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October's Mystique & Opportunity
By Jonn Graham
October arrives to usher in the beginning of the end to the stream smallmouth season. Without a doubt, this is my favorite month to tussle with the "gamest fish that swims"--the Smallmouth bass!
One may infer my reason for this preference is solely based on the number of fish caught during the month of October. This inference would be wrong. No, for me, the true enjoyment that October supplies has more to do with perfect fishing weather along with breathtaking fall scenery! And, of course, the fishing isn't too bad either!
Many anglers, and people in general, complain about the weather we experience here in the Land of Lincoln. True, the winters seem to be constantly characterized by a strong, cold north wind. Illinois springs can sometimes feel as if someone forgot to turn off the water spigot. And then there are our summers. Hot, hazy, and humid--enough said! But, there is one season (or month) here in Illinois that I feel is just perfect and unmatched anywhere else. That season is fall--more specifically the magical month of October!
Why October? The answer is simple--beautiful weather and awesome scenery. An October day spent on or along an Illinois stream is truly magical!
Waking up on an October Saturday morning to a fresh frost with the early morning sunshine glistening off of it immediately gets my blood pumping. It sure is hard to stay home during the month of October. What's really neat is that these cool October mornings quite often turn into a perfect Indian summer day. Yes, the ideal October day includes the need for a jacket in the morning and a short sleeve shirt by noon. No super humid days here. August is long past, and (usually) no bone-chilling days like the ones encountered in January. Nope, October is the perfect happy medium--not too cold or too hot!
Of course, one could not describe the true beauty of October by discussing only the weather. Matter of fact, this month (here in Illinois) gets the majority of its acclaim from the beautiful fall foliage that can be seen just about anywhere. I believe, without a doubt, these fall colors are no more breathtaking than along any one of Illinois' winding rivers and streams. Few things are more exciting than standing knee-deep in a stretch of river and being mesmerized by a big hardwood decked out in its full fall glory. It's too bad that the smallmouth cannot appreciate the beauty that abounds around him. I guess I can appreciate it for the both of us.
Now that I have discussed October's mystique, it's time to talk about the fishing opportunities that exist during these thirty-one days of bliss. Well, if I were to make a blanket statement about river smallies in October, it would be a simple one--October is the time for trophy river smallies! Though high number days are not common like they were in June, July, or August, the chance at hooking a true river giant is very real.
So, you may be asking, "Why is the month of October so good for big bronzebacks?" Well, there are numerous factors that come into play, during this month, that "tip the scales" toward the angler. Probably the first and foremost is the idea that the big river smallie is feeding heavily during the month of October in order to build up fat reserves for the upcoming months of inactivity. Mr. Smallmouth, you might say, puts on the "feedbag"! If he does not gobble up everything that comes his way, he probably will not survive the long cold winter. This ferocity bodes well for the stream angler looking to cash in on late season hog.
So, I guess the next step is to discuss where you can find these late-season smallies. At this time of year, water temperature becomes very important. Once water temperatures fall to sixty degrees, stream smallies usually begin moving downstream to find a suitable "wintering hole". This may be a movement as short as a few hundred yards or as much as sixty miles. (Yes, cases have documented smallies moving 60 miles to winter). Wintering holes are usually areas of a river or stream in excess of four feet deep with little or no current flow, and, if possible, contain some type of cover (i.e. wood or rock). If you can find areas somewhat like this, fish them hard and painstakingly, the smallies will usually be there or somewhere nearby.
One important factor to consider when deciding to "head out" to your local stream is the weather forecast. Now I know this is always important, but I feel in October it is crucial. Try to direct all your fishing efforts towards those days that are, you might say, unseasonably warm. In other words, those sunny, short-sleeve days are the types of days that you do not want to be stuck at home! Relating to this is the idea of fishing the "peak hours" of any particular day. One can probably surmise the peak time for any October day would be during the afternoon hours when the sun and mercury are the highest. No need to wake up bright and early in October. Instead sleep in and get the gear reading in the morning and hit the stream after lunch. Now you may think this "fishing in the afternoon" is a bunch of bull or only a fishing "wise tale." Well, in this case, fish biology and common sense prove that this is no "wise tale." Let's look at why.
The month of October normally finds our state's streams at their lowest levels. This means rivers are not carrying a lot of water. Thus it does not take too many cool days and/or nights to considerably drop the temperature of the water. In contrast it does not take much of a warming trend to raise temps to a level that river bronzebacks find to their liking, thus causing them to feed aggressively. So, referring to the previous paragraph, one can see the importance of the type of day and the time of day one chooses to chaise river bronze. I suggest, on any October day, fishing during the afternoon hours when water temps are at their peak level for the day. Even better than a single warm day is a warming trend where air temps are unseasonably warm during the day and very moderate at night for two or three days in succession. If this were the case, I would spend every waking moment poking around on my local stream hunting for that true trophy bronzeback.
I guess the last subject I need to address is the type of baits used during this fall trophy period. As I have mentioned before, water temperature has a huge effect on fish behavior (especially in October). Bait selection is also based on water temp. A good rule of thumb is as follows: above 50 degrees you can, sometimes, catch fish on bigger, faster, noisier baits; below 50 degrees you must downsize your baits and slow down your fishing cadence. Since October's water temps are constantly raising and lowering, I would first suggest getting yourself a thermometer. I just use a cheap refrigerator gage that I purchase at Wal-Mart for about two dollars. First thing I do before wetting a line is to check the temp. I think this is important any time, but is crucial in October. If the water temp is above 50 and on the rise, I would probably first choose a topwater bait. When it comes to catching big smallies in the fall, this is my go-to bait. Buzzbaits, Zara Spook Jr., Pop-R, or any bigger than normal topwater will probably work. If that did not "ring the bell," I would probably go to a four or five inch skirted, twin-tail grub or a four to five inch single-tail grub. Both of these baits would call for a slow pull and drop method, making sure to keep the bait closes to the bottom.
Now, if water temps are below 50 degrees, it is time to crack out the "crumbs." What I mean by "crumbs" is simply small baits moved ultra-slowly along the bottom. A few baits that have proved successful under these conditions include small hair jigs, two or three inch tubes, twister-tail grubs, and paddle-tail grubs. All of the aforementioned baits need to be fished on the lightest jig head possible and also need to be moved as slowly as possible and still keep relative bottom contact.
In conclusion, the month of October is magical, when the weather is just "perfect" for fishing. Air temps, though cool in the morning, usually warm up nicely by lunchtime. Let's not forget that there is no better place to view Illinois' beautiful foliage than along one of our state's streams. Fortunately, the weather and foliage are not the only two things that excite a stream smallmouth junkie, like myself. No, October translates into trophy time! In order to "tip the scales" in your favor, make sure to fish during the warmest hours of any day or days. Let the current water temperature dictate what types of baits you choose. Make sure to concentrate your efforts in or around river areas that are characterized as deep, contain slower current flows, and have rock or wood cover. One final thought: keep in mind that big, trophy smallies caught in the fall are the prime breeders in the spring. Because of this, it behooves all stream smallie anglers to strictly adhere to a catch--photo--release attitude. Remember, the future depends on the present!
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