Fishing Dude

It's The Fall....Sleep in!

  Now that seems odd for one fisherman to say to another “lets not get up early and go fishin”. Now I’m not saying that the virtues of being up early and getting to the lake, stream or pond are lost at this time of year, as the colors of the leaves and the shear tranquility still abound, however if your looking for quick fishing action later can be better.

With the cool nights in the fall taking the water temperature down to the low 60’s the fish do know as I mentioned in my last post it’s time to eat and put some weight on for the long cold winter. However the fish’s metabolizesim is in direct line with the water temp. Being a cold blooded creature their strike zone and ability to expend energy is larger and faster in warmer water and smaller and slower in cooler water. As far as a “strike zone” by this I mean the area around a fish that they are willing to chase down and purse their quarry. The fish with their very small brain react by instinct and have the ability to evaluate how much energy it will take to eat a certain creature. Example; for me…do I run down the street for a large pizza or walk four steps for a sub? The fish and I think alike and its sub’s for dinner. Now that we have that covered back to temperature.

I will always be a huge fan of being outdoors and sharing it with everyone you can, the fall colors abound and the air is as beautiful, crisp and clean. Some of the best fishing days in the fall I have every experienced have been those with a cool crisp morning and the day steadily warming. The increasing temperature will in turn warm the shallow water and encourage the movement of the food chain. Small insects first, then small fish and so on.

Areas with shallow rock or those that are exposed to the sun the longest will warm up first. So as always keep an eye on weather and look for those fall days with warming trends and maximize your chances for some great action. So my advise, get up early, make breakfast for that someone special, bank those brownie points for the spring and summer where the early bird really does get the worm. But remember, even if the action is slow, it’s always a privilege to enjoy the great outdoors we have available to us in Ontario, especially Durham Region.

Peace Out

Dan

"The World we create is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." -Albert Einstein

Well here we are!

Well here we are live and ready to go. I am really excited to share some info and tactics that I have learned over the years. Feel free to ask away! I will do my best to provide detailed answers to unlocking what it takes to help put some fish at the end of your line.

With that being said I'm fresh off the water from competing in the Championship of the Bassmania Tournament Trail. The event was held on beautiful Lake Of Bays and man what a fishery! Our target was the always elusive Smallmouth Bass that seem to school up at this time of year. With the water temperature tickling 69 degrees every morning and warming to 72-73 the Smallmouth know that the winter is coming and it's time to feed up! At this time of the year the speed of your bait is a key factor.

Covering water and fishing horizontal type baits like Spinner-baits, and fast moving "jerk" type baits can be the recipe for success. The Smallmouth in this type of water system is primarily minnow feeding bass so anything that imitates minnows or the base forage of shiners is a great start. In some bodies of water craw-fish is the primary forage so tube baits, grubs will definitely be on the menu. Key note there...in order to be successfully on the water for any type of fish you chase, know what they like to eat. This can be achieved through a few different avenues; either by contacting the Ministry of Natural Resources who can easily inform you of the base forage of the lake, or check with local tackle shops. They are in the fishing biz and like customers to catch fish. In any type of fishing as you find the food you find the fish, no matter the species.

But back to the event, we had located many fish during the pre-fish from depths of 20-50 feet of water, yes 50 feet. The fish where following our bait almost to the boat but would not strike the bait. We tried a gambit of retrieves including fast, erratic, and a mixture of both. It was frustrating to say the least to see these giant fish follow to the boat and not strike.

Bottom line was by the final hours of the second day of the event we figured it out. The retrieve that worked for us was a matter of casting the bait out and working it fast for the first 10-15 feet back to the boat and then let it sit. I mean let it sit for as long as 1 minute. All of a sudden from the depths a big smallmouth would slowly rise from the depths and snatch the bait like my son sneaking a cookie.

The lesson learned for me was, to complete the circle of success ALL must be covered; location,bait,bait size, depth and of course speed, if you think your fishing slow enough...slow down some more.

Peace Out

Dan

"The World we create is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." -Albert Einstein