Reviews (Note: I am not sponsored)

-Luremaking.com-- French and Fluted indiana blades very durable and higher gauge
-their # 8 willow and Magnum willow blades are a thinner gauge, but still usable and work-if slight nicks, just file that section-note: The # 8 willows will do the odd blowout at high trolling speeds on spinnerbaits if there is a nick-solution is use a colorado as they typically run more true. The big #8 willows work great on inlines. The big Magnum willows they offer (cascade blade) work for double #10's and offer less resistance than #10 colorados. As a single blade, they rotate slower and can create an imbalanced wobble that some might like.
-luremaking offers a super thick (they say .040 gauge, but I say thicker) indiana blade in sizes up to #12!-they do not work as doubles! They will not spin consistently as doubles-as a single they are fine and ridiculously tough-they have some nice foil designs that I use on some spinnerbaits-thinner colorados will give a lot more thump, however, than these blades.
-30 lb test ball bearing swivels are great-these are the industry standard used on bass spinnerbaits and are "true" ball bearing swivels in that they spin forever-I have never had one fail even after ripping through weeds and tugging on the blade hard-note: some people just don't care for ball bearing swivels and many muskie bait manufacturers only use barrel swivels-some suggest that you can even get a greater thump using barrel swivels as there is slight more resistance on the rotation.
-stainless steel wire is great-it is the typical that other places sell
-they now have flashabou and it is the kind that muskie bait manufacturers use-nice long strands too
-they have 5/0 774 eagle claw trebles (sharp out of the box) which I like using and many other baitmakers use - both professional or guys like me! 4X strong, but not as thick as 4x strong mustads which are a very thick hook.
-big 8/0 and new 10/0 mustad single spinnerbait style hooks have worked fine for me and are a bit thick (must be sharpened)-they don't have a "no need to sharpen" single like a gamakatsu in a larger size–Peter's tackle in St. Catharines has nice 5/0 and 8/0 Gamakatsus if you prefer those.
-I only use Wolverine Triple coil split-rings or Bucher if I need a thinner double ring to fit in the small eyes on some of the screw-eyes out there for jerks and cranks-they do not offer triple coils to date-haven't tried their split rings–you can get Wolverine triple coils at Peter's Tackle.
-snaps-I highly recommend Stringease Stayslock snaps as they are fantastic and superior to any snap I have seen-I don't think they carry them-Peter's carries them-NOTE: The smaller snaps, because they are thinner, can cut through 100lb flurocarbon leaders if snagged and you pull hard- they act like a dull knife-I have not had this happen with a fish, but I did lose 3 jigs last year on the Niagara because the thinner stringease cut through the fluro with the great amount of pressure created from a snag and the strength of the current pulling you away-Cure?-use bigger size snap or use anti-chafing sleeve (Photo Link here) on the loop of the fluro leader-we use this anti-chafing gear on tuna for sure-essentially, it is a metal loop that protects your fluro loop-you can makeshift something for this too.

-Action-Plastics-great selection of shads and grubs-order direct from their site(U.S.) -I get some of my action plastics from Cabelas in Maine-they carry bigger stuff for muskies because they are located near the coast and they cater to saltwater anglers-if you are on vacation near a coast, check out the tackle stores for big plastics-Bass Pro shops near coasts (or online saltwater catalogue) also carry great crankbaits (Offshore Angler series) for muskies for really cheap-I bought a few from Myrtle Beach that work very well and cost only $6!-some of them are up to 13". I've caught many muskies on Lake Kasshabog and the Niagara with these baits.

-Shimano 300D-Perhaps the most popular low profile muskie reel out there. For me, this reel was not smooth out of the box. It certainly was not as smooth as other D reels that I own for bass. The reason was that absolutely no grease was put on the main gear when I tore it apart. I added quantum reel grease and it performed much better. The bearings, instead of being oiled, were greased. This is common for some companies because the grease helps to protect the bearings against rust or other contamination during shelf life. It is a pain for most anglers. I took out the bearings, placed them in lighter fluid to get rid of all grease, and oiled with Quantum hotsauce. The reel performed a lot better regarding casting distance. Smoothness is not the be all and end all to a reel. The anti-reverse is fantastic and very durable for jerkbait, bulldawg ripping etc. applications. Ripping and jerking can affect the line pawl too, but not with this reel. The 300D picks up the line slack nicely too which can be tiring with lower gear ratios. It should be noted that this reel does receive outstanding reviews from across the continent and beyond. I love this reel (now that I have made some changes). Can you use it for double #10's? Yes. But you will tire very quickly. If you have a lower gear ratio reel (lower than the 6.2:1 on the 300D) use it. You will notice a difference immediately. If you want to really burn big #10's you might have to step up to a saltwater style reel like the Trinidad. Note: The 300E series has very few changes to the already great 300D. See Tackletour for a nice review.

-Abu Garcia Toro 5.4:1 50 size-A worthy competitor to the 300 series from what I understand. I own one, but have only used it for sampling baits over the winter. It is very smooth and this is noted in other reviews as well. Has a clicker. See www.tackletour.com for a great review (great meaning thorough and rating wise). I do know guides that use this reel and some say (and they are not sponsored) that it is one of the few reels out there that they do not need to repair or replace. A guide is a great person to ask about a reel as they are on the water a lot.

