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Adjusting to Transition

(By: Jerry Carlson)

photo of jerry carlson

It is getting to be that time again. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. Whether we like it or not, summer is slipping by and there is really nothing that we can do about it except adjust.

One of the adjustments that is often made by anglers this time of the year has to do with the upcoming fall season. Gradually, the fishing boats get put away, the rods and reels get stored, and the shotgun and archery equipment come out of the moth balls. The adjustment that is made is away from fishing and towards hunting.

I have to admit that I used to be one of those early birds making sure that the decoys were painted and ready for duck season. However, in recent years that has drastically changed. In recent years I have adjusted. In recent years I have postponed my urge to get ready for hunting and have spent more time fishing.

It is true that early fall is a different time of the year for fishing than summer. Early fall is a period of transition in nature. It is a period where fish are adjusting and adapting to a changing environment. In many water systems this change revolves around weeds.

I am a firm believer in the importance in using weeds as a means of locating and catching fish. Many of the weeds in our Midwestern lakes have completed their life cycle and are dying off. Still others are reacting to the cooling temperatures that are taking place in our lakes and ending their growing season. To put it plain and simple, the weed environment is adjusting to the change in seasons.

Fish are adjusting as well. They are no longer found in their summer haunts. Their summer haunts are now a different environment than they were. The food and shade and security of summer hangouts is no longer there. Times have changed and so have the locations of fish.

This location change of fish does not happen instantly. It is a gradual thing. Lakes don't change instantly so fish don't either. What anglers will find is that slowly but surely the fish are moving to new environments. Anglers must do the same.

The trouble is that each lake sort of does its own thing in terms of relocating its fish. How this all comes about depends a great deal on the environment of the lake itself.

I have found that on many lakes predator fish, such as bass and northerns, will move to the shallow areas and take up residence in the still green weeds. With much of the regular weed cover gone, both predators and prey retreat to the weeds that are left as their last sanctuary. This pattern seems to happen best in lakes that are not crystal clear. Poor clarity will keep the fish more secure and relaxed in the shallow water.

There are several weed types that fish really prefer in this early fall pattern. Coontail and cabbage are at the top of my list. These weeds are some of the most hardy species found in our lakes and will be green and growing at times when other weeds are dead and gone. Sometimes northern milfoil will also hold late season fish.

If you find a situation like this the fishing is easy. Pull out the old spinnerbaits and Fat Raps and start pitching. If you can see the clumps of weeds, cast around them getting as close as you can. Depending on the situation, the more weedless spinnerbait may be your best option. A willow leaf tandem is usually better than a single spin.

This is not a time for weak equipment. Fish will use these clumps of weeds to their advantage whenever possible. I usually spool 12 pound-test Stren Easy Cast on my Mitchell baitcaster for this style of fishing. When a fish is hooked, you need some extra muscle to get it out of the weeds.

Not all lakes have this shallow bite occurring. On a couple of lakes that I fish in the early fall I find just the opposite taking place. I find the fish migrating to the deep weedline and below. These lakes have a very healthy growth of coontail at the deep weedline that I am sure is the reason fish are attracted to this area.

Although the depth has changed, the weed migration has not. If the strongest growth of weeds is in the deep water instead of the shallow water, fish will go there instead. I generally find that fishing this deep weed bite before Labor Day is a waste of time. Livebait rigs, Culprit worms, and deep down Fat Raps are my favorite ways to work these deeper fish.

Making adjustment is what fishing is all about. With the changing of seasons, special adjustments must be made to include the different habitat that is developing in the lakes. By fishing in and around the best available weeds you should find enough action to keep your adjustments to hunting season on hold until the very last minute.