The Last Time on the Boat for 2024

 

Today marked the last time in the boat for the 2024 season, I think.  The winter weather is forecasted to come in very quickly on Wednesday and remain cold and windy throughout the 10-day forecast.  I am a bit sad, like all years to put the long rods away for the year, however I am so ready for the ice fishing season.  The last ice fishing season was the shortest of my life, lasting only 6 weekends.  Hopefully this year will be much different and "back to normal" with 3 months of ice fishing here in Iowa.

The day of fishing went about the same as a typical late November day on the Wapsi River.  Fishing slow and catching smallmouth bass around rocky structures.  I caught a few nice smallies on a homemade finesse jig and the others on a leadhead with a small plastic trailer.  Nothing fancy, but it is just what the smallies want this time of year.  It always amazes me how much these smallmouth bass fight.  I caught several pike and five walleyes on this day too.  In the matter of second or two, I knew when I had a smallie on.  Even with the water temperature at 46-degrees, these brown beasts just keep on fighting.  It was a great day, but sadly the last chasing these fish for awhile.  Hopefully, I will be on to ICE FISHING soon!

The Fall Bite

A Strike King shallow running
crankbait on a Lew's KVD
Cranking Combo

 Each and every year I anticipate the season of fall, not to hunt, like many outdoors people, but to fish the fall bite.  I enjoy fishing river systems throughout the year, but there is no better time than fall to hit them.  The water becomes clear, the current is moderate and typically the water levels are stable.  All of these factors help the fish to feed up before WINTER appears.  You can catch bass on a lot of different baits this time of year, however as that water temperature dips below 50-degrees some baits fade off into the tackle box not to be seen until spring.  As of writing this, water temps are hanging just above the 50-degree mark in area rivers.  The warm sunshine and moderate nighttime temperatures have not started a big cool-down yet.  This will most likely happen this coming week, if the forecast holds.

Lately on the rivers a few baits have really shined, crankbaits and jigs.  This 1-2 combination has been great for smallmouth and largemouth bass, as well as the occasional walleye and pike.  The next time out I expect the crankbait bite to disappear as the water temperature dips below 50 degrees.  This isn't a definite, but a trend I have seen in the past.  Sunshine and wind plays a big role in the bite this time of year too, as both really tend to fire fish up to feed during this cold weather.  Jerkbaits, swimbaits and finesse style baits will take the place of crankbaits as the water temperature dips into the forties (a jig and Texas-Rigged tube are always on my boat this time of year).  Paying attention to water temperature is only 1 key to success this time of year.  You must pay attention to the fish, how they bite, where they bite in relation to the structure.  Taking in all these considerations will put more fish in the boat this time of year.  

Get out there and enjoy the fall, there may only be a week or two left until the "winter" temperatures appear.  

Accidental Walleye catches sure make
a great meal this time of year.