🍁 The weather feels more like late summer than fall! October certainly hasn't felt like October in Minnesota. Temperatures climbed into the 80s across much of the state, no complaints from me!

But what does that do to the fishing? The important thing to remember is that water temperature matters much more than air temperature. A couple of 80-degree days won't suddenly turn a lake back into summer, but an extended warm period can slow the normal fall cooling trend.

Smallmouth bass. This isn't necessarily bad news. Warmer water can keep their metabolism and feeding activity elevated, and fish may continue using relatively shallow rocky shorelines, points and current areas longer than they would during a rapid cooldown. I’ll be out in the next few days testing this, probably on a river somewhere.

Largemouth Bass. They are generally more comfortable in warmer water than smallmouth, so an extended October warm-up can prolong their shallow and mid-depth activity. If healthy green vegetation remains, I'd make that a major target. Bluegills, minnows, and other forage can remain around those weeds, and largemouth may stay with them rather than making a stronger late-fall move. This time of year in the Upper Midwest, midday is usually the best bite. Less of a need to worry about hitting the lakes super early, unless you live in states further south.

Walleye. Warm water may delay or interrupt some of the shallow fall movements we normally get. Shiners are a favorite of walleye and can be found on big gravel flats in fall. But these warm, sunny days, will probably keep walleye out deeper and not roaming shallower in the middle of the day (yet). Of course, some wind and heavy cloud cover can put the odds in your favor. Although, the shallow walleye bite has been really tough for me all year long, both rivers and lakes. I haven’t really fished many dams/spillways this year, but if I had to pick a location for shore anglers right now to get bit for size and numbers… that would be it. If you river fish fall walleye from shore, check out my YouTube video here from last fall on the Rainy River.

🥶 There’s a cold front (not super cold) with rain on the forecast this week. Most likely, this should be excellent for kicking the fall feed into gear. I have a list of lakes found on the onX Fish app, that look prime for shore fall walleye as the lakes temps drop. Key search criteria: High Abundance, Public Shoreline/Piers with 15-20 feet of water within a long cast. Hard bottom with sand/gravel and sparse weeds even better.

1️⃣ Topwater. From my experience, this style of bait consistently produces bigger fish. My topwater for the Ontario Road trip was a Rapala Skitter Prop, the same bait that caught my biggest Canadian smallmouth ever, after it hooked my finger earlier. Topwater works best when smallmouth are shallow of course, but if the water is clear, I’d feel very comfortable throwing these over 15 feet of water. Current is a big bonus, because smallmouth sit behind boulders and along seams waiting for food to wash past. A prop bait shines in those spots, slack water near current, along with big rock and shallow points.

Cast slightly upstream or past the intended target, then work it with steady pulls and pauses so the prop sputters and the bait sits still for a beat. If the fish are aggressive, speed up. If they're following without committing, slow down and let it sit longer. Smallmouth will often trail it before they strike, so don't pull it away early. If one blows up and misses, throw right back, because they'll often hit again. I like a 7-foot(ish) medium-fast spinning rod with 10-15lb braid main line and a 10-12lb mono leader (but I’ve also used fluorocarbon with equal success on the Skitter Prop). If the wind is blowing a lot and I need to make a longer cast, then I will switch to a heavier topwater like an Arashi Cover Pop or Rapala Jowler. Why these baits? They are heavier (cast further) and make some noise. Many times smallmouth bass will prefer a sound/action between different topwater lures depending on the conditions. These are ones I use, but pick what ever you have the best confidence in.

2️⃣ Jerkbait. These, of course, imitate wounded baitfish, and smallmouth can't resist it, especially in clear water. Work it over rock points, boulder flats, breaklines, and the edges of shallow weeds, anywhere fish are likely to be holding within a few feet of the bait's running depth. When shore fishing, and in a boat, long casts can be key. I can launch a Rapala X-Rap (size 10) very far on a spinning rod with 10lb braid. Side note, shallow running jerkbaits in fall can serve double duty catching walleye in the exact same areas.

The cadence is everything. Make two or three twitches, then pause. The colder the water, the longer the pause, sometimes up to 4 seconds in late fall. Slower and longer as the water cools. Most strikes come while it's sitting still, so watch your line and be ready. Bright braided main line helps as a “strike indicator”. Natural shad and perch colors are good in clear water, and brighter patterns with some chartreuse or orange work well in stained water. Honestly, color is secondary to confidence in the bait, so use the pattern you feel best. For gear, use 7’(ish) medium-fast spinning rods with 10-15lb braid main line and a 10-12lb fluorocarbon leader, which helps the bait dive and suspend. Expect pike in many places where they live, so upping to 14lb fluorcocarbon on a baitcaster can be just as effective, but casting distance can be a trade off.

3️⃣ Swimbait. The soft plastic version on a jig head is the most versatile way to cover water, and it's often the first bait I tie on when I'm fishing somewhere new. If I get snagged and break this off…that's a lot easier on the wallet than losing an expensive lure. For most situations a 3” to 3.5” swimbait, like a Crush City Mayor, on 1/8oz to 1/4oz jig head works great! For deeper water or faster current, I will size up to 3/8oz and even 1/2oz jigs. It catches fish everywhere from shallow flats to 20-plus feet, in clear or stained water.

I usually slow reel when fishing for smallmouth: cast out, let it fall to the bottom, then reel just fast enough to keep it swimming above the rocks. This works well along breaks, current seams, and points. Match the size of the swimbait to the local baitfish. I’ll throw these on the same spinning gear as mentioned before, just with an 8-10lb fluorocarbon leader.

If you want to test for walleye, then snap jig in the same areas. You can get surprisingly different results in the exact same spots. Just be sure to let it fall on slack line when snap jigging.

Shore Fishing Fall River Walleye
This YouTube episode was recorded 1 year ago this week. I hit up many locations along the USA side of the Rainy River, showing techniques and baits to catch ‘em without live bait. These will work both from shore and in a boat. And if you are towing your boat up: I show the parking, docks and launch ramps for nearly every major public DNR access area.

4 Days at Eagle Nest Lodge
I spent four days at Eagle Nest Lodge in Manitoba, and the full trip is now on YouTube. You'll see the lodge and how it's laid out, the gear I brought, a rainy day that didn't stop the fishing, and the fly-out at the end. The highlight was the shore lunch! If you've ever wondered what a Canadian lodge trip is really like from start to finish, this one's for you. Click here for the YouTube video.

3 Days Shore Fishing Ontario
In my NEWEST VIDEO, I had three days to shore fish my way throughout Ontario with no boat and no live bait trying to catch SMALLMOUTH BASS and WALLEYE. The route ran from the Manitoba border through Kenora, Dryden, and Atikokan to Fort Frances, and every stop was water I'd never fished before. If you like shore fishing, road trips, or seeing how to break down new water without a boat, this one’s for YOU. Click here for the YouTube video.

If you made it this far, THANKS! Johnson Outdoors is now going to brand all electronics under MinnKota. I ran a poll on Instagram, here are the results with 101 voters. Interesting. See you next week!