If you haven’t looked out your window lately, let me be the first to remind you it’s fall, folks.  With Fall comes a deep desire to boat those feasting fatties, so let’s focus on the steps you need to take to get the job done. 

Slow Your Retrieve for Fall Muskies

When the thermostat tips to cooler temperatures above and below the surface, it’s time to be judicious with your retrieve.  When slipping into those colder temperatures, slowing your fishing pace will help you boat more muskies.  These fish are typically looking for larger prey for limited energy expenditures.  If you’re not opposed to casting for your fall muskies, take a look at some slower-sinking glide baits.  Lures like the Smuttly Dog Jerkbait can turn heads with the added finesse of a slow tap, tap, and extended pause.  Slow-sinking gliders can be great in the deeper dying weeds and rock formations.

Offer Larger Lures for Bigger Bites

Fall is a great time to offer larger bites for muskies while utilizing the slower-paced fishing.  Thumping tubes is great in the summer for the shoulders of younger anglers, but rubber is much more fun when it can be humped along at a gingerly pace along bottom structure.  Fall is a great time to work Livingston Krakens (tail of your choice) and Chaos Medussas across any structure to find interested muskies.  These rubber-laden offerings are great for increased hook-up ratio, and when worked more slowly, can entice even the most lethargic muskellunge.

Target Deeper Structures in Autumn

As muskies move out of summer weed beds, Fall is a great time to fish deeper and more complex structures. Popular targets are deeper reefs and humps adjacent to open water, deep dying weed edges, channel mouths, and sharp depth changes in basins. This is also a great time to utilize jigging techniques. Topwater works well at the beginning of fall, but as Fall changes occur, it is definitely time to transition with the muskies.

Use Live Bait for Non-Committal Muskies

While using all of the above-mentioned techniques for Fall musky fishing, don’t forget that you can always soak a live sucker to entice non-committal muskies once they are within striking distance of the boat. This is a great technique as muskies are sometimes uncooperative; you can lure them with the sight of a lively treat they can’t resist. Boatside live bait is a great technique to lock down those followers if you fail to hook up before the figure eight.

Fall can be an especially transitional time for muskies, luring out only the most dedicated anglers willing to brace for weather and work. Still, these fall feeding giants can really be worth the effort when seeking out a personal best this season.