Sorry about your “happy” day at Jordanelle. And sorry you didn’t score at Utah Lake.
Sorry to disappoint you but I do not have tight connections with the dieties that help me catch more fish. Gotta work it out on every trip.
First of all, this is a tough time of year for all anglers and all species. The transition from summer to fall to winter has the fish making adaptations and establishing new patterns. That usually requires at least a couple of days of stable conditions after a big change to let them settle down and deal with the new environment. Wind, murky water and dropping water temps all combine to put the fish in a neutral or negative mode.
Another factor is location. The place you caught all the fish last time is not always the best place to find fish on your next trip…especially if there have been changes to the conditions that existed on your last trip. Fish move around to find food or more comfortable living conditions. And some species are constantly on the move. The only thing that keeps them in one area is either lots of food or more comfortable water temps.
One of my favorite sayings is “Ya cain’t ketch 'em where they ain’t.” Seems simple enough. You gotta locate fish before you can expect to catch any. But the followup to that is “Findin’ 'em ain’t no gayrontee that you gonna ketch 'em.” That is especially true with walleyes. You can be fishing in the middle of a huge school of them and not get a mere inquiry. They are like cats. They do what they want, how they want and when they want.
This time of year can be double frustrating. You can catch fish one day and blank the next…even while fishing the same stuff in the same place. And even worse, you can see lots of fish on sonar so you know they are there. Sometimes I hate sonar.
The good news is that the flip side is also true. You can fish for hours without a tug and then suddenly the fish gods flip the switch and you can fill the boat. Either the fish move into the zone or they suddenly get on a feeding binge. Don’t question it. Just go with it and be grateful.
This is the time of year I sometimes stray from my normal routine of fishing early mornings. If I want to catch fish during colder weather I might delay my arrival on the water until late afternoon…after the sun has warmed it up a few degrees during the day. Walleyes are often active at daybreak but will be even more so in that “magic hour” just as the sun is going down. If they aren’t hitting during the day they will likely get with it right at sundown. I have had some barnburner hours at that time over the years…both on Willard and Utah Lake.
White bass are likely to bite all during the day and especially after the sun hits the water in the morning. This time of year they really move around, looking for pockets of small fry from this years spawn…baby bluegills, crappies, catfish, carp and even their own young…which are now about 4" long but still get eaten by larger whities. They don’t stay in one place long and are constantly looking for rocks and aquatic vegetation where tasty young morsels might be hiding out. Back in harbors can be good places to look for them.
So, before you jump off your tacklebox, start planning your next trip around the weather. When you can see a few days of warming temps and calm conditions you can be more optimistic and finding and catching fish.
A long range forecast I watched on TV recently projected that our area would have a warmer and drier fall/early winter than normal. If that happens we can count on some good fishing ahead. If not…well, that’s just Utah…and typical weather forecasting.
One last thing. As the water temps drop you will do far better on plastics and feather jigs rather than hardbaits. When the fishes’ metabolism slows down they won’t move as far or as fast to munch a lure. Use light heads on big plastics to slowly creep the plastics through the pokey fishes’ living room. Use light and sensitive rods and stay tuned for very light bites. This is when the finesse fishermen take over and catch most of the fish. “Washing” crankbaits is not your best option. You can still catch the occasional fish on them but you will do far better with plastic presentations.