When it’s summer in my home state of Minnesota, the water teems with boats and fishermen. But when the temperatures drop and the docks come out, our lakes and rivers become nearly private playgrounds for dedicated anglers who know a little secret. What’s the secret? That late autumn is the best time to catch a lot of big fish!
The reason is simple: gamefish, during the cold months before ice up, FEED. And they feed big! They chase large baitfish, like ciscos, to the bait’s autumn spawning grounds and gorge themselves on protein prior to winter and approaching periods of inactivity.
This is really no different than the feeding patterns you witness above water. Deer, squirrels, birds and even human beings have a predisposition to higher food intake before winter. I believe there’s an old saying that goes something like “atten up for winter.” That’s what’s happening. For fish, because preyfish are concentrated in predictable ambush locations (like steep breaks adjacent to deep-water basins and shallow reefs), the autumn represents a prime feeding opportunity.
The same spike in gamefish feeding occurs on lakes and rivers. Where I live, the mighty Mississippi and other waterways like the Crow Wing River become dynamite. They’re great fisheries all year long, but in November and December they really take off. However, you’re hard-pressed to find many fishermen out on the rivers. Which is just fine as far as I’m concerned (he says selfishly). When you do see a boat, it’s typically a muskie man who knows that this time of year gives him his best opportunity for a 50″+ fish.
I like muskie hunting. But more than that, I love smallmouth bass fishing. So when I hit the late-season rivers I target those beautiful, hard-pulling bronze footballs. My approach to finding and catching them is pretty straightforward. I begin by locating classic river structures that include cut banks, rocky points and flats, mid-river reefs, weeds and timber; and deep holes as close to these locations as possible. River bass relate to structure just as lake fish do, and even more so because current is a constant element in their habitat. So, whenever you find a transition point between two different structures, it represents a current break of some kind. And current breaks always create ambush points for predatory fish.
After locating an appealing spot, begin working the area with a “search bait.” By search bait I mean a lure that can cover a lot of water fast and hopefully alert you to the presence of some smallies. Crankbaits, buzz baits, in-line spinners and jerk baits are proven performers.
When you get a strike, you KNOW there’s at least one fish on the spot. And if there’s one, there’s likely many since smallmouth bass are a schooling species – especially in the fall. Now, if that first bite results in a hookup, watch very carefully as the fighting fish gets near the boat. Look
for other bass shadowing the one that’s hooked. Smallmouth are both curious and opportunistic, and they’ll often follow a hooked fish as he fights and thrashes. Maybe they want what’s hanging from his mouth, who knows? But seeing a bunch of his buddies in tow will tell you that this spot is worth picking apart.
After determining that several smallmouth are on a spot, slow down your approach and methodically fish the structure. Now’s a good time to switch to a surface popper or prop bait if the first bite came on a buzzer. Or if the bite was on a crank that was clicking and clacking on the bottom, try a jig and plastic that emulates a crayfish. Work the area by “fan-casting” it – which means sending each consecutive cast just a few feet from where you made the last one. This ensures that you cover every stitch of water.
If you find that the shallow-water structures aren’t producing, it’s a good bet that the fish aren’t up on top and you need to locate them in the holes. Sometimes the holes in a river system are quite small and don’t allow you to keep swimming baits in the strike zone for very long. Jigs are a good tactic here, fished slowly and if possible – vertically. If the smallmouth are in the holes but fairly inactive, live bait is certainly the ticket. A circle hook with a big minnow and a splitshot sinker a couple feet from the bait
works great. Why a circle hook? Because when an autumn smallmouth eats a minnow, he EATS it! A circle hook helps ensure that your fish will be hooked in the corner of the mouth and not in the guts.
Because we want to put those big smallmouth back healthy, so they can be even bigger when you catch them next fall!
Good Fishing!
Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to fish and hunt for nearly 30 years. Watch his award-winning ?Good Fishing” and “Outdoor Secrets” television shows on Versus (VS.), Fox Sports Net, Wild TV and many local networks.By: Babe Winkelman / Babe Winkelman Productions
