Hey, I just love the fall! This is my time to get out and chase around some big fat musky! As exciting as this time can be, it can also be a very humbling experience. More often than not you can come home with the big black stripe across your back! That being said, understand that every time you go out you have a serious chance at a real big fish. That is the reason I spend every spare moment on the water in late fall. I remember breaking ice last year on Dec .1 watching an ice fisherman 500 yards away as I fished open water.
Speed at this time of year can be the trigger to success. When trolling vary your speed to figure out what will move fish. I usually speed troll at about 4 mph yet have on occasions bumped it up to 6 mph! The faster trolling speed will often trigger a reaction strikes instead of a push! If you troll to slow you run the risk of not hooking up even though you get a good strike, your line will go slack as the fish hits preventing a proper and solid hook set. I have lost several big girls trolling to slow.
Water temperature is key and will dictate how fast you should go! As the water drops below 45 degrees it is time to slow down. Many experts say that when the temperature hit below 40 degrees you are done. To that I say hog wash! I have boated 7 and 8 musky in a day when the water temperature was 34 degrees. Just remember to slow down as the cooler temperatures roll in.
I find fall turn-over one of the most difficult times to catch the big ones. It just messes things up as the fish wander as the whole system is the same temperature.
The best advice I can give you is let the fish tell you what to do! It may sound silly but it works. I usually start of shallow, say 6-12 feet and work from there. Hook size is critical and I usually pull huge baits late in fall. Remember however that there are exceptions to every rule. This year has been crazy with water temperature far above seasonal averages. In fact I have used smaller baits this year than I have in the past 10 years. Now smaller means 8-10 inch in size not my normal 14 inch that I usually use. I have found by downsizing the bait size the catch ratio has gone up. Understand that as the water cools and drops below 40 the big girls want a meal and not a snack. On a normal year I would pull the big bait, allow the musky to expend little energy on getting a big meal. This year with the warmer water they are a little more active and will chase a bait a little further for a meal. We have had great success moving fish in the shallows on summer tactics.
Musky fishing is not rocket science, put a big hook on and cover open water reefs or shore lines and sooner or later you will do battle. Just remember to get a good hook set and use the proper equipment. This is the time of year the big girl slip up and come out to play! There is nothing like doing battle with a 50 plus inch musky in fall. It is getting more difficult to boat these giants as increased pressure has taken its toll. Musky fishing is one of the fastest growing areas in sport fishing. Twenty years ago I was one of the few boats on the water. Now I have to go out and find new locations as allot of the good old spots are now community holes. These giants can and are being conditioned as the get smarter with increased angling pressure. That is not saying we still can’t go out and catch them! We all just have to understand the windows of opportunity that presents itself every day. Understand moon phases, sunrise, moon rise, moon sets and the barometer and you will be a better angler and put more giants in the boat.
The best advice I can give you if you want a true giant is scent your bait! I use pro-cure bait oil, let me tell you there is nothing that will increase your catch ratio that this product. I have consistently put fish over 50 inches in the boat when using this product. Check it out on line and get some. This product goes on easily and stays on; in fact it’s like peanut butter. It spreads easily and stays on your bait. I think this gives me an advantage while out searching for the big ones! I don’t care if you don’t scent your baits as it will leave more of the fatties for me.
Hope you all had a great season,
“Keep your lines tight”
Craig Stapon
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