By Capt. James McManus
Many folks ask, “When is the best time to go fishing?” The answer is always, “Whenever you can get away.” That being said, there are times that are better than others, and one of those times is right around the corner. Fish follow patterns in the way they feed, reproduce, deal with adversity, and generally go about their daily business. For the fish in our region, this time of year is “feed bag” time. Being cold blooded, they don’t have to regulate their body temp the same way that we do, and probably gearing up for the spawn in the spring has more to do with it, but fish are getting real hungry about now. Baitfish are full grown, schooled up, and a little slower with cooler water temps – all of which means easy pickings for predators. They have to chase less, search less, and consume fewer numbers to put on the weight to carry them through the winter.
An advantage to the angler with this setup is that, when you find these concentrations of fish, you too can cut back on the running and gunning, searching and riding, and concentrate on straight whacking time. Nothing makes my heart go upbeat like cruising to a historically known concentration point and having that Lowrance light up with baitfish fuzz and arc city all mixed together. Lines of fish chasing bait, broken clouds (rather than perfect balls of bait) are all signs there is verifiable carnage going on down there. At that point, I drop a jig, or a spoon, or an ice jig down to see who’s home. Look for this type of action mid-lake on main points at times, or as the weather cools even more, they may take their party to the backs of coves or little feeder arms. A real plus is that they may stay in a relatively close area for a couple of weeks at a time, making your chase easier trip to trip.
We have had a few gulls the last couple of years, and an eagle or kingfisher can give you an idea as to where fish may be holding. Use these visual clues along with a breaking fish or two to initially find schools. Enjoy the cooler weather, go prepared, and remember to make safety a priority by letting others know your plan and when you will return. Fry up some spots and share in God’s gift to us and let me know if you need help finding a few.
Later Capt. James
Capt. James McManus is the Owner of 153 Charters. Give him a call for a great day of boat fishing!
