Late fall action picking up

[Ole the Guide]

I went out yesterday to one of my favorite lakes. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon. First cast with a spinnerbait produced a nice fat 17.5 incher. I thought to myself "Oh Boy, this is gonna be a great day! Where's that 9 lb. er!" Anyway, it turned out to be an awesome day for me. I caught around 30 Bass. They were hitting on just about everything I threw(with the exception of senkos). It seemed as though the big ones were either next to the shoreline or out a ways! (Hee-hee! Just checking to see if you were paying attention!)

I threw many different presentations. I did best on Spinners, Jig & Pig, big tubes and lizzards. I would catch three or four and then it would quiet down for 20-30 minutes. Then, boom, they'd start up again!

This went on all afternoon. At the end I fired a spinnerbait by a submerged tree and a 4.5 "hog" slammed it. Then about five minutes later I threw a J&P by some brush and I caught a 5.5 lb.er, my best for the day!

All in all, it was a great day to be alive and fishing!

Looks like we have another month of it before the water starts freezing over!

Regards,

Ole

[Duffman]

Sounds like fun, that's some nice action. Hearing about your success on a wide variety of presentations will probably force me to try different things. Thanks I'm headed out this afternoon, hopefully I'll have something to add to the discussion tomorrow. My bass days are numbered though, 2-3 more days tops. Suffering from a little burnout, it's something that first ice will cure.

[prophet]

glad to hear about your great day,just took friday off for

a long weekend,plan to burn some gas and log some hours

chasing this weekend,hopefully i'll have some type of luck

[cheektowaga]

I love the fall. I actually was out last friday on a northern mn lake. 43 degrees, raining and windy, not fun for standing in the boat but a good day on the lake. Pretty much spent the day whipping spinners and had some great luck. Caught 7 northerns, 2 of which went 30 inches. Caught a dozen bass, and only 2 of those were UNDER 17 inches (sorry I didn't weigh anything.) The highlight of my frigid day was when I was finally ready to call it a day, frozen to the bone, when I made my last cast towards a shorline and instantly hooked into a pig. Gave a couple jumps out of the water and I knew it was a beast. Once measured, I learned I had caught not only my biggest of the day AND the season, but my longest/fattest bass ever! 22.5 inches long!

Found all of the fish in areas near shore and lillies, adjacent to green weeds that walked down a drop to about 8 feet. It was a blast! Going again this friday and the forecast should be in my favor, hopefully in the bass' favor too!

[grab the net]

Me and my partner were out yesterday also, 34 bass between the two of us, plus two large pike, one 11LB AND 1 9lb'er. Most of our fish came on plastic. 3 to 6 feet of water. Biggest bass was a 5lb 10 oz and three others over 4. Water temp was 47 to 48 degrees. Most fish were relating to green weeds of some type. Looking forward to a few more trips.

[river rat316]

We ever gonna get out and do the river thing Cheek?

[Duffman]

We caught 8 between the two of us in three hours last evening. Largest was 19.5" and 4.4 lbs, pitching plastics shallow. I tried a couple other presentations but lost confidence in them pretty quickly, went back to my go to method. I don't have the patience to stick with something different when that sun sets so dang quickly these days.

[Ole the Guide]

Heading out again Wednesday. Did anyone go out over the weekend? This weather, being so nice, is going to lengthen our soft water time! Fine by me! I know that winter will be here soon enough. In the meantime, while everone is getting into their deerstands, the Big Bass will be "chompin' at the bit!" and chasing my jig&pig! Bring it on!!

Ole

[Duffman]

Just some casting off the dock at a buddys cabin. A few small largys were taken on spinnerbaits or buzzbaits. And I got my first smallmouth of the year, better late than never. Wednesday looks good to get out one more time, hopefully I can squeeze in a couple hours of fishing in the eve. Good luck Ole.

[cheektowaga]

River rat, I never made out to any rivers, I know it's a shame.

I did get out last Friday up north again and pretty much attacked it the same as my previous post and with similar luck. 12 Bass (2 were smallies), 9 of the 12 were over 17 inches. Biggest four landed were a 21.5 and three 20.5's. Thick ones and a blast to pull in!

Should have brought the 12 gauge though, things pretty much cooled off after about 2pm and I could have stomped around looking for grouse.

May or may not get up there this friday. That may have been the last bassin I'll get in of '05. If so, I ended the year on an 18 inch smallie...if not that elusive 23 incher is still out there!

