Sunday Sudbury Rez-urrection
After going fishless for the past 4 or 5 times out, I was ready to put my tackle away for the season, my first for many years (OK, decades). I had never really fished into the autumn before, and while I've been reading it can be productive, I hadn't caught a thing since late September.
I did read recently that bass go big for shad at this time of year and lipless crank baits can be just the ticket, so I bought a Strike King Red Eye Shad. It produced squat yesterday at Lake Chauncy, even though I covered the entire lake in my kayak.
I decided today was too cold and windy to put the kayak in, and headed over to the Sudbury Reservoir for some shore fishing instead. My hopes weren't too high, but I at least wante to throw for a while, and also hike further down the shore than I made it over the summer, to scout some spots for next spring.
A white spinner bait produced no action. I put on that lipless crank bait and totally turned the day around, catching three yellow perch, two dink smallmouths (and losing two somewhat larger ones) and two keeper largemouths of about a pound each.
The peak foliage was an added bonus. The bite was so good I fished right up until after sunset until the light started to fade, and then had a half hour walk through the woods in the dark back to my car, feeling pretty satisfied - nothing really big (though one of the perch was the biggest I've ever caught, 12 inches) - but I was just happy to have some steady action after an autumn dry spell.
I was actually on my way out to the sud when parental duties called just today. Was going to see if I could catch some perch for bait.