Here are five tips for you:
1. Use live bait — fish are feeding heavily and fattening up for winter. Live bait works when you are fishing three feet of water or 30 feet of water. Also, in the fall you can get by using larger minnows because a lot of the time the fish are larger at this time of year.
2. When using jigs keep the jig moving. You are looking for a reactionary bite. You want the fish to react to color, flash, and movement. Don’t let the fish have a long time to study the jig.
3. This is the best time of year to shoot docks and/or boats. The algae growth on the underneath side is at its prime this time of year, which draws shad. And with the water being warm, it provides shade. Once the jig hits the water, you do not have to wait for it to sink. The crappies are usually right up under the pontoon, so start the retrieve immediately.
4. Keep moving. Fish are in small bunches but scattered this time of year, so if you catch three or four fish and then they stop biting, you need to keep moving to find the next group of fish. Sometimes in the fall, when fishing tournaments, I will fish 12 to 15 spots or more.
5. Suspended fish in open water? Most fishermen will say these fish are related to nothing, but that is not true. They are usually related to shad and bait fish. Pay attention to your surroundings; if you see birds in the area diving into the water or fish breaking the surface, there are usually bait fish in the area. This would be a good spot for trolling.
Acton Lake forum: On Friday, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will host a public forum to gather feedback on the pilot program for no-wake operation on Acton Lake. It will be at 7 p.m. in the Delmingo Room of the Hueston Woods State Park Lodge.
During the past three months unlimited horsepower watercraft have been allowed to use Acton Lake at idle speed only (no wake). Folks who have used the lake or observed watercraft there on a regular basis are invited to the public meeting to discuss their experiences and observations.
The plan was tried as a pilot program, which will be tested and evaluated during the 2014 and 2015 boating seasons.
Day to celebrate: National Hunting and Fishing Day will be observed Saturday. The day, which is recognized by hunting, fishing and conservation groups annually, celebrates efforts to preserve the land and wildlife across the U.S.
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