Secrets of Fantastic Fall Fishing

Posted on September 18, 2012 by HavalonKnives

By Bernie Barringer

Where you’ll find crappies, walleyes, largemouth, northern pike and musky in fall.

Are you missing some of the best fishing of the year? When the leaves turn colors and you put down your rods and reels to pick up your guns and bows, the answer is “Yes”. A day on the lake surrounded by the beauty of fall is glorious, but under the surface fish are putting on the feedbag to get ready for a lean winter. Plus, boat traffic and fishing pressure is at a minimum. You might even find you have the lake to yourself.

The Key – The Fall Turnover

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Fall fishing can be a family affair, as Bernie Barringer’s photos show. You may have to bundle up to enjoy cool days, but the
action can be hot.

In the fall, the lake is changing. Everyone knows about the “turnover”, but few people really understand how it affects fish location. In short, since warm water rises and cooler water sinks, lakes stratify during the summer. By midsummer, most lakes have a thermocline, a distinct division between warm and cold water. Fish can’t spend much time below the thermocline where cold water holds little oxygen.

As autumn arrives, the warmer surface water cools until it reaches the same temperature as the lower level, and then the whole lake mixes. This usually occurs over just a day or two. During this time the water can be quite turbid, but as soon as turnover is complete, the entire fishery changes. Let’s look at some of the top locations for four species of fish after the turnover.

 

Crappies

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When the leaves are off the trees, the bass move shallow and it’s the best time of the year to hook up with a true lunker bass, like this one Sterling Barringer caught.

Fall fishing for crappies can be so easy even a caveman could do it – a caveman with good electronics. Crappies are notoriously hard to find during the summer because they tend to spread out over a large area of open water and suspend. They are still suspended in the fall too, but they are really bunched up.

The first time I found a huge school of October crappies, I thought something was wrong with my depthfinder. It showed a huge black band from 10 feet to 20 feet down over 30 feet of water. Turns out they were crappies. Big ones. I tipped a tiny jig with a small minnow, counted down to 15 feet, and had one of the most amazing days of crappie fishing in my life.

Look for this phenomenon in necked down areas of lakes with deep water. These “narrows” concentrate the fish. They’re not very aggressive but you have a captive audience, so spend some time working them over. Be patient and keep your bait in the right zone – slightly above the main part of the school – and you’ll have some amazing fishing.

Walleyes

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Dawson’s big walleye proves that the beauty of a prime fall day is only surpassed by the quality of the fishing. (Photo by Bernie Barringer)

Walleyes go deep in the fall. Sometimes really deep. I can take you to a spot where you can catch walleyes at 60 to 80 feet in October. The lake you fish may not have water that deep so look for the deepest water of the lake. Then do what I do – find a structural element such as a point or a saddle, a gravel hump, or maybe a shelf along a steep break.

There are two ways to fish them most effectively. The first is with a big minnow or chub on a lindy rig. Slowly move around the structure with your minnow on the bottom and when you feel a bite, give the fish plenty of time. Big baits are the rule in the fall – young-of-the-year fish are growing up and that’s what the walleyes are feeding on.

The other method is a bottom bouncer and spinner with a nightcrawler. This is your best choice if the bottom is rocky. Pull it around until you contact a fish and if you see a pod of them on your sonar, stop and drop a jig over the side to fish them vertically. Walleyes are not as schooled up in the fall, especially when they are deep, so don’t spend a lot of time with the jig unless you see a good sized bunch of them.

Largemouth Bass

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Big pike and muskies cruise shallow weedy flats in the fall and they tend to be aggressive. (Photo by Cheri Barringer)

While walleyes go deeper in the fall, bass are going the other direction. Weed-choked summertime shallows are now opening up as weed growth begins to die back. Bass can hunt more effectively in the skinny water once again, and you’ll find them in many of the same areas you found them in the spring.

Bass do not feed much during the winter, but they really bulk up in the fall. They’ll aggressively hit spinnerbaits slow-rolled through the weeds. Some of the best cover in fall is the stuff you couldn’t even get a lure though a month earlier. Now you can work a spinnerbait slowly through it, dropping it into the openings. Use a spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade so it helicopters real nice as it drops. It’s one of the most fun ways to fish bass.


Northern Pike and Muskies

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Cheri and Sterling are trying to boat a big one
during a breezy fall day.

