Muskie First
Published February 22, 2006

Slamr: MuskieFIRST Welcomes Brad Hoppe of Musky Mayhem Guide Service and Tackle Company, thanks for joining us tonight Brad!

sworrall: Welcome, Brad

Musky_Mayhem: thanks for having me

Slamr: Brad, first of all, can you tell us a bit about your guide service, where you fish, geographically as well as what lakes you're on

BenR: Hey Brad, what equipment do you recommend for the larger baits you produce

Musky_Mayhem: My home water is Lake Miltona

Musky_Mayhem: Miltona is located 2 and half hours north west of the twin cities

sworrall: that's over by Alex, isn't it?

VMS: How much pressure does miltona get?

Musky_Mayhem: Yes it is

muskyboy: How often to you toss bucktails???

Musky_Mayhem: Miltona is starting to get some pretty pressure but there also many other lakes in the area

VMS: How iis the battle with no more muskies going up there? Still pretty hot yet?

Musky_Mayhem: i use quite a few buctails all the way up to freeze up

sworrall: Do you hit Lobster at all, brad?

Musky_Mayhem: The no more musky group is a constant battle that comes up about every 6 months

BenR: what type of equipment do you use for the cowgirls and such..thanks...

muskyboy: What other baits to you prefer during the season

Musky_Mayhem: I do fish Lobster quite often

sworrall: How is the average size in Lobster now?

Musky_Mayhem: I prefer a 8ft rod in med hvy to heavy action

sworrall: I remember when it was 'new'

lambeau: what are your primary tactics fishing opener/early June on your local lakes?

Musky_Mayhem: Lobster has been giving out some real nice fish the last couple of years several over fifty

Musky_Mayhem: To start the year off I am looking for new weed growth

sledge51: What reels do you use to pull those cowgirls?

Musky_Mayhem: I prefer the Calcutta 400TE

lambeau: how deep is your new weed growth at that time of year (on an average year) ? clear water?

Slamr: Brad, do you follow warmer water temps early in the season?

BenR: How much does the moon set and rise influence your fishing

Musky_Mayhem: We have really clear water over here and it depends on the spring but anywhere from 4 to 12 ft

muskyboy: Where do you fish other than home waters?

Pointerpride102: what are the general make ups of the lakes you fish? avrg depth, clarity, vegetation, forage etc?

Musky_Mayhem: The moon phases have really been quite good these past few seasons it pays off to use them

BenR: have you been able to catch large fish outside of the moon phases

Musky_Mayhem: I also guide on Mille Lacs, Detroit Lakes, Alexander

muskyboy: Where have you seen the largest musky in MN?

Musky_Mayhem: Yes I have caught fish outside the moon phases and quite often

Musky_Mayhem: The largest fish I have seen was on Leech

Slamr: how big?

muskyboy: I'll be there this year

Musky_Mayhem: I don't want to lie but definately mid 50's

Slamr: of the Lakes you fish, which do you fish when and why?

BenR: do you ever troll

Musky_Mayhem: As I guide I bounce back and forth from Miltona and Mille Lacs mostly, most of my clients have there favorites

crackpot: If you could only fish with 3 baits, what would they be?

lambeau: between Cowgirls, Showgirls, and Eagletails you're making some big baits...what characteristics do you think makes these big baits so effective?

Musky_Mayhem: I do troll but mostly in the fall

BenR: what baits do you troll

Musky_Mayhem: The vibration of these baits are the anwser

Musky_Mayhem: I troll a lot of Slammers, Jakes and Bull Dawgs

lambeau: what characteristics do you think produces the best vibration signature?

Musky_Mayhem: If I had to pick 3 baits they would be the Double Cowgirl, Mag Dawgs, and a Slammer

BenR: do the larger baits weed out the smaller fish overall

Musky_Mayhem: It has to do with the blades we found the right combo with the double Cowgirl

Musky_Mayhem: We catch every size fish on big baits

lambeau: what are your plans for the Eagletail line of baits?

BenR: what is your funniest occurance while guiding

Musky_Mayhem: The Eagletail wil be left alone for right now but we have mixed in some flashabou for this year for me to try

muskyboy: Nice

sworrall: If one was to want to hire you, how would one contact your guide service, Brad?

Musky_Mayhem: The most scary thing but ended up funny was a client falling in after 16 hours of fishing, maybe a little tired

Slamr: trolling versus, casting, when do you choose each one in the fall?

