Losing Perspective
Craig Sandell © 2010

In this modern Musky era, it is easy to lose perspective regarding the extent of advancements in today’s tackle and techniques over the tackle and techniques of the past. At the top of the list are the enhancements to modern Musky reels.

Taking A Look Back

In the old days, reels did not have the drag mechanisms that we are used to today. The only drag system that you had back then was your thumb. Hand in hand with no drag was the lack of an anti-reverse mechanism…henceforth the reputation of older reels as knuckle busters. There was no thumb bar for free spool activation. There was no such thing as a 4.7:1 gear ratio…it was 1:1. Using the reels of the past to fish for and fight Musky, required a completely different set of skills.

Because there was no anti-reverse or drag system, you could not palm the reel or hold the rod in front of the reel as many of us do with today’s reels. You needed to keep your thumb at the ready to supply drag and to prevent the mother of all backlashes.

Fighting The Fish

If you were accomplished and lucky enough to tie into a Musky back then, the whole experience demanded your complete attention, as you can see from the photo below.

The hook set demanded the use of both hands; one holding the reel handle and the other keeping a firm thumb on the spool and grasp upon the rod. Just think about that for a second…today we just reef back on the rod to set the hook and pay no attention to the reel…Musky fishing has gotten much easier.

Once the fish was on, you had to have your thumb on the spool at all times and a firm grip upon the reel handle. If you think about how you fight a musky using today’s tackle, you realize that your attention is not focused upon the reel at all…Sure, it is a tool that is part of the process but your attention is not consumed by it.

A New Respect

When I took this look back at how Musky were caught using the old style tackle, I gained a new respect for the anglers of the past. These anglers set out on big water in small boats that were powered by anemic outboard motors. They did not have fishfinders or electric trolling motors. They did not have nets that could hold a small child. Landing the Musky was a two man job.

It is my hope that you too will have gained a new perspective from this short article. As modern Musky anglers, we have been blessed with a flood of technology that has made our time on the water quite a bit more productive and to some extent easier than those Musky anglers of the past had it.

Thanks to the Cal Johnson Website for the use of the photo of Cal fighting a Musky.