For the angling fanatic, the recent arrival of autumn couldn’t come soon enough.
What more can one ask for than to be out on the water and take in the change in shoreline foliage, not to mention wetting a line in solitude without hearing what can be annoying boat traffic that’s prevalent during the summer months.
The only other thing is the thought of having an outing when the fish are on a feeding frenzy. And perhaps with a bit of Lady Luck on your side, you might haul in that trophy-sized lunker you’ve always dreamed of having on the end of your fishing line.
“Autumn fishing can possibly provide the best fishing of the year, both for quality and quantity,” says Dave Chong, an Aurora resident and ardent tournament angler.
What makes autumn angling productive is that within the next few months, various species will be putting on the feedbag in preparation for winter when their metabolisms slows down considerably. In doing so, they become heavier in stature.
“Many species like largemouth and smallmouth bass feel a sense of urgency as the days become shorter and the water temperatures cool down. Their instinct tells them they need to eat and eat and eat before the long cold winter arrives (at which time the bass season is closed) when they are much less active,” says Wil Wegman, a Ministry of Natural Resources spokesperson from the MNR’s Aurora District office and an ardent angler in his spare time. “These bass often group up and so too do yellow perch. Pike and muskie too become more active – positioning themselves on the best ambush points they can find – whether that is a deep weedline, a rocky edge or drop or a hump or shoal where they can attack passing prey.”
Part of the proof in catching big fish during the fall months can be found on Lake Simcoe where the newly re-named Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open (nee Crackle Cup) that’s staged in late October commonly yields catches of smallmouth bass tipping the weigh scales in the six to seven-pound range.
In last year’s live release event, the tandem of John McDonald and Steve Hawkins weighed in their five-fish limit weighing 29.90 lbs. The big fish of that tournament, caught by Mike and Howard Gifford, was a whopping 7.16 lbs.
Also on Lake Simcoe, the fall run of jumbo yellow perch will soon be staging off areas like the Pefferlaw River. Like clockwork, this annual event attracts hordes of anglers from Southern Ontario and neighbouring states like New York and Michigan. And when the run is on, it’s not unusual to have a fun-filled day when you lose count of the numbers of fish you bring into the boat.
To experience success of this nature though, you must familiarize yourself with seasonal movement patterns of what you’re pursuing.
“Finding fish is half the battle,” Chong says.
To locate your prey, Wegman and Chong suggest you shouldn’t be on the water without possessing a good sonar graph on your boat.
“Not only are you looking for fish you are targeting, but perhaps even more so for the baitfish that those fish are feeding on,” Wegman says. “Having said that, not all anglers , even real good ones, achieve the success they are looking for every time out during the fall. Finding forage is not always easy and fish do move searching for their food. So, anglers who stick to one spot because it was good last time are limiting their chances at success.”
The manner in which you present your offering can also pave the way in landing that prized catch. During days of prolonged Indian Summer-type of days, Wegman says fish tend to be more aggressive. Because of this, don’t hesitate to use fast-running baits like spinnerbaits or jerk baits for bass.
“However once that water temperature starts to drop, say below 50 degrees so too does their metabolism,” Wegman was quick to note. “Therefore even if the bass want to keep gorging they are less likely to always be able to chase their food down. So, slow, natural baits like tube jigs, grubs, and drop-shot presentations become an important part of the late fall anglers’ arsenal.
“Having said that, even on the last day of the bass season on Lake Simcoe (Nov 30) under sometimes very cold and snowy conditions. I’ve still caught big smallies with a deep diving crankbait. Bass don’t always follow the rules so anglers should be prepared for whatever the bass demand.”
During the days of fall, Chong says, your tackle selection can be narrowed down to just a few simple offerings.
“The primary forage at this time of the year is baitfish whether they are emerald shiners, gobies or smelt,” he said, citing Lake Simcoe as an example. “Tubes, jigging spoons, jerkbaits and blade baits are deadly artificial lures in the fall. As far as live bait goes it would be hard to beat an emerald shiner.”
Based on his fall angling expeditions on Lake Simcoe as an example, Chong says you can find places where you can catch more than one particular species.
“You can also run into numerous species in the same area which can make it exciting as you could be fishing for smallmouth bass and catch a monster walleye, trophy whitefish or even a pre-spawn lake trout,” he says.
While fishing during the fall months can be enjoyable, Mother Nature can play some tricks and present some less-than-comfortable weather conditions.
As a result, Wegman warned anglers should be prepared for all types of conditions.
“Fall fishing does take a certain amount of extra safety precautions such as dressing for the weather — floater suits, rain gear —ensuring boats are in excellent working condition with all safety requirements, bilge pumps working. Cell phones should be on board, anglers should tell someone exactly where they are launching from and where they expect to go,” he says.
Blast off site for Bass Pro Open to move
The Aurora Bassmasters recently announced the site for the upcoming 2007 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open tournament will be moved to Sibbald Point Provincial Park near Sutton.
Moving the site for this year’s event, slated to take place Oct. 27 weather permitting, was due to the overwhelming demand and active participation of numerous partners.
“With a full field this year and so much more additional parking space required for guests, sponsor reps and equipment, we realized that the marina was just too small for us to operate our tournament efficiently,” Herb Quan, Aurora Bassmasters president explained, “The decision to move locations was not an easy one because of the outstanding support we have had from Monto Reno over the last several years. On behalf of the entire Aurora Bassmasters chapter I’d like to thank them for all they have done to make the former Crackle Cup so successful. At the same time, I would also like to thank Ontario Parks for stepping in and for their commitment moving forward – we’re excited to say the least. This new format has great promise in the years to come.”
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