With the temps plummeting to the low 40’s and highs in the 50’s it really feels like fall out there.. Fall is truly my favorite time of year. Colors are changing, water temps are dropping, days are getting shorter and the walleyes are making their move for a long winter.
With the river stage down to normal stage,It looks as if we are in a severe drought… But it’s just that I haven’t seen 7.5 on this pool for a long long time..
Some of the baits I used to day were the 3/16oz precision jigs from BfishN Tackle and the Purple Chartreuse Tail Paddle Tail. I have always loved this combo for pitchn current seams and rip rap shorelines. Another great bait of mine is the original rattln fat rap..I still have a few of these left. With several hook changes over the years, they still put several fish in the boat for me !!
There is still a lot of the razor grass floating down the river and this makes for some fishing that takes patience. Picking your casts to make your time in the water grass free for as long as you can. There are a few places on the river that you can scope out that is mostly grass free..Depending on the wind mostly, you can get some uninterrupted time in the water.. but thats not always where the fish are.
Today, targeting current seams with rock seemed to be the ticket for most of my fish today.. Depths of around 5-7 feet is where I found the smallies, stripers , sheepies and eyes.. You just didn’t know what you were going to come up with. I think in total today I had a couple dozen eyes(only half of legal size)several sheeps about 10 or so real nice sized stripers…some up to 17″ !! and a hand full of smallies.. I think my biggest topped out at about 15″ or so… But I think all were filled with shad about 6″ long !!! The reason I say that is because I took a couple fish home for supper.. and they had identical shad in their bellies..
Sorry about some of the camera shots.. Trying out a new camera and trying to dial in the settings..
I have to say something about the HDS10 and the structure scan I have in my boat… One spot I found today I really don’t think I would have found with out it.. I like to putz up the shore lines with the SS on and see what I can see… I found several rock piles that I knew were there but what I didn’t know was there was a nice rock shelf just outside of them, with deep water off this shelf… Fish Magnet !!!! I saw fish on the shelf and I caught fish on that same shelf !! Great tool !!!
One other tool that I just recently picked up was the I Pilot.. J-Man in Harpers Ferry was telling me that this add to my terrova would help me out a lot as I fish in an anchored position a lot.. It sure is nice not to have to lift in an anchor anymore !!
And look how fat this smallie is… OMG !!! They sure did like those catelpa char tail PT’s as well !!
Looks like a nice mess o’ fish. Pool 11 has been heating up as well. I was up there last weekend with my grampa and brother and we banged the stripers, northern, and small saugs and walleyes. The stripers were a ball and a few one eyes and jigs were lost on northerns, but o well. Bring on the fall!
Fall is a great time of the year, it leads right into winter
It’s nice seeing the river come back to a normal stage
Nice fish Dave and it looks like your new toys are paying off 
Nice fish & report
Way to go Dave, I’m going “wingie” fishing on Thursday, Pools 6&7 ……Hairjig
Way to go, Dave!
You have to love those mixed bags!! Great job Dave!!
Nice fish and report Dave!
Sounds like you had a great weekend playing & learning how to use your new toys. What fun!
Looks like it’s beginning! Great to see you out there catching some nice fish Dave. Congrats on some great fighting fish as well as some for the pan.
Joel
Either that camera makes you look taller or you are wearing Pee Wee Herman shoes… Nice fish.
I know.. I’m trying to get used to taking pictures with this new camera with the timer… and also where to put it.. I will have a camera pod next time…
The pink background color in the one pic was really mind boggling
Thanks kev