The Best Musky Lures for 2023

Muskies are moody. Without a doubt, it’s this fish’s temperamental disposition that makes them so frustrating to fish for, even for the most passionate musky hunter. You know they’re there, lurking; most likely watching your swim past without even showing a twitch of interest. Fortunately, the best musky lures can help tip the odds in your favor.

Best Overall: Mepps Musky Killer

Best Crankbait: Crane 208 Crankbait

Best for Trolling: 1800 Super Husky Cisco Kid

Best for Topwater: Butcher TopRaider

Best for Spring: Musky Mayhem Double Showgirl

Best for Summer: Musky Mayhem’s The Hinge

Best for Fall: Beaver Baits Baby Beaver

Best for Winter: Bondy Bait Original

How We Picked the Best Musky Lures

I’ve been a fishing addict for as long as I can remember, and I perused the tackle department at local department stores as often as I did the toy aisle in my youth. It wasn’t until hooking into a few Esox later in my teens, however, that I started paying as close of attention to the musky baits as others hanging from the pegs. And to tell you the truth, the array of musky baits to choose from back then wasn’t even close to what’s available today.

The best musky lures were chosen because they’ve proven themselves time and time again as being high-quality baits that have caught fish; not just by me, but the folks who spend hours on the water chasing these elusive fish day after day. After all, when a musky finally decides it’s going to show its weary head, you want to be using a lure that will entice a strike, and then keep that fish hooked until the encounter is over.

The Best Musky Lures: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Overall: Mepps Musky Killer

Specs

Length: 6.5 inches

Weights: 3/4- and 1-1/3-ounce

Plain or dressed treble hook

26 blade colors, 29 tail colors

Pros

Real fur and feather dressed hook

Easy-to-replace hook

Simple, uncomplicated design

Cons

No trailer hook

One of the oldest manufactured musky lures on the market, the Mepps Musky Killer has, more than likely, fooled more fish of its namesake than any other. It fishes well year-round in natural lakes, reservoirs, and rivers, in clear or stained water as well as shallow water or deep.

Fish will strike a spinner with just a standard, steady retrieve. But lessons learned from Bass Pro Kevin Van Dam, no matter what species he’s targeting, is to give any lure a few added twitches during the retrieve. This especially holds true with any lures that spin, such as the Musky Killer. The change in the blade’s cadence alters its vibration, as well the stop-and-go and darting emulates of forage being chased down by a predator; the latter influenced to strike before the bait gets away.

Best Crankbait: Crane 208 Crankbait

Specs

Length: 8 inches

Weight: 2 ounces

12 hand-painted colors

Pros

Buoyant, balsawood body

Wobbles properly right out of the package

Made in the USA (West Virginia)

Cons

Paint may chip after musky-tooth damage

A Crane excels when fishing over structure, such as rock piles, rocky points, wood slabs and along the outer edge of weed beds, as you can cover a lot of water quickly with it. It’s light enough to be cast all day without much arm fatigue, yet is also a good choice for trolling. The density of this lure, made of wood, gives it a tight, darting action over a wide wobble, which works wonders as the water warms. And if your lure’s headed for an inevitable snag, a Crane will rise in the water column quickly while slowing or stopping your retrieve.

Want more crankbaits to choose from? We compiled a list of the best crankbaits for a variety of situations.

Best for Trolling: 1800 Super Husky Cisco Kid

Specs

Length: 9.5 inches

Weight: 3 5/8 ounce

Heavy-duty plastic construction with metal lip and components

24 colors

Pros

Perfect for trolling

Can take a beating

Lots of darting action on its own accord

Cons

Water can enter body if punctured

The 1800 Super Husky Cisco Kid’s metal lip not only holds up to whacking hard bottom, but can be torqued with a pair of pliers if the original action is altered from hitting said structure. You can also tweak the bait’s action to match the musky’s mood. It runs from 10 to 15 feet down when trolled, depending on length of line out and diameter used. This lure’s wide wobble makes it work wonders when trolled within a motor’s prop wash, mere feet from the prop itself. This is an overlooked technique yet takes a lot of fish. And that metal lip gives off a mirror-like flash while shuttering through the turbulence.

Best for Topwater: Butcher TopRaider

Specs

Length: 8 inches

Weight: 2.5 ounces

Single, rotating tail section

18 colors

Pros

Snag resistant

Easy to use

Stays in tune   

Cons

Specific rods needed for best hookset

Nothing’s better than a strike on a topwater bait. Now imagine that attack by a fish measured in feet rather than inches. The Bucher TopRaider has been triggering strikes with its rotating rear fin churning up the surface like a critter franticly swimming across a lake for over two decades now. It’ll get you in on the action, too.

This topwater bait, similar to today’s ever-popular Whopper Plopper, shines when muskies are actively feeding in shallow water, whether clear or stained. It rides over the top of thick mats of weeds when the bottom hook is removed, letting you target these ambush predators in the thick stuff that they prefer. Just be aware that the TopRaider is best used on a medium-heavy-powered rod longer than six feet.

