Northeast
As the weather gets colder, ice fishing is heating up on Lake Erie. Lisa Green at Happy Hooker (www.happyhookerbaitshop.com) in Buffalo, New York, reports that Burtus Bay is covered with 5 to 6 inches of ice and anglers are already reporting steady catches of perch and bluegill. Lisa said that the hot bait has been a wax worm, maggots mousies on a jig. “A lot of guys will pop the eyes out of a perch and use them for bait,” she adds. Guys setting tip up rods with golden or emerald shiners are landing some nice-sized walleye. Walleye and muskeye fishing will get better as the ice gets thicker, Lisa told us.  “We’re expecting some real cold weather over the next couple of days,” she said, “we’re really excited.”  Brrrr.

Southeast
Even if the weather has been cold, anglers fishing the Mid-Atlantic will stay warm through the winter by cranking on big fish. Action out of South Eastern Virginia has been on fire from offshore to inshore to the backwaters. Believe it or not, even during the deep freeze anglers are still finding speckled trout and red drum in the skinny water. Winter fishing often produces some of the biggest speckled trout for guys who are patient enough to wait out the cold at any of the local speck holes. The warm-water discharges from the local power plants are favorite hang-outs for gator trout and live mullet are the favorite bait. Both are difficult to find, but when everything comes together die-hards are scoring trout over 10 pounds. Luckily, striped bass are easy to find. Crews trolling plugs, parachutes, umbrellas, and spoons from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Eastern Shore of Virginia are catching impressive numbers of striped bass averaging between 38 and 43 inches with some bigger fish mixed in. Even though striper season in Chesapeake Bay is closed, striper junkies can still catch and release fish through the winter. With fewer anglers on the water and more monster rockfish in the water, it is a perfect time to drop live eels into the pilings of the bridge on a three way rig or under bobbers. Tog are also biting on the CBBT and nearshore wrecks. Last weekend, Captain Craig Paige (www.paige2charters.com) took a personal day and landed an 18-pound tog—which is his personal best. Even though the tuna and marlin have headed to warmer waters, there is still plenty of fish to catch offshore. While most anglers were chasing rockfish along the beach, some crews are electing to target black sea bass, tilefish, and grouper on the deep water wrecks and live bottom. Farther south, anglers fishing out of Hatteras have been catching blackfin tuna with butterfly jigs until their arms hurt. For links to all the fishing action in the East, check out (www.thefishingblitz.com)  No matter how cold it gets this winter, Mid-Atlantic anglers are sure to break a sweat cranking on big fish.

South
“We have a rare situation on Lake Martin,” reports B.J. Barnett at Fish Tales in Alexander, Alabama. He explained that abnormally warm weather has kept the striped bass active on the lake. “They are still schooled up and feeding on the surface,” he said. B.J. suggests fishing out of Wind Creek State Park. “Guys are marking bait and fish as they idle away from the launch ramp,” he said. Most anglers are trolling live shad or black salties behind planer boards, but B.J. said that lucky fishermen are finding the striper feeding on the surface. “Guys are going crazy,” he said, “using bear-hair bucktails or Zara Spooks.” 

Midwest
“Plenty of ice, plenty of snow, and plenty of fish,” is how Scott VanValkenburg at Fisherman’s Corner (www.fishermanscorner.com) described fishing out of Duluth, Minnesota. Scott told us that anglers have already plowed roads across Pike, Fish, and Grand Lakes. “There are already 100 permanent ice holes and guys are fishing every day.” Scott says that Pike Lake has been one of the hottest perch lakes. He says that the perch are biting best between 9 and 3 in the afternoon. Early in the morning and just before dark, crappie and walleye go on the feed. “Fish Lake has been the best lake for crappies up to 12 inches,” he added. Scott says that a glow-in-the-dark Demon jig has been the ticket for these slabs. Bluegill are responding to wax worms and Gulp! maggots.

West
Utah is a winter sports paradise and the fishing is as good as the skiing, snowmobiling, and hunting. Dan Smith at Fish Tech (www.fishtechoutfitters.com) reported a buffet of species available for anglers who venture out on the ice. “Lake Mantua and Lake Utah are holding bluegill, perch, trout, walleye, and largemouth,” he said. Dan tells us that that each of these species will respond to a 1½-inch tube jig tipped with a wax worm. Anglers fishing Lake Mantua are setting up around weed beds, while the marinas in Lake Utah have been the most productive locations. Dan also point anglers to Flaming Gorge Reservoir where burbot are eating everything in sight. “They’re ferocious and the law requires anglers to keep all the fish that they catch,” Dan says. He suggests fishing the shallows with a glow tube jig and chunk of sucker meat. He added that Strawberry Reservoir has produced rainbow trout to 11 pounds for guys dunking wax worms and tube jigs directly off the boat ramp. “The ice is thick and the fish are biting.” —Ric Burnley

