Nice fall weather, biting crappie and beautiful changing of the seasons
make for outstanding trips to the lake. Jeanne Huffman shows of a crappie
caught in central Arkansas during a fall trip. (Photo: Tim Huffman)
October Magic: Cool Air, Fall Colors and Crappie
by Tim Huffman
October is an awesome month for fishing, hunting, camping and football. Air temperatures are cooling off and lakes are less crowded due to the variety of outdoor activities in the fall.
Oh, did I mention that crappie are hitting almost any bait you put into the water?
October is a great time to catch fish.
Jeff Riddle has years of fishing experience and he looks forward to October every year. He spends most of his days guiding on Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee – often depending on his forward-facing sonar (FFS).
“Reelfoot is a relatively shallow lake,” said Riddle. “Our water temperatures change quickly when we have air temperature changes. A strong cold front can come through and our water temperature may change five degrees.”
Fishermen at any lake should watch the water temperatures. At Reelfoot, the water will be in the mid-70s to low 60s in October. Northern waters will be cooler and southern waters warmer. No matter which region you fish, action should be great when temperatures reach the 60-to-65 degree range.
“I’m fishing at 8- to 15-feet deep,” says Riddle. “Remember that Reelfoot is shallow. I’m fishing on or around stumps and structure. Fish are so aggressive, especially after a few cool nights. The fish are chasing baits and feeding up for winter.
“Fishing can be good all day, some of the time, but usually, fishing is really slow early in the morning. At 10:00 it’s like flipping a switch and fishing gets good. A fisherman can expect 10:00 to 2:00 to be peak fishing times. He or she can sleep in and be lazy, then get out and catch a lot of fish.”
Standing timber is the key cover in Reelfoot. They are often called stumps, but there are often standing tree trunks in 15 feet of water that go from the bottom to just below the surface. They’ve been sheared off at water level and they provide just as good, if not better cover than shallow stumps. A fish can move up and down the tree to get into its a comfort zone.
“My techniques are forward-facing sonar (FFF) and trolling, also called spider rigging or slow trolling,” says Riddle. “I’m at the south end of the lake in the Lower Blue Basin or Green Island areas. I’m looking to see shad schooling on top of the water. We have many shad on the lake and when the water cools, you can see the shad flipping on top of the water. Find the flipping shad and you’ll find crappie.
“When using FFS, I’ll use a 14- or 16-foot BnM Blue Diamond or Black Diamond pole, with the 16 being good when fish are spooky. Otherwise, the 14 is easier to handle. I’m using 6- or 8-pound test fluorocarbon line. Small baits work this time of year, so I’ll have a small minnow on a 214 Eagle Claw hook, or a small minnow on a Crappie Magnet jighead without a body, in 1/64- up to 1/8-ounce depending upon the aggressiveness of the fish.
“The presentation is important. Ease up to the tree and ease the bait down to them. The bait needs to drop down to them and be kept still. Jigging a bait up and down often spooks the fish, so hold it still. I don’t keep a bait on a fish too long, unless it’s a big fish. I might stay on a big fish up to five minutes, or until it swims off.
“My October tip would be to keep moving until you find fish. Cover a lot of water. Crappie will get into tight schools so it can take a while to find them. But after you find them, you’re going to have a lot of action.”
Cranking in October has been the tactic of former Kentucky Lake guide, Rich Bay. He says, “The best time to pull crankbaits is probably October. The fish have fed and grown all summer, and they really feed actively this time of year.” He pulls Arkie and Jenko cranks at 1.8 mph, often in 12 to 14 feet of water in the fall.
Jigging River Fish is a strong suit of three-time Classic Champ Charles Bunting. He says jigging can be done with or without FFS. The crappie will move back toward the banks to get very shallow when water temperatures get 60-65 degrees. “They’ll eat every day when the oxygen levels are good. They move up like it’s the spawn but without the eggs. I keep three poles rigged with different baits, the smallest a 1/64-ounce jig with a 1/2-ounce sinker above it. I’ll also rig and fish with a big jig up to 1/4-ounce. I’ll use plastic, hair, minnow, small or large bait, or whatever I can find that the fish want to eat.”
Pushing Minnows is Mississippi guide Tim Howell’s go-to technique in the fall. He says, “I’m going to be spider rigging and pushing minnows. Fish will be up on shallow points looking for shad. I have good luck fishing 10 feet deep. Pay attention to small details like depth and trolling speed because that will determine how many fish you catch. Spider rigging is an older method that’s worked for years and still does. One key tip is to find the bait because that’s where the crappie will be located. Also, don’t be afraid to use minnows because they work great with spider rigging, but small jigs work, too.”
October Factors
Cold Fronts – A few fronts can be expected in the fall. Fishing is good for a couple of days before the front but often difficult for a few days after.
Wind – Finding a good wind break can be important for a weekend fisherman. However, for fishermen with a boat that will handle the wind, there can be some good fishing in windblown areas.
Sun vs. Clouds – Cooler water means shad are likely to be schooling on top of the water. Sun will bring shad to the top of the water early, but they will likely stay up longer when it’s cloudy. Sun seems best when fishing typical fall structures and covers.
Final Thoughts
Fall is a great time to fish. Fish are health and actively feeding. Cooler air temperatures are a great break after a hot summer. Fall colors should be in full swing. Don’t miss out on this great time to fish.
CrappieNOW senior writer and Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame member, Tim Huffman, has several books, including his newest, Papermouth, Modern Fishing Techniques, available in Kindle or paperback at Amazon, or link from his website, www.monstercrappie.com