Best for Spring: Musky Mayhem Double Showgirl

Specs

Length: 7.5 inches

Weight: 1.6 ounces

Two #7 Colorado blades

34 colors

Pros

Good for other times of year as well

Lots of flash

Works in clear or stained water

Cons

Can twist line without ball-bearing swivel ahead of it

The Double Showgirl in-line spinner can be used on an array of different action rods. As its name implies, this lure has two blades, spinning on opposite sides of one another. The resistance of the double wide-profile blades spinning allows the lure to be retrieved slowly and still have plenty of flash and vibration. It can also be ripped back high in the water column once the water starts to warm up, triggering an aggressive attack. 

Best for Summer: Musky Mayhem The Hinge

Specs

Length: 12 inches

Weight: 4.5 ounces

Size-8 willow blade

28 colors

Pros

Unique action triggers strikes from even hesitant muskies

Less chance of losing fish during battle

Good in deep water or shallow water

Cons

Paddle tail may need replacing after a catch

The Hinge is named for its unique design. Instead of a molded weight system, it has a hinged jighead that gives the innovative bait a unique action. Coupled with vibration from the blade, this provides a rolling swim to the trailing paddle tail body, The rocking head also allows a musky to twist and turn after striking, without weakening the wire at the head, which can normally cause rigidly-attached body to break off on this type of lure during battle.

If you’re targeting muskies, it pays to have options. Here is our round-up of the best summer musky baits to add to your arsenal. And if you’re targeting bass, we have you covered with the best bass lures for summer.

Best for Fall: Beaver Baits Baby Beaver

Specs

Length: 12 inches

Weight: 3.5 oz

Spinner and weight kits available

14 colors

Pros

Custom colors available

Add or remove spinners

Add or remove weight

Cons

Pricier

The Beaver Baits Baby Beaver is one of those musky lures that make you think “What the heck?” when you first see it, but it’s been a fish catcher for several years now. It can be used as a swimbait, jerkbait, or you can burn it in. You can easily tailor the action of the Baby Beaver to the moods of your favorite underwater cruise missile. This bait can be used in multiple ways just by changing how you manipulate your rod tip.

The flat beaver-like tail ripples through the water, and the multiple skirts ahead of that ungulate with every twitch. A blade kit can be added to the front, turning it into an in-line spinner, while a rear blade kit will add flash and vibration at the tail. Overall, it’s a do-all lure.

Best for Winter: Bondy Bait Original Lure

Specs

Length: 7.5 inches

Weight: 7 ounces

Internally weighted

25 colors

Pros

Easy-to-eat size triggers bites from lethargic fish

Simple design

Easy to use

Cons

Can get damaged easily

Like other freshwater species, muskies are cold-blooded. And when water temperatures drop, fish get lethargic. When fish go deep during the coldest season, which they often do, jigging or just letting a bait dangle while the rocking boat adds all the action that is needed and can often be the best ploy. The Bondy Original is heavy, and its short profile allows it to freefall fast into the strike zone. It also isn’t too much of a mouthful for a musky this time of year. This soft-bodied lure feels like a musky’s favorite soft-rayed forage when they bite it. There’s a small blade at the tail to add just the right amount of flash and vibration when fished slowly.  

What to Consider When Choosing Musky Lures

There are a variety of factors that go into choosing lures for musky fishing. Take the following into account when filling your tackle box.

Cost

First off, the best musky lures are expensive in comparison to the average bait; some handcrafted models selling well over the $200 mark. The average, however, will set you back $20 to $40. Thus, choosing the best musky lure for you should take a little thought before handing over the big bucks. And if you want to see just how expensive lures can be can be, check out our round up of the most expensive swimbaits.

Components

Do you get what you pay for when purchasing a lure made for musky? For the most part, yes. Every portion of these lures has to be beefed up, from hooks and wire to. Even minute components, such as split rings, must be stronger to handle these heavyweight brawlers. Look for musky lures with only the highest-quality components.

Technique

Casting and retrieving all day is taxing on the arms. And when you’re throwing the biggest baits, the effort is doubled. You may decide that trolling might be the better option. If you go this route, you’ll be better off with baits designed for this method. They will provide more strike-inducing action than lures designed to be worked with the rod.

Gear

Fishing massive musky baits takes heavier than average rods and reels and heftier pound test line. If you’re just getting into musky fishing, your beefiest bass-fishing equipment will do. You will, however, find smaller-size baits to be your best choice in this case. Not to say muskies can’t be landed on light tackle—my largest, a 50-incher that ate a size-5 Rapala Shad Rap tethered to 6-pound-test monofilament, for example—but you’ll never be able to set those giant hooks into a musky’s toothy mouth with light-action tackle.

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best Musky Lures

Best Overall: Mepps Musky Killer

Best Crankbait: Crane 208 Crankbait

Best for Trolling: 1800 Super Husky Cisco Kid

Best for Topwater: Butcher TopRaider

Best for Spring: Musky Mayhem Double Showgirl

Best for Summer: Musky Mayhem’s The Hinge

Best for Fall: Beaver Baits Baby Beaver

Best for Winter: Bondy Bait Original

A musky’s behavior doesn’t make sense. Perhaps that’s why anglers who target them regularly are so addicted to catching one. Perhaps it’s turned into a personal vendetta with this species. I mean, these fish don’t get big by not eating. Yet, stories of catching these fish seem more myth than reality.

The best way to catch a musky? Go fishing for them. And only take musky-fishing gear with you. It’s way too easy to start targeting, say, a walleye after only an hour’s worth of time chasing an Esox without a strike. And that decreases your chances of catching one even more.  

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