Northeast
Christmas in New England is celebrated with wreaths, Yule logs, and smelt. Rick Newcomb at Fore River Bait and Tackle in Boston reported excellent smelt fishing at Marina Bay off the old fuel dock, Summer Street Bridge in South Boston, Castle Island, and the Pound and Pemberton piers. Rick says the fish are easy to catch with a No. 8 Sabiki Rig tipped with frozen shrimp. Anglers have reported catching as many as 180 smelt in an outing. “Fried smelt is a New England tradition,” Rick said. Another New England tradition is the bottomfishing off Stellwagen Banks in Massachusetts. Kayman Charters Captain Kevin Twombly (kaymancharters.com) put his anglers, Matt White, Bob Bauer and Mark Reedenauer, product marketing manager for AIRMAR Technology, onto fish big time this past week with a full load of pollock, haddock and cod. The sore-armed anglers sufficiently stocked the larder for winter.

Southeast
For most folks around the country, this is the time of year for mistletoe, hot chocolate and heavy sweaters. But for folks in Miami Florida, this is the time of year for sailfish. According Joe Corbett at Kendall Bait and Tackle (kendallbaitandtackle.com) crews trolling live goggle eyes or pilchards are scoring double-digit catches of sails. Corbett said that the fish are hanging along temperature breaks in 100 to 200 feet of water. Crews jigging rigged ballyhoo in the same area are connecting with smoker king mackerel. On the shallow-patch reefs, anglers are catching enough grouper, mutton, and porgy to feed the family over the holidays. “Use a knocker rig with a hook and sinker and a piece of shrimp,” he says. Cero mackerel are moving in and out of Biscayne Bay and Hawks Channel. “All it takes is a live shrimp on a long-shank hook under a popping cork,” he said. Corbett added that the warm weather has kept people fishing for bonefish on the flats and targeting reds and snook in Everglades National Park. On the freshwater scene, Corbett recommends targeting peacock bass in the canals and lakes around Miami. “They’re everywhere and they’ve taken over,” he said. To learn how to catch these exotic fish, Corbett suggests checking out flyfishpeacock.com.  

South
The weather has been frightful on the Gulf Coast, but the fishing has been delightful. Mike Barbee at Fishing Tackle Unlimited (fishingtackleunlimited.com) in Houston was anxious for the wind to stop blowing so he could go fishing. “I’m heading to Port O’Connor to fish for reds and trout,” he said. Barbee told us that tides have been low so he’s been targeting the fish around the shorelines. When the water comes up again, Barbee will head to the back lakes and ponds. Although catching these fish on a Super Spook Jr. or a Bass Assassin is a no brainer, Barbee prefers to target the reds with an 8 weight fly rod and tan and white Clousers in shallow water and chartreuse and white in the deeper cuts.” Until the weather clears, Barbee says anglers will have to search for fish feeding under diving gulls.

Midwest
Anglers heading to Branson, Missouri for the Holidays will find musical reviews, magic shows, and great fishing. Chuck Gries at Anglers and Archery (anglersandarchery.com) told us that Lake Tanneycomo is full of rainbow trout and holding some trophy browns. Anglers are drifting scuds and San Juan worms when the water is high and wooly buggers and soft hackles when the lake is low. “The State releases 750,000 trout into the river each year,” Gries says, “so the fishing is really good.”

West
Anglers may head to Las Vegas to try their luck with craps, slots, and blackjack, but betting on big striped bass in Lake Mead is a sure thing. Captain Bob Wood at American Angler Guide Service (americananglerguideservice.net) reports that the Nevada Department of Wildlife has begun stocking rainbow trout in the lake. “It’s like ringing the dinner bell for the striper,” Wood explains. He says that trophy striper show up at the stocking sites to gorge on the trout. Anglers can score big bass by trolling Old Henry, AC, or Spro BBZ plugs at 1 to 2 miles per hour. “We call it the Nevada striper feeding program,” Bob jokes. He said that the trout will run to the shallow edges of the lake to hide from the striped bass. “They’re not around structure,” he says, “you just have to get out there and troll around until you find them.” 

Saltwater fishing has slowed down. Our blackfish season has just ended. Few of the lakes in the NW corner of the state have 3 to 4 inches of ice. Panfish and smallmouth bass. One northern pike entered in the winter-long icefishing season. Atlantic salmon on the Chitucket and Naugetuck Rivers. Guys are landing fish from 2 to 20 pounds with a fly, spoon, or inline spinner. Conn River the fish have started to move into wintering locations. Northern Pike active on coves and shallow weed beds. Target the fish with a large shiner under a bobber or a large 7 to 9 inch soft plastic or Rapala. Black crappie bite very good on Conn River with slip bobbers and small shiner or casting jigheads with small shiners or soft plastics.  Find the fish over structure from 6 to 20 feet deep in the coves of the river. Thames River will start to heat up with big striped bass moving up the river. Guys have been catching fish to 28 inches with small soft plastics and a ½ ounce jig head. As it gets colder, the fish will move up to Norwich Harbor where they will stay all winter.   

