Muskie First
Published March 26, 2008

MuskieFIRST Welcomes Baldy, Owner Of Muskie Mojo Tackle!

BALDY: Thanks for having me guys

sworrall: Absolutely!

Ajohnson: hey luke, what makes a weagle so much better than other walk the dog topwaters out there?

BALDY: heavier bait that moves more water

sorno: Hey Baldy, of the lures you make, which is your favorite to fish?

BALDY: doesnt get blown out like others

Bret_Wold: Baldy, how has the reaction been to the new Howie bait?
BALDY: sorno, probably the baby wabull

BALDY: Howie has been popular so far

BALDY: seeing it in action really gets people going

Ajohnson: did the howie 2.0 sell good at Blaine?

BALDY: that bait will catch a bunch of fish this year

sorno: Baby Wabull now being made of wood again?

BALDY: 2.0 did well in Blaine. I prefer that model...LOUDER

BALDY: yes, everything is back to wood


Ajohnson: how much for the 2.0?

BALDY: $30 for 2.0

Ajohnson: and when will both versions of the howie be on the mojo site?

Got_Esox: I was out testing my Howie today, LOVE IT!

BALDY: Not sure AJ. Working on getting them into Reeds right now

Rebel9921: Seems like Howie's the popular bait for 2008

BALDY: you can always email me

Ajohnson: ok thanks Luke

Got_Esox: How long did it take to select the right lip on the Howie?

sworrall: Luke, could you list what is new in the Mojo linup for 2008?

BALDY: not long. Basically the same as a hawg wobbler lip.

BALDY: new for '08...WA Weagle, WA Wabull, Howie, Howie v 2.0, Mag XX (#12's)

Ajohnson: YUMMY!

sworrall: Describe a WA Waegle for us, please

Rebel9921: Baldy... mind explaining how you came up with the names for your baits?

BALDY: Steve, basically just a Weagle with a soft tail.

BALDY: the tail adds a nice little bit of action

clark: Any plans for a WA Baby Weagle and WA Baby Wabull?

sorno: I know how he came up with 'WA'

BALDY: clark, protos are being worked on

Ajohnson: cool!

clark: COOL!!!

BALDY: Reb, just brainstorming man. Weagle and Wabull were named when I got them.

sworrall: Hows tha action on the WA Weagle, compared to the Weagle?

sorno: did you solve the second hook placement problem?

BALDY: Howie is named after the man himself, the designer Howie Meyer

BALDY: Steve, action is just about the same, but the tails throws a little extra water

BALDY: sorno, I think I have it

sorno: field test volunteer...
The_Nate: Does the tail on the WA series slow the action of the bait down at all?

muskellunged: Personally speaking, have you had any success slow-rolling the Double XX's

BALDY:Nate, not at all. Once I found the right tail the action was not effected in the least


BALDY: llunged, slow roll at night for sure

nwild: BALDY: what kind of rubber tails are you using on the back of the WA's?

BALDY: Norm, action plastics super goober 6"

The_Nate: excellent!

BALDY: 8" on the 10's

The_Nate: will the 10's be available in any stores in the near future?

cou: Is there a 10 inch wabull in the works?

BALDY: Nate, I don't think so...but I do have some in stock right now.

nwild: Do I understand there is a WA 10" weagle?

sworrall: WA Wabull, does that run like the Wabull?

BALDY: have not tried a 10 Wabull yet

Rebel9921: Baldy... what are the standard colors for Howie?

tuffdaddy: Yes there is Norm. :)

BALDY: you bet Norm

muskellunged: any tips on working the Wabul to a first time user?

nwild: I gotta get me some

BALDY: Steve, wa wabull runs just like the wabull

BALDY: with a little tease on the end

sworrall: tease...like a Wabull doesn't..sounds great!
The_Nate: will do

BALDY: reb - black, blue/silver, frog, fire bandit

Ajohnson: how bout any custom colors for the howie...

BALDY: more to come

Rebel9921: Pink??? Heh

Ajohnson: That's what I wanted

BALDY: I can do just about anything for colors

Rebel9921: What are the hooks you put on your lures?

