Locales For Locating Fall 'Lunge

The location of muskies through-out the fall can vary greatly — just like the weather.

- Joe Bucher

For example, muskies tend to be shallower while water temperatures hold above the 50-degree range and stage in a wide range of habitat including weeds, wood, rocks, sand and even open water.

Remaining stands of healthy weeds are one of the very best spots to start. The odds of finding a musky in any weedbed steadily increase as the annual die-back of weed growth accelerates, isolating muskies to remaining healthy, standing clumps.

However, don’t be surprised to find a good fish or two on shallow rock humps either. Some of my biggest fall muskies have come from shallow rock outcroppings. Any rock hump or point immediately adjacent to a once productive weedbed is likely to hold the highest potential. Another high percentage fall rock hump is one that is adjacent to a rocky point.