A lot of fishermen put away their boats and gear when the summer ends. This is a huge mistake because the fall season offers some of the best fishing of the year. The cooler temperatures make your long trips a lot more enjoyable when compared to the hot days during the summer. Just be prepared to change a few of your fishing techniques as the weather gets cooler. Here are four tips for catching your favorite fish in the fall.
Bass
Depending on your geography, prime bass fishing is often done in the warmer weather, but you can still catch these popular fish in the fall—Bass like to stay in shallow water during the fall because it is warmer than the deeper depths. A great way to find the bass is by tracking down the baitfish. Bass love to feed on these large schools of small fish in the fall, so it is only a matter of time before you get one to bite.
Pike
Pike love the cooler temperatures, so they are much more active in the fall than in summer. Pike tend to stay around the vegetation in the shallow water. Since underwater vegetation starts to die off in the fall, the pike will have limited options on where to hunt for food. Make sure to use bait with a lot of motion to entice the pike to bite.
Walleye
The rules for catching walleye are almost identical to pike. Walleye love to spend time in the shallow water near the shore. Put the boat near a weed flat or drop-off, and you should have no problem reeling in a few walleye. Just like pike, the bait will need to move a lot to get the fish to bite. It is also best to use big bait when fishing walleye because they like to bulk up before winter.
Trout
The fall is the perfect time to fish for trout. Trout are much more active in the fall as they go out to feed. Trout tend to hang around coves as the water temperature starts to drop.