-Terry at Connecticut Outfitters. 

I was contacted by Chris at Chris' Bait and Tackle inquiring about a junior world record. She told me a nine-year-old weighed in a fish over 50 pounds. I rode over to the Eastern Shore to check it out, and sure enough, an excited ilttle boy had a fish that tipped the scale at 50.9 lbs! The existing Small Fry record was sitting at 47-pounds, 9-ounces. I assisted with the application, and congratulated the boy and his family.

Bill Garren and his son, Jake of Ironto, VA were floating eels off of Kiptopeake, when the bobber on the rod Jake was holding dipped under. Jake described how he fought the fish for only three minutes! He also explained that when his Dad saw the fish, he thought it was the biggest striper he had ever seen, but didn't let on to Jake because he didn't want him to get too excited and risk losing the fish. Jake said he battled the fish cleanly to the net his dad held ready.

Jake's striper is now a pending IGFA Small Fry World Record. It is a clean application, so I don't see any problems with it's approval.—Dr. Julie Ball

Northeast
If your trip over the river and through the woods takes you to New York City for the holiday weekend, be thankful that big striped bass have shown up to the beaches of the big city. According to Karl Anderson at Urban Angler urbanangler.com in Manhattan the cows came home this week. Karl had reports of big bass feeding on schools of herring and smaller fish stacked up on the beach chasing silversides and rainbait.  While boaters are targeting the bigger fish by trolling umbrellas, spoons, and plugs surf anglers are scoring smaller bass with Hopkins spoons and bucktails. Karl said that the best way to get a bite is to attach a teaser fly with an 18 inch piece of 15-pound test leader material. He reports that the fish are stacked up from New York Harbor to Fire Island. To reach the fish, take the subway to Flatbush then hop on the Q 35 bus to Fort Tilden. “The bus drops you off right on the beach,” he said.  When we asked Karl if people on the bus look strangely at a guy with waders and a fishing rod, he said, “Not in New York City.” Meanwhile, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut headboats are targetting blackfish and sea bass with reckless abandon. They are, afterall, THE best-eating fish that swim!

Souteast
Thanksgiving is a traditional time of harvest and Virginia anglers are reaping the rewards of a bumper crop of striped bass this week. While most anglers were busy catching school-sized fish around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, a few lucky fishermen sneaked off and caught the first big bass of the season. Guys casting Windcheater plugs and Storm shad caught 18 to 30 inch fish on the rockpiles and bridge pilings. However, the biggest bass were taken by crews drifting live eels under bobbers off Cape Charles and Kiptopeke State Park. When the current went slack and the striper stopped biting, savvy anglers turned their attention to catching tog on the islands and pilings with chunks of crab or clam. The boats that ran offshore found the first big bluefin of the season at the Rick’s Wreck while the guys who stuck to the skinny water continued to catch trophy speckled trout in the Elizabeth River. Virginia anglers have a lot to be thankful about this Holiday season. 

South
New Orleans anglers are bringing new meaning to the words “Happy Thanksgiving.” That’s because the first giant yellowfin tuna arrived to Midnight Lump this week. Captain Lee McLean at www.fishvenice.com said that the best of the tuna action is still a month away, so he’s focusing on chasing wahoo at the offshore oilrigs. “The first full moon and the next cold snap should really kick off the wahoo fishing,” he said. To catch wahoo, McLean trolls highspeed plugs like Marauders at the rigs in 250 to 300 feet of water. A recent bout of bad weather has made offshore fishing tough, so McLean has been chasing sea trout around Venice. “Trout fishing is stupid right now,” he said.  He told us that he fishes the cuts along the river channel with a live shrimp on a Carolina rig. “I’m not even a trout guide and I caught 150 of them in three days,” he said. 

Midwest
A good way to burn off some holiday calories is chasing bass and crappies around Kansas City, Missouri.  Gary McDonald at Atomic Bait and Tackle said that fishing for these species has been very good in Lake Constellation, Smithville, and Mozingo.  “If I had to choose one lake,” he said, “I’d go to Mozingo.” Gary said that his customers report steady action on largemouth bass in 10 to 12 feet of water using ¼ ounce jigs. He suggests looking for the fish around brushpiles in coves or on the lake’s points. Crappie fishing has also been good in Mozingo. Gary said that bottom bouncers are catching limits of slabs with live minnows on a jig or a Carolina rig. He says that the crappies seem to be concentrated in 18 to 20 feet of water with some of the best action coming around the dam. 

