By
Water Temp: 71-74 F Details of this report will include general
concepts that will work through mid October. I will be on vacation for two
weeks so there will be no new fish reports until I return.
Water temperature continues to fall as nights are cool and days short. In
springtime temperatures in the 60's and low 70's are the periods of greatest
fish activity. That works just the same in Fall.
Expect bass, stripers, walleye and sunfish to feed heavily before it cools
enough to cause inactivity in forage fish and predators alike.
Bass are feeding on shad, sunfish and crayfish in shallows.
Smallmouth bass will be on rocks because that is their preferred habitat. That
means crayfish are more important in their diet. If prey fish swim by they will
attack, but their primary search image is bottom oriented. Fishing with bottom
bouncing grubs/tubes in open water is more likely to be rewarded with
smallmouth than any other species. Crayfish imitating lures fished slowly on
the bottom around rocks is the best technique for catching smallmouth bass. As
I write this, smallmouth bass are more often found on the "outside
edges" meaning they are more likely to be on the main channel side of a
rock, instead of the side nearest shore. That can change on a daily basis, but
for starters look on the deep water side of a rock ridge and then adjust as
needed.
Classic feeding
stripers pictured on graph.
Striped bass are hungry
and constantly looking for fish forage in open water. They are most talented at
feeding and trapping prey in open water. They have little finesse while working
a weedy bottom near shore. A good general strategy is to fish the outside reefs
for bass while keeping an eye on the graph for fish in deep water. A spoon can
be rigged and waiting. Employ the spoon at the first sign of multiple fish at
30 feet or deeper. These fish could be a school of larger bass or a striper
school. Either one will be fun.
Active stripers will respond immediately to a shad (spoon) dropped into a school.
Stripers are so competitive that they rush to see which fish can get the shad
first. The entire school responds to a single feeding opportunity. Draw the
school off the bottom by hooking one fish, and keep them going with a shower of
anchovy chum at 10 minute intervals. Striper schools will suspend under the
boat, often following it, and actively feed, sometimes for hours, as long as
bait is presented.
Some striper starting spots include: Warm Creek near the floating restroom,
Rock Creek in all three arms,
Don't be surprised to catch a big catfish, walleye, sunfish or crappie. All
fish are active at this temperature range.