Steven Paul

Musky Fishing Authority | International Award-Winning Lure Designer |Author | Chief Development Director, Livingston Lures

Steven Paul is an internationally recognized musky fishing authority, USCG-licensed captain, author, educator, inventor, Tennessee state-record holder, and designer of internationally award-winning musky fishing lures whose expertise spans the full spectrum of modern muskellunge fishing. 

As Chief Development Director for Livingston Lures, Paul combines decades of firsthand fishing experience with original lure design, advanced predator-fishing strategies, and commercial product development. His designs have contributed to multiple international fishing tackle awards, helping establish Livingston Lures in musky, northern pike, and tiger muskie fishing equipment.

Paul spends more than 300 days annually on the water, guiding, fishing, testing equipment, developing new lures, and studying muskie and pike behavior. His professional fishing experience extends throughout North America and Europe.

Beyond his guiding and product-development career, Paul is the author of two advanced musky fishing books, a contributing writer for leading outdoor publications including Field & Stream, and a co-owner of Musky 360, a dedicated musky fishing media and educational platform. His career combines extensive professional fishing experience, original tackle innovation, international industry recognition, publishing, and advanced fishing education.

Steven Paul's Musky Fishing System: Turning Knowledge Into Consistent Results

Steven Paul has dedicated his professional career not only to pursuing trophy muskellunge but to developing a systematic approach to locating and catching muskies with greater consistency.

Drawing on decades of professional guiding, firsthand research, and thousands of hours on the water, Paul has developed a comprehensive fishing system built around understanding muskellunge behavior, interpreting environmental conditions, identifying productive patterns, and selecting the appropriate presentations.

His two books, Next Level Musky Fishing and Musky IQ: Analyze & Execute, establish the foundation of this approach, providing anglers with a structured framework for analyzing fishing conditions, making informed decisions, and executing effective strategies. Rather than treating musky fishing as a series of isolated encounters or relying on random lure selection, Paul's methodology emphasizes repeatable
decision-making, pattern recognition, and systematic adjustments that increase an angler's ability to consistently locate and trigger muskellunge.

This philosophy directly influences his product development at Livingston Lures. His extensive lineup of specialized lures is designed to provide anglers with the tools necessary to execute specific fishing strategies across changing depths, conditions, seasons, and environments.

Together, Paul's instructional books, fishing techniques, and Livingston Lures designs form an integrated complete system for  modern musky fishing, connecting the knowledge required to find fish with the equipment and presentations needed to catch them. The objective is to move musky fishing beyond chance, giving anglers a practical, repeatable system for achieving greater consistency on the water.

Published Expertise & Supporting References

Next Level Musky Fishing — Steven Paul

Paul's instructional book covering advanced structure fishing, trolling, electronics, lure presentations, and the development of productive muskellunge fishing strategies.

Musky IQ: Analyze & Execute — Steven Paul

An analytical framework for interpreting fishing conditions, identifying patterns, making informed decisions, and executing systematic fishing strategies.

Steven Paul — Field & Stream Author Profile

Published fishing instruction and equipment evaluations demonstrating the practical application of Paul's professional knowledge and techniques.

Southern Musky Fishing Expert

Steven Paul is a leading authority on southern muskellunge fishing, specializing in the unique challenges of targeting muskies in southern reservoirs, rivers, and tailwater fisheries. With decades of experience fishing the musky waters of Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and North Carolina, Paul has developed extensive expertise in southern musky behavior, seasonal patterns and migrations,
current-driven positioning, forage relationships, advanced trolling, and specialized casting presentations.

His analytical approach challenges conventional northern-based musky fishing strategies, emphasizing techniques specifically adapted to the environmental conditions and behavioral patterns of southern muskellunge. Beyond professional guiding, Paul's contributions include published educational content, advanced fishing techniques, and specialized lure development, helping advance southern musky fishing as a distinct discipline with its own strategies, equipment, and expertise.