Summer finds pike and muskies set up on the deep edges of weedlines, ready to ambush any unsuspecting prey that drifts by. But come fall, they go on the prowl and use a hunting strategy more than an ambush strategy. They love cruising large weed flats, mostly in the 4- to 8-foot deep range. The more expansive the weed flats the better. For exciting action on warm days, use large bucktails like the Cowgirl or the Muskie Maverick; on colder days use twitchbaits or jerkbaits.

One of the most effective ways to fish large weed flats is simply to cut the motor on the upwind side of the flat and drift across it, fan-casting in all directions as you go. If you see a fish come to the boat lazily following your bait, mark the spot and come back during the warmest part of the day and try for it again.

This fall, don’t put your tackle away when you start to think about hunting seasons. Pick a few nice fall days and take advantage of the fantastic fall fishing on a lake near you. And get a Havalon Baracuta filet knife ready, because you are going to need it!

***
About Bernie Barringer

bernie-barringerBernie Barringer hunts a variety of species in several states and Canadian provinces. He has published more than 400 articles in two dozen outdoor magazines and authored ten books on hunting, fishing and trapping. He is the managing editor of Bear Hunting Magazine, and blogs his hunts on his websitewww.bowhuntingroad.com.

For more articles by Bernie, click here.

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Hunting Tips: Five Things Hunters Forget About Whitetails

Posted on September 12, 2012 by HavalonKnives

by Bill Vaznis

Simply scratching your nose can send a buck packing.

When it comes to hunting whitetails, sooner or later we all try a short cut. And when we do, we know we’re taking a chance. We break a rule or do something we know we shouldn’t, but we do it anyway….and often suffer the consequences. Take these five mistakes for example. I think you will see what I mean.

#1 – They’ll Smell You

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Deer will pick up your ground scent hours after you have passed by if you are not careful. Wear knee-high rubber boots whenever possible and spray them with scent elimination products
or the urine of local critters.

A buck’s sniffer is legendary, and indeed most long-time deer hunters have a story or two about the trophy buck that escaped unscathed because the buck caught wind of the hunter. With experience we learn to practice scent control, but somewhere along the line we throw caution to the wind….and let our human stench permeate the landscape.

When do we most often commit this cardinal sin? When we are walking back to camp after the hunt. We know that air born odors dissipate quickly, but we forget the scent we leave on the ground can spook a buck hours after we have gone home.

The solution is simple. Re-spray your boots with a quality scent elimination product or the urine from a fox, coyote or coon before you begin the trek back to camp. It will help keep your presence in the deer woods a long-held secret.

#2 – They’ll Hear You, But They Might Not Know What You Are

A buck’s hearing is also high caliber. More than one buck has high-tailed it to safety after hearing an approaching hunter snapping a twig as he shuffles through dead leaves. But did you know that you can lure a rutting buck into easy shooting range the same way – by simply snapping a twig?

That’s right! A doe near estrous often attracts several bucks as suitors, but she will do everything possible to evade their advances if she is not yet ready to breed. If a buck loses her, a simple snap of a dry twig can lead him to believe he has relocated the hot doe… and to come running right at you. We forget the urge to breed can overcome a buck’s survival instincts.

#3 – They Won’t Be As Big As You Think

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This muzzleloader hunter has positioned himself inside a tangle of tree branches. You are not as likely to be picked off by a buck when you take refuge in hideaways like this.

When you are straining your eyeballs for a glimpse of that buck, don’t expect it to be as big as an elephant. Years ago I shot a big woods buck that dressed out at 200 pounds on the camp scales. I had a taxidermist complete a life size mount of the buck, and when hunters see the stuffed animal they invariably comment on its diminutive size. I am five foot ten inches tall, and that buck’s back barely reaches my waist line.

The lesson here is timeless. Even a big-bodied buck is not a big animal. A northern big woods specimen stands about 40 inches tall along the top of his back. We expect to see a large critter, but when you are scanning the woods for a glint of antler or his black-tipped nose, think something closer to rabbit than rhino.

#4 – Their Eyes Pick Up The Little Things

We all know that a whitetail’s eyes are geared towards motion, and with their 330-degree arc of vision it is almost as if they have eyes in the back of their head. They can pick up the slightest movement and vamoose before you have time to raise your weapon. What many hunters seem to forget is that a buck can also pick out your stationery silhouette.

You can put your back up against the trunk of a large tree to break up your outline, but simply scratching your nose can send a buck packing… an act we know we should not do. Instead, crawl inside a blow down or a small copse of trees where there are branches in front of and behind you. These will help conceal those involuntary movements we all seem to make. You will be surprised how close a buck will pass without having the slightest hint you are hiding inside the branches. When you must move an arm, keep all movements very slow and vertical.