BALDY: I use all Mustad...3551 and round bends

tuffdaddy: Any secret baits in development this year?

BALDY: diddy, WA Babies

tuffdaddy: yikes!!!

Bret_Wold: are we going to see a Muskie Mojo crankbait out sometime soon?

Got_Esox: any Thumper variations?

BALDY: not sure, bret. havent gone down that road? You never know

Got_Esox: Thumper

clark: Do you offer custom colors?

BALDY: the Thumper was in very limited prod this year

BALDY: going to try 12's on that sucker

tuffdaddy: This might have been asked, but are you going to do any double 9's or 8s?

Ajohnson: can we still buy thunpers from you?

BALDY: custom colors can be done. Just have to be patient with me

BALDY: AJ, you can

Ajohnson: sounds good

showmuskie: so why cant I find any weagles you gonna make some more!

BALDY: diddy, maybe, mostly been focusing on the wood recently.

BALDY: bucktails are EVERYWHERE

tuffdaddy: for sure

BALDY: got a few orders i am working on right now.

Slamr: what makes the XX/XXX different from what you might see in other double ten bladed bucktails?

muskellunged: Which of your baits works best trolling?

BALDY: slamr, I think i use tougher components than most...062 wire

BALDY: XX/XXX work awesome for trolling

BALDY: put some lead in front

muskellunged: interesting!

Rebel9921: What color sells the best for each bait?

BALDY: black and perch are definitely the most popular in the topwaters

Slamr: how much lead would one need to keep a XXX down to say 3' if you were to troll around 4mph with it?

Ajohnson: what's your favorite color

tuffdaddy: 8ozs Slamr

MARINE1: Have you considered any tails with silicone skirts?

BALDY: AJ, blue/silver

tuffdaddy: or slam the rod tip down in the water to get it down 3'

BALDY: slamr, 3oz about 30 feet behind a board will get you there

The_Nate: How much of a lead do you put between the weight and the bait when trolling?
BALDY: Marine, already got 'em man

BALDY: Nate, depends on depth. I have sinkers up to a pound

tuffdaddy: How difficult is it to come up with new ideas with all the baits out there?

muskellunged: I think Nate meant distance wise

BALDY: nate, misread...4' leader between sinker and bait

The_Nate: ahh got ya

BALDY: diddy, pretty tough man. a lot has already been done. Just gotta keep thinking
I got lots of ideas

Rebel9921: How big of a success was the Howie while it was a Prototype?

BALDY: Howie Meyer did very well on the bait

BALDY: calls it his best hooking % topwater

muskellunged: Which bait/model/presentation works best when the bite is either sluggish or over pressured?

MARINE1: How about a Buzzzbait that actually has a decent hook %?

tuffdaddy: What was the key to his success with the Howie?

BALDY: littel wabull in their face, llunged

muskellunged: thanks

BALDY: diddy, S-L-O-W

BALDY: he fished gin bottles, Howie is a pretty subtle bait

BALDY: I think the tail helps with hookups also

Slamr: Do you HAVE TO run the weagle slow to catch fish on it?

tuffdaddy: Can the double jointed one be fished a bit faster?

clark: Howie's overall length and the Howie V2 ?

pro_edge: how is the howie fished....slow or fast?

BALDY: absolutely not, ask Mr.Worrall

sworrall: that's a fact

BALDY: the weagle can handle speed, and fish will still eat it

MARINE1: I second Mr. Worrall

sorno: so can the wabull...and the baby wabull

showmuskie: where can I find a weagle I tried to order on from rollie and helens and from thorne bros they are all out
.
BALDY: diddy, double jointed can definitely be fished faster

BALDY: howie is fished slow

Slamr: Since Steve is here, and a Mojo Pro guy, can you tell usa bout how you run the Wabull, and how that might be a bit different than most would?

BALDY: v2.0 can be fished slow or fast

clark: Length of the Howie and the V.2?