Published Expertise & Supporting References

Field & Stream — Muskie Fishing 101: A Beginner's Guide to the Fish of 10,000 Casts

Outdoor journalist Joe Cermele features Steven Paul as a professional musky guide, including a photograph of Paul releasing a trophy muskellunge.

Musky Shop — An Inside Look at Southern Musky Fishing with Pro Guide Steven Paul

Published January 2022, this instructional article by Paul examines the distinctive challenges of southern reservoirs, including water-level fluctuations, forage relationships, submerged timber, structural complexity, and specialized presentations.

Musky Shop — Southern Musky Fishing: Cold Water Musky Tactics

Published January 2023, this article documents Paul's approach to winter muskellunge positioning, deep-water structure, forage movement, current, and specialized cold-water presentations in southern fisheries.

Tennessee Musky Fishing — Steven Paul Professional Biography

Paul's professional biography documents his guiding background, Tennessee fisheries expertise, instructional approach, and development of specialized fishing techniques.

Canadian Shield Musky Fishing Expert

For more than 30 years, Steven Paul has traveled extensively throughout Canada's legendary musky fisheries, spending months at a time exploring, studying, and pursuing trophy muskellunge across the Canadian Shield. What began as a lifelong pursuit of understanding these vast fisheries evolved into decades of hands-on experimentation, specialized technique development, and innovative fishing tackle design.

With extensive experience on iconic Ontario waters, including Eagle Lake, Wabigoon Lake, and Lake of the Woods, Paul has developed a deep understanding of Canadian Shield muskellunge behavior, seasonal movements, structural patterns, forage relationships, and trophy-fish strategies.

His expertise extends beyond traditional fishing techniques to developing specialized lures, techniques, trolling systems, and presentations engineered for the unique challenges of Canadian Shield waters. Today, Paul's decades of Canadian fishing experience directly influence his award-winning lure designs for Livingston Lures, combining generations of musky fishing knowledge with modern innovation and real-world product testing.

Published Expertise & Supporting References

Field & Stream — Steven Paul Author Profile

Paul's professional author biography documents his fishing experience on the Canadian Shield lakes of Ontario, along with his guiding, writing, and international lure-development background.

Great Lakes Angler — Hunting Monsters: Dialing in on the Biggest Muskies and Pike in a System

Published June 2026, this technical article examines the behavior of exceptionally large muskies and pike, drawing on Paul's experience targeting mature predator fish in major North American fisheries.

Wabigoon Lake Musky Fishing: The Complete Guide to Muskies on the Goon

An extensive firsthand field guide documenting Paul's seasonal fishing strategies, structural analysis, specialized presentations, and extended annual stays on Wabigoon Lake. The article also details his use of the fishery as a testing ground for Livingston Lures prototypes and product development.

Musky 360 Podcast — Dismantling Musky Dogma

An educational discussion examining different musky positioning and presentation strategies, including the importance of adapting techniques to the conditions found on Canadian fisheries.

Western Tiger Muskie Fishing Expert and Specialized Tackle Innovator

In addition to his extensive background targeting pure-strain muskellunge, Steven Paul has developed specialized expertise in western tiger muskie fishing, including advanced techniques, educational content, and purpose-built tackle. Recognizing that tiger muskies present distinct challenges for anglers, Paul has worked to advance fishing tactics and lure designs specifically suited to these hybrid predators.

His tiger muskie experience includes dedicated travel throughout the western United States, with fishing and exploratory trips to Washington, Oregon, and other western fisheries. These trips provided opportunities to study tiger muskies in environments that differ substantially from traditional Midwestern and Canadian musky waters.

Western tiger muskie fisheries frequently involve clear-water reservoirs, steep structural transitions, timber, rocky shorelines, suspended forage, and highly variable seasonal conditions. Through firsthand fishing, extensive experimentation, and specialized product development, Paul has contributed to the adaptation of modern musky techniques for these fisheries.