#5 – Often, They Don’t Run Far

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Spook a big buck and he might not go far. He’d rather be cautious than run into another threat. Circle around downwind, and you might
catch him in his bed.

When we jump a buck, we generally believe all is lost and we don’t bother going after him. We forget how smart a trophy buck can be. Bucks that run pell-mell through the forest tend to be quickly culled, but those bucks that bolt away for 100 yards or so and then stop to survey their surroundings more often than not survive to trophy status.

What can you do? Don’t give up the chase! Wait 20 minutes or so, even if the woods are filled with hunters, and then circle around down wind. You might just catch that buck flatfooted looking for you by checking his back trail. Heck, you might even catch
him in his bed!

***

About Bill Vaznis

A lifetime of hunting and outdoor writing has put Bill’s byline in every major outdoor magazine in North America. He is an archery columnist for Bowhunting World, the former editor of Bear Hunting Magazine, and has published over 1,000 articles and columns plus thousands of photographs on bowhunting, big-game hunting and freshwater fishing. He has also published three how-to hunting books: Successful Black Bear Hunting, 500 Deer Hunting Tips and Still-Hunting Trophy Whitetails. He lives on a farm in upstate New York with Grizz, a 30-pound woodchuck with a voracious appetite for the neighbors’ gardens.

For more articles by Bill, click here.
And you’ll need a crazy sharp Piranta to skin your deer
once you’ve got him. 

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Squirrel Hunting: Are You Making These 5 Mistakes?

Posted on September 10, 2012 by HavalonKnives

By Cara Hunt

In The Early Season It’s Easy to Forget Your Hunting Skills

squirrel-hunting-mistakesWhen you’re ready to go squirrel hunting, you’re excited to get in the woods and bag a mess of bushy tails. But if you’re not careful, you’ll be coming home with a lot of nothing to show for all your excitement. The most important thing for squirrel hunters to understand, especially those new to the sport, is that fruitful squirrel hunting doesn’t happen overnight. Here are a few hunting skills in reverse: things to avoid.  For seasoned hunters who need a refresher, be honest with yourself. It’s likely you’ve made at least one, if not all of the following mistakes when you’ve gone out on a hunt.

1. You make noise – a lot of noise. Most hunters don’t realize just how much noise they make when they tromp into a hunting ground. Even the slightest snap of a twig can cause every bushy tail in the area to run for cover and stay there for a long time. You may think you’re walking quietly, but to those squirrels you sound like a circus parade. Learning to walk as quietly as possible is a key hunting skill, and as you improve your stalking you’ll find that squirrel hunting becomes much more fruitful.

2. You lose your patience, give up and go home. Every experienced hunter knows that good things come to those who wait. In most cases you won’t walk into a hunting area and immediately come across a large group of squirrels. Be realistic and understand that you may have to wait 15 minutes or more for  squirrels to become active after you’ve taken up a position. You may even have to wait 30 minutes or more before you see your first squirrel since, just like people, squirrels sit and take a breather between feedings. And remember, the more noise you make, the longer your wait becomes.

squirrel-hunting-improves-hunting-skills3. You think it’s one and done. Squirrel hunting is not a one and done kind of deal. Once you shoot a squirrel, you should immediately go directly to the squirrel and make sure it is dead. Squirrels don’t always die the first time around and if you take it for granted that your one bullet will do these critters in, you’re likely to go home empty-handed.

4. You don’t hunt enough. Your spouse may not want to hear it or believe it, but the only way you’re going to get good at squirrel hunting is to go out as often as possible. Not only will regular hunting make you better at being quiet and patient, you’ll also become more familiar with the habits of your prey and the lay of the land. The more time you spend in your hunting area, the most likely you are to come home with your prize. Or multiple prizes, each and every time.

5. You don’t give the squirrels enough credit. Deer hunters quickly learn that deer are intelligent animals and that they know when you’re coming and where you’re at, long before you see them. Squirrels are equally, if not more, intelligent than most other animals. Not to mention they’re much smaller, more difficult to lock on and they’re super quick.

Remember, when you’re hunting squirrels, the worst thing you can do is go in half-cocked and overconfident. You should come in believing that you’ll take home the kill but never underestimate the power of animals on their home turf.  Seasoned hunters know that squirrel hunting is a great time to hone their hunting skills.

Click here for the best small hunting knife for skinning squirrels.
For more articles on small game hunting, click here.

