Late Fall Musky Hunting

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

Thinking about heading out with my uncle this weekend but I have never fished this late in the year and have no idea what to do.. the lake we fish is small and relatively shallow so it should have turned over by now.. its only around 50 acres and 25ft deep and there is a nice cabbage/ lilypad bed on one end where we have seen lots of nice fish over the late summer/early fall.. Most fish were seen on big blades or spinnerbaits... I was wondering what I should throw and in what depth range this weekend for a lake like this.. I hear a lot right now about rocks but no lakes in the area have any rocks so thats out of the question... it comes down to deep open water the cabbage hump or the scattered cabbage/ lilypad shores..

Also any bait recommendations would be great..

Thanks for all the help I feel like such a rookie!

Ryan

[DHanson]

50 acre lake shouldn't take long to fish everything and throw everything in your box. If you have your uncle with you, throw two different presentations and see if you can find a pattern. Good luck!

[cjac]

Quote:

50 acre lake shouldn't take long to fish everything and throw everything in your box. If you have your uncle with you, throw two different presentations and see if you can find a pattern. Good luck!

Perfect advice, almost word for word what I was thinking.

Good luck!

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

Thanks, what I was looking for in general though was usually do they come in shallower or go out deeper in the late fall like this? Most of the late summer/ early fall they have been in shallow up on the hump and around the shores... sand flats, weeds, muck?

Thank you

Ryan

[MUSKY18]

Most of the time in the fall you will find the fish shallower than usual. There are exceptions to this as the baitfish will move into the shallows to spawn and the fish that have been out in the open water for the summer will follow them in shallow. If you find green weeds, this will also hold the fish as they produce oxygen, and if they are doing that, the fish will hold in them. Rocks shouldn't be overlooked as they hold in the heat from the sun and keep the fish warm and active.

[JRedig]

I think the point is that it's 50 acre's, you should be able to find them pretty quick by checking all those spots. I've pounded some small lakes twice that size and it took no time at all to go around them with different baits sorting the pattern.

In the fall after turnover the fish can be anywhere. IME, it's mostly dependent on weather and forage.