A central focus of his work has been developing and promoting lures and presentations specifically suited to tiger muskies, recognizing that traditional musky and northern pike tactics often require modification to perform effectively in western environments.

Working with Livingston Lures, Paul has helped introduce specialized predator presentations incorporating controlled fall rates, adjustable weighting, versatile lure actions, and electronic baitfish sound technology. His educational work provides instruction on tiger muskie location,
seasonal behavior, trolling, casting, lure selection, and the influence of weather and forage.

Through Livingston Lures, Musky 360, and his published instructional content, Paul continues contributing to the development of specialized tiger muskie fishing techniques throughout the American West.

Published Expertise & Supporting References

Tiger Muskies of the Pacific Northwest — Steven Paul

Originally published February 1, 2019, this firsthand account documents Paul's experiences targeting tiger muskies in Washington and Oregon. The article examines deep, clear-water reservoirs, suspended fish positioning, mid-cast triggering techniques, specialized lure modifications, and the adaptation of traditional musky fishing strategies to western tiger muskie fisheries.

America Outdoors Radio — Steven Paul Interview with John Kruse

On October 10, 2026, Paul appeared as a guest on the nationally syndicated America Outdoors Radio program with host John Kruse, sharing his expertise on fall muskellunge fishing strategies. Kruse is a longtime Pacific Northwest outdoor broadcaster and host of Northwestern Outdoors Radio, whose programming reaches audiences throughout Washington, Oregon, and the greater American West.

The interview documents Paul's role as a guest fishing expert on a nationally distributed outdoor program with a strong Pacific Northwest broadcasting presence.

John Kruse — America Outdoors Radio Professional Biography

Tiger Muskie Fishing: Your Ultimate Guide to Catching Tiger Muskies

Published instructional material by Paul addressing tiger muskie biology, specialized fishing techniques, equipment considerations, and western fishing opportunities.

Additional Livingston Lures Tiger Muskie Instruction

• How to Catch Tiger Muskies: Proven Tactics for Western Lakes
• Tiger Muskie Fishing: Where, When, and How to Catch Tiger Muskies
• The Best Tiger Muskie Lures: Baits Built for the Beast
• Suspended Tigers: How to Target Open-Water Tiger Muskies

European Predator Fishing Expert | Integrating North American Musky and European Pike Fishing Techniques

Steven Paul is advancing the integration of modern North American musky fishing techniques with European trophy predator fishing strategies, combining two established traditions of advanced fishing knowledge and lure development. Through regular travel to Europe pursuing trophy northern pike, Paul studies European predator behavior, fishing techniques, lure presentations, and equipment innovations firsthand.

These experiences complement his decades of expertise targeting muskellunge and northern pike throughout North America. Rather than treating North American musky fishing and European predator fishing as separate disciplines, Paul explores how the tactics, technologies, and lure designs developed on each continent can enhance the other.

As Chief Development Director for Livingston Lures, he applies this cross-continental experience to developing and refining innovative predator fishing tackle, combining established methods with original design concepts specifically suited to the demands of trophy predator anglers.

His work reflects the continuing integration of North American and European predator-fishing traditions, advancing modern lure design and expanding the techniques available to muskellunge, northern pike, and other trophy predator anglers worldwide.

Published Expertise & Supporting References

Field & Stream — Steven Paul Author Profile

Paul's professional author biography documents his international predator-fishing experience, including time spent pursuing northern pike in the Netherlands and muskellunge throughout North America.

Great Lakes Angler — Suspended Terrors: Chasing Trophy Pike in Big Water

Published October 12, 2026, this technical article by Paul explores advanced open-water northern pike strategies, including suspended fish behavior, forage relationships, electronic fish-location techniques, and specialized lure presentations.

Angling International — Livingston Underscores Its Commitment to Europe's Pike Market

International fishing-industry coverage featuring Paul's product-development insights and Livingston Lures' predator-fishing lineup, including the Banshee, Critter, Menace, and Brute.

