On a recent bear-hunting trip West of Thunder Bay, two of us skipped the midday nap and berry picking adventure the rest of our group partook in, and took a short drive to a local fishing hole.
We packed the bare necessities; rods, a few jigs, some minnows we had trapped nearby, and drove to a nearby river. It was a perfect little fishing hole, with some deep pockets of cool clear water, both above and below some seriously turbulent waters, with walleye sure to be piled in these deeper holes. Within minutes the first walleye hit the bank, a picture perfect, golden, 16″ walleye. We fished for the next hour or so, landing the most perfect limit you could imagine, ready for the ultimate camp fish fry. These early fall walleye were more than eager to bite, and offered us steady action, even fishing right from shore.
With falls arrival, along with it comes some wonderful angling opportunities, and is by far my favourite time of year; with hunting season kicking off, and some perfect fall weather for fishing, it’s an incredible time to be out in the field. Fall can offer some great angling, for a wide variety of species, and when coupled with a fall hunting trip, it can make for the ultimate outdoor adventure. Here in Thunder Bay, we have a wide range of angling options very close at hand, situated right on the shores of Lake Superior, as well as being surrounded by countless walleye, bass and trout lakes; giving us plenty of options for a “surf and turf” style adventure come fall.
One of my go to trips year after year, is heading to the Nipigon River in mid September; I always make a point of coupling a bird-hunting trip with a fishing expedition in this region. This is an amazing piece of water, holding Chinook and Pink salmon, steelhead, lakers, pike, brook trout, and the odd walleye (although walleye are protected and brook trout are closed this time of year). This is a trip I anxiously look forward to every year, heading out well before dawn and launching the boat as early as I can. I’ll usually spend the morning on the river chasing spawning Chinooks, switching gears in the afternoon walking and driving logging roads in pursuit of grouse; ending in the ultimate mixed bag adventure.
With Ontario’s small game seasons opening early (rabbit Sept 1st and grouse Sept 15th) the timing is perfect for pairing these small game hunts with angling trips; salmon in the river, fall walleye, or even chasing late season smallies, all worthwhile ventures, especially when coupled with a hunting trip. For big game hunters, when out at the hunt camp for a weekend, or even while on a day trip, nothing breaks up a day afield better than a midday angling break, chasing walleyes or casting from shore in a stocked speck lake, in between prime morning and evening hunts.
Fall can offer some excellent walleye angling, with waters cooling from the warm summer temperatures and lakes turning over come fall, fish are actively feeding. Fishing transitional areas between shallow and deeper water can be good places to start; as walleye are typically moving from the deep cool water they seek out during the heat of the summer, but aren’t necessarily in the shallow water you find them in come spring. Fish edges of structure, trying a variety of depths until you locate fish. Having good sonar that can help ID fish on bottom is certainly helpful, as locating structure, and seeing fish on it can really help with your success during this transitional time of year. For anglers that aren’t hunters, or don’t have a fishing hole near their hunting grounds, it’s still a great time of year to be on the water. Many anglers pack up their gear come fall, but with pleasant temperatures, cooling lakes, eager fish, and a lot less company on the water, it can be a great time to get back out on the water before the snow flies.