Fish-Hawk.Net

Hi guys.
I was just wondering what out of my tackle box i should be throwing this time of year. When you say fall what first somes to mind for me is big baits. Is this what i should be thinking?

Anyways heres what is in my musky tackle box.
~9" Suick
~8" Jake
~Rapala Magnum
~1 1/2oz spinnerbaits
~And an assortment of medium sized musky bucktails

What out of these baits should i be focusing on during this time of the year? I know i dont have that much tackle but its all i can afford at the moment and during the summer i made out ok with what i have.

Good question, I always wonder that myself. And I guess the answer depends largely on a variety of factors but the one thing i hear consistantly is the bigger the better!

Personally, I troll big cranks like grandmas or big spinnerbaits and cast black bucktails. Nothing real special there!

time to put away the small baits and up grade the terminal tackle. I troll with baits that are 10-16" this time of year and cast lures from 10-12"

Holy cr*p crazy ! 10-16" !! have you had any luck (consistently or otherwise) on baits that size?

You can go as large as 18" and still hook up on muskie in the fall. I've never heard of people trying bigger than that, but I'm sure it will happen.

Slow trolling huge baits in deep water can be a very productive technique in the fall, and it can produce MONSTER fish. Just make sure you have adequate terminal tackle, otherwise you'll be sorry.

Fall = Go big or go home!

HW

Slow trolling huge baits in deep water can be a very productive technique in the fall, and it can produce MONSTER fish. Just make sure you have adequate terminal tackle, otherwise you'll be sorry

In deep water or over deep water? I am reluctant to fish anything deeper then 15 feet in the fall after a lake has turned over.

Try both. Either way, focus on targeting the bait fish. If they are shallow, go shallow, if they are deep, go deep. Try to run right through them. Get to know your baits really well so you know at exactly what depth they are running. Accuracy can be the difference between hooking a monster and getting skunked a lot of days.

Here is a picture of the kind of thing you are looking for. This is a school of minnows on the sonar:



I usually mix up my fall tactics based on weather conditions, water clarity, and bait fish activity. I try trolling the upper water column if the bait are suspended. Big fish will often use the upper water column as a feeding area when the bait fish are there, and the weather and water clarity are right. You can often hook fish in the 8-15ft range over deep water. I've hooked fish at 10ft over 70-80ft of water.

Alternatively, on days where you see the bait fish deep, or just can't find them, don't be afraid to drop big baits down to the 20-30ft range. There are big fish down there, and some days the only way to get them is to go deep. Bouncing bottom is a good technique that is effective for some people as well.

One thing to keep in mind is that muskie fishing is by no means an exact science. There are tactics that you can employ that will enhance your chances of hooking up with a big fish, however, nothing is guaranteed. Being over-analytical in this sport will kill you, and will probably drive you mad. Try tips from other anglers, but don't write everything in stone. I know muskie fishermen that analyze absolutely everything, and they have taken the enjoyment out of fishing for both themselves, and those that they fish with. Don't be afraid to try new things.

Crazyhook and I have experienced this first hand. Moving away from the norm and doing something completely opposite to what everyone else is doing can often produce great results. Most of my big fish this year have come when I am fishing by myself and trying new and wacky tactics.

Hope this helps.

HW

Want to hear a wacky technique? How about dangling believers out of the water.

Trollling in a thick soup fog with about 10 ft visibiity one morning and going by the depth finder (cause we can't see shore). came up on a hump that went fro 30 ft to 5 ft we had no idea where we were. so we stopped and pulled up the baits to be safe and put them in the holders. start going again till we find some water by the finder, and one of the belieivers is dangling over the edge just ticking the water. Next we hear a splash and the line start going out ... 44 incher. We were dying laughing! (lucky we didn't loose the rod too!)

Simmer,

Great story, and not the first time I've heard of something like this. Goes to show you.


HW