Switching over to fall tactics

[Scoot]

What are the general trends people follow when switching from a mid summer bite to a fall bite? The typical responses I get for this question are to go bigger and slower. Big bucktails with big blades as well as big jerks worked slowly. Anyone have any other suggestions?
Also, how about depth- do people typically go a little deeper this time of year? A buddy of mine does and swears by this. Another friend of mine says you should go shallower when the water temp starts to drop.
Fill us in on fall patterning of sklunges.

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Scoot

RodsbyEngel: custom made fishing rods

[Stratosman]

As long as you have green weeds, some muskie will be present, although rock piles, points ect. should start to hold more fish as weeds start to die. I stick primarily to deeper structures, deep weedlines, sunken islands and points that jut out into deep water just to name a few. Lure presentation changes with the weather also. Bucktails produce no matter what the season, however, an increased number of fish are caught on jerk baits and glide baits as muskies get more aggresive in thier quest to put on some winter weight. Fall is also prime trolling time pulling grandama's and other large crankbaits around structure. I think the overall tendency for muskies is to move to more predictable locations, the muskies that have spent the summer roaming open water will move shallower, especially if there are cisco present, which move into shallower areas to spawn. Most of these fish have not seen a lure all summer and can be very aggresive. Also I think that muskies that spent thier summer days in the shallow water and in the slop, migrate to relatively deeper water and on to the same structures as the fish that moved in from the depths. This can concentrate more fish in particular areas. This combined with the muskies instinct to feed when the water temps drop can make for the best time to land a fish if a lifetime, muskies are also at thier heaviest at this time. From here on out, the only gear in my boat is muskie gear.

[AWH]

The one thing to remember is that muskies are never predictable.

But this time of year, especially about the week prior to turnover, I would be looking shallow. And fall is quite possibly the best time of year for top water.

After things turnover, they won't be quite as shallow anymore. But from post turnover until ice up, I generally find them right on the break to just off the break. How deep really depends on the lake as well as the day. Each day you need to establish a pattern for that particular lake and go from there.

They'll be up in the weeds in the late fall too. But I generally have a little better luck when fishing weeds, to be right on the break.

But again, you never know. If you try to make a prediction on where they'll be and where the active ones will be, good chance you'll be wrong.

I know that some people swear by slowing down in the fall, with more subtle presentations. Live bait, jigging, slow moving plastic, jerks, etc. But I actually get more erratic with my presentations as ice up nears and have had excellent success.

It's really a confidence game. Find something that works that you have confidence in, and go with it. That's half the battle.

AWH