website. about berlin....is there any truth to it being the only lake in ne OH that has natural reproduction? I've heard this from many sources, can't say i believe one of them. and the mill creek area, where is that located? as magnus said I just got a house out here and it sure beats a drive to leesville, even WB for that matter.....thanks for any info in advance


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

It is true that there is a natural strain of musky in Berlin that have been caught (scale samples, ODNR testing). It is unstocked too, and people catch fish there....


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## esox62 (May 19, 2006)

yeah, true about berlin as the only lake with natural reproduction. jim is all over it. grand river is the only other watershed besides erie that has naturals. at least documented anyway..mill creeks very easy to find on a hotspots map or any map, it goes way back, under a couple roads and splits up a bit. but dont get your hopes up to high fella. like jim said you would have to put in serious time{but could be worth it} i pounded it pretty good back in '04 and got one fish{32"} i just say that because the numbers are way,way down compared to any stocked ohio muskie lake..its a huge lake and that is most of the fun tryin to hunt down the beast, but youre better off some where else. actually, you are right in the middle of em all. w.b. should only be a half hour from you from berlin and milton even shorter. im 2.5 hrs from leesville so i dont fish it at all, not since '02 or '03 but i sure would if i was closer, its beautiful and NO FFIN POWERBOATS...also guys, check out leadertec.com for making flouro leaders. its a great site. ive followed the crimping techniques they have and havent had a fail yet{70 lb.} 44" fish the biggest on a flouro casting. i doubt it made a difference as far as sight,but the fish hit in 1 fow with 4 ft of line out! but i was impressed the tackle all held...lol. im hittin pyma thurs, god bless boys.


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## Stripers4Life (May 2, 2007)

With the water being so low I would think the amout of area is greatly reduced, would it be easier to locate in lower waters like this, or does it throw the skees into confusion? and by the way Leesville is gorgeous.....it's almost like canada. the amount of wildlife there never ceases to amaze me, just last trip we saw a albino spike down by the white cross....it was just great. The best part of it al............9.9hp.........


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## esox62 (May 19, 2006)

dont know if youre talkin about locating mill creek, i wouldnt even bother till spring, its right where madmac said so, get yourself a map and check it out.its pretty cool patroling way up there.. confusion, i think somewhat, id call it lockjaw..


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## Stripers4Life (May 2, 2007)

talkn bout locatin skees because there's less area of the lake......but good info thanks.


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## esox62 (May 19, 2006)

from bob marshall at ohmc, this photo is of jerry sopko and the fish is from milton but the numbers are correct. and dennis mcquillan in the background who got a 47 lber, same lake ,same year..! wow...i t hought the photo might have been berlin dam but it looks like they were in the river..what a great photo....!


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

53" 42 pounds. SWEET. I'm glad we found some truth behind it. The minute I opened it I thought, WOW.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

MadMac said:


> Clayton, I hope that 10 lb was a typo.


Nope, no typo here, just a little bit of ridiculousness in the world of muskie fishing. I don't fish for muskie with muskie lures, all the times I've done that I've struck out. I use fairly large bass lures like shad raps and minnow-raps, and mepps #5 bucktails. I do fairly well with my fish and I've never been bitten off before, despite about a dozen fish hooked this year. Lots of them pull the hooks out of their face, but since I don't wanna spend 200 bucks on a setup to hammer the hooks in a bit better, I'll stick to my graphite bass rod. I don't target the muskie specifically, usually I'm throwing for bass or saugeye, and end up with a bonus fish. No way am I gonna gear up with 100 lb test to go bass fishing, just so I'm ready for the occasional bonus fish.

However, I do pretty well, for an accidental muskie man 

Edit: my dad is convinced he'll be fine throwing with 8 lb test mono with a leader.. I'm trying to talk him out of it, but he's caught more muskie than me and we always fish together! SO, maybe he's onto something?


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

Granted, people do catch muskies on very light line....but it's just not a good idea for anyone targetting skiis. Losing a fish can be fatal to the fish, especially with multiple hooks in their face. The muskie on the wall at Grand River Tackle in Fairport is 46" and was caught on an 8 weight fly rod with 6 pound tippet. It's actually a line class world record.

Also, Clayton you may want to take into consideration that 50, or even 80 pound superbraid has the same diameter as 10 or 12 pound mono. Just a thought.


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