well,according to The Freshwater Angler "Pike and Muskie" book,some spots that it said there are pike(P) and muskie(M) are:

Burke Lake(M)

Occoquan Res.(P)

Orange Lake(P)

James River(M)

Hardwood Mills Res.(P)-trophy water

Smith Mountain Lake(M)

New River(P,M)-trophy water(M)

Claytor Lake(M)

Rural Retreat Lake(M)

Hungry Mother Lake(P)

South Holston River(P)

Clinch River(M)

hope this list will help

Chris: I'm not in that area but the toothie critters here in Wi. really like the soft plastic minnow type swim baits. Figure that might be the case there also. Tight lines . ><))))))))"> Lou

Chris, have you ever heard the term Nantucket Sleigh ride?

If you get a big musky on while you are in that little canoe, you will be going for an unplanned ride.

If you are going to hunt Pike and Musky, don't go light.

Make sure that you have capable tackle. Always use a wire or flouro carbon leader of at least 100lb strength. Have a BIG net.

Make sure that you have a jaw spreader.

Make sure that you have a good, long ,needlenose pliers or de hooking tool.

Make sure that you have a cutting tool stout enough to cut through a large treble hook.

A large Pike or Musky in the bottom of a regular boat most times can be a real handful. I can't imagine a Pike or Musky over 10 Lbs banging around in a canoe.

Make sure that you have a first aid kit. You wouldn't be the first person cut handling one a dem critters. One flip could have you on the recieving end of a treble hook.

Keep your hands away from the mouth and gills when possible. Having a pair of fish handling gloves would be a good investment.

I didn't write this to dicourage you. I just want you to go prepared.

Good fishin' there Bud.

Thank you for your service. Sir, OLD GUARD, Sir.

Hey Old Guard (I have a hard time calling you "old").......like Lou was saying, Here in Wisconsin, big plastics are the trick around here, kickin minnows, swimming joes, by far though bulldawgs are my favorite. I would say though that as a starter, a big mepps muskykiller bucktail will get ya going for either the pike or musky. Granted, it doesn't have to be a mepps, there are other brands just as good, anything with a nice flashy blade or tinsel in the hair really drives them nuts. I personally prefer mepps because the blades and bucktails are interchangeable - i.e......say you have a black bucktail with a silver blade and another one could be a white bucktail with a red blade...........the rumor on the water is they are hitting black with a red blade....no problem......you can just switch the blades real quick and keep fishing.

Other good stand bys are jakes, and suicks.

As for colors - basically what ever are the colors of your bait fish in that body of water, plus what ever else they feed on (gills, baby bass or baby northerns).

Size and speed has alot to do with conditions and seasons. In the Fall - the bigger the better and you can bring these in at a good speed. Spring you'll want to go smaller and slower.........summer, you want to go slow and deep - the heavier baits like a bulldawg are great in the summer. Summer is also a time to try out night fishing - they feed more in the cool of the night verses the bright, heat of the day. Fall is a good time for trolling as well. And if your sitting there in the heat of the day catten with some live bait sitting there on the bottom, it won't hurt to set up a shiner, sucker, or even a small bluegill under a bobber kind of shallow - the commotion has been known to trigger a strike from a lazy fish sitting in the weeds.

Hey OldGuard,

I'm not sure what kind of structure you fish, but in Minnesota I usually try to stick to weed lines with quick dropoffs.  My favorite musky lure is a top raider, hands down.  Black with orange spots usually works the best.  If you can't coax a surface strike, try using big bucktails or swimbaits like a bulldawg.  The Creamsicle color is a big favorite around here.  Fish shallower in the spring with smaller lures and troll big lures deeper in the fall.  Other than that info., all I can say is figure out what they're eating in the lake and try to mimic it.  Around here, we don't like catchin pike when fishing for muskies, but it happens more than I like. 

Well, I will start off by saying that anything here I say is only MY opinion and is what works for ME and the waters I fish.......

Most of what you have is a good start but would work better for pike more then musky. Pike are more aggressive and will pretty much hit anything. Musky on the other hand are more selective......thats not to say that muskies won't hit on what you have, it is more that more times then not, they are looking for something BIGGER.

Also, Your reels need to be heavy duty......that reel that is on the middle rod looks perfect for what you want. You'll want a rod that has a good back bone with a bit of bend, but also make sure it is weighted for the big lures you'll be chucking. Line.....I am a power pro fan - for muskies, 60lb or better. Personally, I fish to get them in the boat, and when I target muskies - it is more of a goal then for a day of relaxing fishing - so I go right or not at all. Basically what I am trying to say is if your not sure you'll be getting into musky fishing on a regular basis, try out what you have and see how it goes. But if you truely believe you want to target them with a passion, then get ready to start spending some money. Start small.....one good rod and reel with some good line. Do your home work as to what the other muskie fisherman use for lures in your area and pick out a couple at a time til you have a good line up of basics.

I am also a big believer of CPR when it comes to muskies (or for that matter all big game fish). That 40incher will be your kids 50incher down the road.

Musky fishing isn't as easy as it looks.....it took me 5 years for finally get my first legal and another 2 years to meet my next goal which was a fish over 40. And I have been musky fishing since 2000 and I only have 7 legals top my name.

Hope that helps ya Chris

 Chris, I usually have my best luck with Muskie and Northern while fishing for Walleye. ; ) I generally us a spinning outfit with 6LB test mono and a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jig with rubber on the back. Usually grubs, but worms and tubes work well too. If you are lucky you might even land the one that bites.

Why don't you use up some of that leave youv'e been saving and come out to the LaCrosse meet. I'm sure we could get you on some decent Pike, and maybe a Muskie.