Michigan Muskie Alliance

What baits do you guys use for fall? What are your go-to Baits? I never do very good the fall, anybody got any tips? I been using bigger baits, and working them slower. I have been casting into weedbeds that are still alive and working points, but still not much luck? I have been throwing jerk baits, crankbaits and bulldogs. What should I be using?

Don Paxton

I just sorted my log data over the last three years for the months of October-December. I’ve put right around 100 fish in the boat ranging in size from 30-52”.

The top five lures from 10/1 - 12/30 for me are:
1. Jake - 33 fish
2. Bulldawg - 16 fish
3. Suick - 11 fish
4. Grandma - 10 fish
5. DepthRaider - 8 fish

Jakes
Little Claws
Nils Master
Woodie Thumper
Depth Raiders

This is both casting and trolling.

Hey Will,

Just curious what size in each bait you prefer? 10 inch jake, mag dawg, etc.

Thanks,

td

From 55 degree water to ice, I lean toward the 10" Jake, Mag-dawg, Suick 9" unweighted, Grandma 9 (jerk).

It seems that bigger is better. I start getting more fish on 9 to 12" lures around september 15th . I do well on 9" Lokes both straight and Jointed. Got a 44" wed.Oct.26 trolling a perch Loke 9" jointed 25 feet back in the wash. then that evening I got a 40 up on top in 3 feet of water in dead weeds on a S.S.Shad. Go figure. Water temps were 53. Last year from september till Ice up we could not beat my Green Frog Little Claw boating over 20 fish . Little Claws work very well in the fall along drop offs where you have weeds near deep water. My tops have been Lokes, Little Claws and the Nils Master. Im starting to use more Live bait rigs this year as well and we have put several fish in the boat and have got to see some real huge fish that came in to take a look and old floppy lips . We are also using the big Bulldawgs more and moving fish with them in fact they come in on the Dawgs and smash the sucker rig. Its a riot to watch a 43" Musky eat a sucker right in your face. Looks kind of like dog with a bone . We had three Muskies under our boat at one time a couple weekends ago and one was a 50" class fish . Big suckers will add to the excitment of a day just dont run them deep or you have to clean weeds all the time. I only set them down 1 to 3 feet so we can see the take. I hang one dead center in the boat towards the area we are casting. Little Claws are small (6.75") , Lokes and Nils are 9-10 " and Live suckers are 12 to 16" Ive caught more fish on Little Claws than all my big stuff combined but that doesnt stop me from using all that big hardware.Some days it all works. Kingfisher

My go-to baits are:

1. Jake - 10" - trolled or cast, almost any structure, especially over open water, deeper structures, poor clarity conditions
2. Suick - 9", 10" weighted - especially shallow weedy areas
3. Believer - 8" straight, jointed - trolled or cast, especially deep weeds, open water, stumps
4. Ocassionally, it's also been a large, tandem striaght bucktail with large blade. Wind picking up, it can save the day. I have an old 12" model with a flame-colored blade and red deer hair which has a slower blade speed when retrieved at medium speed. It's called a TB Tail and it came from an old mail order called Muskie Fever which used to be owned by Thorne Brothers before they sold to Reed's back in the mid-90's.

Seems to be large-profile, wide cadence crank baits get the odds-on favor, and an ocassional finesse bait to trigger less active fish. Once in a while they want something faster, or with the vibration of a spinner, like a large bucktail.


For what it's worth,
Rob

Thanks for the input. I tend to use large baits in fall too. The mag dawg is certainly my number 1 bait and has accounted for a bunch of fish over the years. I've literally wore the paint off a 10 inch jake with no success except pike and bass. Had tons of fish follow it, but no takers yet. One thing I really like is how they can be worked aggressively over shallow weeds and then ripped down the drop with a few pauses here and there. Definately a versatile bait. I've had good success on depth raiders but only tend to throw the jointed version. Do you guys use the straight DR's in the fall?? I like the jointed ones because they can be worked slow, but yet the jointed action adds an illusion of speed, which i think will trigger a big fall DC-10. Another bait that I think is a great fall bait is the triple D. Great action, LONG PAUSES, and you can get it to walk the dog 10 feet down with ease. 8)

thedude

How do you like to retrieve your bulldogs? Slow, fast, jig em, jerk em etc.?

Don Paxton

We kind of mix it up with the dawgs. Sometimes a steady crank and other times a twitch and long pull letting them sink a bit . I had a fish hit one on the drop but missed it. They work good for me calling fish up from deep water. They are hard on my rods though splitting the cork . I have to develope the the fling that Will uses . He makes it look easy. Ha ha .Kingfisher

All of the above. You really can't work a dawg wrong. I caught two fish yesterday, 39.5 & 40.5, which hit right after I ripped the bait (and weeds)from a looooong pause. I tend to slow down and almost snap jig them as the season progresses.

thedude

Will,
Numbers don't lie, but I was kind of curious as to what % of the time you are throwing those five lures in the fall? Not that I would do any different, as they say if it aint broke don't fix it.

Pimp... those five get the most attention for sure. I would say that one of those five lures are in use about 90% of the time.

Well with season about over this November was a pure Loke trolling bite for me. I got one fish on a Little Claw several on Suckers one on a S.S.Shad but got 43,44, 46,40.5, 42, all on the 9" jointed Loke trolling at 3.5 mph tight to weed lines. In my opinion they are hands down the best trolling lure made today. They are well worth the hassel and cost to get them. Ill be purchasing another 20 lures this winter. Kingfisher