News & Stories
Catch More Fish This Fall
Posted by director on August 26, 2019
by Bob Jensesn
Autumn is in the air! Birds are gathered on power lines, butterflies are getting together to prepare for their southerly journey, there have even been reports of tree leaves changing colors. Summer fishing is different than spring fishing, and fishing in the fall in several very important ways is different than fishing in the summer. Some small changes in how and where we fish will help us be more successful in the fall. Following are some ideas for catching more fish and bigger fish in the next few weeks and months.
Regardless of season, location is such an important consideration. We often think that fall fish will be in deeper water, and in some lakes and at some times they will be deep. But there are also times when they’ll move shallow. Lakes that have fall spawning baitfish such as tullibee and whitefish will see walleye, northern pike, and muskies in the shallows eating these fall spawners. They spend the day in the deeper water close to the spawning areas, then at night follow the spawning baitfish shallow. I fondly recall many night-fishing adventures in several Midwest states when double digit walleyes came to my net.
I’ve also had some memorable days catching largemouth bass in
shallow reeds in the fall. Warm days are best, and the best reeds will be near deep water vegetation where the bass will spend much of their time, but bass that are shallow in the fall are often biters.
In the fall, generally if a predator fish is in shallow water, it is eating and susceptible to being caught. I remember an afternoon on a lake in north central Minnesota a good number of years ago. Action had been slow in the traditional walleye haunts. We had been fishing for walleyes the way we usually fish for walleyes that time of year: We were pulling live-bait rigs and jigs tipped with minnows over and around flats in 8 to 12 feet of water. The wind was blowing into a shoreline nearby. This particular lake, like quite a few bodies of water, was a wind lake: If the wind blows from the same direction for a day or two, the walleyes will move to the shoreline. We moved closer to shore and made a couple of casts. A couple of casts was all it took to make us aware of where the walleyes were. They were in about 2 feet of water and just a few feet off shore. We traded our eighth ounce Fire-ball jigs for sixteenth ouncers. Fire-ball jigs, with their short-shank, wide-gap hook, are outstanding when live bait is employed. A 6’6” or 7’ medium or medium light action rod is just right. Lew’s Black Speed Stick Walleye Rod is a favorite. Team it with a 200 size Lew’s spinning reel spooled with 6 pound test CX Premium P-Line. This set-up will throw the light jigs well and also reveal subtle strikes, although much of the time shallow water strikes aren’t that subtle. On this day the walleyes were mostly pound and halfers up to maybe 3 pounds. No big ones, but the action was almost non-stop that afternoon. It was probably the fastest walleye bite that I’ve ever experienced, and we got on it because we fished where the fish were, not where they were supposed to be.
Autumn is a great time to be outside. The weather is mild, the colors can be spectacular, and so can the fishing. Plan now to take advantage of fall fishing.
PHOTO CAPTION—Warm fall days can draw largemouth bass into the shallow reeds. That’s where Mike Frisch caught this one.
To see new and older episodes of Fishing the Midwest television, fishing articles and video tips, go to fishingthemidwest.com
Swimbaiting Success
Posted by admin on August 25, 2019
Mike Frisch of Fishing the Midwest TV shares some simple, but highly effective tips for multi-species swimsuit fishing success!#fishing#swimbaits [VIDEO]
Swimbaits provide fast fishing
Posted by director on August 15, 2019
Swimbaits provide fast fishing!
By Mike Frisch
Guide clients, other fishing partners, and I have spent a good deal of time casting swimbaits this fishing season. Walleyes were the targeted species during spring and early summer, but a multi-species smorgasbord of northern pike, bass, and walleyes have come topside utilizing swimbaits lately. And, swimbaits should continue producing well into fall as well.
Not only are swimbaits very productive multi-species and multi-season baits, but they’re also easy to fish. In fact, their ease of use and productivity make them very popular bait choices in this guide’s boat!
Fishing partners and I caught good numbers of walleyes this spring while casting and retrieving “swimmers” to shallow rock cover and over emerging shallow weeds. The productive pattern of summer, on the other hand, has revolved around deeper weeds and bigger baits.
Lately, we’ve been moving the boat with the trolling motor paralleling deep weed edges and casting shallower to what is often heavy weed growth on the adjacent flat. Allowing the bait to settle in a bit and then simply reeling the bait back with a steady retrieve is all that’s been required.
This summer pattern produces best, particularly in lakes with clear water, during early morning, evening, or on overcast days. These conditions often have fish roaming higher in the water column than they might be on a sunny day when they seem to “hunker” down.
Though moving along the weedline covering water is a good idea, slowing up and making multiple casts to productive spots often results in more fish being caught from that area. Marking good spots on GPS is good advice too, as lots of times you can come back to productive areas on future outings and catch more fish from them.
The particulars of swimbait fishing are pretty simple. Smaller baits fished on lighter jig-heads work well for early season walleyes. Now, however, bigger baits and bigger jigs usually produce better.
The 3.25” Rage Swimmer worked well this spring, while it’s bigger 4.75” brother gets the nod now. The 4.5” Shadalicious has been another favorite in my boat lately. Both baits come in “fishy” colors and provide actions that fish seem to love.
Swimbaits typically feature darker backs and lighter underbellies to help mimic baitfish. Various color patterns will produce, with Sexy Shad being a favorite in my boat.
When casting to weedlines, rigging the baits on big, heavy duty jig heads in either ½- or ¾-ounce sizes (depending on water depth fished) works well. My preference is the Squadron Swimbait Jig Head as it has a sharp, wide-gap hook, and it comes in a variety of colors.
Swimbaits fish well on baitcasting or heavier spinning tackle. As a guide, my preference is for the ease of use and casting capability of a spinning rod and reel. A fast action, medium power rod paired with a reel loaded with braided line works very well. Lew’s has several rods and spinning reels at various price points that do a good job when tossing swimmers.
Braided line helps facilitate long casts, provides positive hooksets, and has the strength to horse fish bulldogging for the weeds to the boat. XTCB-8 Braid in 15-pound test is my choice. It’s super smooth so it casts well and has the abrasion resistance and knot strength needed when big fish in big weeds are encountered!
If your goal is to encounter big fish yet this summer and fall, head to the deep weedline and start casting swimbaits. Use these baits and the tips just provided and you’ve got a great chance to encounter multi-species fishing fun yet this season!
As always, good luck on the water and remember to include a youngster in your outdoors adventures!
Mike Frisch hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series and is a co-founder of the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s School of Fish. Visit fishingthemidwest.com to learn more.
Photo 1 – Drew Nielsen and a swimbait smallmouth bass he caught on a recent guide trip.
Photo 2 – A Sexy Shad pattern Rage Swimmer.
Photo 3 – Largemouth bass like swimbaits too!