COLD water River fishing??

[25homes]

Ok SO this fall we were killing it in the fall...From august until the water hit 40 degrees we were murdering it all fall..Multi fish days big fat fish...then when water hit 40 like a light switch just nothing...Any Suggestions for this...We were have great Luck on Big Rubber ripping it but then nothing....Should I have moved to a glyde bait and worked slower or maybe I should have moved to Jigging in the Cold kind of has me stumped how at 42-44 degrees we killing it and then at 40 degrees cant even find a fish....any suggestions for next year??

[Red Childress]

Maybe your fish moved around a little or just weren't active during the times you have been on your spots. If you are finding big pods of bait, the fish won't be far. I might try a different lure, different speed or a different time of day. Just because you are not catching them, doesn't mean they are not around the boat.


We have been using an inline camera the past couple years just to document the times we were ON fish while not being able to get them to bite. The results have been crazy. The last time we used the cameras (late November) we had 11 muskies within inches of our baits but they just wouldn't bite. Without the ability to see these fish under the water, we may have decided to find new spots that had fish. This has been a real eye opener for me and a newly found confidence during the inactive days of musky fishing.

[25homes]

Yea I was considering the waterwolf camera...I fished numerous days from 8am to after sunset 10 hour days prob about 4 different ones obviously hit different spots and just nothing to be seen at all...very odd tried few diff baits but did use glyde baits but for maybe2 hours total out of 40 and never jigged I think that could have been two costly mistakes don't know if it would have helped but who knows

[ppalko]

Jigging modified bucktails is my go to winter trick. Nothing bigger than 6 inches and fish them like fishing for walleyes.