Summer / Fall Transition = Tough Fishing

[A-Jay]

This summer has been a bit warmer and the local water temps are up.

I have been able to find fish this summer in their usual haunts during the day.

Night fishing has been better than usual and most of the better than average fish this summer have come at night. Day trips have included way more drop-shotting than I like but a deep/finesse approach has been successful and some days it’s the only way to get bit. Early / late top water has been spotty, docks give up some fish, deep cranking has been hit or miss and when the winds up a bit a spinnerbait has done some damage. A deep jig bite is a viable option in the lakes that have deep water cover. The last couple of trips, I chose to really grind it out by committing to a jig and eventually got bit. I even went old school by switching out the usually reliable Rage Craw for an Uncle Josh Pork Finesse Craw Trailer. (A couple pictured below)

As autumn approaches, I usually have a 2-3 week period where I really struggle to stay on fish consistently. As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler I do get excited knowing that good fishing is coming. But, man, the fishing during the transition for me is Tough. It starts about Mid-August here. Shallow water weeds start to die off and the water cools quickly at first. Then everything just seems to go into a holding pattern. It’s like the entire eco-system is stuck – just waiting for something to trigger the environment to take the next step in the seasonal transition; which usually spawns excellent fishing.

This is where my area seems to be now, and I have tried all kinds of different approaches the past few years looking for something to put a few more / bigger fish in the boat. Hasn’t happened.

During the fishing season, I keep a log documenting conditions, including the days I don’t get out. Weather, moon phases (helps during night ops) and water temps are all noted. Every year is different in some ways and the same in others. It makes deciphering the info quite challenging. If I could take one constant from it all, it would be that there is no constant. I’m betting that the bass would disagree and I sure wish they’d let me in on it.

I try to remain patient and keep watching for some sign that the Magic Trigger that sets off the fall bite is near. My struggles to catch quality bass makes me even more determine to keep at it. Because when it does happen and the fish do turn on, it’s a very good time to be on the water. Shallow hungry bass are always a good time.

How do you see it in your area ?

A-Jay

[Dwight Hottle]

Nice largies you got there A-Jay. I went out Wednesday for a couple of hours to try out that new rod & reel. Tried from 35 fow to 20 fow drifting with the NW wind over a rock reef you fished before. Caught one smallie. Water was cloudy with 3-4 feet visibility at most. Terrible bite here as well. The smallies should be on the move within a week of fall equinox Sept 21, only a month away. Lake erie hit 79 degrees a week or so ago, now reading at 75.

[fishking247]

A-Jay where are you from? I'm from long island, ny and we have had one of the hottest summers ever and we are currently experiencing that transition period right now. the past week we have had some of our coolest nights this summer (low to mid 60's with one night in the upper 50's). the weeds are still pretty bad and the scum is all over the surface still. my friend who fishes a lake with lots of pads has been noticing them turning yellow and brown which means they are starting to die off.

The summer/fall transition seems to happen everywhere. usually by the 2nd week of september the fishing begins to bounce back by me and we can catch em real good up until about the end of november depending on temps. last winter we fished all winter due to the exceptionally warm winter and lack of ice.

[A-Jay]

A-Jay where are you from? I'm from long island, ny and we have had one of the hottest summers ever and we are currently experiencing that transition period right now. the past week we have had some of our coolest nights this summer (low to mid 60's with one night in the upper 50's). the weeds are still pretty bad and the scum is all over the surface still. my friend who fishes a lake with lots of pads has been noticing them turning yellow and brown which means they are starting to die off.

The summer/fall transition seems to happen everywhere. usually by the 2nd week of september the fishing begins to bounce back by me and we can catch em real good up until about the end of november depending on temps. last winter we fished all winter due to the exceptionally warm winter and lack of ice.

I'm up in northern Michigan - Tip of the mit.

