Pearson’s Bump & Grind™ from ERC™ (ESOX Research Company)
The Pearson’s Grinder just got louder!
Inspired by Dick Pearson’s Grinder, this bait comes armed with a large Colorado blade that delivers a thump that you will first notice at your rod tip. You will also feel the shake right through your rod handle. While maintaining its unique grinding action, the big Colorado blade creates a more noticeable audible footprint and greater lift as it comes through the water. Bump and Grind™ through those thick weed beds that big predators like to submerge in and watch for the wake to appear behind the bait as slumbering giants come up to inhale the sound and vibration that calls and drives them to attack!

The Bump & Grind™ comes in 1oz. 2oz. 3oz. and 5oz. sizes and 6 exciting colors.

More info at http://esoxresearch.com/prodBumpGrind.php

Turbine™ from Musky Mania™
This bait screams “Big Fish”!
The Turbine™ is a tandem bladed in-line spinner bait aptly named for it’s ability to move large quantities of water. You’ll feel the Power and Electricity the TURBINE creates when large Muskies and Northerns begin appearing and crushing the Turbine™. The Large twin #8,#10, or #12 Colorado Blades create enormous vibration and a distinctive Sonic Impression as it comes through the water. A vortex created behind these huge blades brings the SiliFlash™ & Flashbou® skirts to life as the strands and tentacles dance and pulsate to the beat of the blades, mimicking the shimmering flash of fleeing bait fish. This Awesome combination of Power, Vibration and unparalleled Flash accompanied by massive razor sharp 7/0 Trebles results in a signature that spells one thing? BIG FISH!

The Turbine™ is Available in (3) Sizes and (6) Amazing Colors:
8KW (Kilowatt) #8 Colorado Blades, 8” long and weigh 3oz.)
10KW (Kilowatt) #10 Colorado Blades, 10” long and weigh 4oz.)
12KW (Kilowatt) #12 Colorado Blades, 12” long and weigh 5oz.)

More info at http://muskymania.com/products/turbine.php

Lamprey™ from Musky Mania™
Finally a Swimbait that actually swims!
Inspired by the Burt™ Jerkbait, the Lamprey™ is a cast and retrieve softbait with realistic paddle tail action. The Lamprey’s™ shape and design combines the enticing paddle tail motion with a side-to-side rocking motion of the head and body. This hard-nosed bait gives an unparalleled life-like action compared to conventional swimbaits, where all the motion comes solely from the tail. The Lamprey™ combines the rock and roll action of traditional crankbaits with the life-like action and feel of traditional soft plastic swimbaits. Bottom line, this bait is alive and once they bite down fish won’t let go!

The Lamprey™ is 10” in length, 5oz. in weight and available in 7 Amazing Colors:

More info at http://muskymania.com/products/lamprey.php

Exo™ from Musky Mania™
This craw does it all!
EXO™ is a hand poured soft plastic imitation swim bait that represents a natural food source within the predator food chain. When casting this CRAWFISH FORM as a crankbait the live action curly tail virtually brings this bait to life, making it irresistible to even the pickiest of big game fish. The Exo’s™ life-like qualities and Flashbou® tail accents, create a highly visible target very similar to real crawfish. The added flair of a curly tail that creates a vibrant footprint and attracts large game fish such as Muskie, Northern Pike and Striper…EXO™ LOOKS, SWIMS and FEELS like the REAL DEAL !

The Exo™ is 20” from head to tail, weighs in at 12oz. and available in 7 Amazing Colors:

More info at http://muskymania.com/products/exo.php

BELIEVER’S ON BOARDS

Have you ever felt intimidated while fishing a large “super clear” body of water? I’m talking about bodies of water like the Great Lakes, Georgian Bay or Lake St. Clair. You may ask yourself, “Where do I start, What should I use, How will I ever cover all of this water? These questions have only one simple answer. Troll 10” Jointed Believers on planer boards in the section of the lake that is holding the most baitfish and muskies. Yeah right, if it were only that easy. Well it can be if you learn to master the art of trolling for muskies using planer boards.