West
Lake Tahoe is a perfect place to spend a holiday weekend. Crisp air, warm fire, falling snow, good friends, and fishing! While the ski season is only a snow storm away, anglers fishing the lake are catching limits of trout. Captain John Shearer at Tahoe Sportfishing Company told us that the Mackinaws are stacked up on the humps in 100 to 200 feet of water. John is rigging live minnows with treble hooks and trolling them behind down riggers. “We’re finding schools of fish that are 20 to 30 feet thick,” he said. Sounds like Tahoe anglers will be eating trout for Thanksgiving dinner.—Ric Burnley

Northeast
Now that the election is over, anglers in battleground states can concentrate on battling some big fish this fall. According to Jim Bender at Lower Forty Outfitters (www.lowerforty.com) in Worcester, Mass, November means fishing the Swift River. As other rivers in New England begin to glass over with ice, the tailwaters of the Swift will remain open to anglers. “We’re catching rainbows, browns, and brookies,” he said. The water is clear and the fish are wary, which means using 12-foot leaders down to 7X and small midges and emergers. Anglers will find easy access to the river by parking on the west end of Rt. 9. “We can fish through the end of January,” he said, “that’s when it gets really brutal.” Jim also had reports about a run of land ocked salmon on the Sillwater River. He recommends fishing after a rainfall with bright streamers. “Look for the salmon on gravely areas of the river,” he said, “the best bite has been at the confluence above the reservoir.” 

Southeast
The presidential election wasn’t the only contest on angler’s minds this week. Bill Dibble at Dance’s Sporting Goods (www.dancessportingoods.com) outside Richmond was concerned about the 2008 Bass Casters Invitational Tournament on the James River. Bill targeted the creeks along the Appomatics River focusing on deadfalls with crankbaits and spinner baits. Bill’s biggest fish was over 3 pounds and his stringer weighed 9 and a half pounds, but it wasn’t enough to beat the first place team’s 11-pound catch.  “We had the right fish on, but we lost him,” Bill resigned. He said that the winning team was using the same tactic on a different part of the river. There are also good numbers of striped bass mixed in with the bass. Reports that catfishing is starting to get good around Dutch Gap at the Benjamin Harris Bridge.  Soaking chunks of herring in the deeper channels of the River for big channel and blue cats will keep VA anglers warm through the winter. 

South
So, what’s a candidate to do after the election? Go to Disney World, of course. Besides the Tea Cups and Pirates of the Caribbean, Orlando offers some excellent opportunities for fresh and salt water fishing.  Captain Rich Thomas at Bitters Bait and Tackle (www.bittersbaitandtackle.com) has been heading to Mosquito Lagoon and chasing speckled trout. “This is the time of year when the speckled trout action heats up as the weather cools,” he told us.  Rich looks for the fish to push into shallower water as the water temperatures drop. He suggests launching a boat at River Bridge Park or Haul Over Canal and fishing a fluke or skip shad. Sweet water fishing should also improve as the water gets cold. He reported that anglers are finding steady action on largemouth in Lake Toho and the Harris Chain by working crankbaits and big rubber worms on the grassy points and sharp edges. 

Midwest
Once the acceptance speeches and victory parties are over, the President-elect can load his family into the wagon and head out of Chicago for some fly fishing. Jon Uhlenhop at Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters (www.chicagoflyfishingoutfitters.com) suggested that the president and his men head to the Milwaukie River to fish for steelhead, lake trout, and browns. “How you fish the river depends on the water flow,” Jon explained. When the water is low, he suggests dead drifting nymphs, egg patterns and leaches. “Brown trout love chartreuse,” he points out, “while steelhead love Oregon cheese egg patterns.” When the water is running high, Jon switches to swinging.“Look for moderate current to perform a controlled swing over an area,” he says. Jon likes streamers in natural colors. “Top producers are olive or olive brown and black and red or black and purple,” he said. Jon added that there is plenty of parking and easy access at Estabrook Park off Capital Drive. “There is almost 2 miles of river to fish and it never feels crowded,” he said.   

West
Nothing makes a person feel better than catching a fish. To pick up their spirits after loosing the election, the challenger and his people may want to get out of town and do some fishing. Aaron Lambert at Fisherman’s Choice Pro Shop (www.fishermanschoiceproshop.com) in Phoenix recommends running up to Lake Alamo or Havasu and taking his frustration out on largemouth bass. At Lake Alamo, Aaron has been pitching Sweet Beaver soft plastics and a ¼ to ½ ounce tungsten weight at downed trees.  He’s found the best results with the colors “white trash” and “sprayed grass.”  He said that anglers working ¼ to ½ ounce football headed jigs and Hula grubs along the rocky shoreline at the dam are also catching good numbers of largemouth.  Lake Havasu is even farther from Phoenix, and the fishing is a little better.  “The cool thing about Havasu is that the striper are starting to go crazy,” he said. Aaron has been catching striped bass under working birds with a Lucky Craft Pointer 100. When the birds aren’t working, Aaron says you can find the striper by looking for the boats that are dragging anchovies off Windsor beach. While everyone is fishing for striper, Aaron will go off and look for largemouth. “Sometimes we’ll go up the river and pitch and flip Flapping Hogs at the tulies,” Aaron said.  

