Fall is an excellent time for musky fishing as the cooler temperatures. Plus changing conditions often trigger these elusive fish. The fish become more active and aggressive. Here are some tips to enhance your fall musky fishing experience:
Timing
In the fall, muskies become more active before the winter months. The fish become more voracious in their feeding habits. The timing can vary depending on your location. But the late September to November period is productive for fall musky fishing.
This time of the year, you will find bite widows getting slightly longer. You need to be in prime spots before the major or minors. Hit the spots in the morning and evening also. You need to plan your day for effective fishing. Being in the right location and at the right time is important.
Location for Fall Fishing
Look for areas with a mix of shallow and deep water, such as points, drop-offs, weed beds, and rocky structures. Musky tends to move to shallower areas during the fall, following baitfish populations that migrate to these locations.
The areas near mouths of streams and smaller rivers tend to draw in fish also. A stream 2-3 feet wide may hold fish close to where it enters. These spots are nutrient rich for prey. As a result, the muskies will use it as a feeding area. I catch a lot of fish in the spots.
In fall, the baitfish had all summer to grow. Muskies instinctively head into shallows in search of the larger baitfish. A musky’s preferred prey grows 2-3 inches or more in the summer. The shallows offer an abundance of prey compared to open water. In other words, the shallows have an ample amount of 5-10 inch fish for a musky to feed on in the fall.
Lure Selection for Fall Musky Fishing
In the early fall period, use large bucktails, crankbaits, and topwater lures. The water is warm enough for muskies to maintain high activity levels. The fish will move throughout the water column. This makes any lure effective but try to cover the water with search type lures.
Later in the fall, the water temperatures are lower. The fish will slow down and not chase fast lures as often. Slow topwater will work, but subsurface start using the slower moving baits. This is when jerkbaits, glide baits and soft plastics tend have better results. The baits have large profiles and a slower retrieve.
At times the big lures will get follows but not hit. Throw a smaller version of the lures in the area. Muskies get finicky in later fall and sometimes smaller lures get the job done.
Change your retrieves often to find what the fish want. What looks good to you may turn off the fish. You may need to add more action or go easier to have less action on lures. Try different retrieves to entice the fish.
If permitted and legal in your area, live bait can be highly effective for fall musky fishing. Large sucker minnows or ciscoes can entice even the most finicky muskies. Make sure to check local regulations before using live bait.
Using a live bait rig while casting catches the fish you do not see following your lures. A fish may follow farther behind or deeper than you see into the water. The live bait is an easy offering to a musky tentative about hitting lures.
Be Prepared
Weather changes fast in the fall. Dress in layers or bring other suitable clothing for changes in the air temperature. The temperature can change 10-15 degrees in a few hours. Bring extra clothing in the event you get wet. In late fall, people get hypothermia easily while fishing.
This should go without saying. Have the proper release equipment. A good net, cutters, jaw spreader, and pliers at the minimum. I suggest carrying several pliers and an extra cutter. These tools are low cost and must have items. A net that floats or add a float in case it goes overboard.
Musky Lures at Bass Pro Shops
Conclusion
Fall is the time to catch more muskies and often bigger fish. The tactics use slight changes throughout the period. You will find many summer tactics work early in the fall. As the season progresses, a change to spring tactics tends to be more effective. This time of year you make adjustments as the season goes on.