Water temp/muskie activity level?

[TurnUpTheFishing]

This might seem like a dumb question to some but Im somewhat new to chasing muskies... Anyway, in the fall as temperatures cool at what temps should I start slowing my presentions and what lures, techniques would be good? I mostly bass fish so would I be safe in assuming when bass begin to react more sluggish that the muskies will be acting similiar? Or do muskies stay more active later into the cold water periods?

[RK]

Hiya -

Muskies do stay more active in cold water I think. We routinely catch them trolling at 3.5 mph or even faster, even in water that's in the low 40s. I don't slow down all that much in fall unless the weather conditions aren't good (a bad cold front, or worse yet, a real rapid and intense warm-up), although I do tend to use baits that are a little more erratic, now that I think about it. More baits that rely on pauses or changes in direction as a trigger than pure speed like a burned bucktail.

Their activity level diminishes somewhat in cold water, but I think that's reflected more in the frequency and duration of feeding periods moreso than their willingness to chase a bait. When they really want it, you couldn't begin to reel it fast enough...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[VMS]

I'd agree...

I will start to use baits that have what Joe Bucher refers to as the Illusion of speed. Not doing much moving forward, but more side to side...and that pause is definitely a trigger!!

In the later part of the fall (mid october) I am usually throwing some sort of glider for the most part, although I have caught fish on bucktails. One really good presentation I have had in the fall is harsh jerks with a good twitch/minnow bait. A few years ago, I did fairly well with an 8 inch Depthraider...ripping it over the tops of old weeds during a warmer spell...

Lots of techniques out there that are effective...tap into one, and you could be quite blessed with nice fish..

Steve

[TurnUpTheFishing]

What's a good muskie jerkbait? Ive got a depthraider, grandma, ernie could these be used effectively? Ive got a hellhound how about that? For bass I slow roll/ helicopter spinnerbaits would this be effective?

Thanks for the help so far...

[RK]

Hiya TuTF -

Any of the baits you mentioned can work. Grandmas and the Hellhound are both very good fall baits.

Slow rolling spinnerbaits is one of my most productive fall tactics, and has been for years. I bet half the muskies I've caught casting after Oct 1 over the last 15 years have been on single spin spinnerbaits.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[HugoBox]

As a bit of an add on to Turn-Up's question, obviously it is getting colder now - approximatly 40 degrees cooler today than a few days ago. Do you think coldfronts mess the fish up now or do you more look at high/low pressure fronts moving in? BAsed on where we are georgraphically, other than a few warm-up days we are now entering a phase of about a 60-90 day very slow cool front!

Also, any suggestions for the warm-up days? Until I saw RK's post I would have thought the fish would be more active on those days.

One more since I have your ear - are there any key water temps that seem to affect activity?

thanks - Erik

[RK]

Hi Erik -

This early in fall, harsh cold fronts can still throw them for a loop. Later, cold snaps can actually help. What I REALLY like seeing though is a nice gradual decline in water temps over a period of a few weeks. Stable weather makes me happy.

What I POSITIVELY HATE in the fall (and in the spring for that matter) is a hot spell that rapidly warms the water back up again. A little warm up over a few days is usually good news, but a blazing hot spells where the water temps really shoot is bad news. If it's a sustained heat wave, in can screw up the whole fall, which happened 4-5 years ago. Heat waves in fall are worse than a cold front, and I treat them from a fishing standpoint like I would a very bad cold front any other time of year - slow down, fish tight to cover, downsize, etc.

As far as water temps go - when I start seeing a '5' as the first number, I start getting excited. Depending on the lake somewhere in the mid 50s can be tough if it turns over, but by the time things get into the low 50s and high 40s...we're in business.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Good Info RK, thanks. As far as the warmups you spoke of, how big of a warmup are you speaking of? Will the warm up that will occur starting sunday (temps back to the low/mid 70s) is that enough to put the fish into a funk or would it need to be warmer than that?

[RK]

Hiya -

I'm talking more about real drastic and sustained hot weather - the 80 degrees in mid-October kind of stuff where the water temp really shoots back up. This time of year, you kill for those sunny mid-70s days

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[HugoBox]

Thanks Rob - Good info as always. I'm debating if the overnight temps are going to be too uncomfortable to try fishin in the dark again (two weeks ago there was a lot of night time activity). Do you have any opinion on whether or not they feed more or less at night as the temps drop? I always sort of thought that high water temps would mean better night fishing as well as a better chance at a safe, healthy release. I'm still very much in the learning phase though.

[cjac]

Hi all,

Maybe it's simply because I'm not that smart in general and experienced compared to some of you, but don't try to overthink the whole approach.

Thoughts: It's still September week 2, and as of Sunday water temps were still 72 degrees in the main lake of a metro water. Interesting though, in shallow it was 64 at 6:00AM, and warmed a bit as the day progressed. Guess where the fish were??? Up shallow. Buddy pulled a 49 on a topwater basically from a dock. Sunday AM was after the first front came thru on Thursday and front #2 on Saturday night, with a 180 degree wind swing. Not exactly ideal conditions. 2:00PM, 3rd quarter of the Vikes game, bluebird sky and I hooked up on a nice fish on a shallow wind swept point. She came unbuttoned but the point is it was not the so called "ideal" conditions and fish were going.

If you have a chance to get out, do so, and try to learn to stack things to your advantage, but get all bent out of shape over a few factors.

Topwater still works all Fall, I asked RK last year how long to throw them and his reply was "until they bounce".

Slow rolled bucktials and spinners as mentioned later in the fall, but they'll still chase stuff down now. Suicks for me are a "go to" in the fall, 'tonka fish seem to like them a lot.

