Fishing October

[shorthairsrus]

What do you find for optimum time of day for the best bite.

My 2cents -- early october the morning till 2 but then later in the day turns on when the water temps are cold.

Thoughts?

 

[Jiffy]

It's been too warm this year. It's going to be later this year.

I should clarify...later as in later in the year, not day.

Time of day has never really had a pattern that I've noticed. Anymore than any other time of year.

 

[johnr]

I put the boat away 3 weeks ago, but would be willing to fish in anyone else's boat in the west river area...haha

 

[Wall-eyes]

River in Bismarck down to state line being so damn low will be really late till snow flies, big lake will be later too still nothing great as it was this summer. Never put boat away till ice on water for me time for big pigs.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Was out at hazelton a week ago, ended up keeping 8 between the 2 of us, largest was maybe 18 inches, threw back some small ones...

 

[Allen Gamble]

I've had a huge craving to chase the minnow bites, but a larger pothole lake I was on last Friday still had a surface temp of 61 and rose to 64 by 11AM. Switched to cranks and picked up a few before I had to leave.

 

[Riggen&Jiggen]

For me on big water the cooler the water temps the bite gets better later in the day.

 

[KDM]

The Sheyenne and I suspect other smallish rivers are good all through Oct. I would guess the waters get cooler faster and it puts the walleyes in the "I'd better put the feed bag on before ice up" mood.

 

[Traxion]

Hoping the next couple weeks gets the water to a reasonable temp and the walleyes out of the mega depths on Sak.

 

[Rowdie]

I don't get out in the fall as much as I'd like too, but my brother gets out a lot some years. He does best at sun up and sun down. Kind of like ice fishing times.

 

[Wall-eyes]

Hoping the next couple weeks gets the water to a reasonable temp and the walleyes out of the mega depths on Sak.

Been wierd one day 20 feet next day 50 plus need lake to turn over

 

[Allen]

A buddy and I went to a small prairie pothole lake last Sunday. It was really foggy when we showed up and got on the water about 9:15. We tried a shoreline out in 15-17 ft of water and maybe had a couple nibbles for the first couple hours, then went to one of the deeper holes, about 18-20 ft. Caught three small eyes (it would have taken some stretching to get the biggest to 13") before they shut down as the fog lifted and wind picked up.

 

[deleted___account]

For a super early spring bite I tend to wack em the most prolly in the afternoon.

 

[BDub]

I don't get out in the fall as much as I'd like too, but my brother gets out a lot some years. He does best at sun up and sun down. Kind of like ice fishing times.

Do you know if the Cattail ramp is open yet? Langeliers is open.

 

[snow]

Fall walleyes....my area is focused on night full moon pulling cranks on shallow reefs,some years before iceup november,cold as hell,usually wear a wet suit to keep dry and warm,big girls on the feed,occasional big incidental ski to get your heart rate up.

 

[Rowdie]

Do you know if the Cattail ramp is open yet? Langeliers is open.

I'm sure it is but don't know if low water levels are an issue. I've seen some boats in the past week.

 

[svnmag]

IME walleye (large walleye) will attack shallow ShadRaps in inches of water and some will beach themselves for about a half hour after sunset until black assed dark this time of year. Were I in a boat I'd parallel the bank just deep enough to not scrape the bottom with the above or a large plastic rigged on a football head.

I've much blathered about this over the years. It's not bullshit.

That is all.

 

[CatDaddy]

Use a spotlight to shine the shallows and you'll be surprised how many and how shallow

 

[Browneye]

Use a spotlight to shine the shallows and you'll be surprised how many and how shallow

I have read about people doing this for a long time. The walleyes eyes show up amazingly well at night in shallow water. One year at the bismarck sport show at the game wardens booth I asked one of the agents if it was legal to do that in a boat while fishing. You could tell He had never been asked that and thought a while and said that He wasn't sure. He then walked down a ways to talk to another warden to ask Him. They never did really give me a definitive answer.

 

[Allen]

Yep, I fished one evening along a rocky shoreline up north and when it got dark enough I could easily see the walleyes hiding behind the boulders in 1-3 ft of water with a good headlamp.