Northeast
Fishing on the Susquehanna River was scary good this week. The fish came out for a treat and anglers showed them a trick. George Acord at Susquehanna Fishing Tackle (www.sfttackle.com) told us that the fall bite was in full swing. He said that water temperatures are in the low-50s and the water is rising into optimal range at 17000 CFS. “The smallmouth are aggressive,” he said, reporting that fish averaging 3 pounds are striking at anything that moves. George says that the most popular baits are a Bill Norman and Bandit crankbaits that dive 4 to 8 feet. Catching smallmouths with a jerkbait is a no brainer, George says, recommending Lucky Crafts Pointer 100 in ghost minnow and chartreuse. “We’re catching good quality fish on jerkbaits,” he said. On cloudy days with light wind, George says that the smallies are crushing topwaters. “We’ve been catching fish to 4 pounds on Lucky Craft Sammys,” he said. The bass go into hiding on bright sunny days, but George will tempt them with a tube jig on a 1/8 ounce leadhead and 8 pound test fluorocarbon. While the water level is high, he looks for fish hanging around islands and in the main river shorlines. When the level goes back down, the fish will move to submerged rock ledges. “The dam is open and the fish are going off,” he said, “this is our favorite time of year.” 

Southeast
Atlanta anglers are getting a nice treat for Halloween this year—the delayed harvest sections of the Chattahoochee River will open to fishing on November 1. Paul Puckett at Fish Hawk (www.thefishhawk.com) told us that the sections of the river that run through downtown Atlanta will be stocked and ready for fishing on Saturday. He recommends using a parachute Adams dry fly with a nymph dropper. “All the access points are hot,” he says, “because that’s where they dump the fish.”  If the easy spots are too crowded, Paul suggests anglers sneak off to the deeper drops along the river that will hold more fish and fewer fishermen. “Fishing should be good until the fish smarten up,” he said.  Anglers who want to leave town for the weekend should head up to Toccoa River and fish below the dam or at Curtis Switch Road or Horseshoe Bend. Paul says that the water is off color due to the Blueridge Lake switching over, so anglers should use Adam dry flies or streamers. He says that the Nantahala River in North Carolina would also be a great destination for a weekend getaway. “If I could go somewhere this weekend,” he said, “that’s where I’d go.” 

South
Bass fishing is serious business around Tulsa, Oklahoma and this week business is good. Jack Kitchen at Okie Bait and Tackle in Broken Arrow reports that bass fishing has been excellent in Grand, Gibson, and Hudson Lakes. He said that the best baits have been soft plastics, square-bill crankbaits, and spinner baits. “A soft plastic worms on a Carolina rig with a ¾ ounce eggsinker has been the ticket,” he said. Jack reported that anglers are intercepting bass that are chasing shad in the back creeks and on secondary points. He added that guys are catching big cats on the flats in the mainlakes close to creek channels with chunks of shad. Smallmouth are also snapping on crankbaits, spinners, and Senkos at Lake Tenkiller. “Look for the fish hanging on chunk rocks,” he said. Jack didn’t forget about crappies, he said that they are on all the structure in the lakes taking minnows.

Midwest
It seems that all of the kids in costumes have scared away the fish on the western shore of Lake Erie. Or maybe it was the persistent offshore winds that have pushed the water and fish out of Maumee Bay. Not to fear, according to Jackie Mainzinger at Fisherman’s Cave (www.fishermanscave.com), the walleye and perch have just moved around the bend to Bolles Harbor and Luna Pier. She said that anglers casting Bombers off the end of the pier at night have been connecting with some nice-sized walleye. The perch are falling for spreaders, she said. “When the wind stop blowing, the water and fish will return,” Jackie assured us. She recommends anglers fish Turtle Island and the Toledo Harbor Lights with Bombers and blade baits.

