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Wollitz: I’ll miss football to catch some cool time fishing
Relatively cool weather this week has put thoughts of autumn in anglers’ heads as Youngstown-area lakes cool and the fish shift their behavior.
Chilly nights, cloudy days and periodic rain have brought water temperatures down to the low 70s this week. Fish that had tempered their activities during the heat of summer are much more apt to find anglers baits as we head toward October.
Walleyes, bass and crappies are kicking up their feeding sprees in the reservoirs around Youngstown. Up on Lake Erie, where the cool-down also is underway, fishing is improving for popular species like walleyes, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and steelhead trout.
To me, autumn means an opportunity to battle big largemouth bass a few more times before the snow flies. It’s also the season to thrill at the acrobatics of smallmouth bass that have been building muscle throughout the summer.
Fall also is time to rig up the noodle rod for a few visits to Lake Erie tributaries. I may schedule a walleye trip to the big lake and, after limiting out, switch to perch rigs to stock the freezer.
Fall is fun for fishers who are OK with missing a few football games as the prime time action gets going.
I will be out on the water every chance I get this fall. I’ve got special plans for next weekend starting with trips to Pymatuning and Mosquito Creek Reservoir.
Weather permitting, I hope to get up to Lake Erie in early October for monster smallmouths as they gorge on gobies to store energy for the long winter.
I’ll also join friends for a couple rounds with steelhead, the silver bullets that are congregating in big numbers around the tributaries and harbors.
As autumn advances, Shenango Reservoir will be in my fishing crosshairs. It’s close to home, so I can go on a moment’s notice, and it’s particularly productive for cool-water largemouth and smallmouth bass.
I’ve also bagged some oversized walleyes at Shenango in late October and November in seasons past.
As the water continues to get colder, Berlin will be a great choice for walleyes. Anglers hook up with hefty fall limits by vertical jigging metal blade baits.
Of course Mosquito is Walleye Central for most of the year and anglers will continue to connect as we head to ice-up.
If the weather stays stable and the Ohio River flows strong with fall run-off, I’ll add a couple of river trips for smallies before storing the BassCat for winter.
Over the years I’ve fished in all kinds of conditions, but one Erie experience remains unchecked on my list.
I really hope to get up to the lakefront for some nighttime casting for the huge walleyes that prowl where the waves wash the rocks for smelt, shiners and shad.
When we add it all up, it’s apparent we are very fortunate here in Northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania. We can chose between walleyes, largemouth bass, steelhead, crappies, smallies and perch.
With so many options to keep me busy before the snow flies, I don’t expect to be watching much football during the next month or so.