October brings a time to fish for “toothy” species, particularly pikeperch, northern musk, and musk.
Two inland lakes, Silver Lake in Kenosha County and Geneva Lake in Walworth County, have recent histories of supporting a musk population, and anglers pursue this quest with both live and artificial bait. Lake Catherine on the Illinois Chain O ‘Lakes is also popular with musk fishermen.
Live sucker minnows are the preferred bait for musk fishermen, although artificial large stick baits, jerk baits, and large bucktail spinners will also raise a musk to follow. The size of your live minnow bait will depend on the fisherman, although most start with a minnow seven inches in length and go up to a size of 12 to 18 inches. These large fish have no problem getting a 20-inch suction tube in their mouth when they are being fed.
When fishing in inland lakes, this time of year I prefer to cast spinner jig baits in black or white. I’ll throw this bait in front of the boat and catch up with it quickly, just slowing down when the bait hits the boat. Often times, the hit occurs when the bait is slowing down, either at an angle or directly away from the boat.
Crankbaits are also good for attracting hits from the north or the bass. Bluegill colors work well in Kenosha County’s inland lakes to attract perch or northern lakes.
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