There is certainly a chill in the air as of late, but for those willing to venture forth on the water there is solid fishing to be had. Musky anglers should target deep weed edges, breaklines, and current breaks with proximity to deeper water as they are all holding fish; in addition, shallower rocky areas, holding heat from the sun, have been local musky magnets in the early morning and evening hours. Jerkbaits such as Phantom Softails and Bulldawgs have been producing good musky action, while casting and twitching large minnow baits such as 9” Tyrant Czars and 10” Jakes has also been effective.

It has been an excellent autumn for utilizing live bait for musky fishing. Suckers rigged on quick-strike rigs such as Fuzzy’s Clip N Go, and either placed below slip bobbers or suspended over the side of the boat while casting, have been producing muskies for us regularly. The great thing about quick-strike rigs is that using them when live bait fishing for muskies exponentially increases the chance of successfully releasing a fish to fight another day while also helping ensure a higher hook-up percentage.

Residents of the local walleye population are being caught using jig-and-minnows, the weapon of choice in recent days. A Mister Twister multi-colored jig head in lime/chartreuse or orange/chartreuse and tipped with a large or extra-large fathead minnow has been our most consistent producer of walleyes recently. Deep water, a relative term depending on where you’re fishing locally, has been key to locating daytime walleyes. Hard-bottomed humps and fingers, and deep holes and pools are some of the main locations holding good numbers of fish. Don’t be surprised to catch a mixed bag of smallmouth bass, crappies, and even a few channel catfish in many of the same locations as the walleyes.

While the bulk of the attention by autumn anglers is generally directed towards walleye and muskies, crappies remain available for those still looking to score on “specks”. This is a time of year when good Humminbird electronics can be worth their weight in gold as identifying areas holding fish prior to wetting a line can save hours of fruitless time. Crappies typically school in vertical columns; as such, look for this when watching your locator. Once crappies have been located, use slip-bobbers and dead-sticks rigged with small to medium fathead minnows tipped on chartreuse or white Mister Twister Lightnin’ Bugs in 1/16 or 1/8 ounce sizes (depending on the depth and current conditions) as they have been working well.

Tight lines,