Want to land a monster fall muskie? Toss a giant bait into moving water

With its colder water temperatures, late fall is a prime time to go muskie hunting. And since the big toothy critters are in the final stages of feeding heavily before sleeping away the winter, they’ll typically crush large, four- to seven-ounce soft-plastic baits such as Water Wolf Shadzillas, Bondy Baits and Musky Innovation Bull Dawgs.

Muskies are a riverine species and you’ll find some of the finest fishing in destinations such as Ontario’s Detroit, French, Goulais, Niagara, Ottawa, Rideau, St. Lawrence, Seine and Trent Rivers. I enjoyed my best-ever day of muskie fishing while plying the Detroit River in late autumn with Windsor, Ontario, guide Jon Bondy. In just 15 hours, we hooked 15 muskies and successfully landed 11—with four of the beasts topping 40 pounds.