Drifter Tackle Musky Mania 9″ Doc

The Musky Mania 9″ Doc needs no introduction to those who know what it is and what it is capable of. There have even been days where in the right hands it has out-fished live bunker.

The SWE on Thames Street in the early 2000’s was the first time we laid eyes on this and it was a well-kept secret for almost a decade until word of its effectiveness on striped bass slowly spread.

At the time we knew the deadliness of the Jumpin’ Minnow and wanted something bigger and happened to spot this online. We ordered some and were REALLY excited when we opened the box, only to be even more excited the first time we took it out on the water.

Much like other topwaters in this style, it’ll catch almost anything. We’ve even caught big bluefin tuna on them.

While these lures do come with solid hardware in the form of VMC 9626PS hooks, we recommend considering an even further upgrade due to both the ability of fish to get leverage on this bait as well as the possibility of attracting and hooking something enormous. Split rings should be upgraded too, fish can develop remarkable forces on them and twist out all but the heaviest rings.

Our favorite hooks are the Owner Zo-Wire Inline Replacement Hooks in size 9/0.

Not only does the hookup ratio stay the same, far fewer fish are lost once hooked, and the hooks also cause less damage than a pair of trebles.

The 9″ model weighs 3.5oz