In the month of September there is plenty of good fishing to be had, but there’s no place I’d rather be than fishing smallmouth bass. September is the month when these fish feed like no other time of the year. They school up and eat all day, every day, whether they are hungry or not. They have no choice, that’s the way they’re programmed. As the days get shorter, and the water temps drop, these fish know it’s time to get ready for winter.
Fall Smallmouth Bass Fishing Tips
Location
This year the water levels were nearly perfect, many of my favorite shallow rock spots in 2-6 feet of water were teaming with smallmouth. Keep in mind the only thing that matters to these fish is food, so if the area doesn’t have bait there will be few, if any, fish in the area. By moving frequently, I’m able to locate the “hot spot” for the day quickly. If I don’t see bait or fish activity in the first 10 minutes I know it’s time to move.
Bait
Once you locate a spot with activity it’s as simple as picking a few of your favorite techniques and seeing which one they prefer best that particular day. There are many lures that work for smallmouth in the fall, but it’s hard to beat a large minnow bait. Whether you use artificial or live bait just make sure it’s big! When I’m trophy hunting I’m not afraid of trying baits up to 10” in length this time of year.
Size
The smallmouth not only came in large numbers this year, the size was also outstanding. On most day trips we’d have 50–75 fish with some near or at trophy caliber. There were also a couple days where the fishing was so good that trophy fish were frequent! One thing is for certain though: no matter what size smallmouth you catch they will always be pound for pound the best fighting fish in Minnesota waters.
Temperature
With warmer than average temps there is still time to get out after these beautiful fish. This is the perfect trip for kids and families because everyone is going to catch fish and have fun together. If you’re interested in taking a trip like this give me a call, I love helping families make memories that will last a lifetime. This is one of those trips that will hook any angler for life.
October walleye fishing preview: The cool weather is on its way and the walleye are getting ready to fill their bellies for the winter ahead. Mid-Octto mid-Nov is what I call the “prime time” walleye bite. A jig and a minnow is all you need to catch a good number of walleye during this time period. Between the fall colors and the hungry walleye there’s really never been a better time to be in the Alexandria area!
Check out my next report for plenty of walleye pics and what worked best during the fall bite!