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Why Still-Hunting is Making a Comeback

Posted on September 7, 2012 by HavalonKnives

By Bill Vaznis

Bonus – 4 Tips To Get You Started In Still-Hunting

Some things never change. Take deer hunting for example. For ten thousand years primitive man and then white settlers procured their venison by sneaking and peeking “Indian Style” through the forests. These hardy souls survived and even flourished in part because they were participants in the grand and ancient scheme of things.

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Use binoculars to peer into the shadows – look for the curve of an antler or the twitch of an ear.

Then times changed. Portable tree stands were introduced in the early 1980s, and deer hunters took to the trees. Almost overnight whitetail harvest figures soared, and the art and science of still-hunting fell out of favor. More hunters are still-hunting – staying on the ground and moving slowly through the woods.

Recent years have seen a resurgence in still-hunting, and for three very good reasons.

First, deer hunters have come to realize that the idea behind tree stands is inherently dangerous, and falling fifteen feet can leave you permanently paralyzed….or worse. Indeed, as the hunting population grows older, getting in and out of an elevated perch becomes more and more difficult – increasing the chances of a tumble.

Second, we can factor in our economy to the rebirth of still-hunting. Many of us have to work longer hours, even pick up a part-time job, to make ends meet. Suddenly the time and expense of purchasing, erecting and maintaining a half-dozen aerial ambush sites becomes prohibitive. We no longer have every week end to hunt bucks, and spending any free time in the woods pursuing whitetails becomes a luxury.

Third, private hunting land is disappearing at an alarming rate. Years ago I had thousands of acres to hunt, but today those farms have been sold, divided up and sold again to the point I am left with two farms totaling less than 400 acres to deer hunt. And I have to share that with several other enthusiasts.

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Shoot from a kneeling position or a rest whenever possible – it will increase the odds of this scene.

Thankfully, many states have hundreds of thousands of acres of public land and wilderness set aside for outdoor recreation. These lands offer room to hunt, but often deer are few and far between. It’s possible for a hunter to sit in a tree stand for a full week and never see a deer. Indeed, bucks in the big woods can die of old age without ever getting a snoot full of nasty human stench.

However, if a hunter learns to still-hunt his chances of dropping the buck of a lifetime are actually very good. All a still-hunter has to do is find one…just one…and that generally means wearing out some shoe leather.

What can you do? Stop wasting precious time simply walking back and forth to your tree stand. Instead, learn to still-hunt along that same pathway and maximize your chances of filling out your buck tag.

Here are four tips to help get you get started. 

1.  See Him First

Your first goal is to see a racked deer before he is even remotely aware of your presence, so playing the wind is a given. If you are buck hunting with a firearm, try covering your face, ears and neck with a cold cream based camouflage like a bowhunter. A human’s bright face is a danger signal understood by whitetails everywhere. I don’t recommend head nets for still-hunting. They tend to obscure your vision, muffle your hearing, and deflect those subtle changes in wind direction off your bare skin.

2.  Walk With Your Eyes

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Camouflage all exposed skin to help you get the drop
on a buck like this one.

You must learn to walk first with your eyes…and then your feet. Look down briefly for a safe and quiet passageway, and then as you continue to scan ahead for a rack tip or black nose, take one or two steps without looking down. This will open up a whole new vista for your eyes to explore. Don’t move again until you are sure no deer are nearby. Here’s where binoculars can help.

3.  Walk Like a Feeding Deer

Humans walk with a distinct and predictable cadence…a dead giveaway to any nearby buck. Learn to mimic the muted sounds of a feeding deer instead. Their tempo, rhythm and speed are perfect, and if you happen to snap a twig, have a call ready. One or two imitation fawn bleats should relax any nearby deer.

4.  Moment Of Truth

The real secret to dropping a buck in his tracks, whether you’re still-hunting with a firearm or archery tackle, is to drop to one knee as soon as possible. Deer are not nearly as likely to recognize your crouched form as a source of danger, allowing you enough time to take careful aim…and make a deadly shot.

***

About Bill Vaznis

A lifetime of hunting and outdoor writing has put Bill’s byline in every major outdoor magazine in North America. He is an archery columnist for Bowhunting World, the former editor of Bear Hunting Magazine, and has published over 1,000 articles and columns plus thousands of photographs on bowhunting, big-game hunting and freshwater fishing. He has also published three how-to hunting books: Successful Black Bear Hunting, 500 Deer Hunting Tips and Still-Hunting Trophy Whitetails. He lives on a farm in upstate New York with Grizz, a 30-pound woodchuck with a voracious appetite for the neighbors’ gardens.