West
Anglers in Central California are waiting for cooler weather to fire up the trout in local lakes. Until then, they are taking advantage of great bass fishing. Eric Mathiesen at Been There Caught That, reported that anglers dragging rubberworms with a Carolina rig or throwing spinner baits to the banks and structure are scoring double digit catches of largemouth. Once the water temperatures drop below 60 degrees, locals will switch to trolling spinners and Krocodile spoons and triple teasers. On the saltwater scene, Eric reported good fishing for rock cod and ling cod out of Point San Lois. He suggests taking one of the local headboats for some rock cod action before the season ends on November 30. Eric has been targeting big sharks from Pismo and Gaviota piers. “That’s one of my favorite places to fish,” he said.—Ric Burnley

Northeast
The striper bite is going off on Montauk. “It’s been a great season,” reports Susan Jappell at Paulies Bait and Tackle www. pauliestackle. com.  She told us that surf anglers are experiencing blitzes every day. “The best action has been on the north of the lighthouse,” she told us, “but no one will tell us exactly where the fish are. ” She did know that the fish have been caught on Pimple Poppers during the day and live eels at night. Earlier in the week, Willie Young whacked a 52-pound bass with a bottle plug to take first place in the Montauk Local Surfcasters Tournament. Several other anglers have landed fish that made them eligible for Paulie’s 40-pound club. Jack Yee (www. jackyee. com) added that the bass blitzes occur at a different location each day and anglers must predict where and when the fish will hit to get in on the action. He said that locations like the Bluff, Oyster Point, Shagwon, Westside Jetty, Turtle Cove, Town Beaches and Hither Hill to Deadman have been good locations. “The local sharpies play roadrunner chasing the bass and birds all day,” he said.   

Southeast
Fall is a fantastic time to fish the backwaters of the South East. Amy Golden at Tybee Island Bait and Tackle reported that sheepshead fishing has been good around the jetties and bridge pilings. She said the fish are looking for a small piece of fiddler crab on a size 1 live bait hook and a Carolina rig with a 2-ounce eggsinker. Speckled trout fishing has also been good on Ocean Pier, in the South Channel and around Little Tybee Island. These fish will fall for a live shrimp, but Amy says that a Berkley Gulp! on a ¼ ounce jighead will also work. Redfish action is also hot. The big bulls are in the ocean sucking up chunks of cut mullet while the smaller reds are thick in the creeks taking Berkley Gulp! Shrimp, DOA shrimp or natural shrimp.  Amy has seen some king mackerel come to the scales this week, but the fishing hasn’t been read hot. Both inshore and offshore fishing should pick up this fall, she said. Boats fishing out of Charleston are thick into the sailfish this week. They are releasing double digits of sails in 200 feet of water with ballyhoo rigged on a circle hook. The fish will only be there for a short time, so get on the bite while the getting is good! 

South
This is a great time to head to New Orleans for some rest, relaxation, and great fishing. From Hook and Line Tackle in New Orleans, Anthony Macaluso had news that speckled trout and redfish action has fired up at Delagux, Shell Beach and Hopedale. Guys are using Gulp!, Bass Assassin’s or DOA shrimp under a popping cork to catch the trout. Anthony suggests putting the bait on a ¼ ounce jig head and hanging it 3 feet under a cork.   He suggests anglers look for the trout on points and oyster bars in the marshes adding that the key to finding specks is finding moving water.   Folks fishing the lakes are finding trout under diving birds while the reds are hanging on the grasslines at the edge of the marsh. “You’ll see the water moving with live shrimp,” he says, “that’s where the reds will be. ” Offshore action has been slow due to bad weather, but Anthony expects the boats to find good numbers of tuna, wahoo, grouper, and snapper around the oil rigs off Venice and the Chandelier Islands.   

Midwest
With cooler weather and shorter days, fishing in the upper Midwest has really turned on. Steve Palmisano at Henry’s Sports in Chicago declared the Illinois River red hot this week. He said that water level has receded and the white bass are hitting minnows on a jig or live bait rig. “The secret to the bite is to keep the bait moving,” he said. Steve suggests fishing the inlets, creek mouths, bridges, and shallow sand beds from Hennipen to Starved Rock Dam. “Anywhere the water is moving and turning and the fish can ambush live bait,” he explained. Salmon and steelhead are also on the feed this week. Joseph Meyer at One More Cast Fly Shop reported that the fish are running up the tributaries of Lake Michigan on the Milwaukee River and Sheboygan River. He suggests swinging large streamers in orange and black with 8-weight  rods and floating line. “Low light conditions are the best,” he said. Joseph said that smallmouth are cooperating in the Fox River. He recommends using larger flies up to a size 2 to catch the biggest smallies. “We haven’t had three stable days of weather in a row,” Joseph complained, “every 18 hours we get a cold front passing through.” When the fish have lockjaw, Joseph recommends working the fly super slow to entice them to bite.   

