The first thing to consider when attempting to fish for fall muskies is to understand autumn weather patterns and how they are likely to effect musky locations and moods. The location of muskies throughout the fall can vary greatly. Early on, muskies are apt to be shallower while water temperatures hold in the lower 50 degree range. Remaining stands of healthy weeds are one of the very best spots to start. The fact that most of the weeds have died-off already works to your advantage in pinpointing muskie location. The odds of finding a trophy class fish in any weedbed steadily increase as the mass of weeds depletes. Whatever is left healthy and standing is likely to attract and hold the fish.
However, don't be surprised to find a good fish or two on shallow rock humps either. Some of my biggest fall muskies have come from shallow rock outcroppings. Any rock hump or point that is immediately adjacent to a once productive weedbed is likely to hold the highest potential. This only seems to increase as the weeds begin to deteriorate and water temps continue to drop.
Early October often signals the last time of the year when shallow mid lake rock humps produce with any regularity. Smallmouths, perch, and walleyes are apt to school up on such areas just prior to the first real major arctic fronts moving through. Muskies, of course, will be stationed nearby ready for any easy fall lunch. As soon as the real cold fall weather arrives, mid lake humps seem to loose their punch, but steep rocky shorelines then begin to turn on.
Shallow rocks are bound to be particularly good on those chilly, dry, bluebird fall days right after a dark, misty cold front has passed through. The intense sunlight seems to draw fish of all species to these rocky outcroppings; and muskies are no exception. Never overlook shallow rock bars jutting off points when a cold fall bluebird arrives. Muskies seem to appear on these spots out of no where whenever these conditions develop.
Downed wood is one more key cover element that holds strong fall muskie potential, and is particularly good in October. However, the wood must be positioned near deeper water to have any potential during this time period. Unlike spring wood muskies, who prefer wood in shallow flat areas that are warm and protected, October muskies like wood on steeper breaks. Find a break that quickly tapers into some of the deepest water in that given lake, and it’s a good bet it will be a late fall musky hotspot.
Early fall is one of the best times of the year to bag a big one casting classic musky lures over traditional spots. The old standby bucktail/jerkbait presentation is tailor-made for shallower early fall ‘lunges. Torpedo style glide baits are particularity good at this time of year for some reason. Why muskies like this specific style of lure and action so much in the fall is still a mystery; like so many things in fishing. The answer isn't really clear as to "why", but the evidence is obvious. They, the muskies, really like that zig zag action of a torpedo style glider in the early fall. This is true no matter where you fish muskies during October.
Bucktails can be good for October muskies, but you simply must remember one absolute key in the presentation ------ S L O W. For some odd reason, a muskie will chase down a fast moving crankbait, or an erratic action jerkbait during the colder water periods, but has almost no interest in a spinner that moves fast. Bucktails can indeed take some big fall muskies, but you have to work them very slowly.
Choose a model with a big fluted spinner blade such as a # 7 or # 8. After the cast, make a conscience effort to crank the spinner just fast enough to make the blade spin. This will make the bucktail spinner run much deeper, of course. The closer you can get that spinner to run to the remaining weed tops, and/or the actual bottom the better. This, by the way, just might be the best technique for a trophy class fish during the earlier part of October. A slow, snaky bucktail has a high attraction value for bigger for muskies.
The cousin of the bucktail, the spinnerbait, is usually even more effective in the fall yet it rarely used. The overriding spinner blade, mounted off a ball bearing swivel, enables the blade to work at ultra slow speeds. This makes is a perfect choice for that slow crawl over weed tops. Single hook spinnerbaits are also superior lures for heavy milfoil weeds. The upriding single hook enables the lure to track weed-free through some of the best fall musky haunts.
Crankbaits, such as my original DepthRaider and ShallowRaider, are always good no matter what the season, but they come into their own during the month of October. Just like Reggie Jackson came alive during the baseball playoffs each and every fall, you can bet on a crankbait for consistency. I personally rely heavily on a crankbait for fall muskies since it can be worked in a wider range of effective retrieve speeds, and I can get it closer to deeper fish. One key difference between casting a crankbait for fall muskies versus the bucktail or jerkbait is in cover contact. While the bucktail and jerkbait are higher riding lures that tend to work best as you avoid cover, the crankbait triggers a higher percentage of fish each and every time it collides with something underwater. And that in itself is the technique.
