Falling into Fall Fishing
By Ross Hagemeister, meisterguideservice.com
Happy fall, anglers everywhere! It’s my favorite time of the fishing year.
The days are cool, the air is clear (when wildfire smog isn’t lingering about), and the fish feed well. Even though the fish feed well, there are many changes to keep up with. Fish location changes, shuffles, and flickers and baits and lures we use change as well. Some species keep close ties with vegetation while others vacate weed zones and head toward muddy lake basins. Walleye tend to be active in nearly every zone in the lake/s; shallow, deep, weeds, shallow weed lines, and deep weed edges—all areas matter. The walleye return to deep islands on some lakes while walleye on other lakes head to shallow water and current areas.
No matter their chosen fall location, walleye are feeding. It’s also a fun time of the season because minnows become a good bait again; they are more willing to stay alive than they were a month ago, and they swim and act alive when you put them in the water—therefore, the fish welcome them and eat them up! Put the minnow on a jig, a Lindy Rig, or behind a bottom bouncer; it’s all good. Panfish are in transition as well, they may take more searching to find than they did in August or early September. If you don’t find sunfish and crappie hanging around mid-depth weed stands, check the deep weed line. If the deep weed line doesn’t work, try the base of drop offs and slowly drive the basin in search of globs and groups of panfish hanging a few feet off the bottom. Pike are in feeding mode as well. Throw big spinner baits over cabbage near steep breaks and deep water, but don’t forget to try dense weed patches on mid-depth flats.
Not only are the fish transitioning, but so is the water and air—they are going from warm to cold. The lake no longer offers a sense of warmth! Dress accordingly—it’s fall time! Good Luck on the lakes this fall!