September's Little Secrets

September can be a surprisingly tricky month for Long Island’s freshwater fans. You would think that cooling water temperatures following the heat of July and August would have the fish all lit up, but it also has them on the move. Following a summer of probing structure in deeper lakes, slop fishing in the shallows, and beating the shoreline brush with a variety of soft plastics, it can take a while to realize a change in direction is needed.

No doubt some sharpies will continue to pull a few fish from their usual haunts by holding their summer course, but as the waters cool, weeds retreat and zooplankton fades leaving gin-clear water to probe, everything from sunfish to bass, pickerel and trout tends to grow just a little more cautious – especially in these days of osprey abundance. The way to counteract this piscatorial shyness is to forget most of what you know about summertime fishing and go back to the basics that helped you find the action as a novice. Twitch baits are a fun way to bring September bigmouths to the surface. Photo by Felicia Scocozza.

We’re talking the simple stuff here, so there’s no need to try and make things complicated. A dimple on the surface, small wakes moving out as your boat departs the launch ramp, the sound of a pumpkinseed kissing the surface; these are all signs of life that require investigation. Priority number one at this time of year is simply finding out where the fish are bunched together and these, as well as an occasional surface eruption, puff of mud beneath your bow or tiny whirlpool swirls at the edge of a flat, are tell-tale signs that fish are around. In the heat of summer, when you know the big ones are buried in the slop, it’s okay to push past such tip-offs to pound the shoreline or target an area that has been holding lunkers for weeks. Now, however, you’ve got to play by house rules with your quarry holding the cards.

Surprisingly, a significant number of September anglers seem to be reluctant to set a course that will try new water - but that’s often the secret to uncovering the best bite this time of year. As the weeds continue to retreat from their early August highs, you’ll find both panfish and larger predators prowling in more open areas, especially along channel edges, the mouth separating a cove from the main pond, or any deep pool near an inflow or outflow. You’ll also find them right out in the open, especially at mid-morning and late afternoon, so don’t be shy about taking a few casts in the middle of the lake – even under a bright sun.

When it comes to working the weeds, there are still a few patterns that continue to produce regularly now. The first is concentrating efforts around any remaining isolated green mats no matter how small. A quartet of lily leaves or a two-foot wide surface mat in otherwise uncluttered water is all that’s needed to hold a couple of solid fish. Another pattern worth investigating is fully submerged weed or grass beds that have two or three feet of clearance above them. These seem to hold especially well at midday under cloudy skies. Yet another September weed pattern to work is the outside edges of mats that produced along their inside edges back in June, July and August. This is a great place to drop a watermelon, purple or black wacky worm or retrieve a smallish Booyah Micro Pond Magic Spinnerbait parallel to a long, exposed edge.

For fishing in more open areas, the slope of a flat fading into deeper water is a great choice right now, as are the edges preceding any significant drop-off. In these areas you might try rolling bigger spinnerbaits just above the bottom in search of a single big bass or pickerel. At the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s hard to beat a Panther Martin Sonic Streamer in-line spinner or Blue Fox Super Vibrax worked six inches below the surface when it comes to uncovering big yellow perch hideouts while drifting and casting across totally open water.

Mid-Day and open water can be a surprisingly good combination for early fall largemouths. OutdoorTom.com photo.

The versatile Rapala Original Floating Minnow is another great lure for covering open water. Black over silver is a great general pattern but the brook trout look plays especially well in trout-stocked waters. Both spinners and small plugs can be worked quickly, allowing you to probe a lot of area in a short amount of time. On colder mornings, you might also get a nice response to a silver Rapala Husky Jerk Minnow or a black/gold Shimano World Minnow Jerkbait. You’ll need to slow down to make this work, so take a deep breath or two and remind yourself to relax before beginning each retrieve.

One last point to keep in mind for September and early October action is that the surface bite is far from over. Big bass can be raised through October and even into early November – but the later into the season, the more you’ll want to try your luck at mid-lake.

September bass are not afraid to attack in wide-open water, especially on days that feature a slight breeze. OutdoorTom.com photo.

Because you’ll be fishing in mostly clear, unobstructed water by this point, it’s also a good idea to downsize surface poppers. Consider opting for a small Arbogast Jitterbug, Hula Popper or Heddon Zara Puppy to find the action, then bump up to a larger size should you get a good response. To really max your fun, consider throwing these smaller topwater options on four- to six-pound-test lines – or maybe break out the long wand and an Enrico Puglisi 1/0 Pumpkinseed Fly. One smack on that choice and you’ll be grinning from ear to ear.

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