Fall is one of the best times of the year to catch a trophy fish, and there are a few things you need to know in order to land that fish of a lifetime!
Fall weather can be, at the very least, very intimidating, and with northern winds making their way across Ontario, you had better be prepared for the elements. Make sure that if you are going on the water, you wear your life jacket, not in the storage compartment but ON you. With water temps falling, it does not take long for hypothermia to set in if you fall in the water. Make sure you bring layers of clothing, as you can always take them off, but you can never put them on if you don’t have them.
In the fall, most fish will migrate to shallow water! Salmon and trout like to run the river to spawn; largemouth bass and smallmouth bass like to head to the bank, and I have seen big musky and pike head to very shallow water. If it is a trophy salmon you are after, start hitting the rivers on the north shore of Lake Ontario about the third week in August, and there is a good chance that they are migrating upriver to spawn. You can catch these fish on flies, roe, and even Rapala crankbaits.
If it is largemouth bass you are targeting, head shallow on any given lake in Ontario. When the days start getting shorter and the leaves are just starting to change colour, you will want to head to the bank. I like using plastic frogs or buzzbaits, also Rapala Skitter V; this is a walk-the-dog type bait that fish cannot resist.
If it is smallmouth you are after, try fishing shallow shoals or rocky/sandy shorelines. Smallmouth will focus on smaller baitfish that tend to run in schools this time of year. Throw smaller minnow-type baits or smaller swimbaits like the Rapala Crush City baits.
Musky and pike will start moving to the shallow shoals and banks to feed on the fish that we just talked about. Musky at this time of year are looking for big baits, big glide baits, and big plastic baits. Focus your cast on points and weed lines, and don’t be afraid to make several casts in one area. Musky and pike are looking to feed maybe once a week, so they need a substantial size meal.
In closing, make sure that you get out on the water with the proper clothing, the proper gear and the proper location, and you will up your odds of catching a trophy!