-Pflueger Trion 66-This reel you can get for $100 new here in Canada. Has a clicker. I used one for 2 seasons and the gear ratio is great for almost everything. There was, however, a problem. After about 5 trips the reel made a loud sound upon casting. It reeled in perfectly and is quite a smooth reel. Eventually, the sound got louder and the reel would sometimes engage halfway through a cast. The spool was not disengaging properly from the gear! I thought I had a dud because I do know of others who love this reel. My buddy Noah who I fish with a lot has 3 or 4 of these reels. His one, however, has started to make the grinding noise that occurred with mine. He still uses it and it retrieves perfectly. I have done a search and found 2 or 3 other people who had this problem. It should be mentioned that Pfleuger (in the US as Canada doesn't have the parts to fix it) treated me very well and offered to fix it even without a receipt. I used it up until its dying day when I set the hook on a fish on Scugog and the gear fully stripped and I lost the fish.

-Shimano Cardiff 401A-Just bought it and have used it only to test baits over the winter. I have read great reviews and it is a very smooth reel. Some have suggested it is hard to tell the difference between it and a Calcutta 400B. Lower gear ratio with only 22" per retrieve which is fine by me for most applications. Has a clicker for trolling.

-Pete Maina Series Low-Profile-This reel has treated me very well. There was a time, however, when for 3 or 4 trips it made a slight grinding noise. It has since gone away and is very smooth. The drag is fine (strong ,15 lbs maybe?) and smooth. I use it for jerkbaits a lot and the anti-reverse has held up. Quality control is often an issue for some reel manufacturers. Try it out at the store if you can. This is an absolutely great alternative to the more expensive (My Toro was almost $300 Canadian) low profile muskie reels from what I can gather. You can get it for $100 at Bass Pro and it sometimes goes on sale for even less. I got mine at the Vaughn store. Have used it for 2 seasons quite extensively.

-Okuma Induron 400-Last year many people on forums in the states were recommending this reel for pulling in double #10 blade baits with some ease. I bought one and while it seemed smooth in the store, it had a consistent rumble to it upon retrieve. I took it back the next day. A dud or the natural retrieve for this reel, I couldn't tell you. The reel is discontinued.

-Spinning Reels-I have used a large 4000 size Daiwa spinning reel for trolling with a nice surf rod I use for bluefish and small shark. I only used it for trolling on skies. The downside to the one I own is that the graphite body torques and this will drive you nuts. It does so not only when a fish is on, but while retrieving a crankbait back to the boat to reset for a trolling run. Get a solid non-graphite reel if you choose spinning is my recommendation.

-St. Croix Legend Tournament 7'3 Downsizer- Great rod. I bought it for the weight or lack of weight. When you're casting all day, a lightweight rod helps, especially during some applications like more subtle jigging. Not the greatest for bigger, heavier baits but I use it for jerkbaits, gliders, smaller bucktails, spinnerbaits and topwaters. Top class rod as many others will testify and it better be for the money.

-Shimano Compre 8 foot heavy-This is my primary trolling rod when I do troll which is not often. It is great. Well made and way cheaper than some higher end rods. It is not as heavy as some other rod manufacturers' heavy ratings. It is not a big Bulldawg or Super D rod. It casts bucktails and spinnerbaits just fine. My buddy owned many of these in different lengths and they all worked perfectly and lasted.

-Rapala 55 6'3-I bought this rod because it was cheap ($80) and it was light. It has proven to be a great medium action rod for jerkbaits and gliders. I have caught many fish on it and it has been tossed around the boat. It is well balanced for a rod in this price range. Bigger fish in the higher 40's are fun with this rod, but it still has the power to control them quite well when you need to reef hard on a fish.

-G Loomis Frontier 7'6 Heavy (green blank)-This is an outstanding lightweight rod (discontinued) that is a heavier rating than most company's heavy ratings. I can toss pretty big and heavy custom baits with little problems (up to 7 ounces). I jig with it a lot and it is a pleasure to use. The foam grip is not a problem. I wrap mine with electricians tape. It balances wonderfully without modifications.

**Rod balancing. If you are a bass angler and complain about fatigue at the end of the day and you don't balance your rods, I'd say you're insane and to stop your whining. Balance the rod! Pitching and jigging applications that demand raising the rod above parallel to the ground are a time to balance a rod. In muskie fishing, we don't often use these techniques. One time where I might balance a rod is when jigging extensively. Lifting up a rod over and over that is tip heavy will exhaust you quite quickly. Balancing the rod with weight on the butt makes the tip less heavy. It actually helps the rod to rise back up in a small way at the end of the jigging action (if you let it rest on bottom) when the rod is pointed towards the water again. You won't feel that added butt weight anywhere on your body. It changes the fulcrum and this helps to relieve stress and weight on your wrist, forearms and shoulders too. Sometimes, I'll not even use my shoulders to lift the bait and kind of balance the rod using the one hand as a fulcrum creating an action not unlike an oil rig bobbing on a fulcrum or like working a manual water pump. If your body is totally killing you, take advantage of the wind or current and just hang a bait off the boat and don't cast. I caught fish on Chautauqua last year doing this after I pulled a muscle in my neck the day before and couldn't cast for long periods of time. I was very happy to catch this fish not necessarily because of its size, but due to the totally awesome painkillers that made this trip bearable and more fun than usual! Thank god I wasn't driving that day as we had Noah's boat.