Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 22
Vertically
Jigging
Late Fall
Muskies
by Jeff Knapp
photos by the author
It is common in rivers with good Muskellunge
populations, particularly during the late fall through
early spring period, to have encounters with these toothy
predators. At this time, most gamefish species, including
muskies, are concentrated in deeper, slow current pools
that provide the necessary protective habitat to survive
the winter.
But, there comes a time when these encounters can
no longer be deemed "incidental," when the frequency of
hooked fish on a particular lure becomes a viable tactic.
It is this way when vertical jigging river holes during the
late fall and winter.
By vertical jigging, I am referring to classic jig-andminnow combos and vibrating metal blade baits.
These two offerings are well suited for jigging just off
the bottom as the boat drifts slowly through the deep
holes where gamefish, such as muskies, gather during
the winter months. During the winter of 2019-2020,
when mild weather conditions prevailed, I was on the
Allegheny River (both the impounded lower Allegheny
and free-flowing middle Allegheny) many times. During
22
these outings, which were primarily aimed at Walleyes, we
hooked muskies, in some cases multiple muskies.
Myself and my boat partners landed muskies up to
48 inches vertically with a variety of lead head jigs and
blade baits. Jigs have included bucktail jigs as well as ones
dressed/tipped with plastics and live minnows. Blade baits
have typically been ½-ounce versions of the Silver Buddy.
There is no doubt that muskies respond to musky-sized
baits in the cold water of late fall and winter. However, it is
also an accepted tactic during the early spring to downsize
baits when targeting these toothy critters. So, if that is a
viable approach in the cool water of early spring, it seems
logical to be appropriate in the cold water experienced
during late fall.
Knowing musky encounters are likely while vertically
jigging river wintering holes, there are a few things you
can do to up the odds, so you get fish into the boat. First,
I have experienced relatively few bite-offs from muskies.
Typically, muskies are lip hooked, having likely simply
clamped down on the jig or blade as it drifted by. Hits are
generally light, not unlike the subtle tap of a Walleye take.
Still, bite-offs occasionally occur. Minimize bite-offs
by beefing up your leader. My standard Walleye jigging
setup is a 1000 or 2000 sized spinning reel spooled with
15-pound-test braided line finished off with an 8- to
10-pound-test fluorocarbon leader. For musky protection,
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2020
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 3
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 4
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 5
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 6
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 7
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 8
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 9
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 10
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 11
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 12
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 13
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 15
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 40
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - Cover4
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