Fall-What’s working?

Had no luck with topwater of hard baits, but I used the largest dinger I had in a wacky rig and pulled my new LM PB. Had a couple others that were contenders. Seemed like only the big fish would commit.

Congrats-they want big meals now I think. The Musky guys are getting big ones now too.

It really just hasn’t been my year. One of the slowest years I’ve had. Just the way it happens sometimes. My boat is in the shop for the next few weeks so hopefully that will change my karma for the fall bite and my Hayward trip at the end of the month.

Sucker minnows worked well for me yesterday on the river. Large sucker minnows with just a hook in the nose casted into the river bank. What a blast. Most of the minnows where dead after a few casts but that only made it better. Got to watch most of the action as the bass would dart up to the surface and tag those minnows. If by chance I didn’t get a good hook up just pause and they would quickly find the minnow again. Caught a nice pile of 17 to 19″ Smallies doing this. Went through 2 dozen sucker minnows by myself.

And somehow I picked the same photo twice.

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It’s almost cheating using live minnows for those smallies. It’s ridiculous. Not hating on you at all, it’s just crazy how nuts those fish go for live bait.

I hear you. If they wanted them anymore they would of been jumping into the boat. So cool to have one miss or pull it out of its mouth and then just stop the bait because in a half second that bass is going to nail it again.

I bet the river is super shallow there. Surprised you can still get in there with your boat.

tim hurley wrote:

Congrats-they want big meals now I think. The Musky guys are getting big ones now too.

Where at, and on what ?

Little shallow.

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Little shallow. This is us pushing the boat back up river through the beaver dam.

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Oh my

Ive found moving baits like DT-10’s and chatterbaits have been better than plastics and jigs.

The fish were not going on Pokegama on Saturday like I thought they would be. Lunker for the tournament was only 4/14. We all thought the progressive Lunker Pot that takes a minimum of a 5lb 8oz bass to win was going to go down. Somehow, I managed to win the Co-angler pot and take 5th out of 11 guys. I was the only guy not to catch a three-pounder, but only one other Co-angler got a limit and I beat him by 2ozs. I got two fish on a ToadZ, two on a Turbo FattyZ, and one a piece on a Outkast Swim Jig and LiveTarget Frog. I lost a decent one on the ToadZ as well and maybe a couple on the swim jig.

Bear-If you google ‘catching bass on musky lures’ you will see some vids that will give you some ideas.

Really wanted some meat for today, now that west metro big bs is closed, no baittanks at the bobby and steves in bryn mawr and jrs closed half the time i go there SOL for livebait. Went thru over 3 packs of gulp anyways, fish were a bit weird on the river today, defininetly in the slower seams and deeper spots but still on the chew a bit, odd. Nothing big but fun.

tim hurley wrote:

Bear-If you google ‘catching bass on musky lures’ you will see some vids that will give you some ideas.

I’m alright. I just figured you new what they were throwing and where. I can’t watch you tube fishing videos. I get that guys catch bass on big musky lures but you made it sound like it was happening now. So I thought you had a report or something. It is fun to catch fish on huge lures

Can’t think of a specific lake or I would share, just know its a thing.

So when does the night spinner bait bite start for largies?

Mike W wrote:

Sucker minnows worked well for me yesterday on the river. Large sucker minnows with just a hook in the nose casted into the river bank. What a blast. Most of the minnows where dead after a few casts but that only made it better. Got to watch most of the action as the bass would dart up to the surface and tag those minnows. If by chance I didn’t get a good hook up just pause and they would quickly find the minnow again. Caught a nice pile of 17 to 19″ Smallies doing this. Went through 2 dozen sucker minnows by myself.

And somehow I picked the same photo twice.

Only thing different that I experienced vs you last weekend was they wouldn’t touch a dead one. Had to be wiggly. And I don’t think a minnow would have been to big either.

Mike W wrote:

So when does the night spinner bait bite start for largies?

A black spinner bait has been my go to lure at night for largies. The best time period was during a new moon, which is this week.

Time of year didn’t seem to matter much. I mostly do it in midsummer to avoid recreational boaters and hot daytime temps.

Lakes with clear water were ideal night time locations because the bite there was tough during the day.

Tell us more! Colorado big blade? Flats? Structure? Deep? Shallow?

tim hurley wrote:

Tell us more! Colorado big blade? Flats? Structure? Deep? Shallow?

Yes, big blades for more vibration. Shallow depths around weeds usually, shallower at night than at day.

tim hurley wrote:

Tell us more! Colorado big blade? Flats? Structure? Deep? Shallow?

We just went to the closest lake to home and started throwing spinnerbaits. Just followed the weedline and kept casting. Didn’t take long to find fish. Should be out there right now but don’t currently have a boat in town.

I really like a big Indiana blade as well in the Fall. Not quite as much thump, but more flash.

I did pretty good this morning, caught 18 largemouth between 14-18 inches and 3 pike. I also had a more sizable pike trim me clean off. Got all of them on moving lures in shallow water around weeds and docks. Water temp 67 degrees.

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This Last weekend was a grind. Many of the lakes have turned to pea soup. Surface temps around 67 degrees can’t imagine any have turned yet. The little pike were on fire literally went through 8 bass jigs used a steel leader than couldn’t catch a thing so back to losing them. Did get 5 very large bass 19-20 inchers very nice but in odd locations. Some were 18 FOW and some in a foot of water. Tried a new lake it was gin clear. Got 2 30 inch pike very nice on chatter baits and 2 chunky bass on chatter baits as well. Between lousy fishing docks 3 feet higher than the boat ,shallow ramps probably be putting it away in the next 3 weeks.

Getting my boat back from the shop this Wednesday then heading up to Hayward for the weekend. Hopefully getting on some smallies and doing a little exploring. Then I’ll hit the city lakes again when I get back home. Gotta get good at some point here hopefully!

Sounds like the bladed jig bite is heating up ~

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Summer-like tactics have been working for me since the middle of August. Shallow weedy areas around docks have been consistently producing fish. With the current forecast predicted to be 80+ degrees through early October, I don’t see that changing. The water temp was still 70 degrees before we got all this rain. The calendar might say fall but the weather/conditions are still a lot more like summer.

gimruis wrote:

The water temp was still 70 degrees before we got all this rain. The calendar might say fall but the weather/conditions are still a lot more like summer.

Ya 70 Deg. water temps the last part of Sept. is crazy. I see several 80’s forecasted for the next week in my area. The daily lows are upper 50’s to mid 60’s as well. That warm water temp. is not going anywhere for awhile at this rate. Sure would be nice to start seeing a few much colder nighttime temps soon. We pushed our leech lake trip back a extra few weeks to hopefully get some cooler water temps. A few weeks may not be enough this year.