The best is coming (for me)

[John Bales]

Right now is to me, the toughest time of the year. Everything is changing. Weather is unstable with lots of fronts. Water temperatures are dropping and the surface layer is cooling and sinking. Thermoclines are getting deeper as the surface water is pushing it down deeper and deeper. All fish species are changing their locations and adapting to all these changes going on. One of the things that the livescope brought to my attention was watching the deeper scattered weeds start to die off and start leaning. It is the look you might have when viewing weed growth in a river with current pushing the weeds in one direction. This started to happen within two weeks of night time temperatures starting to cool things off. The sonar and down scan shows the same thing but I have never had my head buried in a meter like when using the livescope so much. I actually thought something was wrong with my electronics when the deeper weeds were all leaning and re booted the units. The amazing part of this change was it didn't take much time as the nights and days started cooling off for this to happen. Stability is the key to good fish movements. It's no wonder that this is the toughest time of the year for me with so many changes in the fish's world all happening at once.
The good thing is that the weekend warriors are taking their piers out and going home. The kids are back to school and the colder it gets, some of the crazy party lakes will be safe to fish. The colder it gets, the better I like it. A little ice in the guides is a welcome sight for me and by then we will be making some good catches once water temps get to around 50 on the surface. October, November and December can be very rewarding. After that, its one day at a time and when its over, its time to evaluate the season and figure out what I can do to get better and keep learning. Once the ice is too thick to launch comes serious depression for a couple of weeks and then fix what is broken and re- supply tools for next season with the green book close to my chair. John

[Fran Myers]

This will be the first time in a long set of years that I can take advantage of the fall fish migrations. Mille Lacs. That and being able to wait out the weather. Some of the BEST catches I have ever had come in the fall.

Howard is also coming for two weeks of fishing so my November is really going t be full.

My lake doesn’t get thermoclines being it’s so big and gets churned up so much. And as the water temperatures sink the Alewives and White fish schools get huge and are followed by the biggest fish in the lake. The Bass schools get tighter and bigger this time of year and at times I have seen the. Right up against the bank before the plunge into the depths. The potential for great catches is tremendous.

My adventure with LiveScope are just beginning. I think I am experiencing what a lot of people here are thinking about when they read John’s fishing reports. Besides not casting enough period…I am not comfortable on the bow of my boat. Nor am I used to casting and driving the trolling motor and I worry about getting tangled up. And now with all those things I am already juggling, add LiveScope into the equation and it does get to be too much at times.

All I can say is my solution to it has been to get on the bow a little bit every day and just drive around. Just to get comfortable. That’s all any of us can do. I may never spend a whole day on the bow like I can trolling but I will get better.

Anyway it’s time to go fishing so maybe a positive report later, who knows.

[Lip ripper]

AND FOR ME ALL RE RIGGED AND READY TO GO LIKE YOU SAID ONCE THE WATER GETS AROUND 50. WATER HERE IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN STILL AROUND 62. PLANNING A 4 DAY
TRIP TO DOULAS LAKE BY BIG
MAC BRIDGE ONCE THE TEMP GETS RIGHT,HAVE YOU EVER
FISHED THIS JOHN?LOTS OF
GOOD LOOKING STRUCTURES.
FOR FALL SMALLMOUTH.

[John Bales]

Yes Deb and I have fished Douglas a few times. We love that lake. Nice smallies, good largemouth and lots of small pike. Great food at the food place at the launch. Make sure you know where to park or they will chew you out. Tear them up. John There is a 13 ft hump straight out and a little to the right from the launch out in the middle of the lake. Awesome smallmouth.

[CHAMP]

R U talking about Douglas lake in Tenn.

[Lip ripper]

NO THE LAKE IS IN NORTHERN
MICHIGAN.THANKS JOHN FOR
THE HEADS UP ON PARKING
I'LL BE SENDING REPORTS AS THE FALL SEASON PROGRESSES.

[John Bales]

Not sure what route you are going to fish Douglas but if you go through Grayling, if you have time, stop and check Lake Margrethe. Same population as Douglas. Lots of smallmouth, largemouth and tons of small pike. Similar weedlines. Deb and I have always done well on both of these lakes. We fished both of them in summer months and have never been to either of them in the fall. Largemouth in both seem to be weedline related. Don't be shocked to find the smallmouth shallow also. Never did find many smallmouth bigger than 3 pounds but Douglas is known to have some giants. Maybe by the time you get to Douglas, you may find the smallmouth using some of the great looking fingers near the deeper holes and you can break out the blade baits. Both of these lakes have great populations. John

[Lip ripper]

HEY JOHN THANKS FOR THE INFO UNFORTUNATELY I WAS INFORMED YESTERDAY THAT THE COTTAGE WE HAD LINED
UP HAS FALLEN THRU. SO GOING TO PIVOT. ILL CHECK
AROUND LAKE MARGRETHE
OTHER THOUGHT WAS
BLACK LAKE THEIR ARE A FEW
RENTALS THAT ARE OPEN YEAR
ROUND. ANY INTEL ON BLACK?

[John Bales]

The only thing I know about Black is Mark Brown fished it and he hated it. Not sure why except he just didn't catch them. Like me on Mille Lacs. I got my ass handed to me again. Two long days on the water. First day, 4 smallmouth and 4 walleye. Second day, 2 smallmouth and 2 walleye. Conditions were zero wind both days and sunny. Did get a 5.18, a 4.5 something and a 3 1/2 SM but just so slow and no numbers. Talked to one guide in a bass boat trying to get some help but he said it was really tough for him too. He wanted us to hire him for a day. That wasn't going to happen. The lake is huge, full of great looking structures like you dream of and I just keep struggling. I hate it but love it. John
I am about to get some redemption though. In the very near future, Seth and I are picking 2-3 days of stable winds and going to Lake Erie. I am looking forward to this one.

[PhissingPhil]

Ha! Stable winds on Lake Erie! Not much lately!

[John Bales]

Looks like we might be stuck fishing the river the next two days. Headed there in the morning unless Seth decides to call it off which I doubt it. It could be brutal but if we can remain safe and catch a bunch of fish, I can handle being cold and wet. John

[PhissingPhil]

Be Careful. Wind HOWLING here today, 4 miles from lake. Really don't want to hear about you being cold, wet, & lifeless!