Over the past week I have been out about every other day and have seen some definite changes in the bite.
In the middle of last week we were still in the suicidal mode. Many fish on many different presentations. Over the weekend fish got tougher to come by but were still willing given the right bait. Yesterday was kind of a happy medium with good numbers but far from what we saw last week.
Early last week I spent the day with Dale Pike and his crew. We spent the whole day fishing double rap rigs in 15 to 25 fow. We had a short lull or two but found steady action most of the day. Hot steel and purple descent were our best colors but many others did catch fish.
We did notice that #9 baits fished on the back of this rig got the most attention on this day.
I helped Kelvin Langmaid and his bunch look for some “away from the dam” spots to catch fish on Thursday. We fished quite a few areas and caught fish in all but about two. Most all of our fish on this day came on firecracker/chart.
tail something. Paddletails and ringworms both caught fish if they were this color. Nothing huge but a good bunch of upper teens to low twenty inchers and mostly green.
Saturday proved to be my toughest day as of late. Mark Turnquist, Eric Biese, Dave Jeffrey and I did manage to coax a few decent fish highlighted by a 21″ sauger that Mark caught on a blue/white #9 rapala.
Mike Stori and I spent the day Tuesday working on the 3-way bite. Rapalas early in the day and ringworms later on both proved pretty effective. Brighter colors seemed to be the preference for both methods on this very sunny day. We found a few different colored raps that would catch fish but quickly narrowed the ringworm preference down to chart/pepper after one quick test run.
In my eyes we have experienced our first wave of fall fish. With stabalizing water temps the fish are in somewhat of a holding pattern and should be ready to explode again as soon as the water temps start to again decline.
Great report Marty
Just a few more pics from the past week.
Great read, Thanks for the update Marty
Great Report Marty !!!
After reading this report i feel the need,,,,
The need to get out of the weed !!!!!
There is just to much junk here on P10 to pull cranks
I tried running 3 ways with cranks last saturday for the first time. We did pick up a few fish once we got our line lengths adjusted a bit. I did tie on a second crank for a bit, but it really cut the action on the front one so I took it off. Is this typical or do you somehow attach the second so it doesn’t impede the front one quite so bad? I also am wondering a bit about pumping the rod when running raps? I assume this is kind of a let them tell you what they want thing? Or is it something you do pretty religiously? Thanks.
bearplotts,
Don’t be too discouraged about Saturday as the crank bite was not exactly on fire that day. As for taking the action out of the front bait, that is the idea. It’s kind of hard to get used to but what the heck the back bait is still doing what it was when you were fishing it alone.
Some days the pumping action will trigger bites with most coming on the drop back but it seems that a steady drag with little rod movement has been better for my boat most days SO FAR this year.
As soon as our water temps take another drop give the doubles another try. There will be many days the front will outfish the back.
Stay with it!
Marty
ecnook,
I have heard that story from many others down your way. Very frustrating to say the least. The upside is we have a lot of fall left.
Get in that truck and head north!
Thanks Marty. How long does the 3 way crank bite hang on. Does it work pretty consistent all through the winter months or mainly until the water cools down too a certain temp? I know I saw people catching loads of fish doing it last spring when the water was high.
Hey Marty I think I have seen you out there this year
lol anyways you by chance notice more walleyes on the front bait like I have been or am I just crazy!?! 
I feel that it is most effective from the upper 30 to mid 50 degree range. I think its effectiveness wanes when the water gets cold and clear. Not that it wouldn’t work but I think there are better applications at that time. Things like hard line becoming unmanageable when it gets below freezing play into this.
Erick,
I do know a lot of our better fish in general come on the front baits. Even when the majority are being caught on the back the bigger fish will be on the fronts.
Boy, now you have got me thinking. I always pay attention to which baits where catch more fish but not so much which species.
Oh, maybe crazy about fishing but not crazy.
Hey Marty,
Thanks for the update – Good luck the rest of the season. 
Quick question. What weight have you been getting away with? Sunday I was using 2 ouncers and they seemed to be borderline O.K. when not in the full current. My bigger fish also came on the first one. I also had the F9’s on the front also and f7’s on back plus different colors, so it is difficult to really know if it was the size location or color that brought the bigger fish. Not enough fish in the boat to get a solid conclusion. Always a blast though
Great report as usual Marty. This time of year there is too much going on and I haven’t been on the water in way too long. Thanks for the report and there is definitely food for thought in it!
thanks for the update, I can’t wait for the weekend!
Ringworms on 3 ways? Who woulda thunk that would work?
Thanks for the update & cinnamon twists Mr Hahn,but mostly for the cinnamon twists!
I can’t take credit for the threeway ringworm deal. I learned that from a guy named Dustinrandyvandy.
That may not have been his full name either.
Yep, I saw him doing it last week as it made me do a double take.
Oh no Marty… cat’s outa the bag!!! I’ll mark all this down in my book.