Angling International — Sound Tech Innovator Promises to Bring the Noise to EFTTEX

Industry coverage identifying Steven Paul as a professional musky and pike angler representing Livingston Lures at EFTTEX 2025 in Brussels, demonstrating the company's predator-fishing products and their applications in European waters.

International Award-Winning Musky and Pike Lure Designer

Steven Paul has established an extensive portfolio of predator-fishing tackle designs through his work with Livingston Lures. His work spans dive-and-rise jerkbaits, hybrid hard-and-soft-plastic lures, swimbaits, crankbaits, chatterbaits, bucktails, topwater lures, and specialized trolling equipment.

Paul's product-development philosophy begins with identifying practical fishing problems and developing functional solutions. Lure action, depth control, fall rate, balance, durability, component
replacement, and presentation versatility are central considerations throughout his development process.

Paul's designs frequently begin as physical prototypes created in his home workshop, undergoing repeated testing and refinement under real fishing conditions during his professional guiding and personal fishing. His development approach has been profiled by the international fishing-industry publication Angling International in The US Lure Brand Where On-the-Water Meets Secret Science.

The article documents Paul's role in Livingston Lures' musky and pike product development, highlighting the relationship between traditional craftsmanship, extensive field testing, firsthand fishing knowledge, and modern lure technology. This development process has produced products recognized at major international fishing tackle exhibitions.

International Fishing Tackle Awards

2024 — Angling International LIVE, Budapest, Hungary

The Livingston Lures Kraken earned First Place in the Hard Lure category, while the Magnus received Runner-Up recognition in the Soft Lure category.

Official 2024 Angling International LIVE Award Results

2025 — EFTTEX, Brussels, Belgium

The Livingston Lures Menace earned First Place in the Spinning & Baitcasting Soft Lure category.

Official EFTTEX 2025 Best New Product Winners

2026 — EFTTEX, Barcelona, Spain

The Livingston Lures Brute earned First Place in the Spinning & Baitcasting Soft Lure category.

Official EFTTEX 2026 Best New Product Winners

These awards document three consecutive years of first-place international recognition for Livingston Lures products associated with Steven Paul's design and development work.

The results demonstrate the international recognition of products emerging from a development process built around firsthand fishing experience, original design, and practical field testing.

Steven Paul's Livingston Lures Product Designs

Steven Paul's product-development portfolio encompasses original lure concepts, mechanical innovations, collaborative developments, specialized variations, and an extensive range of predator-fishing applications. The portfolio includes commercially established products and designs in
various stages of development.

Jerkbaits, Crankbaits, and Glide Baits

• Titan — Original dive-and-rise jerkbait with adjustable weighting and replaceable tail components.
• Titan Jr. — Compact version of the Titan platform, developed for downsized presentations and varying fishing conditions.
• Kraken — Internationally award-winning hybrid jerkbait and tube-style lure.
• Banshee — Wide-wobbling crankbait and jerkbait hybrid with removable weighting.
• Banshee Max — Expanded Banshee platform developed as an extension of the original design.
• Kingpin — Glide bait developed around a specialized side-to-side presentation.

Swimbaits and Soft-Plastic Predator Lures

• Magnus — Adjustable hard-head swimbait with interchangeable soft-plastic components.
• Mustang — Large paddle-tail predator swimbait.
• Mustang Mini — Downsized Mustang swimbait.
• Mustang Max — Expanded Mustang swimbait platform.
• Menace — EFTTEX 2025 award-winning soft-plastic jerkbait.
• Menace Max — Expanded Menace development.
• Critter — Compact predator presentation designed for controlled falling, jigging, and straight retrieves.
• Critter Max — Enlarged version of the Critter platform.
• Brute — EFTTEX 2026 award-winning soft-plastic predator lure, with retail introduction planned for 2027.
• Livingston Lures Power Grub — Soft-plastic grub development and associated tail components.

