By: Captain Phillip Rizzitello
Rizz’s Outdoors
803-230-6309
www.rizzsoutdoors.com
With September arriving, luckily there is light at the end of the tunnel. Kids will be returning to school, hunting season kicks in and the boat traffic will begin to die down. Sunlight hours are starting to get shorter and the evenings are beginning to get cooler, prolonging the morning bite. Best times are still going to be morning and evenings, but will have a larger window of opportunity. Fish are definitely scattered this time of year as the weather starts to transition. Fish may hold deep, shallow or in between depending on day to day weather. Follow your baitfish! Bait fish can be found starting to move into creeks and channels and can be spotted breaking the surface or found using electronics. Choose a bait that mimics your baitfish (minnows or shad). Throw a rooster tail or a crappie jig into banks and retrieve it into deeper water. I prefer one with a twisting tail for extra attention. This is a fun tactic for a consistent bite and a wide array of species. You can catch almost any species doing this and you’ll never know what you might reel in. Play around with different retrieval speeds and depths to see where the sweet spot is.
Crappie will continue to be caught all over the lake long lining or fishing using minnows. Make sure to use an ultra light rod to be able to detect the bite. Anything heavy and you may never know it happened.
Catfish will continue to hold deeper during the day and move onto flats during evening hours to feed. Find a ledge from deep to shallow and you’ll find the fish. Cut bait such as shad or white perch are always a good choice.
Follow the bait for bass. Utilize a bait that mimics the bait you’re following but also is erratic enough to stand out from the school of bait.
As always stay safe and introduce someone to the great outdoors!