Salmon/Steelhead
Salmon are on the outs of being plentiful in the rivers. Guys are still seeing some that have not spawned yet and are still full of eggs, but are also seeing a lot that have spawned and completed their life cycle. Bags and Beads are still the most popular options for Kings and anglers are still catching a few fish.
Steelhead are not full on running yet, but there are quite a few fish in the river systems. The cold rain we are supposed to receive today and tomorrow (10/17 and 10/18) will definitely help the fish push up. Beads and spawn bags are still top picks for Chromers, but don’t be afraid to try running plugs to show the fish something a little different than what they are used to seeing!
Click the links below for plugs!
Largemouth/Smallmouth
In lakes, both Largemouth and Smallmouth are beginning to hit that weird transitional phase where the water is at that temp where they aren’t sure whether or not they should head up shallow or stay deep. Fishing can be tough like this on some days, but all it will take is for them to get used to this new water temp to get them fired up and put on the feed bags.
When you’re finding the day is tough, slow your presentations down. Things like drop shots, ned rigs, and other finesse focused baits can be deadly. When I say slow it down, I mean DEAD STICK those baits. Those fish will be very picky and will stare at a bait for upwards of 2 minutes before they decide they want to eat it.
We’re supposed to have a few warm days this coming weekend (10/22 and 10/23). If you can, take full advantage of this and get on the water to get in some fishing, because a couple days of sun could fire those fish up.
Panfish
This time of year for Panfish (like Bluegill and Crappie) can be very good. With water temps dropping, Crappie and Gills tend to make their way to man-made canals on lakes that have them. This is just part of their transition to their winter holes.
Your best bet is to find flats that have easy access to deep water. This time of year, panfish really like to move back and fourth between those spots and eventually when the temps are right, they will hold tight in the deeper water.
Weeds will be another bonus to find in the lakes, but they have to be the greenest weeds you can find. Dead weeds won’t have any oxygen with them and the fish won’t hold as tight to them.
So find spots that have green weeds and easy access to deep water and you should be livin’ large!
As far as baits go, I pretty much always use ice jigs for panfish no matter what time of year it is. It can be painful to wait for those tiny jigs to make it to the fish, but it’s a sure fire way to get bit. Tip the ice jigs with leaf worms or wax worms to get the most action.