A-Jay

[A-Jay]

Nice largies you got there A-Jay. I went out Wednesday for a couple of hours to try out that new rod & reel. Tried from 35 fow to 20 fow drifting with the NW wind over a rock reef you fished before. Caught one smallie. Water was cloudy with 3-4 feet visibility at most. Terrible bite here as well. The smallies should be on the move within a week of fall equinox Sept 21, only a month away. Lake erie hit 79 degrees a week or so ago, now reading at 75.

As I remember it - I like that reef ~ and your water temps are close to mine here -

However, Erie's a just a bit more vast that the puddles I fish.

A-Jay

[hookset on 3]

A-Jay, you know what seems to be working for me these past 2 weeks? Speed! Burning cranks, topwater,scroungers etc.

Total reaction bite.

Other than that, I've nailed a bunch on jerkbaits, both floating and suspending.

hookset on 3

[Big-O]

WTG A-Jay!

[tomustang]

Consistent is one thing bass are not, in my area. It's more erratic than anything, I would enjoy a more constant catch you say you're in, looks like its doing fine for now

[papajoe222]

I can't speak for the bronze boys, but the largemouth here really go for suspending cranks in the upper third of the water column. You don't need to pause as long as you would during the spring, but sometimes it takes 8-10 seconds. As soon as you move the bait after the pause is when they suck it in. No hard strikes, they're just 'there'. I like the suspending FatFree Shads and Norman's suspending series, but I've also scored with Bagley's weighted with SuspenDots.

Of course, I'm fishing these baits like this before the turnover and keeping them about halfway between the thermocline and the surface. Around here, that's somewhere in the 8-12 ft. range. My kid (son-in-law) was doing okay burning a RedEye Shad with his rod halfway submerged. He wasn't outfishing me, but he sure was covering a lot more water.

One more thing. They don't seem to relate to anything in particular when doing this. No structure, or baitfish schools. You'll just be motoring along watching that 'majic' depth on your electronics and there they are. Go figure.

[TNBassin']

Super slow bite here in TN as well. Fish are suspending at 25-35 feet and won't eat a thing.

[A-Jay]

Went out Mid-Day in the Blazing Sunshine - not a whiff of wind.

Ended up pitching jigs at and under some deep water docks on a "trout" lake.

Managed to sore lip a few.

The better fish were Way Up Under there.

A-Jay

[Dwight Hottle]

Nice bass A-Jay. Both of those guys are very stout for their length. Healthy looking fish.

[shootermcbob]

Really slow bite here as well. Have had little to no success, day or night, with almost any type lure. I fish from the bank, and really just try to cover the water column at each stop.

the order will usually vary, but at each stop I will throw some form of topwater, a few moving baits including Red eye shad, crankbait, and spinnerbait with varying retrieves, the rage craw or paca craw, and a senko.

Last few trips...two bites. Just really seems much tougher this summer than ever before.

Also, Really nice fish A-Jay.

[A-Jay]

Nice bass A-Jay. Both of those guys are very stout for their length. Healthy looking fish.

Thanks - They all seem quite Portly already.

Even the dinks are more like Donks and it's barely September.

A-Jay

[WRB]

What makes anyone think bass know what month it is? The basses calendar is controlled by water temperature and changes to their habitate and need to procreate.

Shorter length day light time has a direct affect on both water temperaVtures and vegetation growth. The prey that use vegetation to survive and use as a sanctuary must relocate when it starts to die off and the bass being a predator keep close tabs on their food source. If the water temperatures are in the mid 70's and cover is still supporting prey, no reason for the bass to move or start making a transition to the fall period. When you no longer see bait fish around cover and the water temperatures drop into the 60's, then the bass should be in transition and moving. If the summer thermocline has broken up due to a combination of colder nights and day time wind, bass and baitfish can be difficult to locate until the ecosystem settles down into the fall and winter seasonal periods.

Southern deep structure lakes have shad making it easier to pattern than northern lakes with dermasil cover type bait fish. Crawdads are the equalizer and a good time to focus on jigs.

Tom

[hookset on 3]

Thanks - They all seem quite Portly already.

Even the dinks are more like Donks and it's barely September.

