I have to admit the fall is a love, hate relationship for me..The beauty of the fall on Cave Run is breath taking.. The air no longer has that hot stuffy feeling of summer.. instead.. its cool fresh bite in the morning gives witness to the change of the seasons, as I slide away from the dock at Popin Rock.. Saturday morning, November, the 5th, 2005.. I have in mind to try my luck at catching a musky on what might be my last trip of the season.. I haven't been on the water for two months because of events connected to my business..so I won't be talking to much about Bass or any other type of fish.. My work is cut out for me.. I want to take you through what I was facing and how I approached the task of finding fish..They are some things that are worth bringing up here to let you in on how I see the water in the fall.. In the summer musky for the most part spend most of their time in deep water..they do come to lay-downs that extend out into deep water in the low light periods along with some deep weed bed edges and rip-rap close to channel areas.. as the summer heat starts to fade and we see water temperatures fall into the seventies the musky start returning to the shallows.. this is when we see reports of good catches along with the reports of monsters coming to the boat.. I'm afraid this hot period starts to cool off as the water continues to cool down fishing becomes more difficult because of a few things that always take place. Here is how I see Cave Run right now.. The lake has turned over, the lake has been in an falling water period, at lease for my time on the water.. the air temp was mild, and the wind was a factor.. water temp was from 55 to 60 degrees depending on where you looked.. it was approaching winter pool, it may be half way there.. 
Ok... now you know what kind of day I was going to have..Christy "my daughter" was going to fish with me this day.. so.. I motor over to our point where I pick her up and we head out to face the day.. We head down toward the main lake to Fuget Branch were we stop and start fishing our way back home. The water looks a little different here, like it has been mixed up more stained and a little murky in some areas.. We start off throwing three main baits.. "The Littlebear Ripper" This is a top water bait that is cigar shaped with big props on both ends.. we also have a Fat Free Shad a "Littlebear Ghost" and a Littlebear Cyclops buzz bait.. black in color..Christy sticks with the buzz bait and I'm working the "Ripper" By the time we get to fishing its about 10am we have missed the early morning period but the day is warm and we are having a ball watching the wildlife on the banks.. We move along slowly fishing the points and laydown working each spot over and over.. This is the biggest mistake I see people make.. they start fishing and just keep moving along the bank looking for a stray.. I like to go to what I call "hot spots".. these are places I know have been holding fish in the past.. I fish these places hard throwing them over and over till I move to the next place..Christy and I are jumping along from one spot to another.. when out of the blue a Good musky bails out of the water right at the boat.. The fish looks like a torpedo!!! The fish is long but not a heavy bodied fish, I guess him in the high 30's may 38 or so.. I lean back and set the hook the fish comes strait at me and jumps like he's going to come in the boat.. I'm reeling like mad !! trying to catch up to the fish.. She splashes water over the side of the boat as she dives strait down rolling her body to the left as I struggle to try to hit my release button!! I'm not fast enough and she pulls out as she has me bent over the side of the boat.. I fall back in my seat..Man that was crazy..I said.. as I look over to Christy.. she is holding the net and looks up at me .. That fish was on fire!! she says.. We fish for about 30 minutes in this same location but this fish was done.. we move on.. After a snack we head to our next spot.. This place is loaded with down timber, we know that if we catch a BIG FISH it will be hard to get in but from what we have seen so far it looks like the fish are in heavy timber.. so it seems like the ideal place to try..After about a hour of casting this location we move toward the point.. I'm still throwing the Ripper, since this was the bait I got the last strike on... Christy is still fishing the buzz bait.. She has caught a few dink bass but no big fish has looked at it.. I see two down trees that cross over each other.. I throw the Ripper right behind the X where the two tree meet.. I take up the slack and twitch the bait as I start to work it over the timber..BAM!!! The water blows up and the fish comes out of the water clearing its whole body.. I can tell the fish is fair musky.. when it hits the water it just boils on the top for a minute.. then takes off threw the timber.. I just hold on and wait for the fish to tire.. When this happens, I slowly bring the fish in where I can reach down and grab it with my Boga-grip.. This one gets its picture taken.. The fish is about 34" not a huge fish but a ton of fun to catch.. The fish is in good shape and after a few pumps of water it breaks free of my hand and swims off..What FUN!!   
This short day is starting to come to an end.. We hit our last spot before heading back.. working some tree tops in a place where a creek dumps into a wind protected cove.. Just as I work my Ripper past the tree in a line of trees a Monster blows up on my bait..Again.. way to close to the boat.. This fish is in the mid 40"s and is really heavy.. I have her all of about 5 seconds.. The bait is laying on top of her nose as she pass by the boat like a late freight.. I have no time to do anything but watch as this fish buckles one time as my bait gets airborne..MAN!!!! I want to stomp a hole in the bottom of the boat.. This was the fish I wish I could show you..but maybe next time.. 
As the day comes to a close..just let me go back to what I said in the beginning of this story.. Fall is a Love,
Hate relationship for me.. There is no better time to be on the water..Yet it marks the coming of winter..Winter is
always hard for me.. business is slow and the fishing sucks.. so I always love the fall but hate what's to come..
In conclusion... Fall can be very rewarding time to be on the water once you learn where to look and what to use.. Spend your time in high productive areas.. Laydowns, shallow areas where shad can be seen breaking, channel trees close to shallow water "outside bends" develop a hot spot map.. in the fall don't waste time casting a bank line.. jump from one hot spot to another.. fish slow.. use four or five baits on each spot till you see what the fish will fire on.. 
Till next time.. be safe, take a picture and let them go!
Trimmer About the author: Chris Erwin aka Trimmer is 56 years old and has been fishing since the age of 8, Where he grew up on the banks of the Ohio River.. He started bass fishing tournaments in 1971 in 1975 he started National Mine Bassmasters and remained president for 14 years, He also was the Regional Director of the Kentucky Bass Fed. for four years, In 1986 he started guiding for Musky on Cave Run Lake. In 1990 he stop guiding to help grow his business of rebuilding boat and car interiors (Southside Upholstery & Auto Trim).. He later started KentuckyAngling.Com where he reports on Kentucky lakes rivers and streams. In 2005 he became a member of the Kentucky Outdoor Press Association |