Daryl Bauer, Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
Days are definitely getting shorter, weather is getting cooler, leaves are changing and dropping. We are well into autumn.
Hunting seasons are open and I know many have turned their attention to those pursuits. Even though water temps. have taken a big dip in the past couple of weeks, it is not too late to be fishing!
Fall has great opportunities for anglers
Even though summer is over, don’t put away the fishing gear yet. There are plenty of opportunities for excellent fall fishing in Nebraska.
The summer pattern of fish behavior gives way to the fall pattern when the air and water temperatures cool and the days shorten. Fish become more active and aggressive. Fall is the time for fish to fatten up – and become more susceptible to a lure in the process.
“Those fish know winter is coming,” said Nebraska Game and Parks Fisheries Outreach Program Manager Daryl Bauer. “A lot of species are starting to develop eggs and milt for next spring. They need extra energy, and that means they are going to keep feeding right through the fall. That’s one reason why fishing in the fall can be so good.”
Bauer said there is less natural prey in the water during the fall, compared to the peak of summer. “That means those fish are looking a little harder for food,” he said. “And that means it’s a little more likely they’re going to find my bait or lure when I’m out on the water.”
As fall approaches winter and the water gets colder, fish will slow down. Anglers should slow their presentation, as well.
Here are some of Bauer’s tips for better fall fishing:
Fish behavior – Fish generally still can be found shallow in the early fall, especially during stable, warm weather. Later, baitfish and larger sport fish start moving deeper. Still, warm afternoons may see some fish moving shallower again.
Where to find them – Structures with areas where shallow water is close to deep water tend to hold many fish. Fast-breaking points, creek channel bends, humps, or any areas where shallows are near deep water tend to be spots where fish are likely to be found in the fall.
Big fish like big baits – This is especially true in the fall. Not only have baitfish grown throughout the summer, predator fish, with the need to take in as much energy as possible, can gain more of that energy by eating larger prey items. “Big baits for big fish” is most true in the fall.
Fish aquatic vegetation – On waters that have submerged aquatic vegetation, especially small and medium-sized flood-control reservoirs, pits and ponds, and Sandhills lakes, that vegetation is very productive and full of a variety of prey during the summer. It dies back in the fall, exposing small fish, aquatic insects and other organisms to increased predation.
Follow the frogs – Leopard frogs spend much of the summer in wet meadows and marshy habitats. As the weather cools, they migrate back toward larger, deeper bodies of water. In some places, especially on warm, fall evenings, you may notice frogs along shorelines or beaches adjacent to marshes or wet meadows. If you see even a few frogs hopping along the shoreline, fish it.
Trout stocking – Rainbow trout are being stocked by Game and Parks at urban waters across the state to enhance fishing opportunities this fall and winter. Trout fishing is a great way to introduce children to fishing because simple and inexpensive equipment may be used.
Bauer has these suggestions for places to fish this fall:
Irrigation reservoirs – Large reservoirs are best for open-water fish like walleyes, wipers, white bass and others. As baitfish begin to gather in deeper water for the winter, anglers can experience some great fishing for those fish preying on them. In the fall, anglers are successful vertically jigging baits that imitate stressed and dying baitfish on McConaughy, Merritt, Sherman and others.
Pine Ridge trout streams – Located in the canyons and valleys between the Pine Ridge buttes are cold-water streams containing brown and brook trout. Try both the middle and south fork of Soldier Creek on the Soldier Creek Wilderness area, the White River or Big Bordeaux Creek.
Cooler waters – The cooler waters in northern and western Nebraska offer anglers options such as yellow perch, walleye, northern pike and even some muskellunge. Many spring-fed streams support year-round populations of brown, rainbow and the occasional brook trout. Stocking has provided even more trout, with cutthroat and tiger trout lurking in a few waters. Adventurous anglers can prospect those waters in pursuit of a Trout Slam.