By Daryl Bauer, Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
If you are into classifications and delineation, we are certainly in “late fall” now. Fall is a season of transition. If you are frequently on the water, you know that fish location and behavior transitions throughout the autumn months. Generally, as the water cools and weather changes fish movements are towards more stable, deeper water.
Now do not get me wrong. I did NOT say that fish will not use shallow water in the fall, even into late fall. They will and do, and when the fish are doing that, the catching can be memorable.
However, the colder the water, the more likely you will need to be fishing deep or near deep water to find the best bite. On Nebraska reservoirs that bite can continue all the way until the end of fall when our waters begin to ice over.
The classic pattern for walleyes, white bass, wipers, and others, on those reservoirs is to find schools of open-water baitfish in deeper water. Find the baitfish and the predators will be there picking off those stressed by cooling water.
Yes, technology, depth-finders, are crucial to finding these fish in deeper water. Once located, vertical presentations are key. Hover right over the fish and vertically jig some type of lure that imitates the stressed baitfish. A variety of jigging spoons like Bomber Slab Spoons, Hopkins Shorties, Fle Flies, Fergie Specials, Rattle Snakies and many others are traditional favorites.
In recent years other baits that can be fished vertically have proven to be just as effecting. Tail-spinners like Lytle’s Secret will work as well as rattle baits (e.g., Rippin’ Raps).
Saw a video recently that reminded me that blade baits are another great option for vertical jigging:
I can remember first discovering blade baits years ago when Sonars and Gay Blades were the only ones you could find in the local tackle shop. Once again, a greater variety of blade baits are now available including Nebraska’s own Walleye Nation Creations Rip-N-Rattle.
If you have not, you should be trying some of these presentations now through the end of fall. Those of you that have a boat will find that usually the key to catching fish using these baits and presentations is to fish as vertically, straight below the boat, as possible.
Despite being boatless, do not think that you cannot catch fish late into autumn on these baits, blade and rattle baits in particular. Fish as close to deep water as possible, steep drops, and try to fish vertically as much as possible. Jigging retrieves just above the bottom will work; just keep the jigging less aggressive as the water cools. If you watched the video, you got the idea.