West
Bob Cassidy at Anglers Arsenal outside San Diego told us that the salt water fishing has been good for yellowfin tuna. He said that the fish are scattered, with most of the action coming south of the Mexican border. Once anglers find the tuna they can catch limits of fish by trolling feathers or casting live anchovies to kelp beds. Freshwater fishing has also been good. Since San Vicente Reservoir is closed while the water department rebuilds the dam, anglers have to find other places to fish. Bob says that the best options are to fish El Capitan or Otay Reservoir. He suggests using drop shot worms in the deeper water or throwing a topwater plug early in the morning. “We’re selling a lot of Spro frogs,” he says, “so that’s an indication of the hot bait. ”  Bob adds that a 4 to 8 inch Huddleston, Spro, swimbaits has also been a big seller. “You don’t get as many bites on the bigger baits,” he says, “but the fish you catch will be bigger. ” Bob said that Roland Martin was filming a show about the Spro baits a few weeks ago on Vale Lake. “He would be talking about the bait and get a bite in one shot,” Bob said, “it was kind of neat. ”

Northeast
Blackfish season opened up this week, and Gary Brummet at Connecticut Outfitters reports that the fish are hungry. He said that the best bite will be on green crabs fished on a 3-way rig with a no. 2 octopus hook. “The fish are shallow in the fall,” Gary told us, “so look for them on rockpiles in 6 to 12 feet of water.” Gary also announced the beginning of the fall striper run. “Shorefishing opportunities are never better,” he said, suggesting surf jockeys look for fish in Waterford with live eels at night and chunks of bunker or large wooden plugs during the day. On the freshwater scene, Gary told us that the Crappie bite has fired up. “It’s the time of year for filling the freezer,” he said. He recommends using a small shiner or a maribou crappie jigs. Meanwhile, carp fishing is the hot new trend on the Connecticut River. “It’s like a European invasion with British, Irish, Polish and Bosnian anglers stopping by the shop everyday,” he said. Anglers are catching 30-pound carp on hair rigs with flavored corn,” he said. These guys are gearing up for the Hartford Tournament of Champions—a 72-hour carp fishing marathon that will be held on October 15.

Southeast
Fall has come early to the Southeast. Jim Bettis at Jim’s Bait and Tackle said that the seasonal run of crappie, bream and shellcrackers has already kicked off on Lake Wylie, Lake Norman, and Mountain Island outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Jim said that the best bait has been a cricket, minnow, or red worm with a No. 4 to No. 6 hook under a bobber. Jim told us that the FLW bass tour blew through town last week and the winning stringer was over 20 pounds. Low water has plagued trout fishermen in the area. Sink Kimmel at Jesse Brown Outdoors told us that fly fishing should pick up in the area as the stocking program starts in the next few weeks. He said that low water has hampered the operation over the last month. The best bet is to fish traditional dry and wet flies in Stone Mountain State Park, Mitchell River, and Watauga River for native fish. 

South
This week’s crappie report comes from Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas just over the Louisiana border. When we called American Angler, Carol Ener reported that fishing has been slow, but the action is picking up. She told us that the slabs are falling for minnows fished under a bobber. Local sharpies report that the best bite has been in shallower water. “We just had a big storm come through and stir the water up,” Carol explained. Fishing for largemouth bass has also slowed considerably. Carol said that the best action is coming on Ribbits, Pop-Rs, and RattLtraps worked around the grasslines.

On the saltwater side, Devlin Roussell of Reelpeace charters in Venice, Louisiana (504-481-1327) reports that the yellowfin tuna fishing is on fire. More interested in reds and specks? Then give Ryan Lambert at Cajun Fishing Adventures a shout (985-785-9855). The fall bite for big bulls is also hot.

Midwest
The big news around Lincoln, Nebraska is about big catfish on Branch Oak Lake. Glenn Hartmann at Wolf Tackle Supply reports that anglers trolling deep-diving Rapala’s have been scoring on flatheads to 65 pounds as well as channel and blue cats up to 40 pounds. “The plug has got to churn up the bottom to get the fish’s attention,” he said. Glenn added that bass fishing has been good on the local ponds and reservoirs. He said that dark colored soft plastics have been the sure thing, but a buzz bait worked through the shallows can be the ticket early in the morning. When the fish are stacked on points and humps, Glenn suggests using a diving crank bait like a Bagley’s Little O or a Bomber. 

West
We checked in with Jim McAllister at Jim’s Bait and Tackle outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Last weekend, Jim hit Mundow Lake for rainbow trout. “We had 29 the first day and 24 the next,” he said. Jim was using a sinking fly line with a pistol Pete or bead-head wooly bugger. “We searched the lake with the fish finder until we found them concentrated then started nailing them once we found the color they wanted,” he said. By the way, the hot color was brown and black. Other species have been slow, he said, but trout fishing should pick up through the fall. Jim expects the next four weeks to be hot on the local lakes and high-mountain streams.—Ric Burnley

