Musky Fishing on a Budget 2025
You, your pocketbook, and most likely your wife, may have noticed that the price of musky tackle keeps increasing. With the word tariff being bantered about by the T.V. talking heads in a blasé manner, I don’t think we have yet seen the end of price increases for musky gear.
Before you start collecting cans or planning an armored car heist to fund your musky gear for the 2025 season, let’s look at the best budget friendly musky gear for 2025.
Best Budget-Friendly Musky Lure 2025 (Casting)
Livingston Lures Magnus
The Magnus is the newest musky lure from Livingston Lures. The Magnus is budget-friendly from the starting blocks with a price tag of about thirty dollars and change. But what makes the Magnus stand out as a budget-friendly musky lure is the fact the Magnus is the only musky swimbait that isn’t disposable. Other musky swimbaits have a limited life span due to the abuse dished out by musky and pike.
The Magnus features a hard head section that takes the brunt of the musky abuse while having a replaceable tail section, breathing new life into the lure with every tail replacement. Magnus replacement tails are under ten dollars making the Magnus far and away the most economical musky swimbait choice for budget-minded musky anglers.
Best Budget-Friendly Musky Lure 2025 (Trolling)
Spanky Baits M9 Pro Crankbait
The Spanky M9 Pro is a nearly indestructible piece of musky gear. The M9 is a solid resin construction, which means you will never have to worry about cracking or leaking. The only way that the Spanky M9 will ever become unusable is if you lose it. Considering that the M9 is less expensive than other musky trolling and casting lures and has better action, and a nearly infinite life span make this a hands-down win for budget-minded musky trollers.
Best Budget-Friendly Musky Line of 2025
Next Level Braid
Musky line prices are also climbing with no end in sight. Next Level Braid gives anglers a premium line at a budget-friendly price. Next Level Braid checks out at $16.99 for a 160-yard spool. With a proper amount of mono reel backing, Next Level Braid is enough to spool up two full-size musky reels. Next Level Braid might be budget-friendly, but the quality is top shelf as it is an eight-strand braid made in Japan from premium materials.
A quick tip to save money in braid is to reverse your spool before buying more line. The braid that is at the bottom of your spool rarely sees water, if at all. Instead of changing your line out completely, pulling off your braid and reversing it can give you a doubled lifespan.
Best Budget-Friendly Musky Reel of 2025
Shimano Curado 300
When it comes to musky reels, you generally get what you pay for. While not all musky anglers can shell out four hundred dollars or more for a new musky reel, the Shimano Curado 300HG the budget conscious covered. The Shimano Curado 300HG has a rigid Hagane Body that prevents flex in the reel’s frame or foot making it extremely durable. Available in gear-ratio options such as 4.7:1 and 6.6:1 gives musky anglers two great options. While most Shimano products carry a deservedly high price tag, the new Curado 300 sneaks in around two hundred dollars making it a steal in today’s gear climate.
While no sane individual would ever consider musky fishing a cheap hobby, the gear on this list will ensure that you get your money’s worth. Keep in mind muskies don’t care how much your gear costs, only about how well you fish it.
Cheers,
Steven Paul
Tennessee Musky Guide
Musky Expert and Author Next Level Musky Fishing
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