Lake Geneva Fishing Club October '08

By David Floberg

Another summer has flown by!!! Fall is here and it’s time for some serious angling. Shorter daylight hours and cool nights tell the fish population that winter is close and it is time to put the feed bag on. For the fall angler warm comfortable days are plentiful. Pleasure boaters, jet skiers and other warm water activities diminish. The lake is now available for anglers to pursue trophy game fish. You say that an angler has the chance to catch the fish of a lifetime during the summer periods? True, but the fall is when the big trophy fish are most vulnerable. These fish are feeding with reckless abandon. Most fish that are caught during this season have fat stomachs and sometimes spit up baitfish they have been feeding on. Pay attention to the size, shape and color of the baitfish they spit up and try to match your presentation to that. Another good tactic for fall is to increase the size of your presentation whether it is artificial or live bait. A large easy meal is what the fish are looking for. Fish are so aggressive that even the average sized ones will be hitting large presentations. The payoff comes when a trophy fish sees that large easy meal and then, “it’s on”!!!

Watch your electronics while going over drop-offs, points, and flats. Look for pods of baitfish and any indication that game fish are nearby. Try to keep contact with the baitfish and retrieve your presentation through, under and over the school of baitfish. Try to make your bait act as if it is crippled, injured or dying. This will attract the feeding game fish.

Be patient. Fish will school in the fall. Thoroughly cover a piece of structure as fish will have a tendency to move in and out of the area The run and gun methods of the summer are not as productive. As the water temperatures drop, fish will move into areas that are considered wintering locations. If you come across this type of area, the fish are sometimes stacked like cordwood. Again, understand that these fish are vulnerable and can be easily caught. Be respectful, catch a few and then move on.

Green weeds will also hold fish. If an area has decaying weeds the likelihood of fish holding there is slim. Structure with green weeds mixed in is a plus and would be a good area to cover thoroughly.

In the early fall, traditional live baits (crawlers, leeches etc.) will catch their fair share of fish, but as the water gets colder a minnow presentation is preferred. Chubs and suckers can really mop up when the conditions are right.

Whatever you do, the fall is a great time to catch good numbers of fish with the added bonus of that fish of a life time pulling on the end of your line!!! So what are you waiting for? Get out and do some fall fishing!!!

Once again the annual club pig roast at Big Foot Beach State Park was a great success. Club President Ken Abraham manned the smoker and did an excellent job. The meat was fantastic!! Phil Urban provided the transportation to get that pig on the spit. The side dishes that members brought were great. What a variety!! Great weather, camaraderie, eating some great food with the view of Geneva Lake- it doesn’t get any better!! Thanks for everyone’s help and can’t wait till next years feast!!!

The September meeting speaker Ken Darga gave a great presentation on float fishing tactics and river presentations. He was also kind enough to share some very productive Fox River locations with the audience. Thanks Ken! We look forward to seeing you in the fishing department at Gat Guns. The next club meeting will be on Wednesday October 8 th at 6:30pm at Cabela’s in the Prairie Stone Business Park Hoffman Estates IL, near I90 and route59. There is a $5.00 fee for guests. Doug Welch will be the guest speaker. Doug is the fisheries biologist for southeastern Wisconsin. He will bring the club up to speed on Geneva Lake (which he oversees) and any other fishery questions that the audience may have. Please visit our web site at www.lakegenevafishingclub.com for directions to Cabela’s and other club information.

It’s all about sharing knowledge with fellow anglers. Remember, practice catch-photo & release and when keeping some fish for the table, use selective harvest.

Tight-Lines!!!