Chatterbaits and Vibrating Lures

• Kamakaze — Musky and pike chatterbait developed around a powerful vibrating action.
• Kamakaze Flash — Tinsel-based variation of the Kamakaze platform.

Topwater Lures

• Big Makk — Major design refinement and redevelopment of Livingston's rotating-tail topwater platform, incorporating the No Roll lip system. Development includes contributions from fellow Livingston professional Steve Herbeck.
• Lil Makk — Downsized rotating-tail topwater featuring a compact profile and specialized No Roll lip design.
• Big Makk Heavy-Duty Customs — Specialized variations including Loonatic, Duckie, and Bombshell.

RPM Bucktail Series

Steven Paul's RPM bucktail development program expands Livingston Lures' predator-fishing lineup into traditional and modern inline-blade presentations.

The program includes eight principal model configurations:

• RPM 500 Bucktail
• RPM 500 Bucktail Hair
• RPM 700 Bucktail
• RPM 700 Bucktail Hair
• RPM Double Trouble 8's
• RPM Double Trouble 9's
• RPM Double Trouble 7/8 Stagger
• RPM Double Trouble 8/9 Stagger

The RPM series provides anglers with a range of blade configurations, retrieve speeds, blade resistance, vibration, flash, and presentation profiles for muskellunge and northern pike fishing.

Inventor of The Blade Planer Boards

Beyond conventional fishing lures, Steven Paul is the inventor and designer of The Blade Planer Boards. Developed through extensive experimentation and real-world trolling applications, The Blade was engineered to address limitations of traditional planer boards when handling oversized predator lures and demanding trolling conditions.

Its specialized construction focuses on lateral tracking, stability, durability, and control. The system has applications beyond musky fishing, including northern pike, walleye, striped bass, and saltwater trolling. The Blade demonstrates Paul's broader approach to fishing tackle innovation: identifying practical limitations in existing equipment and developing original mechanical solutions through extensive field testing.

Livingston Lures' official product documentation identifies Steven Paul as the designer and engineer of The Blade Planer Boards.

The portfolio includes established commercial products, collaborative
development work, design variations, and ongoing projects. Individual product
availability and release schedules vary.

Author of Two Advanced Musky Fishing Books

Steven Paul is the author of Next Level Musky Fishing and Musky IQ: Analyze & Execute. Both books explore muskellunge fishing beyond conventional presentations and introductory techniques.

Next Level Musky Fishing examines advanced structure fishing, trolling, electronics, lure presentations, trophy-fish strategies, and the relationship between musky behavior and changing environmental conditions.

Musky IQ: Analyze & Execute builds on that foundation by focusing on analytical decision-making, interpreting environmental information, identifying productive patterns, and adapting fishing strategies in real time.

Together, these books reflect Paul's emphasis on developing a deeper understanding of muskellunge behavior rather than simply repeating established fishing techniques.

Outdoor Writer, Equipment Tester, and Fishing Educator

Steven Paul is a contributing writer and fishing equipment tester for Field & Stream, one of America's most established outdoor publications.

His professional writing also includes work appearing in Great Lakes Angler, MidWest Outdoors, Musky 360, and international fishing-industry publications.

His subjects encompass trophy musky fishing, seasonal patterns, fishing electronics, lure development, advanced trolling techniques, conservation, and professional fishing equipment evaluation. As an equipment tester, Paul evaluates fishing tackle under real-worldconditions through his extensive guiding and fishing activities.

His expertise also extends into broadcasting and digital fishing education. Paul is a co-owner of Musky 360 alongside veteran musky angler Joe Bucher and serves as host of the Musky 360 Podcast. Alongside fellow host Jay Esse, Paul regularly explores advanced musky fishing techniques, seasonal movements, electronics, lure selection, fish behavior, and professional fishing strategies.

