moved near a river that has them.

no boat. might buy a fishing kayak some day, but not now.

what rod/line/leaders/lures/bait will get me started?

Thanks!

Stout! Buy the heavy duty gear, you'll need it. Wire leaders, LARGE lures and spoons.

Hope you have deep pockets. Muskie rods,reels, lures, etc, aren't cheap. Since you said you're fishing from shore I'd suggest top water or bucktails. Less chance of a snag.

Save yourself some money...
Med Hvy bait casting gear (like a flipping stick and an Abu Garcia Ambassador)
7"-9" rapala or jointed husky jerk
12" steel leader
20lb trilene big game line

Musky specific gear is not required to get started

appreciate the replies!

I only have ultra-lite and fly rods for trout; and a Surf Fishing rod...nothing in-between.

Slydogx is right the only thing I would change is I use a 24 or 36 stainless steel leader just for the extra length.

Good suggestions on rods and reels. I personally like 80# Fluorocarbon Leaders and power pro line in #80-100#.

Get a few bucktails, with at least one being black. Make sure they hit the water running and don't forget ending your casts with an L or an 8.

Make sure you have a big enough net and don't forget some decent release tools. There could come a time when the release may be you from a thrashing fish, so a good hook cutter like a knipex is an important tool to have.

Stick with it and keep it fun. The payoff is unforgettable.

WS

Great suggestions, especially about the Knipex.
Once I encountered a guy with a 2 pound bass and both of his thumbs all connected to the same lure.
He thought he would die.
I cut him loose and he said that was his last time ever fishing.

Add a float to the Knipex.

If you plan to release all of them a nice creel may be a good item to have. I use a homemade one with a 48 ince ruler fastened on it. I agree with those that stated go with a good medium heavy type rod geared for 15-30 lbs. line and a reel that will hold a couple hundred yards of 20-30 lbs. test line. Foot long steel leaders are good as well. The equipment you want is that that can handle up to a couple ounce lures. You can always go into more specific heavier muskie gear later if you really get into it. I have caught and released a half dozen muskies up to about 42 inches from my canoe and that was a challenge. I don't know how well a kayak would work for me. If that is all you have it may well work best to get to shallow water and land them that way. I did that with two fishing from a canoe. Big bucktails are good starter lures not because they are the best maybe but it is easier to get a good hook set many times.

Bryce

What are y'all calling a Knipex? I googled it and it looks like an $80 pair of channel locks?

You may get more excitement then you wish for if you snag into a big muskie from a kayak. Of course maybe you are looking for some excitement since you are retired.

Don, you are in a good Muskie area, good luck to you.

If you're starting out, $20-$30 Musky baits can add up fast- some of my biggest fish have been caught on smaller baits. If you buy or have a #5 Mepps to start - you'll have more fun because you'll catch bass and target Musky at the same time. Keeping your hooks sharpened is key- I prefer a double chainsaw file, you can use a stone but decide on what you prefer and use it often throughout the day. Trying to get a Yo Man's hook set in a kayak can be challenging, if you're fishing from shore, try to make long parallel casts with the shoreline, you can cover more area that way without a boat.
Muskies aren't catfish and they can become stressed easily- that's why you need stout tackle to limit the amount of time from hook-up to release, the cradles and oversized nets mentioned above are nothing more than a live well, leave the fish in the water when removing the hooks, support the fish under the belly with hand when snapping your photo and have fun.

if you have any location ideas or know of folks willing to teach a newbie, I'm all about it!

Truly appreciate ALL of the replies!

Don't know the size or the fall or current in your muskie river, but the rivers I fish for muskies have varing habitat. Where I fish the muskies like the edges of the eddies below rapids and the deeper water. If you have log jams or shore cover with deep edges and slower water they are very good muskie holders. Watch out with using light gear and lures with lot of exposed hooks as the muskies many times will try to take you back into the wood and when the lure catches on a log or branch you will lose them many times. Some times when the shallower areas are flat at low light top waters can work well. Even if they are less productive watching a 40 inch fish zero in on a top water and strike is a real rush.

Bryce