by Andrew A. Cox
October is one of the best months of the year for angling. The water is beginning to cool down making the fish more active. Fish that have been hard to come by during the summer months can now be caught with some consistency. Crappie, bass, bream, and catfish can be more readily found in shallower water. Even the hybrid and striped bass are more active in their schooling activity on area lakes.
The air temperature is now cooler making it more comfortable for anglers spending the day on the water. These cooler temperatures are certainly most welcome. Last year I experienced heat stroke/heat exhaustion while fishing during summer’s heat, illustrating the dangers of fishing and other outdoor activities during hot summer summers. Though October is cooler, the angler should continue to take precautions to avoid heat related medical conditions.
There are also fewer anglers and other water enthusiasts on our waterways, making them less busy. The personal water craft users for the most part have ceased their lake and river rides for the year. Other outdoor users have shifted their focus to other activities or interests. Some anglers are now engrossed in hunting. Others are spending time watching or attending college and professional football on the weekends. Accordingly, there is less competition for those prime fishing spots.
A variety of baits continue to be effective during the fall season. Anglers seem to have more success this time of year using shallow water baits such as spinnerbaits, in-line spinners, and shallow running lures. Plastic baits such as tubes, and plastic worms continue to be effective in shallow and intermediate depth water off banks and points. Fish can be caught on topwater baits and flies on the flyrod at certain times of the day during this month.
A dilemma is encountered during October and November. Not only does freshwater fishing pick up, but inshore saltwater fishing on the Atlantic coasts of Georgia and Florida, and Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana Gulf Coasts also light up with cooler water and more active redfish, speckled trout, and other saltwater fish species. Accordingly, the angler with limited time available for fishing has hard decisions to make as to where to spend that valuable fishing time. I try to schedule several freshwater fishing excursions and at least one inshore saltwater trip over the course of October and November.
October and November are my favorite months of the year for angling. The cooler air and water temperatures, less anglers and boat traffic, and more active fish; what else could an angler ask for.
Author’s Note: Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. His writing interests specialize in angling and travel, human interest, and general fishing technique oriented topics. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. He has been fishing the waters of Georgia, Alabama, and north Florida for over forty years. Dr. Cox financially supports his fishing habits as Professor Emeritus at Troy University, Phenix City, Alabama. He may be contacted at andrewtrout@aol.com.