In the YouTube video below, James Lindner, Nick Lindner and Jeremy Smith from Lindner’s Angling Edge explore different live bait tactics for muskies in both rivers and lakes.

As Jeremy explains, one benefit of using large sucker minnows rigged on quick-strike rigs is that muskies are almost always hooked on the outside of the mouth, which isn’t the case when using artificial lures such as bucktails or large plastics.

There are many ways to rig a large sucker minnow on a quick-strike rig, and in this video you’ll see that James and Jeremy have two different methods. Both work well, but Jeremy’s system with the rubber bands keeps the sucker alive longer, and in his opinion it increases the hook-up percentage when a muskie strikes.

The guys do an excellent job explaining muskie location during the fall. In rivers, this means large deep holes with slack water or slow current. In lakes, look for muskies on steep drop-offs near main-lake structures such as sunken islands, rocky reefs and large points. Don’t make the mistake of fishing too deep; fall muskies are often looking for prey in water shallower than you might think.

One of my favorites moments in the video begins at the 11:17 mark. Nick recalls an amazing “double header” on big muskies, with one 50-inch fish attacking the sucker near the boat, just under the surface. The water is clear and you get a ringside seat; watch how quickly Nick is able to successfully set the hook with a quick-strike rig. Two 50 inchers in the net at one time!

Viewing tip: The entire video is 22 minutes in length, but it contains several commercials, as well as ads that have been removed (I assume because some companies that used to be sponsors aren’t currently). Whatever the case, you can skip or fast-forward through ads and significantly shorten the total viewing time.