Many anglers view the fall months as one of the best times to fish and they would be correct, but as the calendar flips to September and we feel that the dog days of summer are finally behind us we may still be experiencing tough fishing. Where is this excellent bite we are promised? Today, we discuss the cause of a sluggish start and how you can jump start your fall fishing success.
A Time of Transition
As anglers, we often exhale as Labor Day comes and goes. The boat ramps clear of recreational boaters and many angler’s minds begin to transition to archery hunting, waterfowl and upland game opportunities. In addition to fewer boats on the water, the tough fishing of August is behind us and it’s time to start catching limits again. The only issue is…we’re not. Where is this incredible fall bite we hear so much of?
The reason for this sluggish start is because early fall, mainly September, is a time of great transition. Reservoir fish are working their way up river from the more basin style area to the river areas where they will feed all fall. Aquatic vegetation is turning brown and wilting. Forage such as gizzard shad, juvenile perch, white bass and other species are growing to larger sizes and their numbers are beginning to diminish. Cool temperatures at night are often negated by warm days. Frankly, there is a lot going on!
With everything going on, successful patterns are often short-lived and leave anglers scratching their heads. While some patterns, such as still green weed patches and well-known community areas can produce, anglers in search of a homerun day often find themselves striking out more than they expect. In many situations, the key to a successful day on the water is hitting a variety of singles and stringing fish together.
Dink and Dunk Walleye Action
In football, a “dink and dunk” strategy is characterized as a variety of short passes/plays designed to move the ball down field via a number of short yardage plays. In baseball, stringing a number of singles, hits the batter only advances to first base, is often a successful way to generate a variety of baserunners with multiple hits required to move runners across the plate to score. Early fall fishing is no exception.
When I’m faced with a tough bite in early fall, I am not looking for one area I am going to catch all my fish in quickly. By contrast, I’m looking to find a consistent routine that I can scratch out a few fish here and there. In many cases, active fish are often swimming together and one bite can result in one to three fish in the boat quickly. If I can do this multiple times in a day, I’m likely going to have a great looking bag by the time I put the boat on the trailer.
Always be on the Move
The most important aspect to finding success using this strategy is to always be moving. This applies to both aspects of fishing: location and presentation. Before you hit the water, have a variety of productive spots planned to hit. These could be flats, sand bars, weed patches, stumpfields or rock piles. The more you fish this strategy, the more spots you will accumulate over time.
Once you have your “route” planned, it is time to think about your presentation. Bottom bouncing is the perfect presentation for this situation because it allows you to cover a wide variety of areas, while still appealing to the more “neutral” fish. When selecting your speeds, don’t be afraid to go a tick faster than you may think. You aren’t trying to slow drag over a large group of fish, but rather are looking to cover as much productive area as possible and contact the most active fish.
For presentation, don’t be afraid to deploy a variety of options. I start every day with a different rig on each rod and many times I end the day with the same rigs. Most days, when deploying this presentation you are picking up active fish which are often less likely to discriminate against color, flash or other factors I often am concerned about with my rigs. However, fish can show preference to the offerings on those rigs, so be sure to have both minnows and crawlers in the boat to determine what the fish are preferring that day.
Watch the Clock
The most important aspect to remember when fishing this strategy is you have to pay attention to the clock. You can’t let the day slip away from you trying to buy a bite in a certain area. When you are setting up your hit list of areas, consider how long each area will take to fish. Some areas may be smaller and fished quickly, but long flats can take considerable time to make simply one pass even if you are bottom bouncing at a fairly quick pace.
I like to start the day on what I believe will be my most productive area. Depending on how big this area is, if I can do one or two passes and have three to four fish in the box I know I’m off to the start I need. If the area is relatively small and can be fished quickly do as many passes as you can as long as they are still producing. If you have an unproductive pass, it’s time to hit the road to your next area.
I like to hit longer flats in the middle of the day. These areas take longer to fish, but in many cases you have the opportunity to hit multiple pods of active fish along it. On the Missouri River reservoirs like Lake Sharpe or Lake Francis Case, you may be fishing passes that are over 2 miles long. One or two passes take a significant amount of time, but if you hit a few active pods you’re likely going to be sitting right about where you need to be. While paying attention to where you catch fish on the flat itself is important, many times trying a short pass on those areas may be unproductive as fish are often scattered along the entire flat as opposed to keying in on a certain area.
As the day winds down, it’s time to finish strong. Hit your final locations to fill out the rest of your bag. A quick sequence of bites is often all you need to catch the last few fish you need on a successful day. It may seem counterproductive to leave fish to find fish, but the key is to cover water and scratch fish out all day long.
It may not be the prettiest fishing you’ll have all year, but an excellent bag can still be yours as summer slowly transitions into more predictable fall patterns that set in as cooler weather does as well. Cover water, continue to scratch out fish and you’ll have a bag you can be proud of at the end of the day! Good fishing!
Related Articles
While fishing flats and other main river areas can result in success all fall, shore anglers and boat anglers alike often find some of the best fall bites take off in the evening hours. Find out why Night Time is the Right Time for Fall Walleye.
As mentioned above, reservoir walleye are often moving upstream from their summer locations in the main basin as fall continues to progress. Follow these fish throughout their entire lives in Life of a Reservoir Walleye.
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