Daryl Bauer, Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
In case all the pumpkin-spice junk did not give you a hint, autumn is here! By any definition you choose, it now is officially fall. Hey, the calendar even says tomorrow is October 1.
This time of year brings a lot of outdoor activities, not the least of which is the variety of hunting seasons that open. Believe me, I love to hunt too, but over the years fall has become my favorite time of year for open-water fishing. My perfect calendar would include six months of ice-fishing, three months of spring turkey hunting, and three months of fall fishing!
We had some hot weather earlier this fall, and I slow-played my fall fishing. But now, it is on! On like Donkey Kong! Been seeing and hearing some reports from others that have found the same.
I understand that you might have other activities to pursue right now. That is great. Just know that the lack of busyness on the water is one of the things I love about fishing in the fall. It is also one reason I believe it is some of the best fishing of the year.
Like the rest of the year, I target a variety of fish during the fall. However, I particularly like to pursue some of our biggest predator fish in the fall. It is very much true that those fish are feeding in the fall. They need the extra calories to get ready for the long, cold winter to come, and to begin development of eggs and milt for next spring’s spawn.
In addition, the fall bite betters that of the dog days of summer because the abundance of natural prey is less than its mid-summer peak. Hungry predators hunting for less prey swings odds back in the angler’s favor!
Admittedly, many of my fall trips do not result in numbers of fish. Many of our waters still have an abundance of prey in the fall (although less than it was a month or two earlier). Feeding windows may still be relatively short. Most trips I am fishing for one or two bites, the right bites, big fish. Exactly the kind of fishing that turns my crank!
What I have rambled about so far gives you some hints about my fall strategies.
First, go big or go home. Research has shown that a variety of predator fish will eat prey items up to 40%, even half of the predator’s own body length! They may try to munch on anything that they can fit down their throat! Do the math. Twenty-inch bass will readily eat prey items up to and even larger than eight inches. Twenty-eight inch walleye? Eleven to twelve inch prey. You do not even want to do the ciphering for a 40-inch musky!
It is also true that baitfish have grown through the summer. Depending on the species, some of our most abundant baitfish may be several inches long by now. Predator fish actually prefer larger prey because they can take in more energy per energy expended by capturing big prey. Big baits for big fish is true, especially in the fall!
You ain’t fishing baits big enough.
Know how I know that?
Walk the aisles of your favorite big-name sporting goods store. Sure, you might find a corner of big muskie baits on some shelf, but you can find very few comparable baits in the popular bass and walleye aisles.
Thank goodness for the internet!
One last fall presentation strategy that is always on my mind: Speed. If you are old enough to remember Buck Perry’s classic presentation theory, the two most important variables are depth and speed. You have to put your bait at the right depth, and you have to fish it at the right speed. Size, shape, action, scent, and yes, color are all secondary to that.
Our water temps. are still relatively warm, but as autumn progresses and it gets cooler, I fish slower. Of course there are always exceptions and you need to experiment, but by late fall my presentations will be crawling. Ultimately, just before freeze, vertical presentations like those used through a hole in the ice, usually will be the best.
It is a great time of year to be in Nebraska’s great outdoors regardless of the activity. For me, that especially includes being on the water. The rewards are worth it. Of course, it is pretty much that way for me regardless of season!