For more articles by Bill Vaznis, click here.

 

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Do It Yourself Duck Pond

Posted on September 6, 2012 by HavalonKnives

By Steve Weisman

The black plastic pond gamble –  a clever secret to waterfowl success in drought conditions.

Can dry weather affect waterfowl hunting? You bet it can! If you’re a waterfowler, you know that water conditions can change drastically. For the past several years, we’ve had more than enough water, but what happens when the water dries up and many of our small ponds literally evaporate away?

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From a distance, which is the perspective of flying ducks,
the pond looks real.

Keep reading – you’re about to discover the secret to waterfowl success in drought conditions.

I live in northwest Iowa, and several years ago my favorite a four-acre CRP pond dried up. It’s a half-mile off the road – the perfect duck hideaway. However, since it is a shallow restored wetland marsh, a hot, dry summer ruins it. I faced this dilemma, and took a “far-out” gamble that worked even better than I expected.

Build It and They Will Come

The dilemma? We weren’t willing to battle the crowds on the public sloughs, but we faced a bone-dry marsh. So, we “made” some look-alike water. We used black plastic, the type used to cover silage piles, and “faked” a pond. We picked a 90’ x 90’ area in the middle of the pond and went to work. We had no large equipment, only a riding mower, weed trimmers, my four-wheeler with blade, and shovels.

Simple Steps to Making a Fake Pond

First, since the marsh had been dry for most of the summer, we had to deal with lots of tough, clumpy slough grass. Our first job was to get that clipped down. We used a mower first, and then our weed trimmers to scalp it. We raked up the grass and put it up against the standing vegetation.

Then we took the four-wheeler and blade and skimmed off the mowed/trimmed area as well as we could so it was relatively clump-free.

Next we took the sheet of heavy, black plastic and cut it to fit a 50’ x 80’ area. Certainly not huge, but large enough we hoped. We chose a totally calm day to work the plastic. In a wind, it could have been a real mess. We dug a trench (just a few inches deep) all the way around the plastic and then put the outer edges of the plastic in the trench and covered the edges with dirt.

Setting Up the Spread

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No, the author’s son didn’t walk on water to retrieve these ducks, but that’s the illusion. It almost looks as if his foot is
submerged in the “water”.

Once complete, we stepped back about 50 yards and looked at the plastic water. Amazingly, it looked real even to us. Next, I took some old keel-less Carrylite decoys and placed them on the plastic. With no keel, the decoys could sit flat on the plastic.

Then we dug up a couple clumps of slough grass and placed them on the plastic. We hoped this would break up the “plastic look” and add realism.

We hunted Saturday and Sunday mornings, and each morning brought some five-gallon buckets filled with water to throw on the plastic. The water would pool just a little in the depressions. Plus, heavy dew on Saturday morning added more realism and a light Sunday morning rain shower helped even more.

Hunting the Fake Pond

Sunday was the better day when we took four mallards and two teal, but I think the overcast sky had something to do with that. In all, we had four flocks of mallards work the plastic on each day, along with different flocks of teal and the two wood ducks.

The funniest and most memorable moment had to be right at dawn on Sunday. A teal desperate to find water came zinging over, zipped right in and landed in the decoys. Was it ever surprised when it had a sliding landing on the slippery plastic!

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat, and the way the drought is hitting us right now, I can see it happening again this fall.

However, I believe you need at least three things going for you.

First, you do need at least a little water in the area to keep some ducks around.

Second, you need enough hunters to keep the ducks flying around.

Third, a cloudy day with some wind helps complete the illusion.

I had seen this work on ice before, so I just had to believe that it might work here. Will it work with northern mallards? Don’t know, because later that fall we received enough rain to give us a little pot of water.  Would it work day after day? Don’t know, maybe  not unless new flocks are coming in. However, I do know this. It did work during that early season, and if I need to do it again this fall, I certainly will.

One caution: if you create a fake plastic water pond, make sure you reserve some time to remove it. Ducks might get faked out, but landowners and others sure won’t think there’s anything fake about a big sheet of plastic left behind.

***

About Steve Weisman

A retired teacher, Steve Weisman is a member of OWAA and AGLOW* and has been a freelance outdoor writer for 19 years. He writes for several publications throughout the Midwest. He enjoys sharing news about the outdoors through his own experiences and the information gained from DNR wildlife and fisheries biologists and outdoor experts. Contact Steve at stweis@mchsi.com.

*OWAA is Outdoor Writers Association of America.
AGLOW is Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers.

 

For more articles on duck hunting, click here.

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