Looking for the last hoo rah for northerns for the year what to do

[ratherBfishnJP]

Hey guys, this will probably be my last chance for the year to get out fishing for northerns. Quite frankly, this year has been rough for northerns but I really want to get a few descent ones in the boat before we pack it up for the year till next spring. Whats the good word on whats catching the snakes right now. I fish the mississippi by brainerd. any help would be greatly appreciated! Good luck and see you on the water!

[mainbutter]

Good question. I got out for the first time this fall this past weekend.. and had nada for pike. I gave up and spent the last hour chucking senkos for bass and finally boated a few fish.

It may have just been a bad day, but I'll tell you what wasn't working for me:

spinnerbaits

shad raps

WTD topwaters

All fished shoreline out to 8 FOW, and in 20 FOW.

[ratherBfishnJP]

I have been catching a few small ones and tonight i tried but got a nice chunk of a bass off a spinnerbait. I went to do some investigating to see what people have been cleaning at the cleaning house and seen some nice toothy carcasses and one really big one that was cleaned and found out they were munching on some big bluegills. I hope this helps. We plan on hitting it hard the next 3 days so I will keep ya posted. ANyone else have any input on what to use for some nice fall northerns? Would a spro BBZ shad swimbait do any good this time of year?

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

We were up this past weekend and trolling Perch Shadlings #5 and #7 were the ticket for pike in 10 to 14 ft of water.

[pushbutton]

dont know much about river fishing, but if you can get to a lake, find what remaining weed cover and fish the edges and tops. one lake i fish they are thick on the weed edge in 10 ft of water, another lake they are shored up in the thick pond weed mat in 5 ft. for both i am just trolling anything.

[Slabasaurus]

I'll tell you what wasn't working for me:

spinnerbaits

shad raps

WTD topwaters

All fished shoreline out to 8 FOW, and in 20 FOW.

ditto.

However I have been able to catch a few in the past week or so on:

Clackin Rap in firetiger

Bobber/Sucker

That's it. It's been a slow week for me for numbers, but when they come they're big.

[ratherBfishnJP]

Ok went out for a few hours this afternoon. Used black spinnerbaits caught a couple 4 pounders and a 9.2 with a bluegill the size of what i would keep if i was bluegill fishing in its gut. Ive seen a few fish with some big gillies in there gut so maybe i should try replicating a gilly

[kyleharty]

Ok went out for a few hours this afternoon. Used black spinnerbaits caught a couple 4 pounders and a 9.2 with a bluegill the size of what i would keep if i was bluegill fishing in its gut. Ive seen a few fish with some big gillies in there gut so maybe i should try replicating a gilly

I've seen a lipped swimbait shaped like a crappie that I've always thought would be great for that kind of situation.

On a side note, I'm afraid my last hoorah for this season may be cancelled by the flooding down here, don't think I could get at my spots on the river and the waters gonna be too cold for me real soon if it's not already.

[kingfish689]

I have been doing good with suicks on the inside weed line up in the shallows and lilly pads where ever you can still find green weeds lots of pike in the 30"range on the river around brainerd it is tough fishing tho you have to get your boat through that first batch of floating weeds to fish the shallows and the inside weedlines keep an eye out for fish chasing bait in the shallows and then get there as soon as posible and start throwing kinda like sight fishing. most of my fish right now are comeing in less then 3 feet of water. it wont be long tho before they head for deeper water. its day by day right now but still getting fish. this above the dam that I am talking about in the bays and some right as tight as you can get to the rice.