Affiliates & Links

Spanky Baits
Spanky Baits hand builds the best, most-durable blade baits available.  The 11” Fireball is the best Double-10 bait I've used.  The heavy-duty blades and thicker wire make them the strongest, most durable of the double-10s.  The 8" and 11” Fireballs were the top producer in my boat for 2007, 2008, and 2009.  Their standard colors are awesome, but baits can be custom-made for any blade/flashabou color combination you want.

Slammer Tackle
Slammers put more fish in my boat each year than any other crank bait.  I never troll without a 10” Deep Minnow in the spread; it's been my most productive crank for several years running.

CustomFish
The eye-popping life-sized photos from CustomFish.com are an awesome way to display your trophy.  They’re an affordable alternative to a replica.  Let that big one go, hang one of these on your wall instead.

Live Action Lures
The Big Joe has become one of my favorite soft-plastics.  They’re versatile, they’re easy to fish, and they really produce.  I have a whole Lakewood full.

REEDS
REEDS Outdoor Outfitters
A visit to the REEDS Outpost store at the SW corner of Mille Lacs (Hwy 169 & 27) is a must during your Mille Lacs trip.  They have a huge selection of musky gear and they're the only store in the area that has a great selection of other things you might need for your trip - gear for other types of fishing, rain gear, clothes, footwear, electronics, marine supplies, etc.  The guys at REEDS are also wizards with marine electonics.  If you have questions or problems with your Sonar/GPS - or if you want a look at the new stuff - these are the guys to see.

Thorne Brothers
They carry everything a muskie angler needs, including a full line of top-notch custom rods.  The very, very knowledgeable and helpful staff is what really sets Thorne's apart. 

 
Reaction Strike
Reaction Strike makes a lot of great baits including cranks, top-waters, and some super soft-plastics.  I never hit the water without a lot of Shimmy Shads.

A1 Marine
A1 Marine does a great job and I'm always pleased with the service.  Their rates are reasonable, the work is always done right, and they're the only marine shop I've dealt with that shows good customer focus.  They'll keep getting my business. 

                                                             
Tackle Tour
This is a great resource for product reviews of all kinds of tackle.  It's an all-species site and there's a lot of good information here.

Western Filament
Tuf-Line Plus and Tuf-Line XP are my favorite lines.  The white 100# Tuf-Line Plus is my all-around favorite and the Tuf-Line XP is a very dry line that’s great when it’s cold.

 
www.muskiecentral.com

Mille Lacs Lake Vacation Information
Lakelubbers guide to lakes for vacation and recreation.