Walters and Smallies

Sorry no pics, they need to make a small digital built for fishing. Anyway, I hit a small river close by while the Hawks were beating the Clones and my Tivo was capturing it all for me. I didn’t see another person on the road or on the river it was like a movie where the townspeople are all abducted by aliens. I followed the patterns you all have been talking about, fishing the seams in the runs and pools adjacent to faster water. There was quite a bit of minnow herding occurring with consistent blowups and minnows flying out of the water. The predators were dialed into this activity. I threw jigs with twisters and ringworms and crawlers at them. Typically I started with a ringworm and picked up fish, the switched to a twister and picked up a few more then switched to the crawler and caught a couple more. I continued this pattern in every new spot and caught fish in every hole deeper than my waist. I was out from 2:00pm – 5:00pm and caught 20 walleye, mostly from 12-14 inches all returned except 2 16 inchers I kept for the pan, also in the mix were 10 bluto smallies from 14-18 inches all stuffed and fat like footballs, 2 crappies and a mongo 10+lb carp which hit a jig and crawler like a smallie and fought like a pitbull. The water was freezing, much colder than I anticipated, since it was 80+ degrees and sunny I went wet wading and left the waders at home. I got used to the temp after a bit but it was quite a shock at first. This is my favorite time of year, cool crisp nights, football, walleye and smallie fishing. Can’t beat it.

Yup, Water was a lot clearer than I thought it would be today. Fish are starting the fall feed. This week’s cold snap should get them going even more.

Way to go Rugby!!!!

Sweet post! Any chance you can give out a location, like the nearest town, or at least what river you were on???

great news rugby. sounds like a blast. any more clues? what were your best producing colors? Thanks,

I was fishing the Maquoketa in Delaware County. Best colors for twisters were really basic, white, black, chartruese, surprisingly white was the best. For ringies the chartruese pepper and pro blue took the cake but they really weren’t as picky as normal. Could be all the baitfish herding? Jigheads were red and orange and blue and white but thats just what I had tied on rather than really being scientific about it. I think it was one of those days when the stars were aligned because I didn’t have to grind for a bite at all. I actually switched more to see if they would bite another color vs. trying to find one that works. Normally I’m doing the latter scratching around for a bite. Definitely more of a right time right place thing than skill. But I’ll take what I can get.