[Maximum12]

On the water Sat evening for two hours plus, landed five bass 13"-17", all very fat & healthy, along with a half-dozen pike. I keep waiting for the bass to slow down & quit chasing baits burning over the green weeds, but it hasn't happened to me yet! And that water's getting cold on my feet putting the boat in!

[Wayne Ek]

Did not get out this past weekend, spent it with Deitz at the Cabelas Grand opening (Rogers) The week prior to that Kent Shells (two times) Mike DaLoia (one time) hit a small lake in central Ottertail Co. Water temps. varied from 53 down to 51. The score to date is 5 over 5 pounds and 2 over 6 pounds. ( Ya I know...) but I have the photos. Now I just have to get them to transfer from my e-mail to the site... Deitz, where are you when I need you... I will get them transfered. Big ones all on pig and jig.

[carlcmc]

what weight jig are using and style of trailer? I'm a newbie to jig and pig and have never caught anything on them. What type of water/structure/technique are you fishing them?

[Ole the Guide]

carlcmc,

Boy are you missing out on a great presentation. Try a 3/8 oz. black jig and a blue (zoom) craw trailer! Flip it towards shore or any cover (docks, stumps, wood, weedlines, etc,) and let it fall to the bottom. Wait a little bit (10-15 sec.) then pull it towards you slowly! Let it fall and repeat a few times. Sometimes they like it real slow but othertimes they'll hit it on the drop! Imagine the Bass watching your lure and then shake it a little. It's kind of like playing with a puppy and her favorite toy! It'll drive them nutz and next thing you know "Wham". Set the hook immediately as, unlike a worm, they'll drop it as quick as they chomp it!

Hope this helps!

Ole

[river rat316]

I think how quick they drop it, depends on your trailer, Some trailers I use it seems like they will keep it in there mouth forever, and some they dont, Generally with smallies in the river I have more than enough time to drop my rod tip, tighten up, and whack the heck out of em before there gonna drop anything, unless there pocket bass, they wont hang onto anyhting!

[Wayne Ek]

Carlcmc: I've been using a 1/2 oz. green pumpkin, with a 3x green pumpkin trailer. This time of the year and water in the low 50's the first thing I'm looking for is a double weed line. Coontail out to 10 or 12 feet and a line of cabbage at the 6 to 8 foot mark. The coontail will be dying back and brown, the cabbage tops will be dying off, but the main stem and leafs are still very green. The cabbage is there on most lakes all year long, it's just that the coontail gets so much thicker in the summer it covers the cabbage. I usually pitch the jig into that 3 foot area and hears the trick... point your rod at the water, don't move the rod, just turn the reel handle very slow... very,very,very slow. I think this looks like a migrating frog, moving very slowly along the bottom, looking for a place to settle in and start it's mucus ball for winter hibernation... just my guess. If that doesn't trigger them, then I will start to swim the jig back to the boat, increasing speed to trigger something... then I finally go to the standard pitching and flipping we all use during the warm water months.

[carlcmc]

awesome feedback guys. i make it a resolution to try this technique. hope to catch something. thanks so much for the tips.

[oldguide]

Glad to see that some others are out enjoying the GREAT fall fishing. It's hard to believe that fishing can be so good and no one else is on the lake! Keep it up everyone and if you see an old guy in a Bass Tracker Fisherman stop and say Hello. Good Fishing!

[Ole the Guide]

I'm heading out Thursday to see what I can find. This weather might have shut them down but I need to get out anyway! Last week the water was 50 degrees on the surface. I'll let you know what happened!

Ole

[SluggoMaster]

Hi Ole,

Make sure you work the weed edges good. Inside and Outside. I have still had good luck with a jig, but you need to use the pumpkins/brown colors, since the water is clearing up.

Good luck!

Scott

[ssaamm]

Fished a lake in the Brainerd area on tues. Water temps about 48 degrees. The bass and northerns were still hitting rattle traps. They were not exactly jumping in the boat, but even sporadic action in Nov is a bonus.

[Ole the Guide]

Hey Sluggomaster,

Thanks for the advice. I have one on my pole. I was half way to the lake when I got called back to work!! <geesh> So I had to turn it around and head back. My boat is sitting out there with a sad look on it's face and I think she's mad at me! Hopefully I can get out here soon before the inevitable! On the plus side, it turned out to be a good day at work!

Maybe if it warms back up next week we can get out. If it does shoot me an email. [email protected]

Regards,

Ole