Fall is one of the best times to use jigs to catch northern pike like this one.

Fall and early winter are some of the best times to catch toothy critters like northern pike and muskies from rivers and large creeks.

Here are three tactics that work when the water turns cold.

The past few years have witnessed the creation of medium to heavyweight skirted jigs designed for muskie fishing. I've found they have a definite use in winter.These jigs are available up to 1Z\x ounces. Basically, they resemble a flippin' jig used for bass but have a bullet-shaped head. Besides the rubber skirt, a plastic dressing of either a twister tail or boot-tail grub is added to the bait. Dressings run from 5 to 6 inches in length.I like to use a swimming jig when covering depths from 5 to 15 feet, working from shallow to deep water when fishing from a boat.Cast up to the shallow side of the pool, then begin swimming the jig back. Bottom contact isn't necessary or even preferred most of the time. A stop-and-go retrieve allows the bait to dip and rise on the way in.On occasion, allow the lure settle on the bottom, then drag it a short distance. Swimming jigs fall into that "can't- work-them-wrong" category, so you can feel confident experimenting with various retrieves.I prefer to work a swimming jig with a heavy action 7-foot spinning rod, with the reel spooled with 50-pound test superline braid. A 50-pound test Gamma Fluorocarbon leader protects against bite offs.

Few jigs are as versatile as bucktail jigs. They work in most freshwater situations for most species of fish. Winter river muskies are included on the list.Bucktail jigs in the quarter- to half-ounce range, when coupled with the same heavy spinning equipment and leader previously mentioned, can be used for jigging along the bottom in a horizontal manner.Cast the bucktail up in a creek mouth and jig/drag it back to shore or to the boat. One can do the same when working the perimeter of a slow-current wintering pool, especially in ones that bottom out at about 12 feet of water.In depths greater that it becomes more difficult to work the bottom with a jig.For boat anglers, a bucktail can also be worked vertically. Lower the bait to the bottom, crank in just enough line to lift the bait a few inches above the bottom and begin a cadence of lift drop that allow the bucktail to "breathe" as it rises and falls. This method is good for working the deeper zones of a hole.

Many anglers, especially those who brave the cold late-fall conditions, know the effectiveness of blade baits on gamefish like walleyes and bass. Blades also work on muskies, particularly ones sulking in the depths of a large river or creek pool.Like the vertical jigging of bucktails, blade baits are fished vertically in much the same manner. It takes a sharp upward snap of the rod to lift a blade bait, though, due to the natural resistance the shape of the bait delivers.Keep in touch with the lowering of the bait, both for signs of a strike, and also to prevent the lure from fouling the line.