Cooldown, turnover affect late-fall tactics

Cooldown, turnover  affect late-fall tactics

Well, we got a good dose of summer last weekend. Highs were near record territory, and it felt more like August than mid-October. That ends with a cold front Monday night, which hopefully brings some badly needed rain. After that it looks like we return to real fall, with afternoons getting cooler as the week goes on and much colder nights by the weekend. The warm spell slowed the fish’s fall progression, but the cooldown should get things back on track. The colors are past peak in a lot of spots now, but there’s still plenty of gold in the tamaracks, birches and the popples, and the boat traffic is about as light as it gets.

Water temperatures held up better than expected with all that sun and warm air. Most area lakes are sitting in the mid to upper 50s, with the Chain still a couple of degrees warmer than the bigger, deeper lakes to the north. This week’s cooling trend will knock them down again. Turnover is imminent on some lakes around the Northwoods, and this front should speed it along. Watch for murky water, suspended leaves and junk in the water column, and that musty smell at the landing. The Monday night rain will help a little. Keep in mind that water levels are becoming an issue on many lakes outside of the Chain, so go easy over the bars and stumps —  and be prepared for a possible surprise at some landings.

The walleye bite has been fair at best over the last week. We were all hoping for better with the cooler water. Some fish are still mixed in with the perch on the cabbage in 6 to 8 feet, and others are on the mid-depth rock bars in 18 to 20 feet. A crawler under a slip bobber is still a great approach for these fish. The falling temperatures this week should move these guys around and get them moving to their usual fall spots — and feeding. Concentrate on the sharp breaks, deep holes, and hard-to-soft bottom transitions in 18 to 30 feet. On the Chain, fish the holes and the deep side of any weed edge that’s still green. A jig with a fathead or small sucker will become the go-to as the water cools. The low-light bite in the evening tends to be the best. 

Northern have been eating just about anything put in front of them, and that won’t change this week. Fish the remaining green weeds in the bays and along the first break outside the weed edge in 6 to 12 feet. Spinnerbaits, spoons, and jerkbaits worked with a pause are all good choices, and a larger sucker under a float is hard to beat for the bigger ones. Muskie anglers are catching plenty of pike on their bucktails and big glide baits, so use a leader.

Bass got one last shot in the arm from the warm weekend, but the front will slow them down quickly. Largemouth are on the last green weeds and nearby wood. Your best chance is the warmest part of the afternoon, with a jig or Texas rig worked slowly, and live bait has been catching some good fish too. Smallmouth are spread out right now. Some are still roaming, but the better groups are gathering on deep rock and gravel in 18 to 28 feet. Hair jigs, blade baits, Ned rigs, drop shots, and a jig and minnow will all take them. On turning lakes, the bass can disappear for a week or two until things settle. 

Panfish are holding their own. Perch fishing has been good on the shallower weeds in 4 to 8 feet. Check the edges in 8 to 10 feet and you may pick up a walleye or two in the same spots. As the water cools, expect the bigger perch to slide out deeper to the sand and mud flats with the walleye. A small jig and fathead or a piece of crawler is all you need. Crappie are schooled over the basin edges and around deep wood and cribs in 15 to 25 feet, usually suspended a few feet off the bottom. Find them with your electronics and put a small jig and plastic or a crappie minnow just above them. Bluegill are on the deep weed edges and wood in 12 to 18 feet and will hit a small jig tipped with a waxie.

Muskie fishing has been decent and sure to improve. As the water dropped into the 50s, more fish started showing up and eating. We’ve heard from live-scope users that they’re seeing a lot of fish checking things out, slight follows, and then retreats — like they’re just not quite in the feeding mood. We’ve heard of a surprising number of fish in the shallows. Topwaters and medium bucktails over the remaining weeds have been a good bet. With this week’s cooling we can expect the action to shift toward the deep weed edges, steep breaks, and rock humps. Glide baits, jerkbaits, and big rubber worked slowly will be the better choices as it gets cold. Suckers have just started to produce some, so it’s worth it to keep one out while you cast. A fresh front can make things tough the first day or so, but once it settles, the stable days mid- to late-week should be good.

From here the season moves fast. Fish of all species will bunch up on the deep holes and steep breaks. As we get into the real cold of the Fall, slow down, go bigger on the live bait, and pay attention to the afternoons. Muskie fishing in particular only gets better from here right up to ice-up. The walleye should start giving us some real good Fall action, too. 

Mornings are going to feel like October again, so dress in layers. Watch for fog on the water early and enjoy those beautiful, haunted views it brings. The afternoons should still be nice — and there’s nothing like being out there on these quiet fall days. It’s a great time to be on the water.

Good luck and good fishin’!