The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s

Nebraska Outdoor Notebook

by Tom Keith

Don’t Quit Fishing Yet


Several hunting seasons are already underway and more will open in the next few weeks, but hunters aren’t the only people enjoying Nebraska’s beautiful fall weather -- anglers across the state are still finding success on their favorite waters.

Actually, fall is the perfect time to go fishing for several reasons, there is far less competition from other anglers, temperatures are cooler, humidity levels have dropped to comfortable levels and fish are moving out of deep water into areas where they are more accessible to fishermen.

Take catfish for example. Catfish feed most heavily at night during the summer months but in the fall they also feed actively most of the day. In the early fall, look for them near weedbeds, but when winter approaches the vegetation dies and the fish probably will be found off of points and along the dam. In the early fall, grasshoppers, grassfrogs, crawdads and salamanders are excellent baits, while big globs of nightcrawlers and large, lively minnows can be very productive late in the season. Prepared baits with blood or cheese bases have proven to be consistent producers from late summer until the lake ices over.

Although you can catch bluegill year ‘round, fall is one of the very best times to go after them. They can be found all day long in shallow water in and near areas where there is vegetation, near partially submerged fallen trees, or in spots along the bank where tree branches droop over or into the water. In the early fall, cooling temperatures will be a relief to the fish, but as the season progresses and the nights get cooler, they tend to congregate in shallow back-bay areas that are quickly warmed by morning sunlight. A cricket, small grasshopper, or a chunk of nightcrawler are good baits in the fall and it is also a good time for fly fishermen to cast dry flies or slow-sinking wet flies near vegetation or other cover.

Crappie are often associated with spring fishing, but they also provide exciting action in the fall. Look for crappie to hold in shallow water with submerged brush, submerged vegetation, brush piles and weedbeds in 4 to 8 feet of water. A minnow or jig tipped with a minnow bounced slowly along the face of the dam, a rocky breakwater or jetty also is likely to produce fish.

Look for northern pike in relatively shallow water near vegetation or other cover waiting to ambush forage fish. Effective baits include large chubs, waterdogs, nightcrawlers, large jigs tipped with minnows, magnum-sized bass plugs, large spinnerbaits and traditional metal spoons. Cast into pockets in the weeds early in the fall, but when the weeds die out, northerns move into deeper water where fast-trolled minnow-imitating lures can be a deadly tactic. To improve your success when fishing a submerged weedbed, work the outside edge, the edge nearest deeper water, or the outside edges of inside curves in the weeds – places where the edge of the weedbed turns in toward the bank and creates a small cove or pocket in the vegetation. Work the areas thoroughly and retrieve the lure at different speeds to provoke a strike. When the water gets cold, use dead baits such as large chubs and fish them on the bottom or let them move freely in the current.

Largemouth bass can be found in the same weedbeds where they were found in the spring and can be taken on the same baits, lures and techniques. Bass feed throughout the day in the fall, but the best and fastest action will probably occur from late afternoon to sunset.

Spinnerbaits are effective and top-water plugs such as Rapalas and Hula Poppers are excellent choices for late in the day. Effective live baits include nightcrawlers and large minnows. Later in the season when the weeds are gone, bass scatter throughout the lake and the best fishing will probably be found in water to about eight feet deep. A slowly retrieved plug that dives and runs about four feet below the surface, such as a Shad Rap, a Deep Kill’R B1, or a Big-O, is ideal in the fall. Straight-line spinners like a Mepps or Vibrax Foxtail can also be productive at various depths.
Walleye, though known primarily as nighttime feeders, can be taken from weedbeds and shallow water in morning and evening in the fall , and from deepwater points during the middle of the day. At night look for them to be along the dam face and in nearby shallows searching for food. Crisp days following a downright chilly night when clouds cover the sky and there is enough wind to put a medium chop on the water, are perfect for catching walleye. Minnows are a consistent fall bait, crawdads and leeches can be productive in the early season, and large minnows and deep-running minnow-imitating plugs like Rapalas and Shad Raps can produce good action in the late fall.

Source - NGPC