muskie fishing in late fall/winter

I love being out on that water casting away at a big muskie. But for late fall and winter i am kind of lost. If anybody out there could tell me some decent spots or good baits to use, I would be really thankful.

71 gto is layton bridge on the average canoe trip from hazelbakers

Cranberry glade lake has bazzion northern pike in there

Do you troll straight off of the back, or with planers?  Are they skittish from the boat motor, or are they the type that it doesn't bother them?  I've seen musky sit in the river, still, even with me 10 feet away, clearly in site.  They don't seem to be scared of much.  I've never had the fortune of catching one trolling though.  I usually troll one larger offering, but never seems to get much attention.  Some day it will pay off though.

I have to agree with E Hunter. The prop wash for me, year round is great! I do what he said and also trick it. Sometimes I usea cookie dipsey, sometimes a shot or two, sometimes an inline wieght. But always run something in the prop. I mix the size of my plugs all the time, regardless of season. The only time I go one way or the other is if one thing is firing consistantly, regardless of year. You'd be surprised what you can catch on large and small muskie plugs! I'm also with E hunter, usualy, even on Aurthur, I only run red birds if someone is with me. They're tough to work by yourself with two rods. Regardless of how the other is set.
 
 
Smitty

I was planning trying my luck throwing big plugs next time out on the river, Probably big rapalas any suggestions on color. I know up at Arther in the spring I do good with black and silver rapalas. Any better colors for the river???
Thanks Willy

There are a ton of gizzard shad in the rivers too.  They are likely in the 5"+ range right now.  I haven't seen many myself lately, but were everywhere in the summer.  We tried trolling for a little while, but the leaves and branches were making it pretty hard.
 
I had some success (no muskies) this past weekend on green tube jigs.  Had even more success on shiners.  Nothing big, but at least some action.  The most action that I have had since the spring.  I didn't have the best year on the rivers.  Things seem to be heating up though.  Right in time for daylight savings, frost, and putting the boat away...  Probably destroy fish from the shore. 
 
I fished Crappy's favorite crappie spot yesterday for about an hour.  Caught about 25 fish.  Mostly small panfish, but did get a few 12"+ largemouths.  Not big, but a nice treat, after catching 6" crappies.
 
Hitting the Jersey shore for work in a few days!  Hopefully have some pics next week.  Most likely won't, because I never seem to catch fish when there is a cooler within 100 yards of me...

keystone lake has lot of big muskys if you work for them???

  Hey Pork,
 
I'll have to hit that spot with the kids purdy soon. It's about that time of year for a 200 crappie stockin on a farm pond we stocked with a bunch of over grown cats & afew good pike. Gotta keep em well fed you know? Them little crappy's we put in the ponds will be about 12'' - 15"  in 5-6 years   Gotta clean the waterfowl stuff out of the boat before Sun. Rippinlip the boys & I are gonna give Arthur a try. I can see it now, Rippinlip & Greg goin for panfish & Timmy & I goin for toothy critters.
I'm takin the bigest net I have this time. I'll get skunked for sure then.
 
  I had 3 motors re-done last month so I wanna give em some runnin before ice sets in. If you wanna try for some pike up this way when the lake is still mostly iced over lett mee no/ Timmy slammed them when the guys on this board said the lake was still iced over.
 
  Now I don't know if I should work on slatein the chimmney down stairs or go through my toothy critter stuff ?
 
  Make sure too take the cooler with you to the shore.
 
  Later
Crappy

ORIGINAL: Esox_Hunter

I fished the power**** about 4 different times this summer, exclusively pounding for muskies.  Came up with one follow from a 30" fish in 4 days 8+ hours per day.  Cant say ive ever met anyone that has done well there for skis but, I always run into a bass guy there complaining of them.  Believe me, im not saying they aren't there, just a very different lake than your average murky shallow PA lakes.

 
i do better for musky/pike fishing with bass gear then musky/pike gear. my clutch bait this year was a standard 1/2 oz white spinnerbait with two big nickle willows. i threw buchtails till my arms couldnt take it anymore and only managed a follow or two. cant speak for anything else as i havent invested to heavily in musky gear yet like box's of double cowgirls and what not.
 
might be a pain catching a lot of bass inbetween (as if) but if your bigger stuff isnt working plug the same areas with bass gear, spinnerbaits and smaller cranks namely.
 
i think the problem with powerdam this year was it was so low for so long and so many weedbeds the fish were scattered. shoreline cover was non existant for the past how many months.........

ORIGINAL: crappiefisher

  Hey Pork,

I'll have to hit that spot with the kids purdy soon. It's about that time of year for a 200 crappie stockin on a farm pond we stocked with a bunch of over grown cats & afew good pike. Gotta keep em well fed you know? Them little crappy's we put in the ponds will be about 12'' - 15"  in 5-6 years   Gotta clean the waterfowl stuff out of the boat before Sun. Rippinlip the boys & I are gonna give Arthur a try. I can see it now, Rippinlip & Greg goin for panfish & Timmy & I goin for toothy critters.
I'm takin the bigest net I have this time. I'll get skunked for sure then.

I had 3 motors re-done last month so I wanna give em some runnin before ice sets in. If you wanna try for some pike up this way when the lake is still mostly iced over lett mee no/ Timmy slammed them when the guys on this board said the lake was still iced over.

Now I don't know if I should work on slatein the chimmney down stairs or go through my toothy critter stuff ?

Make sure too take the cooler with you to the shore.

Later
Crappy

cRapfshR
 
i hamarEd 2 muskees an a ded duk yessTrdey duud
 
uz a wite an redd spOon
trusst mee
the muskees ar rite owtside the covz
 
du yu wannt to by a chaynsaw duud
50 buks an itts yurs
lett me no
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ok/

Glide baits? NOBODY uses them right? LOL.....
 
 
 
Just for a laugh
Smitty

i soLLd itt too krylaR
hee is maleing mee the chek