Jackson: Old lessons work well for fall fishing
From Rhinelander, Wis., and points north to our own Fox Chain 'O Lakes, nature's annual fall water ritual has started to unfold.
The celebratory magic of jumbo-sized crappies and voracious muskies gobbling lures and bait is something to behold. And those who know the score refuse to allow themselves to be done in by cooler weather and a barrage of rain or snow.
Nature's condition is commonly called "turnover," and the changing of water layers has a tremendous effect on how fish behave.
In turnover, warmer surface layers cool off and become more dense, heading for deeper water. That displaces cool water that has been residing at depth.
In my many decades of angling and learning, I have been with fishermen who store their boats and gear right about now as the lakes started to undergo turnover. I've heard hundreds of comments from these folks that they and their buddies have been unable to catch any fish.
These fishermen are the same ones who often anchor in one spot and rarely change locations to find fish.
Dale P., an Arlington Heights angler, just retired after serving as an area police officer. We've fished together a half-dozen times and always had a great time.
"I believe there are two main classes of angler," Dale declared. "There are those who use nothing but artificial lures to catch walleyes while other group hones their skills through the use of live bait, like night crawlers, minnows, chubs, and leeches."
There's no ego strutting here. I have noted many times that I never claim to be an expert, but rather someone who has learned from the great freshwater fishermen over the years.
And because of my years of schooling, I deem it necessary to pass much of that "school time" stuff along to you.
With that in mind, here's what I mainly use when trying to catch walleyes on or close to the bottom in the fall. It's the 50-year old setup called the Lindy Rig.
Many already know how to use it. The Lindy Rig is a slip-sinker setup, long mono snell and small live bait hook. It can be used with a night crawler, minnow or leech.
A person in a boat needs to keep a sharp eye on the fish-finder in order to see a drop-off in water usually 20-40 feet deep. Allow the slip-sinker to bounce along the bottom while keeping your spinning reel's bail open. Keep an index finger on the line at all times. When you feel a slight tick on the line, release the mono and allow the fish to take the bait in its run to escape.
Detractors of this style of fishing decry this hooking method. They claim a fish becomes gut-hooked more often versus using a crankbait.
Even with sinking crankbaits, it's difficult to get that lure down to a fish zone unless you troll with lead-core line or use a downrigger.
Personally, I prefer the simplicity of a Lindy Rig and a jumbo chub, which offers a big meal to a hungry walleye.
It's official: Bass Pro Shops announced this week that it will acquire competitor Cabela's for $5.5 billion. According to reports, the two brands will continue to coexist along side each other, and Bass Pro Shops is committed to "celebrate and grow" the Cabela's brand. Bass Pro Shops has 99 stores, and Cabela's has 85. The companies expect the deal to be finalized in 2017.
What does this deal mean to Cabela's customers? Not all that much, probably - just another move to create an outdoor monopoly appealing to the bass, walleye, and hunting aficionados.
Trout and about: Trout fishing in the Cook County Forest Preserve lakes and ponds begins Oct. 15. Please note the ponds getting rainbow trout are the usual locations, like Axehead and Belleau, but fishing will close on those bodies of water Oct. 10 so stocking can occur.
In DuPage County, the fall rainbow trout season will open at 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at three Forest Preserve District of DuPage County lakes: Silver Lake at Blackwell in Warrenville, Pickerel Lake at Pratt's Wayne Woods in Wayne, and Grove Lake at Wood Dale Grove in Wood Dale. In preparation, Silver Lake will be stocked with approximately 3,250 rainbow trout, Pickerel Lake with 1,600 to 2,000, and Grove Lake with 400-500. Those lakes are closed to fishing until the opener to allow fish to disperse.
Fall fun: Muskie action on Lake Catherine is excellent, especially in evening hours. Walleye activity is picking up on Channel and Lake Marie, and crappies going strong on Petite and Fox Lake.
Fox River smallmouth are holding close to shorelines after the heavy local rains.
• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (live-streamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at mikejacksonoutdoors.com.