Late summer and early fall is an obvious period of transition.
There are summer patterns that still linger and new patterns
emerging. Usually on most walleye lakes, the traditional summer
patterns are getting fished out. The fish get smaller and
the spots dry up. This process of change doesn’t happen over
night however so some of the spots just linger, offering just
enough fish to keep fishermen hanging around. The patterns
that can emerge in September are varied. In fact, there might
not be another time of the year where so many patterns can
exists at the same time. There is a good chance that there
will be walleye utilizing some kind of habitat in the shallowest
water and the deepest water. This in a sense really spreads
out the fish. Spread out fish can also make for tougher fishing.
There is one pattern however that emerges each fall that I
am quite fond of. The fish also give you clues themselves
as to just how dialed into the pattern you really are.
Orignal
Lindy rig
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We fish a variety of tactics each year but one tactic
that I really enjoy personally is Lindy Rigging. I love
feeling a fish pick up the bait. I also feel confident
with a Lindy Rig. Let’s face it, a good piece of bait
will always catch fish. We fish Lindy Rigs deep over rock
piles especially late in the fall but early fall can offer
great opportunities in the mid-depths of existing weed
beds. The edges and open pockets of these weeds are great
candidates for a Lindy Rig. People have this assumption
that weeds die in the fall. We find green weeds when ice
fishing so let me assure you that there is plenty of green
vegetation left, especially in early fall. We have found
fish over both cabbage and grass. Usually, the outside
edge coincides with deeper water but the open pockets
inside the weed bed are often the result of a change in
bottom, perhaps gravel or even rock. The outside and inside
edge can be good and the pockets are usually worth checking
out as well. Polarized glasses are a must for finding
the weed edges and good electronics will also give you
more clues as to what you are fishing. |
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We have all switched to the Vexilar Edges because the
dual frequency enables you to figure out what is exactly
below in so many situations. The actual rigging may vary
from lake to lake. My personal favorite setup is a NO-Snagg
Singer combined with a short snell (three feet) and I
usually like to put a small float ahead of the bait when
working through weeds. The shorter snell seems to give
me more control and I like to keep the weight in the cone
angler of my Vexilar right below the trolling motor. The
float seems to lift the bait enable the bait to slide
through some of the weeds better. Again, I am targeting
openings and edges so boat control is critical to keeping
the presentation weedless. The biggest clue to really
getting dialed into this pattern however comes from the
fish themselves. Remember that September is the month
of change. There are fish on the move. Coming and going,
fish seem to do an awful lot of moving in the fall. When
fish do put on the miles, they become paler. The fish
seem to loose some of their color. Changes in season will
cause fish to move, as will changes in weather. When fish
are set up in a pattern however, the fish will have good
color and usually be darker. Often, many of the fish we
find in the fall have been on the move and we might have
only intersected them between point A and point B |
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When the fish that you are catching don’t have the normal
color, watch out because there is a good chance those
fish won’t be anywhere close tomorrow. The beauty of weed
fish is that they aren’t nearly as nomadic as fish relating
to other patterns. During a time of change, consistency
is golden. Literally. If the fish you are finding in the
weeds have good dark colors, chances are they have been
on that location all week and will probably be on that
location tomorrow. |
Editors Note: The author, Jason Mitchell heads Devils Lake,
North Dakota’s largest and most respected team of open water
fishing guides, Mitchell’s Guide Service. Mitchell’s Guide
Service can be reached by calling 701-662-6560 or on the web
at: www.fishdevilslake.net. Jason Mitchell is sponsored by
Yar-Craft Boats, Lindy Little Joe, Salmo USA, Vexilar, Valley
Fun Source of East Grand Forks, Woodland Resort, Pro-Pointer
Lake Maps, Berkley, Fenwick and Abu Garcia.
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