September Transition Musky Fishing

It’s September and the muskies are on the move.  If you’re like many anglers on the prowl during the early fall season, you might have the spins from attempting to pinpoint musky movements and the best target locations during this opportunistic time.  September is the time for transition fishing and small target windows, so here are some important strategies to remember this early fall.

Transition Fishing

During the early fall, muskies are aggressively feeding, but much of that takes place during shorter windows of time.  As the seasons change, muskies are making moves into shallow structure and cover during early morning and evening feeding windows.  These short openings of opportunity give anglers an edge to fish aggressively, casting weed edges and points to outshine the target forage and land a monster. 

Once you move past the feeding window, muskies tend to travel to their deeper destinations.  They will travel along deeper 8-15 ft edges and ledges or post up over their favorite deeper structure.  This is an excellent time to soak a sucker while casting deeper diving crank and jerkbaits.  Live bait at the end of a target cast will sometimes force a feed for muskies that are holding out after their favorite feeding window has closed.  Once you’ve found their favorite spot the rest is just plugging away until they take the bait.

Transition Lures

If you’re fishing these tight windows in the early fall, remember that lure changes and reel speeds are key to finding success.  Quick pick-up reels and faster lures are the key to attracting muskies during feeding windows.  Muskies are on the hunt, and their reaction time will set the pace.  Once the feeding windows close and you’re searching for transitional fish, slow your pace and change your lure.  Look for lures with enticing tails or work your baits featuring strategic pauses and float-ups.  This presents to a musky as an easily attainable snack during off hours.  And if you’re dangling that live bait, be prepared for boat-side strikes on the follow.

Early fall fishing is a great time to hone your skills in finding muskies, and tweaking presentations.  This time of year gives anglers the full gamut of musky attitudes and can be a great learning experience for those willing to adjust their strategies on the water to create the results they want.