BenR: did he make it out of the water

Musky_Mayhem: You can email at brad@muskymayhem.com

sworrall: thanks, sir

Slamr: http://www.muskymayhem.com

Musky_Mayhem: I start to troll when I can't feel my hands because its to cold

sworrall: What is your favorite big fish water in the Alex area?

fish4musky1: i bought a lure from the chicago show and it says its a cow girl on the blades. its about 10 inches long and has 2 tebles and two big blades, is this the double cowgirl?

Musky_Mayhem: Miltona for sure

lambeau: you mentioned fishing new weeds shallow in early season. what are your mid-summer tactics as the water warms? throwing those big bucktails over the deep water or still targeting structure?

Musky_Mayhem: Yes thats the Double Cowgirl

8inchcrank: I'm back and ready to learn!

Musky_Mayhem: I have the advantage being on the water everyday but following bait fish and new weed growth is the key

Slamr: when do you reach for the cowgirl, versus the double cowgirl?

jlong: How do you follow baitfish?

lambeau: what are the key baitfish types in your area of MN? any seasonal patterns they follow you'd like to share?

crackpot: do you key in on a certain type of bait fish or just any school you can locate?

fish4musky1: are there two sizes of double cowgirls? in the rollei and helens catalog theres one thats 14 inches long and has three trebles.

DJS: any early season trolling?

Musky_Mayhem: The big Cowgirl was intended to be trolled but I have some buddies who cast it and have done pretty well on them, I usally cast the Double

muskyboy: Will you be at the Chicago Extreme Show, I need a Double Cowgirl

Musky_Mayhem: I am not sure oif we are going back to Chicago yet this year Maybe

muskyboy: Otherwise Thornes

muskyboy: or contact you directly

Pointerpride102: does R&H's carry the cowgirls?

8inchcrank: Brad, do you find a lot of similarities between the big game hunting you have done and musky fishing now?

fish4musky1: pointer, yes

Musky_Mayhem: we just got our new website up and going it is not quite complete but take a look muskymayhemtackle.com

muskyboy: Cool will do

Musky_Mayhem: Musky fishing is similar to big game hunting, patience

8inchcrank: What do you prefer?

Slamr: what advice would you give to less advanced muskie fisherman on their first trip to your area?

Musky_Mayhem: All of the retailers that carry our baits are listed on our website and yes Rollie and Helens carries our baits

Musky_Mayhem: I have gave up the big game hunting only because I am still guiding late into the fall

BenR: what big game did you hunt

Musky_Mayhem: The biggest advice i can give is stay positive and don't give up you will catch fish

8inchcrank: From Muskie Town it seems as though you remain calm under the craziness of a big fish. Do you think being able to stay calm and concentrate and focus makes a big difference for you.

8inchcrank: I loose it.

DJS: How do you follow baitfish?, any early season trolling, baitfish patterns throughout the year? focus

jlong: What is your favorite way to catch ski?

Musky_Mayhem: I use to guide out west in both Wy and Montana Elk, Whitetails, mule deer, bear, Antelope.

BenR: that is a long commute

Musky_Mayhem: I do stay calm when I have the fish I get way more excited when somebody else is catching their fish though

Musky_Mayhem: I would leave for out west every fall for three months

lambeau: what advice do you have for someone fighting their first trophy size muskie?

Slamr: and while we're talking about fighting fish.....big hooksets, or just constant pressure?

Musky_Mayhem: Baitfish are generally balled up on structure and it may be rocks or weeds find where and when they use each structure and shortly behind the muskies will follow

Musky_Mayhem: I prefer constant pressure

jlong: Is baitfish a requirement for you to fish an area?

Musky_Mayhem: As far as fighting big fish body position is important keep the fish from jumping stay low and use your hips to fight the fish

jlong: Whats the advantage to staying low?

DJS: How often do you fish for suspended skies?

jlong: What's the advantage to staying low

Slamr: Jlong, DJS, want to ask those questions again?

jlong: How do you use your hip? More leverage?

DJS: How often do you fish for suspended skies and what sort of seasonal cues would push you over open water?

Musky_Mayhem: What I mean by the hips that the rod should be down and to your side with pressure on the fish

jlong: so its part of staying low. Whats the advantage of staying low?

BenR: what type of leader do you use snap and such

Musky_Mayhem: If you see the fish coming up to the surface I will try and pull them back down

Musky_Mayhem: If you lift the rod up the fish are going to come up

jlong: What's the last thing you want a big fish to do while fighting it?

