Fished in Sullivan for a couple of hours last night. I didn’t get any bites, and the water temp was 48.5 in a pocket on the main lake. I went back to Platte for the last hour and ended up losing the only bite I got, as it was getting dark in the same area where I got the pike yesterday. I ran the shoreline with the spotlight and saw a few small bass, pike, and bowfin. temp was 42-44 in Platte.
I got out for a couple of hours tonight. Fished for 20-minutes out front of our place, then headed to where I ended last night. Caught bass on back-to-back casts in the first 5-minutes on a chatterbait along the inside weedline in 2′ of water. The biggest of the night was 3.08lbs on the chatter, and also got a 3lber on a jig. I caught six bass and one pike and lost 3 or 4 bites. The Water temp was 45 degrees. Lost a good one that hit the Bubble Walker because of a poor hookset. Had one other fish boil on the Bubble Walker a couple of times, but I think that was a pike
Not my biggest of the day but probably the fattest. Surprised it could swim.
Cool color as well. Caught 20 in 3ish hours. Biggest right at 21in.
And yup not many out on the water.
869B9034-034F-4C37-9873-46B2AC21FAE7-scaled.jpeg
Good gosh that toad needs to cut back on carbs!!
That’s a tall one Rip! I fished 3 mile today, not the numbers I was hoping for, but some quality fish, only 2 over 20”, lots of Muskie guys out, I’m done for year, water was 47-48
lots of Muskie guys out
I saw 5 boats sitting there with big bobbers and suckers yesterday morning. They probably ran out of beer before they caught anything. 
Someone must’ve missed one on three mile, he was swearing up a storm in his boat by himself
Water temps 47 degrees yesterday, south metro. Hadn’t been home for a while, but was not expecting to see lower water levels than last fall. Only one I got all day, but it was a 4. Talked to a guy that got a 4.9 on a buzzbait
A08A3CFF-748F-4425-B148-00CCD8FCC011.jpeg
That’s a chunk Rip, almost has no tail.
Down on pool 10 it’s a crankbait bite i could’nt get jack on plastics.
Managed a few bass and pike mainly on chatterbaits. 50 degree water and 70 degrees. Windy. Most fish 5fow
43 degrees on the river by Aitkin. My bass have disappeared for the winter. Hope to still get in on a few by my house in Ham Lake. Or it might be pool 2 time for walleyes.
I spent Tuesday out on Mille Lacs trying for smallies and was unsuccessful myself. The boater I went with got a 3 and 4. He has Hummingbirdsbut no live. He is the type that enjoys hunting with his electronics almost as much as fishing. We didn’t find many fish until the afternoon, and then we didn’t have much success triggering them. I had a couple of bites on a blade bait, something I’ve never caught a fish on in my life because I never throw them and only have a couple. The trip was a pretty good seminar on fishing a blade bait as the boater has caught hundreds of fish on them.
On Wed evening, I went out on Platte for a couple of hours until dark. Temp was 47ish. Had a bunch of bites not hook up on a chatterjig and a skirted bass jig. I caught 7 Bass and 5 Pike. Two of the bass were over 4lbs, and one was just under 4. They were in cabbage in 2 to 4 feet of water along a northern shoreline of a huge weed flat. I call the area F- Flat because it is dynamite in the late Fall.
Like I said, now is the time to get giants! I finally got out again after being out of town and busy with family stuff and got to the lake I’ve been trying to hit for a month. I was surprised to find the water temps at 51 still. Even so, I only had 3 bites all afternoon but this 5 lb 2 oz mega on my last cast of the night made it all worth it!
SunsetHookset.jpg
TwinCitiesBig.jpg
GervaisBig1.jpg
SunsetCast.jpg
Like I said, now is the time to get giants! I finally got out again after being out of town and busy with family stuff and got to the lake I’ve been trying to hit for a month. I was surprised to find the water temps at 51 still. Even so, I only had 3 bites all afternoon but this 5 lb 2 oz mega on my last cast of the night made it all worth it!
You should rename your photos so it doesn’t give your lakes away
BP, curious the temps you saw on ML?
For what it’s worth, it seems like the norm to NOT see smallies on FFS this time of year, as they seem to stay very tight to the bottom vs. summer when they tend to hold higher in the water column and relate to tall boulders or the highest spots on deeper structure. We ignored those types of spots last weekend in N Minnesota (44/45 degree water temp), never saw a fish on LS, and put a smack down on them fishing the transition (edges) of the rocks and mud/sand. Mega 360 was way more valuable to us than FFS in finding these zones.
We know crayfish begin to overwinter around 50 degree water temps by moving off of deep rocks, burrowing themselves into the adjacent mud. So our theory is that the smallies are keying on the hard/soft edges and the crayfish migrating towards, or holding near, their overwintering grounds.
