Thought it might be a good time to start talking about the period of time we will find ourselves in soon – fall fishing. To me, fall fishing really starts in August and runs until ice-up.
The best opportunities around Rochester are for panfish in several of the lakes and impoundment’s, as well as smallmouth bass on the rivers. The Mississippi backwaters can also start putting out some nice fish. That certainly does not mean that other fish cannot be readily caught at this time!
Here are a couple patterns I have found that seem to work well in this time period: Panfish will readily take small jigs – either plastic or hair, tipped with either a waxie or piece of worm. When they are really on the bite, the jigs do not need to be tipped with anything. I like to fish the jigs about 2-6 feet below a bobber. I cast the offering toward submerged wood, and then work it slowly with a twitching action. If the bobber moves for any reason, set the hook. You can find these fish switch their preference on a daily basis as it gets closer to ice time. They may move deeper, or start to prefer minnows. Experiment and be versatile until you find the pattern that is working.
The smallmouth bass on the smaller rivers can be a lot of fun in the fall. Smaller cranks and spinners like Rooster Tails or Mepps work well when cast to current or current breaks. Try to imagine where the bass would hold while waiting to ambush food.
Another great fish catching opportunity this time of the year is the white bass on Lake Pepin. When they are biting, throw anything flashy toward them and you likely will be in for a great fight. I like to follow the seagulls around waiting for them to tip off where the bass are feeding. The seagulls will dive to the water when the bass are driving minnows to the surface.
Don’t forget about the walleye action, which gets very good around the dams late in the fall and into the winter months! 
Anyone else have any tips for catching those fish in the fall? 
Good Fishing,
Mike
I nominate you for the weekly IDA Rochester Forum contest. 
Mike is right and if this year is anything like last year, should be especially good panfishing. 
Lets not forget that as this season progresses into mid to late fall, then a minnow on a plain old hook below the bobber is the ticket for crappies, especially up around Lake City. Seems as though after the Olmsted County Fair, things start picking up for pannies in the backwaters and it only gets better each day. 