Musky_Mayhem: I prefer to use custom leaders from thorne bros

Musky_Mayhem: Have its head out of the water shaking think about you being under water vs out of water and how much more fight you can give

jlong: So if they are in the water.... you are content?

Slamr: what % of your fish come on the figure 8 year by year?

Musky_Mayhem: If you guys have watched Muskie Town the very first clip the fish hit on a figure 8 and went out about 15ft and turned around on me with it head and body out of the water, lost fish

Musky_Mayhem: Somewhere around 35 to 40%

muskyboy: Wow

jlong: are most your figure8 fish on bucktails

MNesox: wow, is that on miltona?

Slamr: what are the biggest mistakes you see clients making on the 8, what is your advice overall for the 8?

Musky_Mayhem: No not just bucktails, Just about every lake here in Mn

DJS: what sort of boatside move do you make with a topwater lure?

8inchcrank: Do you think that the smaller waters of northern MN have the same 'freak' fish that the more popular big ponds? 50 pounders, even better?

Musky_Mayhem: I prefer to use a big oval you don't want to cut the corners - deep by the boat and back up away from the boat

sworrall: Along that line of question , what is the biggest you've taken from Miltona?

Musky_Mayhem: I have had the oppurtunity to fish many lakes through out the state and seen and caught many big fish in lakes that most people have never heard about

Musky_Mayhem: 55 in on Lake Miltona on a Double Cowgirl

MNmatt: do you troll those cowgirls up high? how fast?

muskyboy: Sweet

crackpot: do you figure 8 at the end of every cast?

Beowulf: Anyone know how long the MN muskie program has been in place?

Beowulf: supported strongly by the dnr I mean

Musky_Mayhem: I have started to figure more and more as I have had many blind hits in the last couple of years

MNesox: 1982 is when most of the early lakes were stocked

fish4musky1: muskyboy: fisheye and out2llunge say the fool drawing is tomorow

Musky_Mayhem: I troll the Cowgirls both up high like on the flats and deep using down riggers

MNmatt: do well early season trolling up high with them?

sworrall: That's interesting, you use downriggers?

Slamr: whats the deepest you've taken a fish trlling a cowgirl, and have you ever tried trolling behind dipseys?

jlong: Any advantage to trolling an inline (Cowgirl) versus a spinnerbait?

Musky_Mayhem: The past two seasons I have been playing with Down riggers - gives you a chance to use baits down where some baits don't normally go

sworrall: great idea, especiaqlly on waters like Miltona

muskyboy: I use 1.5 pound weights on my trolling leaders

MNmatt: how deep are we talkin? do you go deeper than 20-25 feet often?

Musky_Mayhem: The single bladed Cowgirl is 16inches long and weighs in at 7 and half ounces with a cow bell blade lots of flash

sorenson: what type of releases do you use on the downriggers?

Musky_Mayhem: I don't like to troll to deep past 20 ft to hard on the fish

MNmatt: what is your favorite speed range for trolling the big cowgirls?

muskyboy: Good for you

jlong: So the cowgirl advantage is a bigger profile than most other blade baits?

Musky_Mayhem: 4 miles a hour

MNmatt: what rod?!? those things pull!

Musky_Mayhem: yes it has a big profile and the Flashabou skirts resemble a cloud of baitfish

Musky_Mayhem: I use a custom Thorne Bros rod

MNmatt: 8'6" croix glass rod?

Slamr: as the temps cool, do you switch to glass?

MNmatt: what do you use for trolling reels?

Musky_Mayhem: Trolling 8'6 and 9' croix custom

Musky_Mayhem: Yes i do switch to glass

Musky_Mayhem: Tekota Shimano

MNmatt: 600's?

jlong: Casting or trolling..... what puts more big fish in the boat for you each season?

MNmatt: do you troll over open water a lot?

lambeau tells you: baitmaker is on the hook...getting ready to set...

crackpot: how far behind the boat do you normally troll cowgirls?

Musky_Mayhem: i do troll open water late in the year after the ciscos are done and I use the 500s

Slamr: just a few more minutes, get in your last second questions....

MNmatt: so you prefer structure early season and summer?

DJS: Any live bait fishing?

muskyboy: Every speed troll in summer?

Slamr: MuskieFIRST thanks Brad Hoppe and Musky Mahem Tackle and Guide Service for a great chat, thanks!


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