Its fascinating and sometimes pays big dividends to read the research done by scientists who actually specialize in and study the life cycle and habits of crayfish.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
Like I said, now is the time to get giants! I finally got out again after being out of town and busy with family stuff and got to the lake I’ve been trying to hit for a month. I was surprised to find the water temps at 51 still. Even so, I only had 3 bites all afternoon but this 5 lb 2 oz mega on my last cast of the night made it all worth it!You should rename your photos so it doesn’t give your lakes away
Well tried to fix it but it won’t let me delete the original. Maybe the as payment for knowing the lake the mods can delete the original pic with the lake name in it…..I usually put them on from my phone and they don’t have the file name….
but this 5 lb 2 oz mega on my last cast of the night made it all worth it
Whaddya catch it on? Ned, drop shot, or neko? 
“For what it’s worth, it seems like the norm to NOT see smallies on FFS this time of year, as they seem to stay very tight to the bottom vs. summer when they tend to hold higher in the water column and relate to tall boulders or the highest spots on deeper structure. We ignored those types of spots last weekend in N Minnesota (44/45 degree water temp), never saw a fish on LS, and put a smack down on them fishing the transition (edges) of the rocks and mud/sand. Mega 360 was way more valuable to us than FFS in finding these zones.
We know crayfish begin to overwinter around 50 degree water temps by moving off of deep rocks, burrowing themselves into the adjacent mud. So our theory is that the smallies are keying on the hard/soft edges and the crayfish migrating towards, or holding near, their overwintering grounds.
Its fascinating and sometimes pays big dividends to read the research done by scientists who actually specialize in and study the life cycle and habits of crayfish.”
——————————-
Agreed, I’m seeing less fish suspended on Livescope right now… a lot are tight to the bottom. 360 helps to see the rocks/structure they may be glued to. How are you coaxing the fixated fish to bite, lures, depths, etc?
Credit to my son…the #1 bait was a brown jig/craw, fished on those deep 17-24’ transition lines, tight to bottom. The initial fall took a while but the response was worth the wait. We caught a few on small swimbaits and tailspins, but the jig was out fishing them 8 to 1.
BP, curious the temps you saw on ML?
For what it’s worth, it seems like the norm to NOT see smallies on FFS this time of year, as they seem to stay very tight to the bottom vs. summer when they tend to hold higher in the water column and relate to tall boulders or the highest spots on deeper structure. We ignored those types of spots last weekend in N Minnesota (44/45 degree water temp), never saw a fish on LS, and put a smack down on them fishing the transition (edges) of the rocks and mud/sand. Mega 360 was way more valuable to us than FFS in finding these zones.
We know crayfish begin to overwinter around 50 degree water temps by moving off of deep rocks, burrowing themselves into the adjacent mud. So our theory is that the smallies are keying on the hard/soft edges and the crayfish migrating towards, or holding near, their overwintering grounds.
Its fascinating and sometimes pays big dividends to read the research done by scientists who actually specialize in and study the life cycle and habits of crayfish.
Temp was 46 I think. The boater doesn’t have FFS, but does have 360. On our final spot, there were several fish visible on most sweeps over the tops of the rocks..
When the eyes and crappies don’t want to cooperate, you go with flow. Several from 17-19” on jig and minnow. Fishing rock humps in 10-15’. 46-47deg water in the McGregor area.
253DBBB2-FCAA-4566-8CA0-FCED106A65F6-scaled.jpeg
45FD7E5D-4211-49FB-A852-BD97ACA40A21-scaled.jpeg
Talking about smallies holding tight to the bottom. These were feeding on crayfish which would explain keeping the bait on the bottom.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
but this 5 lb 2 oz mega on my last cast of the night made it all worth itWhaddya catch it on? Ned, drop shot, or neko?
Texas rigged Rage Craw. My old stand by. She was a dock monster.
Decided to brave the low water and fish the local river. Couple dozen fish, jerkbaits, sonars, Neds. 48 degree water.
1728E9C2-C45E-416F-BA77-BB99626D4577.jpeg
Scratched out a few bass and pike on chatterbaits in 49-51 degree water. Great weather. No whoppers, but felt good to be out.
Pretty good bag of brown bass today.
4FCA30AE-80CF-44C2-918F-008FB4C78D25-scaled.jpeg
20EB71E2-16BC-4A57-80CD-2E89704EF3EC-scaled.jpeg
Big bag!!
Wow. Nice fish. I’m still getting a few on chatterbaits and Tx rigs, but you are putting a hurt on em. Chasing crappies tomorrow from a reliable tip. Jigging raps and plastics.
Fish crappies for 10 minutes. Saw bass, we assumed, busting bait on the surface. Over the next few hours caught all kinds of bass on chatterbaits. No whoppers. T-shirt and shorts in November. Hard to believe.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
