Fall fishing and the role water temps play….

This september full moon bite on mille lacs left me with a few thoughts about water temps and how they affect the on-set of the “good bite” on mille lacs and I was interested in throwing them out here for comments from others.

This september there was a noticeable lack of fish using the shallow inshore areas. This observation was further reinforced by the conversations Dustin and I had with the DNR shocking crews who also had a heck of a time finding the numbers of fish shallow that they would normally find.

To our knowledge the DNR was not sampling off-shore reefs.

We had horrible fishing on the off-shore reefs but these same areas are reknown for excellent late summer day time and night fishing. Undoubtedly some fish were there for the taking.

My questions focus on the ‘typical’ fall water temps and how they influence that fall bite.

We didn’t see a good bite until the water temps dropped well below 60′. This had not been the case in past falls when we often got into numbers and size in the low to mid 60’s.

So I’m wondering what the key ‘trigger’ would be for this bite. I’m lead to believe there’s no ‘magic’ water temp that causes big walleyes to automatically flood the shorelines and go on a feed. Instead I think it’s a downward drop in water temps and the reason the bite was a bit slow to go this season was largely due to cooler summer temps that never pushed the water temps to what would be considered ‘normal’ late summer high temps.

My thinking goes like this… you’re more likely to see a strong fall night bite at 60 degrees when the temps have fallen from 75 degrees over the course of 2 – 3 weeks than you will at 57 degress when the temps started their decline at 65.

Remember that record cool August?

I know in seasons to come I will pay much closer attention to this ‘degree change’ in the weeks prior to the Sept. full moon. Of course other factors like forage availability and adult walleye population numbers play a huge role in this as well but this is the one environmetal factor we can actually react to in the form of adjusted game plan.

Had I to do it over again I would have spent more time on deeper gravel and off the edges of the mud chasing the huge number of fish the DNR told us were there in these locations.

I’d like to hear from others about what they’ve seen in seasons past on how this fall was same or different for them in regards to catch rates, etc.

Every day, or night, on the water is an adventure!

Just got back from the pond.2 of us fished the NW side from dark to 3 and caught 5 fish.4 fish were 20-21.5 and one 24.

Here are a few things I have noticed this year and I am up there almost every weekend and somtimes during the week.

1)The water temp never reached what it normally does and the mudflats never did take off although the times I did go out there and try it the fish were staked up but so were the baitfish.

2)Almost all the fish I caught this year and this fall were 22 and smaller,very few bigger fish although I know there are a lot of bigger fish in the lake.

3)Although the water has been cooling it has been kind of a roller coaster with warm ups following a cold front.

4)Havnt seen the frogs crossing the road back to the lake from the swamps known as the frog run

I still think the best bite is yet to come but I think we need to see a steady downward trend in the weather then hang on cause the piggys will be coming to town.

By the way this is only my opinion,I dont have gills and fins and can only stay underwater for a minute at a time.

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By the way this is only my opinion,I dont have gills and fins and can only stay underwater for a minute at a time.

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Awesome quote Castaway!

From opener through about mid-July I spent 40 days on the water and this is my observation.

My main day time technique was open water trolling for suspended fish. From opener through about mid-June we saw a typical walleye migration from shore related structures to their expansive open water haunts towards the mud flats and/or basin. Around mid-June we started to see more and more bait than we have seen in years past in very tight schools. Hence, this is where the predators seem to hang out. Combining with cool June water temps and what seemed to be an overbundance of forage showing up on the graphs. Fishing up to this point was marginal with numbers around 10 a day and mainly smaller 21-25″ fish. towards the end of June we saw our highlight period come and go as quick as 2 weeks. During this period, a close friend (tourney angler) and I boated 19 fish over the 28″ mark on separate days outings. Our numbers were reaching in the low teens but the size was there all of the sudden. The bigger females were on the chew. And just like that, the bite for the big fish and the numbers began to decline in mid July to a screaching hault. By middle of July, I witnessed the slowest July of trolling than I had in many years. Yes the fish were healthy and full of spunk and attitude during a typical battle. Obviously these fish were making up for lost ground from a couple years ago? Was all of our needed characteristics that we seem to rely on this time of year lacking so much for us to assume the bite to be a struggle…(cooler water temps, overabundance of food, slower migration from inshore areas, etc…) Again these are just observations of mine.

James,

What was your observation of the amount of forage you were seeing throughout your Sept full moon drive?

I can honestly say I did not notice an overwhelming supply of food available. The fish are humongous so they’re finding more than enough to go around but those massive schools of YOY perch that we had every place last fall seem to be absent or severely diminished.

Or….Maybe the huge amounts of YOY perch just weren’t shallow yet?? When asked if there were reports of a good perch bite, several Mille Lacs regulars said they caught some nice jumbos while open water trolling in late summer. The DNR told you that there were tons of walleyes off the gravel and mud. Maybe all the YOY perch were still out there too.
I noticed quite a bit more weed growth this year (or at least it seemed more wide spread) than in previous years. Later in the year as the weeds die off, the remaining weed growth concentrates the YOY perch, and the walleyes follow. I know last year in October, everytime I found any standing weeds, I found fish. Big Time.
I guess my point is that since the water temps weren’t (normal) this summer, and we’re still seeing a roller coaster ride in air temps, that the bite can only get better as temps fall into a more consistant fall pattern, and we see a greater die off of the weeds.
Who knows…All I know is I can’t wait until the Oct. full moon!

The huge schools of perch are shallow. Most have been all year. They are hanging out in the weeds. The problem with this year is the weeds are thick and very high. It makes trolling the sweet spots a lot tougher. Believe me, there is a TON of baitfish.

When the water cools the weeds start to die, and your bigger baitfish start to use the shallows. This is when you see the “big” bite. Thus far the fish still think it is summer. Remember we just had record warm September. Temperatures more typical of August on average. We just need a stretch of really cold weather and it sounds as though it is on its way. The cold snap coming will not trigger the bite instantly, but it will bring the tempatures down enough to get the process started.