As I began writing this article about fall fishing, I was reminded that the temperature today in middle Georgia was 103 degrees and set an all-time record. Not the kind of temperatures one would expect when writing about the fall fishing season. 

Fall officially begins on Monday, but the fish do not have a calendar so what signals the fish that the fall season is approaching? Falling water temperature is their gauge as to when the transition to fall begins. The water temperature has not had any significant drop in several weeks and remains in the upper 80s.

Any significant drop is usually caused by lower nighttime temperatures and nighttime temperatures have stayed in the mid- to upper-70s. Any nighttime cooling is negated by daytime temperatures that continue to be in the upper-90s to even 100 degrees.

The forecast for this week is for temperatures to fall into the middle-80s during the day and into the upper-50s at night. However, after a few days of lower daytime and nighttime temperatures, the middle 90s are forecasted to return next week. 

It only takes a slight drop of a few degrees in water temperature to begin an ever so slight movement of the game fish and baitfish to shallow water. We saw an unusual summer season with very hot muggy weather. It was a typical Georgia summer on steroids. Many daytime temperatures hovered around the 100-degree mark.

Many of the fish in the area lakes quickly moved into their normal late summer pattern in deep water but many also stayed in fairly shallow water in the shad of grass and boat docks. However, the hot water had the fish under stress and angler success has been tough. The heat and dismal weather associated with dog days in July-August took hold and fishing remained tough throughout late summer and tough conditions remain now.

The fish bite is very slow now but a hint of fall in the air with cooler nighttime temperatures will indicate that better fishing is ahead. Just slightly cooler air temperatures will cool the water a few degrees and that will cause a slight fish movement to shallow water.

That will be just the beginning of things to come as the fall fishing season arrives based on water temperature and not the calendar. As water temperatures continue to drop, the fish will begin migrating back to shallow water into the creeks and coves in large numbers. The complete fall transition to shallow water will take several weeks.

The drop in water temperatures triggers a change in the fish’s movements and eating habits. The largemouth and other fish species will begin a very slow migration from their deeper summertime locations to the lake’s creeks and larger coves to feed on baitfish. 

Once the water temperature drops into the 70s and 60s, the largemouth will feed on shad that have taken up residence in large schools in the cooler oxygenated water found in the rivers, creeks and large coves.

The migration occurs over several weeks (normally late September through early December) but if you concentrate on locating schools of shad, those shad will let you know where the fish will likely be on any given day. There is no other time of the year when the presence of shad is more vital to an angler’s success in catching fish than in the fall.

Incoming creeks and small streams create high levels of oxygen and this draws the shad. The backs of the creeks and large coves will provide good water that is cooler and loaded with oxygen and the shad are drawn to those locations. The largemouth, crappie, catfish and hybrid/striped/white bass will then follow those schools of shad.

Shad (threadfin and gizzard) are the baitfish of choice on both Oconee and Sinclair and the shad are the key ingredient for successful fishing during the fall season. Find shad in shallow water during the fall and you will greatly improve your chances for finding fish. The fish are searching for shad so they can gorge themselves and fatten up before the onset of winter.

As I stated earlier, it will only take a slight drop in water temperature for the fish to realize that changes are coming. Those slight temperature changes are sure to begin soon even though the hot weather persists. The fish may be watching the shorter days and wondering what the heck is going on!

When the migration to shallow water to feed on shad begins, it is time to get out the crankbaits, topwater plugs, plastic worms, spoons and just about any lure and bait for largemouth and hybrid/striped/white bass and its time also for crappie anglers to hit the water and begin trolling again with jigs and minnows.

The fall fishing season is sure to begin soon even though as I write this article on September 17, it was the hottest day of the summer season. We are not yet into the fall fishing season but it is “surely” on the way. Good fishing and see you next week.   

 

— Outdoors columnist Bobby Peoples can be reached at brpeoples995@gmail.com.