By Tim Moore:
Just because it’s November that doesn’t mean you should put your fishing rods away just yet. There are still some really good opportunities for fall fishing. In some cases you can find some of the best fishing of the year. The northern pike will take advantage of the warm mid-day and afternoon sun, and the black crappie will be schooled up over basins. Both species will be looking to fatten up before the lakes freeze over.
The toughest part about fishing in November is the weather. Cool mornings will make for some stiff fingers, especially if you have wet hands from releasing fish. If you can prepare for the cold you can do really well. The fact that pike won’t move into the shallows until late morning makes things a little easier. The best time to catch them is when they first move into shoreline structure just after the sun hits the shore. It may pay off to get there earlier than needed. When the fish move in, they will feed. Once they are done feeding they will sun themselves, and will act much like the logs they resemble, feeding very little. Working lures such as the Juice Mini 8 bucktail from Bigtooth Tackle Company and my signature series Whisperer Lure from Daddy Mac Lures. Work your lures inside out, casting toward shore and retrieving back, as you move along the shoreline. Pay particular attention to structure such as boulders and downed trees because that’s where the pie will head.
This is my favorite time of year to fish for black crappie. They form large schools and suspend over lake basins, often feeding all day long. Drift over basins until you locate a school of fish and go to work on them. My favorite fall crappie fishing lures include the Live Baby Shad from Lake Fork Trophy Lures, the Blade Spoon from Clam Outdoors, and the Chubby Darter from Salmo USA. A fish finder such as the Sonarphone or a flasher such as the Vexilar FL-8se are economical, yet effective tools for locating suspended fish.
These two fall bites make kayaks the ultimate attack vessels. The stealth of a kayak will absolutely increase your catch rate and you don’t have to worry about winterizing them. We will continue running kayak charters as long as ice formation doesn’t prevent us from accessing the water.
FORECAST BY: Tim Moore is a nationally recognized professional angler and a licensed NH hunting and fishing guide. He is the owner of Tim Moore Outdoors LLC, offering ice fishing charters, fresh and saltwater kayak fishing charters, and freshwater boat charters. He is a member of the New England Outdoors Writers Association and the producer of Tim Moore Outdoors TV.