[Basschaser]

Guys, I cannot figure out fall fishing. I've heard it's the best. I mainly fish inland lakes and when the temp gets below 55 I can't seem to catch very many fish. I know about the turnover but don't know if I'm fishing it correctly. I try to target shallow then mid-depth then deep but don't seem to have any luck. My boat is usually put away by mid October. I read and hear about guys fishing until mid November. I guess maybe I don't understand when they move shallow to deep during the turnover or how long it lasts or affects them. Can you guys help me out??

 

[h2o]

A strange thing happens on our lakes and big ponds,not Lake St. clair

, this time of year, fall turnover. As air cools in early fall, the top layers of water cool. Since warm water is LIGHTER than cool water, this cool water sinks. Suddenly, the layers of water MIX and the lake becomes a more consistent temperture in the areas the fish live in. OXYGEN is mixed through-out these layers and fish roam freely. This mixing is the fall turnover.

You can tell when this happens in a couple of ways. The normally clear water becomes murky without rain causing it. You may notice a stale, rotten odor as the unoxygenated deeper water comes to the top. And the fish you had counted on to be schooled up deep are no longer in the same places.

The fish also go on a feeding spree. You will find them in shallow water where they haven't been for months. Females start to develop their eggs so they will be ready to spawn when the temperatures warm again.

Fishing can be tough after the turnover. The fish are scattered and hard to PATTERN. They can be anywhere and will feed at any time. The way to COMBAT this situations is fish fast and hit a lot of different types of structures. Don't expect to catch a bunch of fish in one place since they are less likely to be SCHOOLED up.

Use lures that cover lots of water. Top water, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are better than worm dragged across bottom for bass. Look for fish around the mouths of creeks and on top of open water structure.

Fish should be bigger, lakes are less crowded. Just pick the right day as howling wind in the fall can damper things.

h2o<---says hope this helps.

 

[Basschaser]

Thanks H2O, quite a reply

 

[No More Mini]

I dont think the "Big Pond" turns over in the fall. Actually if flushes itself in a matter of days all year long. Perhaps some of the back canals and marshes dow here the current is nil.

Mini

 

[h2o]

The big pond is refering to a big pond, not Lake St. Clair, your right mini. A body of water has to have a thermocline for a turn over so that means it has to be deep.

h2o<--says good call.

 

[muskiebobsr]

Mini beat me to it H2o

 

[muskiebobsr]

Ypu'r right about the fish moving all over. They really cruise the shallows as much if not more than in the spring. Last time I was out in late October I was into 4 Muskie over 50 inches in less than six feet of water. What a closing day for me.

 

[madman24]

basschaser,

best advice i can give is this.....

fish your favorite lake similar to the way you would fish it in the early spring.

for me, early spring fishing consists of 3 baits ( at first ).
a suspending jerk bait, a jig and plastic, and a carolina rig.

find yourself a good point with decent depth at the end of it. if you can find one that a river channel cruises by or with a good flat on one end of it, you will be just fine. also, if you can find a point that has a bay near by, you are all set.

start out in deeper water and drag a jig with a trailer across the point. if you have no luck, try a carolina rig with at least a two foot leader. if you still arent catching fish, start throwing a suspending jerkbait over the point and work it slow, let it sit for as long as you can stand until you have to give it another jerk.

if you are finding the fish are not holding on the deeper points, move into the shallow bay area and start throwing a shallow crankbait or a jerkbait or spinner bait.

the hardest thing in fall is determining where the fish are holding on a particular day. once you find the fish it becomes much easier to catch them if you allow the fish to tell you what they want.

as a guide line tho, i usually start fishing main lake points leading into a nice calm bay that is out of the wind and current. im no bass pro, but in the past two years i feel i have come a long way in terms of bass fishing in the fall. i have learned to listen to my gut instinct and forget what i think i know about bass fishing.

hope this helps. remember in the fall, the fish are primed to feed, if you can find the bait, you will find the fish. if the water is warm enough to hold bait, you will find the bass, i dont care if its 2 feet of water and the air temp is 40 f.

but i usually start deeper unless the weather tells me otherwise.

but for real. i catch 80% of my fall fish on suspending jerkbaits.

madman himself

 

[ChartrueseDude]

And yet , Another nastalgic thread, this is the information hwy....right?