If you prefer fishing bigger water, Myhre suggests 5,039-acre Lac Courte Oreilles. Unlike Moose Lake's dark water, the water on Lac Courte Oreilles is extremely clear. Fishing around rockpiles and points can produce a trophy walleye or muskie. Jerkbaits, crankbaits and plastics all produce muskies, but the largest ones are caught with suckers. Walleyes also prefer live bait and won't pass up a redtail chub. When fishing with chubs, don't be surprised if you find a big smallmouth on the end of your line. This smallmouth fishery is another untapped resource. For more information, contact John Myhre at (715) 462-9402 or the Hayward Chamber of Commerce at (715) 634-8662.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER LA CROSSE AREA
The Mississippi River has always been a fish factory and anglers can usually find active fish anywhere. However, in the fall, Bob Bott of TGIF Outfitters in La Crosse said it's better to concentrate on backwater sloughs for all species.

Fall is also an excellent time to catch quality walleyes. Bott's favorite tactic is to cast deep-diving firetiger, chartreuse and orange crankbaits parallel to the edge of the sloughs. Trolling crankbaits in the current where moving water meets the slough is also deadly, especially if the fish are scattered.

Bott also likes to fish lily pads with a 4- or 6-inch ring worm on a 3/8-ounce worm weight. He pitches a worm with a chartreuse or pearl blue tail over the lily pads into a hole.

Northern pike are always present in the sloughs, but more pike move into the sloughs from the main river in the fall. These feeding pike aggressively hit oversized spinnerbaits in white or firetiger.

For more information, contact Bott at (608) 781-8808 or online at www.tgifoutfitters.com. For general information, contact the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce at (608) 784-4880 or www.lacrossechamber.com.

MADISON CHAIN
The lakes of the Madison Chain have their own personality and different dominant fisheries.

"Whether you are after muskies, northern pike, walleyes, bass or panfish, you will find a lake on the chain to meet your needs," Gene Dellinger of D&S Bait, Tackle & Archery said.

If you want nice walleyes, Dellinger recommended trying Lake Mendota at night, as walleyes cruise the shallows to feed on baitfish. Walleyes are accessible to both shore- and boat-anglers. Shore-anglers walk the shoreline and cast crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits. Boaters use the same presentation but use their trolling motor.

For muskies, Dellinger recommends Lake Monona and Lake Waubesa. In early fall, most muskies relate to the weedlines and weedy points. A combination of bucktails and jerkbaits are popular with local muskie hunters. Plastic creatures like Bulldawgs are particularly deadly. By October, most muskies head for deep water, with points adjacent to deep water attracting the largest muskies. Casting jerkbaits and crankbaits over deep weeds will produce but also bring a few suckers along. These same presentations will also take quality northern pike from Lake Mendota, although few anglers tap into the quality northern fishery.

If you are desiring panfish, head for Lake Monona. In the fall, baitfish move out of the shallow bays and panfish follow the migration. The same weedline attracts largemouth bass. For largemouths, try spinnerbaits early and switch to plastics as the day progresses. If you are in search of smallmouth bass, cast crankbaits around the points in Lake Mendota.

For more information, contact D&S Bait, Tackle and Archery at (608) 241-4225 or the Madison Chamber of Commerce at (608) 256-0333 or greatermadisonchamber.com.