It's feeling like a fall transition. Water temps are down to 66 degrees most everywhere I've fished, I'm seeing some bait up shallower in 25, 20, sometimes 15 feet now, and some walleyes are already coming out of super deep water to follow. There are still plenty of fish very deep for sure - especially on the east side - but it's starting to change. The thing is, not all fish change at once.
We have still gotten limits of fish each day out the last week plus, but we usually take a larger part of the day to get there and have to pull through more fish to get bites than we did in summer. And, since fish aren't all changing at once, some days we get them on a little bit of everything, a couple on spinners, a few on jigging raps, one or two on a jig, then some more on crankbaits. The end result is about the same, though, even though the bites are fewer because it's mostly the runts that have checked out while the bigger fish are still taking at the same rate. Instead of sorting through a bunch of fish, most every catch - unless it's a really big photo/release fish - goes in the livewell now. Lots of 16-22 inch fish lately.
This week looks to be full of overnight temp lows in the 40's which should keep pushing things in this direction. We could have an early - and most importantly extended - fall fishing season, which hasn't happened in quite some time. If you're looking to get in on that experience, get on up here. Some great fish are already on the bite, and the big fish bite usually gets better, not worse, as the temps drop.
I also wanted to take the time to mention the book, Fishing for More, is live and published as of today! I very much appreciate all who have purchased it and spread the word. It means a lot to me for a project I'm very proud of, and it does a lot to help support the guide service while giving you something of value in return. If you do happen to purchase, I'd greatly appreciate a review, good, bad, or indifferent. Reviews are the engine that drives an author's ability to reach a wider audience, and my goal is to get 100 Amazon reviews by the end of the year, so I'd be grateful for anyone willing. If you want to check the book out for the first time, here's the Amazon link:
And speaking of something of value to help support the guide service, we now have a merch store up and running for those asking about shirts, hats, etc., so give that a look too on this website. We utilized a couple print on demand sites, Teespring and Redbubble, which is great because you can get your order process and printed, one order at a time, through a company with the capacity to handle what we can't. How cool is that?! Check out the link:
And now, pictures and videos: