Lake of the Woods Musky Fishing: Landing a 50" Monster with Doug Wegner

Welcome back to part two of our Lake of the Woods adventure! (0:09) After battling some unfriendly weather, we teamed up with professional guide Doug Wegner to see what the legendary waters of Sunset Country had in store for us (12:14).

If you are looking to maximize your success on your next musky trip, here is a complete breakdown of the gear, strategies, and essential safety tools we used to put a massive 50.25-inch Lake of the Woods musky in the boat (17:59).

When you are targeting pressured or moody fish, downsizing your presentation can be a game-changer (1:20). On this trip, we both relied on the same rod configuration to handle smaller rubber baits like tubes and swimming dogs (1:20):

• The Rod: The 10-foot, Extra-Heavy Thorne Bros Custom Stealth Rod (1:34).
• Why It Works: Unlike overly rigid predator rods, the Stealth offers a more moderate action (1:34). This allows the blank to load up perfectly when casting lighter rubber setups, maximizing your distance while maintaining the ideal tension to keep heavy fish pinned (1:53).
• Sensitivity: Built as a true one-piece 10-foot blank, it provides incredible feedback (2:08). You will easily feel the distinct thump of a swimming dog tail or the sharp tick of a subtle rubber bite (2:12).

We spent time on the water testing a highly anticipated prototype bait being co-developed by Thorne Bros and Musky Innovations (0:23).

This new lure fills the gap between the classic Mag Dog and the massive Pounder (5:01). It features an incredibly smooth, gliding action that drives fish crazy even on calm, sunny days (16:03). After accounting for over a dozen fish the previous fall, it proved its worth again by triggering multiple late follows and eventual strikes from finicky spring muskies (5:01).

Proper fish handling is just as important as your fishing license (6:25). If you don't have the right release tools readily accessible, you shouldn't be targeting these fish (6:25).

When you're fishing solo or handling a deeply hooked fish, always keep these tools within arm's reach to protect both yourself and the fish (5:55):

• Knipex Bolt Cutters (Double Up): Always carry two pairs (6:33). If a hook gets buried in your hand or a fish is tangled at a dangerous angle, you need a high-leverage cutter instantly available (5:59).
• Net Buddy Hookouts: Perfect for keeping your hands away from the fish's mouth while giving you the leverage to twist, push, or pull hooks free (6:40).
• Boga-Style Grip: Use this strictly to control the fish's head against the side of the boat in the water (7:09). Never lift a heavy musky vertically completely out of the water by the jaw (7:14).
• Modified Jaw Spreaders: Pro-tip: take two standard jaw spreaders and electrical tape them together (8:05). Large muskies can easily clamp down on a single spreader; doubling them up provides the extra opening power needed to work safely (8:09).
• Long-Handled / 90° Needle Nose Pliers: Custom extended pliers keep your hands safely outside the gill plates if you need to reach a hook lodged deep in the throat (8:31).

After grinding through missed strikes, a few aggressive northern pike, and minimal sleep, the perseverance paid off (11:16).

While working a spot guided by side-imaging data, a monster fish hit the bait halfway through the retrieve (9:45). After a heavy, tense battle, we successfully netted a gorgeous 50.25-inch musky, cementing an unbelievable average size for the trip (16:44).

Gear up properly for your next trophy hunt. Stop by the shop or visit Thorne Bros to check out our custom rod lineups, premium release tools, and the latest musky plastics.