Hugo: I'd say go to the same lake as you were before, work the weed edges, going from sub-4 feet on the inside of the weed edge to the outer at 16 or so, and even make a pass or two out deeper. Make sure to work an area thoroughly, as that lake they're pressured a bit more but when the time is right on the right spots they'll go for you (I hope that makes sense). Winds are whipping' the next couple nights, but don't abandon the night fishing. Another thought, try the "other night".....nobody on the water at 4:00!

Chris

[TurnUpTheFishing]

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If you have a chance to get out, do so, and try to learn to stack things to your advantage, but get all bent out of shape over a few factors.

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I dont think its 'overthinking' Im just trying to figure out some seasonal patterns. I try to be on the water as often as I can but when Im out there I would like to have the advantage and to get that I feel I need to know as many factors as I can, no matter how minor one may think.

I guess the questions come from a lack of confidence. Being somewhat new to targeting 'skies and having only a handful of fish and none over 39" I dont have much of my own expierence to draw from. Hopefully things turn around for me in the coming days...

Thanks again for any help guys.

[HugoBox]

Cjac - The "other night" makes sense. Get to watch the sunrise then too and maybe wake a few fish up. I like the "throw the til they bounce" idea. Good luck - Erik

[RK]

Hiya -

they continue to bite at night through the fall. Had some great nights in October and even November, especially on lakes with a cisco spawn. Problem, as you say, is that it can be brutally cold and night fishing's hard enough as it is. But can sure be worth it...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[cjac]

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If you have a chance to get out, do so, and try to learn to stack things to your advantage, but get all bent out of shape over a few factors.

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I dont think its 'overthinking' Im just trying to figure out some seasonal patterns.

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TUTF: That's as much of a reminder to myself as a general comment! Time that I've spent with that hollow stare into the tackle box could be time with a lure in the water!

Still look to key structures in the fall and depending on what level of electronics you have, look to identify any bait fish you can. Also, electronics aside, look for the remaining green weeds as the fall progresses, they'll still be holding fish. Sounds like you have some bassin' as a background, so I'd recommend using the Jig'n'Pig approach, use similar tactics to the bass with muskies (even straight line retrieves), and they're underfished. If you're fishing lakes close to home, it'll be something they've not seen all year, like a double 10 tail, or a Dawg.

Work the J'n'P and spinnerbait this fall on WBL and you'll crack the 40 barrier. Look for a black Lund with red Rapala stickers and stop by, I'll be out this weekend.

Chris

[RK]

Hiya -

Cjac brought up a great point - don't give up on things like topwaters too quickly. I do throw them right up to ice-up. Coldest water I've caught a fish on them in is 38 degrees, and the fish was in 3 feet of water. Under the right circumstances they can really be fantastic. Last Saturday all 3 fish I caught (47 and twin 50s - pretty fantastic morning ) were on a walk the dog topwaters even in the midst of a cold front. Actually pre-turnover is, I think, one of the best topwater bites of the season. But I seriously do throw them right up until they start bouncing off the ice.

One of the tricky parts about fall - especially early fall when it's pre-turnover, and just after turnover - is that the fish can go just about anywhere. They have so many options forage and cover wise. There's stuff to make them happy from 2 feet to 25 feet. What mitigates that a little is that you can cover all the options on the bigger pieces of structure that seem to hold fish consistently, and get a clue as to what's going on on the rest of the lake to put together something of a pattern for the day. It's also real possible to have multiple patterns happening at once. Last weekend I caught all my fish in 2-3 feet of water. Talked to a friend of mine at the ramp, and he'd caught 4 on the deep weedline... But fishing one or two reliable areas thoroughly right off the bat can really cut down the search time. Or, pick the best examples of the different options the lake has and go fish them quickly. I.e., go fish the best point, the best inside turn, the best shallow sand, the best inside weed edge, and the best stretch of deep weedline - and see where you turn fish. Then go fish similar stuff. My friend Jack Burns calls it 'pattern sampling.' It's pretty much how he starts every day on the water, and he puts 100 fish a year in the boat - must work ok

Cjac also makes a very good point about the "other night." Good enough that I almost want to shush him up I've spent most of the last couple summers wondering if I'm the only one that gets up early to fish anymore. I fished pretty much every weekend this summer, and I bet I can count the number of times I wasn't the first one at the ramp on one hand minus a few fingers. I ran into more night fishermen coming off the lake than I did morning fishermen going on. Fish move around at night, and seem to reposition themselves on structure as light conditions change. I really think fish that have moved and not seen a bait yet are easier to catch. They just seem a little dumber when they haven't been pestered in a few hours. Plus you get all the advantages of twilight in general... During mid-summer, it's not unusual for me to get up at 3:30 or 3:45 to head to the lake. Part of that's a necessity for me - I can still get in a 5-6 hour trip without missing out on bass or crappie fishing with the kids... But over the last several years, my size average has been very very good early in the morning.

Anyhow - blah blah blah

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Fish_or_Race]

Rob, you can blah, blah, blah all you want. You always have informative things to say.

A.M. was WAY better than night for me. It was the total opposite for three of my buddies. They seemed to live and die by the night bite while I seemed to just wash baits at night. I had only one fish after dark all year. I did move more fish but could not hook-up with any more.

By contrast, the morning fish seemed to bite rather than follow. I think your point about the first bait that is seen after repositioning is dead-on. Plus, when I am fishing in the morning I am far more aware of what I am doing than after a long day at work or on the water. At night it seemed I would go through the motions, most likely far from perfect. My fish total at night confrims that.

Thanks again for being honest with the info that you share, now if you would give us more .....