When using a floating/diving model, like the original DepthRaider, purposely try to run the lure into cover. Bump and rise the crankbait through weed tops, tick the rocks, and ride it over the branches and trunks of submerged wood. If the crankbait is designed properly, and you make the effort to work it in a "bump & rise" fashion, you'll be able to manipulate it thru all kinds of cover. In the process you'll trigger strikes from muskies like no other bait.
By the way, the thicker the cover, the more I tend to go for a straight model floater. All things being equal, the straight model is generally more effective than a jointed version at being able to break free of cover on the rise. The rigidness of a straight model along with a buoyant rear end enables it to back out of any cover or snag up easier. The hooks remain in-line and protected by the diving lip and the tilt of the bait due to it's tail-accented buoyancy. While straight model floating divers are not nearly as popular as jointed versions, they tend to be better for both casting and trolling in any snaggy cover areas.
The precise position of muskies during any given fall day is actually dependent on several factors:
1) The overall condition of shallow cover such as weed growth
2) The location of baitfish and other food sources
3) The water temperature.
4) Weather conditions
5) Wind action and direction.
If some good weed cover still exists in the right areas, there's a good chance that a few muskies will still be present. Schools of perch are probably their main forage at this time, hugging tight to these same weed clumps.
Prolonged arctic cold snaps with strong winds in late September will have a destructive effect on most weed growth.
Usually this pattern peaks around the first few weeks of October in northern Wisconsin with water temperatures normally in the 51 to 55 degree range. It doesn't last long, so it's imperative to take advantage of this unique musky catchin' opportunity.
As cold weather arrives by mid to late October water temperatures begin to steadily plummet. Once they fall below 50 degrees, less activity in shallow water is likely. This is when a muskie angler's true versatility is challenged. This is especially true of muskie anglers in particular since so many tend to be shallow water fishermen primarily. Cold water muskies move deeper. Deeper presentations can be somewhat foreign to the traditionalist. The dead giveaway here is simply a sudden lack of action. If your shallow water spots suddenly go dead, the fish probably moved out. Check the water temperature at this point, and there's an almost sure chance that it dipped below the 50 degree mark.
As muskies move deeper, they tend to become more bunched up on EDGES. Weedlines, dropoffs, and hard bottom breaklines become key. Presentations that allow quick exploration of these edges are the logical choice. At this point the bucktail/jerkbait approach is a bad one overall. It's too slow and it doesn't cover the terrain properly. Jigs and crankbaits are the weapons of war from here on. Where permissible, I like to troll these edges until fish contact is made. If the weather is cold, I'll continue to troll trying the same area at different depth levels, or attempting trolling passes from various directions. I'll also keep coming back to the same productive area throughout the day. What I've found is that these edges often contain multiple muskies this time of year. However, they might show up in these spots at different times. Constantly rechecking the same edge with repeated trolling passes is the only way to know for sure.
The fall is a superb time to tag a trophy for sure. Yet it's also a time of change. You must be willing to try lots of different areas and a variety of presentations. You must be willing to brave the cold, as well. While some fall days are amongst the most beautiful of the year with breathtaking colorama and a clean, dry comfortable air, they can also be amongst the most "nasty". Be prepared for snow, finger-biting cold, and raw winds, too. Take along plenty of warm clothes including neoprene gloves. You can always take them off; but if you don't have them ----- you're going to be miserable.
Being prepared both tacklewise and weatherwise ensures you'll be on the water when the big ones bite. While I've caught some memorable muskies on those beautiful fall days, I've caught far more and far bigger fish during those ugly outings. The worst of weather seems to bring out the best in the big fish. In other words, no matter how ugly the weather looks, bundle up and get out there. This just might be the day you catch the fish of a lifetime.
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