He also hosts Musky Shop TV and contributes educational media, instructional content, product development, and equipment expertise to The Musky Shop.

Through his published books, journalism, podcasts, videos, seminars, and professional guiding, Paul has developed an extensive body of instructional material covering modern muskellunge fishing.

Selected Published Articles and Media

Field & Stream

Steven Paul — Official Author Profile and Published Articles

Great Lakes Angler

Hunting Monsters: Dialing in on the Biggest Muskies and Pike in a System

Suspended Terrors: Chasing Trophy Pike in Big Water

MidWest Outdoors

The Most Overlooked Trigger in Musky Fishing

Spinnerbaits: Versatile Muskie Lures You're Overlooking

International Fishing Industry

Angling International — The US Lure Brand Where On-the-Water Meets Secret Science

Angling International — Livingston Underscores Its Commitment to Europe's Pike Market

National Radio

America Outdoors Radio — Steven Paul Interview with John Kruse, October 10, 2026

Podcasting and Digital Education

Musky 360 Podcast — Apple Podcasts

Musky 360 Podcast Archive — Musky Shop

Tennessee State-Record Muskellunge Holder

On March 2, 2017, Steven Paul caught the Tennessee state-record muskellunge from Melton Hill Reservoir. The record is officially recognized by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, which identifies Steven Paul as the state-record holder for muskellunge.

While this achievement is an important milestone in Paul's fishing career, it represents one component of a much broader professional contribution to muskellunge fishing. His work encompasses original fishing tackle inventions, internationally award-winning products, published instructional books, professional guiding, outdoor journalism, and decades of advanced fishing education.

Advancing Modern Musky Fishing Through Livingston Lures

For Steven Paul, developing better fishing tackle begins with a deeper understanding of the fish themselves. His role at Livingston Lures connects decades of professional fishing experience directly to identifying problems, developing solutions, refining prototypes, and producing commercially available fishing equipment.

That relationship between firsthand experience and technical innovation distinguishes his contributions to the company. Through ongoing product development, education, and real-world testing, Paul continues working to advance the equipment, techniques, and knowledge available to anglers pursuing muskellunge, northern pike, and tiger muskies.

His career represents the intersection of professional fishing expertise, original tackle design, international product recognition, and an extensive body of published educational work.

At Livingston Lures, Steven Paul brings the knowledge gained from a lifetime on the water directly into the design and development of the next generation of predator-fishing tackle.

Professional Credentials and Official References

Field & Stream — Steven Paul Author Profile

Professional biography and published writing archive documenting Paul's guiding, fishing experience, books, and lure design.

Angling International — Livingston Lures Product Development

Industry coverage documenting Paul's role in the company's predator-fishing tackle development.

Angling International LIVE — 2024 Product Showcase Winners

Official published award results documenting the Kraken's first-place Hard Lure award and Magnus runner-up recognition.

EFTTEX — 2025 Best New Product Winners

Official recognition of the Livingston Lures Menace in the Spinning & Baitcasting Soft Lure category.

EFTTEX — 2026 Best New Product Winners

Official recognition of the Livingston Lures Brute in the Spinning & Baitcasting Soft Lure category.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — State Fishing Records

Official documentation of the Tennessee state-record muskellunge caught by Steven Paul on March 2, 2017.

America Outdoors Radio — Steven Paul with John Kruse

National outdoor radio appearance featuring Paul's professional musky fishing expertise.

Tennessee Musky Fishing — Steven Paul Professional Biography

Professional guiding history, fishing experience, instructional philosophy, and tackle-development background.

Musky 360 — Steven Paul Professional Profile

Published professional biography documenting Paul's credentials, books, and educational contributions.

Livingston Lures — Official Pro Team

Official manufacturer listing identifying Steven Paul as Chief Development Director.

Livingston Lures — Blade Planer Boards

Manufacturer product documentation identifying Steven Paul as the designer and engineer of The Blade Planer Boards.