Northeast

Anglers looking to escape the mass confusion of metropolitan New York don’t have to run far this week. With cooler temperatures and shorter days, the rivers and streams of the Catskill Mountains are primed for great fishing. Tom Gentalen at River Basin Outdoors (www.riverbasinsports.com) in Catskill, New York reporting that smallmouth and largemouth bass are gearing up for their fall migration down the Hudson. Tom suggests looking for the largemouth at the confluence of feeder creeks where the fish will fall for a rubber worm, spinnerbaits or crankbaits. “Best colors in the fall are fire tiger or Tennessee shad,” Tom said. Fall is the best time of year to target smallmouth bass on the river. “Smallmouth key in on two things,” Tom said, “swift current and gravel beds.” He said that the smallies are still responding to poppers, but Tom suggests a drop shot and 3-inch worm for guaranteed action. “Guys are catching smallmouth to 4 pounds and putting together five-fish stringers pushing 17 pounds,” he said. Trout fishing in the mountain streams has been slow. Tom says that low, clear water has made it tough to trick the trout. For die-hard trout anglers, the best place to find the best conditions is Schoharie Creek between Prattsville and Hunter. “There are 7 or 8 public access points along Route 23A,” he says, “and they all hold fish.” Although a few fly anglers are having luck tricking brown trout with terrestrials, Tom reminds non-purists that these waters are open to spinfishing and natural bait, too. 

Southeast

After spending 700 billion taxpayer dollars to bail out the nation’s overdrawn banks, lawmakers are probably ready to get out of Washington and get on the water this weekend. Luckily, George Washington spent far less money constructing the C&O Canal and later administrations invested even less money in turning the waterway into a 180 mile-long national park that hosts some of the country’s best smallmouth bass fishing. For the 411 on fishing this national monument, we called Grizzly at Urban Angler (www.urbanangler.com) in the heart of D.C. “There is tons of public access along the canal,” he said, “just pull on some felt-soled boots and wade.” He suggests throwing cicada, dragonfly or crayfish imitations with a 6 to 8 weight rod. “Bigger baits will catch bigger fish,” he reminds anglers. Grizzly adds that largemouth fishing on the lower Potomac has been red hot. “It’s not just for guys in sparkly bass boats,” he says. Grizzly has been fishing the grass beds with his fly rod and frog flies and finding quiet creeks where he sparks the bass with popping bugs or Clouser deep minnows. “Fly guys are giving the Potomic River bass something they haven’t seen before,” he says.

South

Anglers looking to pop down to the Keys for a weekend getaway should head to Islamorada where they can spend Saturday offshore and Sunday fishing the backwaters before catching the red-eye flight back to work Monday morning. Bill Hartman at Bud and Mary’s (www.budnmarys.com) said that the day-time swordfish bite is off the hook right now. Crews fishing on the B&M have been dropping rigged squid 1500 to 2000 feet and scoring big swords on each trip. After they punch their sword ticket, the boats are loading up on dolphin. “Backcountry fishing has been red hot,” Bill adds. He says that skinny water guides are busy with snook, seatrout and bonefish fishing the muds in Everglades Park. Even tarpon are still biting on the night bite. Bill says that the best action is coming around the bridges with live crabs or pinfish dangling under foam floats. “It’s all on right now,” he said.

Midwest

For the latest on the fall crappie run, we called 40 Woods Bait and Tackle in Kansas City where Mark Hill assured us that the local lakes are chocked full of hungry slabs. Anglers are finding the fish suspended in 10 to 12 feet of water over brushpiles. He suggests using a garlic-impregnated Slab Buster jig in chartreuse or orange or a live minnows on a No. 6 hook under a bobber. Mark points anglers to the public access points on Lake Jacomo and Long View where boaters can launch their rigs and shore fishermen can fish the marina piers. He adds that Lake Jacomo is also holding some nice-sized catfish for anglers fishing the shallows at night with night crawlers.   

West

California bass fishing really turns on in the fall and the lakes around Monterey are already ahead of the curve. Denise Bradford at Coyote Bait and Tackle (www.coyotebait.com) between San Francisco and Santa Cruz reported that Anderson Reservoir is putting up good quantities of bass. “The fish are small, but there are plenty of them,” she said, adding that lucky anglers might encounter a 4- or 5-pound fish. The best method for bailing these bass is bouncing a drop shot and Senko along the points and channels in the Reservoir. “You can get your limit any day,” she said. Crappie fishing has picked up in the last few weeks, Denise says the fish are hanging over submerged trees in the north and south ends of the lake. For folks looking for a change of pace, Denise suggests targeting striped bass on San Luis Reservoir out of O’Neill Forebay. She says that the best action is early in then morning when the fish are feeding on the surface and taking popping plugs. “Most of the fish are 3 to 5 pounds, but we’ll get a lunker every once-in-a-while,” she says. Striper fishing is also improving on the San Francisco Delta where guides are catching fish on topwater plugs or by trolling broken-back lures or drifting big minnows and pile worms. Denise recommends fishing the areas around Rio Vista at Frank’s Bay or Discovery Bay.—Ric Burnley