A-Jay

Same here in New England. Bet it has to do with the really warm winter and early spring. They have been putting on weight all year.

On New Year's Day I caught three bass in completely open water, no ice what so ever. That's almost unheard of around these parts.

[A-Jay]

What makes anyone think bass know what month it is? The basses calendar is controlled by water temperature and changes to their habitate and need to procreate.

Shorter length day light time has a direct affect on both water temperaVtures and vegetation growth. The prey that use vegetation to survive and use as a sanctuary must relocate when it starts to die off and the bass being a predator keep close tabs on their food source. If the water temperatures are in the mid 70's and cover is still supporting prey, no reason for the bass to move or start making a transition to the fall period. When you no longer see bait fish around cover and the water temperatures drop into the 60's, then the bass should be in transition and moving. If the summer thermocline has broken up due to a combination of colder nights and day time wind, bass and baitfish can be difficult to locate until the ecosystem settles down into the fall and winter seasonal periods.

Southern deep structure lakes have shad making it easier to pattern than northern lakes with dermasil cover type bait fish. Crawdads are the equalizer and a good time to focus on jigs.

Tom

Yup - The one fairly consistent technique I've had the past 2-3 weeks has been a jig. I'm fishing it in places where I think the fish might stage before heading a bit shallower to feed. The outside edge of the deepest Green weed I can find. I use a deep crankbait (6XD) to help find new ones. Patched rather than long lines of green coontail or cabbage weed seem to be holding the better fish. But they are a little hard to find, unless you know of some already :c)

But the important detail is this - the jig trailer must do very little. Meaning a craw or anything with wildly flapping appendages get no bites. Something that I can lift and then allow to glide back slowly on a tight line (again no flapping /waving action to the trailer has been best, think subtle).

A Berkley Power bait beast, any beaver style bait, especially something that does not have a split tail so it glides has been very good. Several baits that have split tails require you to separate them out of the package, don't ;c). Although I haven't tried it yet, I bet a Pork trailer would work for this as well.

A-Jay

[thehooligan]

Nice fish Ive been sticking with dropshotting 4.5in roboworms, wacky rigged 4in senkos, and topwater. Its been slow, but hopefully it picks up soon.

[rangerboy]

our water temp up here in nor cal is still almost 80*, still catching 5 pounders with spiner baits on a normal basis in the morning, and on plastics along deep grass in the afternoon

[mikey5string]

Have been dealing with the same conditions in CT. Went from great fishing, catching a few 3+lbers a day to a few small bass here and there. The first thing I noticed was the hydrilla turning brown and receding. I had been getting them with big worms carolina rigged (fishing a deep drop close to the bank @ weed edge) 5 1/2" swimbaits and frogs thrown into holes in weeds/right in them or near trees & rock piles.

It has been really tough the last few weeks. I managed a couple decent fish throwing pegged texas rigs with craws into the best looking weeds I could find. The smaller 1-2lbs fish seem to be actively feeding as I can catch them on a crankbait when I see alewife breaking. There is a lot of topwater activity at times but I can only seem to get small fish or nothing at all. Only electric trolling motors are allowed at the lake I go to most so I cant chase baitfish.

Where the creek comes into the lake there is a dense weed flat that i have been told holds fish. The problem is that it is a large area and the bottom is covered with submerged weeds so there are just a LOT of places for fish to hide. Isolated cover on the bank where there is a quick depth change to deep water has been my best pattern but its just not working anymore.

I did have some decent luck last week when it was rainy & overcast with rough water and t-storm later in the day. I got several nice fish in about a 30 minute period right after sunrise and that was it. After the bite stopped the winds picked up even more and it started raining steadily so I packed it in.

Going out tomorrow. Hopefully I can manage to find a productive pattern. I had been so spoiled mid summer!

I got my Dahlberg diver frog last week and I am itching to try it out. Frogs were deadly in July/early august but with the weeds clearing up it has been pretty miserable. The diver frog just looks so good I have to throw it.