BALDY: just filmed v2.0 today...tune it right and speed makes it go CRAZY

muskellunged: wow.. a 2.0? is that a double jointed Howie?

tuffdaddy: Excellent

Rebel9921: Any plans on making a prop-style Baits?

BALDY: clark, probably around 10 and 12 inches

sorno: is the XXX still as popular as when it first came out or has it fallen in popularity to the XX?

BALDY: v2.0=jointed howie

BALDY: props may be in my future...if i can improve on something already out there

sworrall: I work the Wabull VERY fast, erratic, then *pop* it down at the boat, let her g l i d e

BALDY: sorno, xx has taken over. xxx is still all i use in the fall. Trolling too

Rebel9921: What is the weagle made out of?

BALDY: show, RH and Thornes both just ordered some baits...working on them now

The_Nate: sweet!! is the joint central or locate d closer to the head or tail?

BALDY: rebel, wood

pro_edge: is it time for a bass howie?

BALDY: nate, the two pieces are the same length

BALDY: bass howie? maybe, tough to find the right lip

BALDY: lily carp

The_Nate: excellent that gives me a good image of what it looks like

BALDY: video of v2.0 will be up soon

Slamr: two part question: what is the highest selling weagle color, and what color do you hear most people catching fish on?

BALDY: black and perch sell the most.

BALDY: blue/silver is a deadly color on the right water

Bret_Wold: How much does the Howie weigh?

BALDY: i probably hear most catches on perch

The_Nate: what do you suggest for a quick fix on hook rash and teeth marks that have gotten down to bare wood?

BALDY: never weighed it Bret...similar to a weagle

Rebel9921: Is there a way you can modify a Weagle into a Prop-Style topwater lure?

BALDY: Nate, brush on some 5 minute epoxy. Not pretty but effective.

BALDY: rebel, it could be done I guess. The body shape is correct

MARINE1: Are the weights of the Mojo Weagle a little more consistent than they were under Nut ownership?

BALDY: definitely more consistent
sorno: with regard to leaders, do you have a preference when working wabull/weagles?

BALDY: leader doesn't really matter.

BALDY: works with solid steel, floro, seven strand. I use floro

sworrall: are you posting the new Mojo lure videos to upload.outdoorsfirst.com?

BALDY: you bet, SW

MARINE1: How should a Weagle sit in the water for Max effect? Top, A little under, Half under?

clark: Largest Weagle and Wabull fish that you know of ?

BALDY: water level is generally to mid-eyeball

BALDY: largest Weagle fish - 53x24, bunch of other 50+

tuffdaddy: Why do I always have to cut hooks out of fish when they eat weagles?
tuffdaddy: :)

MARINE1: Was that Jeff Anderson's fish?

BALDY: Wabull - not sure, definitely 50 or over. Worrall caught that one

BALDY: marine, yep

BALDY: diddy, cause they EAT them

tuffdaddy: Indeed they do.

Will: schultz and worrall both have 50' on a wabull

muskellunged: What lakes do you fish most or do you like to spread it around?

BALDY: yes, i forgot about Will's tank, beauty

BALDY: I spread it around. A lot of metro stuff since its close

muskellunged: Logical. Any new waters this year?

Rebel9921: Baldy whats your personal best and which lure was it caught on?

sworrall: How much of the wood bait build is by hand, and by you personally?

BALDY: Haven't even thought that far ahead...I've got baits to make

Got_Esox: What rod do you use when throwing the Weagle?

Slamr: has anyone ever caught a muskie in Crazy Man Bay, or does he affect the fishes with his crazy?

BALDY: SW, I get the body the way it is, then drill, weight, prime, paint, clear.

BALDY: I've got a helper, but i touch every bait

BALDY: slamr, the crazy definitely scares the fishes

sworrall: that guy is just a little off...

BALDY: use whatever rod you are comfortable with

BALDY: short to long will work the bait just fine once you learn to use it

sorno: he makes for a memorable trip to the Goon though

sworrall: How many steps in getting the blank into final form?

BALDY: you will need some tip action for the weagle though

BALDY: steve, about 7 seperate processes for a weagle...9-10 for a wabull

sworrall: So building a wood lure is more complicated than some may think...