Let’s start by analyzing my bold statement in the last paragraph – Troll 10” Jointed Believers… Why? Well let’s see, there is not a trolling bait made that has more built in action than the Believer, where its side to side sweep/wander can cover an amazing 6+ feet and in doing so also changes depths all without having to pump the rod or impart any action into the lure. In 2006 the Catch and Release World Record Muskie was caught on a 10” Jointed Believer, also past experience has shown me that 95% of my trolling muskies in the U.S and Canada have been caught on 10” Jointed Believers and then there is the very well known fact that the Believer has more “World Class” muskies under its belt than any other muskie crankbait on the market today. I think you can begin to understand why it’s my #1 go to lure for trolling.

Next, planer boards… Wait a minute; I thought planer boards were only used to troll for Walleye or Salmon. Actually, planer boards have been used by muskie fisherman for more than 10 years on Lake St. Clair and various muskie fisheries in the Eastern United States and the technique is quickly gaining in popularity on other bodies of water around the country. Planer boards spread a lure laterally away from each side of the boat which helps an angler cover more water by being able to run multiple lines (check local regulations on lines/angler), they also make turning easier and reduce tangling, but most importantly planer boards have played a huge part in my success rate on “Super Clear” bodies of water in triggering strikes from fish that may be spooked away from the boat. I am afraid to think about the amount of fish that get overlooked due to this unfortunate scenario. The truth is in the numbers, on my last muskie trip to Canada where the water is gin clear a whopping 9 of the 10 muskies hooked where on planer board rods and the trip before that we went 8 of 11 on the planer boards that’s 17 muskies on boards and 4 on the boat rods – I think you get the picture.

O.K now to the most mystifying part of the statement I made earlier,” the section of the lake holding the most baitfish and muskie.” Again I have a very simple answer to help you breakdown your favorite body of water and also help you to more understand the key elements used when trolling for muskies with planer boards. First I need to shed some light on the baitfish thing. In my area in Canada, I am targeting both muskies suspending in open water and muskies relating to structure such as rock humps and shelves. One reason I choose a 10” Believer for this type of trolling is because my target range for a lures depth is 10-20 feet to stay around baitfish/muskies whether I am in open water or trolling structure and this lure covers that range very well. Also keep in mind I am talking about a gin clear body of water so Drifter Tackle’s natural color patterns such as Finlander Cisco for open water trolling and Perch or Walleye for trolling structure tend to be my best producers. Knowing what forage your muskies feed on most and the times of year they feed on them is a very important part of your trolling success. Once you have figured out what type baitfish you are targeting and you know their depth ranges and you know the depth ranges of the structure you will be fishing you are ready to set up your system and start trolling.

There are 3 key elements to trolling with planer boards. First is obtaining the right lure depth. The desired lure depth is obtained by lengthening or shortening the distance of line between your rod and your lure. Simply put, the more line that is out the deeper the bait will run and the less line that is out the shallower the bait will go. I have found that using line counter reels and making a lure depth chart has greatly improved my efficiency on the water. My lure depth chart for trolling 10” Jointed Believers on 100# braided line in my desired depth ranges are as follows:(may vary with different speed/conditions) 85 feet of line = 12 feet deep, 100 feet of line = 15 feet deep, and 125 feet of line = 18-20 feet deep.

The second key element is trolling speed. The right speed can mean the difference between catching muskies and not catching anything at all. My average speed for trolling 10” Believers on planer boards ranges between 3.0 and 4.5 miles per hour. Finding out what speed it will take for your muskies to eat is just a process of elimination. Keep in mind these baits will troll with the same great action from 2 to 6+ miles per hour.

The third key element to trolling with planer boards is setting a pattern and reproducing what has just worked for you. Being able to duplicate the situation that caught a muskie is the difference between catching muskies by chance and catching muskies consistently. For example, if I catch a muskie on a planer board rod with 100 feet of line out on a Perch colored Believer trolling at 3.9 miles per hour, I will immediately set that lure back at the same 100 feet and will key in on that trolling speed of 3.9 miles per hour. I will then put another Perch colored Believer on the other planer board rod and troll it 100 feet back. You can see how setting a pattern using planer boards can be very efficient and easy.

I think it is obvious that the days of just grabbing a lure out of your tackle box and hopelessly dragging it behind the boat are over. By taking a systematic approach to trolling you will be able to target fish that were previously overlooked. On your next muskie trip make sure you try trolling Believer’s on planer boards. I’m sure you will have the same success as I have. Good Luck!!!

Equipment List:

• Lakewood tacklebox full of Believers
• Big Jon Trolling Mast
• Homemade wood planer boards (can get plans from www.mssfa.com)
• Offshore Tackle OR-30 Muskie Release Clips (These even hold 13” Believers)
• Down-East Rod holders on Traxstech adjustable bases
• Shimano Line Counter Reels on 7’ 9” Heavy St. Croix rods
• 100# Power Pro Braided Line
• Stealth Tackle Leaders (130# Fluorocarbon & 175# solid strand)

Chris Walker is owner of Indiana Fishing Adventures Guide Service which specializes in Muskie and Smallmouth Bass trips in Indiana . He also spends 7 weeks a year dedicated to trolling Lake Huron in search of “World Class” Muskies. Chris can be reached via his website at www.indianafishingadventures.com or 317-727-8432

Drifter Tackle Introduces 2008 Standard Color Charts
Drifter Tackle has standardized its color charts across all of it brands for 2008. Starting in January we will we be offering new as well as some classic color patterns for the Drifter Tackle, Musky Mania and Esox Research catalogs. The color charts are now available for download on the Drifter Tackle website via this link: Catalog and Color Charts

Believer® Named in the Top Five Muskie Lures by Outdoor Life
In the July issue of Outdoor Life Magazine, Patricia Strutz puts the Believer® at #5 as a must have bait when fishing for muskie. Just below a line of classic muskie tackle, including Joe Butcher’s Topraider, the Suick Thriller, the Bull Dawg and Mepps Musky Killer.

Drifter Tackle now available at Dick’s Sporting Goods
We are happy to announce that Drifter Tackle baits will now be available for purchase at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Pittsburgh-based Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. is an authentic full-line sporting goods retailer offering a broad assortment of brand name sporting goods equipment, apparel, and footwear in a specialty store environment. As of January 28, 2006 the Company operated 255 stores in 34 states primarily throughout the Eastern half of the U.S.

We are thoroughly excited about this agreement and look forward to seeing our baits in-stores this spring.

Feature Story
Catch & Release World Record Muskie caught on The Famous Believer®
November 20, 2006

It’s offical, a Catch & Release World Record Muskie caught on the Famous Believer®. Kevin Davison hooked the 58-inch Musky while fishing with his brother on Northern Ontario’s Lake Nipissing on October 6th, 2006.

The two brothers were trolling the lake when the large fish took to a 10″ Fire Perch Jointed Believer®. I’ve caught several muskies in the past, but this is definitely a catch of lifetime…” said Kevin’s brother, Gary Davison.

Rather than keeping the fish for mounting, Kevin and his brother released what could have been close to the Canadian record, a 65-pound musky caught by Ken O’ Brien back in 1988. Interestingly O’Brien’s fish was also 58-inches in length.

Lake Nipissing is one of Ontario’s best known fisheries, attracting thousands of anglers each year from Canada and the U.S.A. Muskies are caught regularly in Nipissing but the lake has never been considered a true trophy fishery among the musky fraternity. With Davison’s fish however, that may soon change.

Crash Mullins Video
“Crash” Mullins: Southern Style Musky Fishing video.

This 65-minute DVD features Crash with his son, Justin, and local guests. 4 chapters cover different techniques used specific to four reservoirs — Cave Run Lake, Green River Lake and Buckhorn Lake in Kentucky and Melton Hill Lake, near Knoxville. High paced action, with numerous big muskies makes this video a must have for the avid angler. One section in specific features the Drifter Tackle’s Super Stalker™ where Crash nets a nice Musky figure 8 style at boat side. You can see the video clip on our web site. Super Stalker™ Clip

Crash Mullins, recognized as one of the Top Five Musky Fishing Experts in North America, has chased these toothy critters for a quarter of a century; earning him the title of “The Southern Musky Fishing Expert.” web site.

We have Crash’s DVD available for sale at the Drifter Online Store. Order Now!

New Look for the Musky
Musky Mania logo gets a redesign

Sticking with the base of the original Musky character we gave this famous mark a fresh coat of paint.