BALDY: definitely

Johnny: Why do the older weagles seem to sit lower in the water?

BALDY: because they are a little heavier

Slamr: have you heard of catch rate differences between heavier and lighter weagles?

BALDY: slamr, not really. lots of fish being caught on weagles. old and new

sworrall: I can guarantee my catch rate has been better with the new ones, but that's me

BALDY: more people using new ones, so probably more fish on them

sworrall: Is there a 'best speed' to work a Weagle?

sworrall: speed
tuffdaddy: I liked them both, but definitely catch a buuunch of fish on the Mojo weagles.

BALDY: speed depends on the situation

muskellunged: Which bait/s are good "throwback" lures?

Will: will the weagle and wabull ever go the way of the babies and become plastic?

BALDY: definitely fast if searching, but SLOW when you know she is there

clark: do you have an ideal when the WA babies will be out.

BALDY: will, babies have actually gone back to wood

Will: excellent!

BALDY: clark, testing this year. We'll see...next years shows maybe

BALDY: llunged, weagle is an awesome throwback

The_Nate: Any reason for the change back to wood?

BALDY: baby weagle too, and Howie

BALDY: plastic supplier flaked on me, and I could not get new baits that were to my standards.

BALDY: I know I can make them the right way out of wood

Reelwise: Any new bait ideas in mind BALDY? :)

sworrall: that's sort of funny, Baldy...

BALDY: RW, WA Babies are in proto

Reelwise: sweet

BALDY: WA Baby Wabull...MMMMMMM

Bret_Wold: I think you should develop a bait called The Norm

Sworrall: Above the Norm, topwater, below the Norm, Glider...

The_Nate: I'll second the sweet

The_Nate: a WA baby wabull would be killer on a certain shad based lake I fish, it would be a great profile

sorno: yeah, WA baby wabull...

BALDY: killer lots of places I think

BALDY: any more questions?

Bret_Wold: favorite lake?

Kreegz: just got here, but where is the best place online to find a 10" weagle

BALDY: kreegz, email me info@muskiemojo.com

Kreegz: okie dokie

BALDY: bret, the woods
Ajohnson has left the room.
Bret_Wold: AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kreegz: i'll be there this july
sworrall: Is there a clear advantage to throwing the 10" over th 8"? Norm seems to think there is

BALDY: 10 moves WAY more water...actually easier to work

The_Nate: how much wider is the 10" in relation to the 8"?

BALDY: better in waves too

sorno: what's the 10" weigh?

BALDY: around 6-7 or so

BALDY: nate, 25% more girth

sworrall: Have you heard of stopping a Weagle DEAD in the water at boatside when a big girl follows but doesn't eat?

BALDY: SW, not really. That a trick of yours?

Bret_Wold: so would you prefer the 8" in a calm situation?

Rebel9921: what would be the best way to drill a hole in a body that's about 5 inches in length???

BALDY: Bret, I really fish the 8 more always. Norm has changed my mind though

Will: stop and hover... big girls can't stand it

Rebel9921: drilling lengthwise that is

sworrall: Norm told me about that trick, tried it...and it works

Bret_Wold: Seems Norm is holding out on us.............speak to us Norm

Will: same with the wabull

sorno: pauses work on the baby wabull too

nwild: Norm knows nothing

Slamr: Norm's asleep

BenR: word

BALDY: wake up norm

sorno: most fish you've boated in one day on a Mojo bait?

BALDY: sorno, 3 for me, 4 for the boat

BALDY: gotta send some positive MOJO out to Charlotte Winther...get well little lady
Bret_Wold: AMEN brother
nwild: hear ya there baldy
sorno: right you are
sworrall: for certain...
Pointer: yep
clark: yes
Will: ditto

sworrall: MuskieFIRST Thanks Luke from Mojo Tackle for an informative and entertaining hour...Thanks sir!

Will: thanks Baldy!

sorno: thanks Luke

BALDY: It's been real. Thanks everybody


2241