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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | What are your tactics on dark (tannic) water during August and September? I fish three lakes that are dark water, and overall not too deep. The weeds end in 7', mostly because of light penetration. | |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | Steve, I always have a gold bomber long a (7")on these types of waters. I don't know if it is the reflection that they give off when twitched, but I can almost always boat a fish on this bait in that type of water. They really twitch good in the trees, rock, and weeds. I have one that I had to glue the holes in it from all of the fish I have caught on it. | |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Late summer and early fall can be a great time to hit shallow, dark lakes. The opportunity for a shallow water bonanza presents itself as the cooler nights start to mixing the entire lake (typically these types of lakes don't stratify). This is the time that mindless shoreline fishing can become very productive. Bucktails and topwater over the thick, green weeds really shine. But, don't forget the steeper stuff too. Big cranks/jerks around the cleaner structures (rock/sand) can also be good.... especially early and late in the day. The "dog days" of August can still pose some problems.... but as the sizzle starts to fizzle... the fish will perk up. A lot of those hard to find fish hanging out over the deeper mud flats start to cling to the shallower structures that we all can identify and locate.
As for colors... if the fish are agressive you can't beat a bright, gaudy orange pattern. For a more natural look I like to mix in some flashy golds. Better yet, just grab a Golden Shiner Slammer crankbait and you can't go wrong. Well... considering this is musky fishing we are talking about (ha ha - its never easy).
I still like the deep, clear lakes this time of year (well... all year really)... but the dark waters can be a real blast and have potential for some real giants. Good luck to those that can get away from work and enjoy the outdoors. | |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I stick with topwater primarily until the temps fall well down into the 40's. I also throw a lot of large spinnerbaits like Rad Dogs and Funky Chickens. I then break out the the Undertakers and Manta's and 10" Jakes when the water really cools down. | |
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Posts: 2361
| I see that the "late Jason Long" has posted here and have to agree with most of what he says. I come to WI every year it seems lately, to fish in this time period. The best of this period comes, in my opinion, when that temp(water) drops below 70 degrees, and the longer it was warm and stable before it finally drops the better the movement is when it does. I never or rarely use gold or copper or brass down here in KY under any condition, but have a bunch of that stuff ready when I go to WI. You often find three conditions that kick the fish into transition at this time of year, falling water, clearing water and cooling water, sometimes all three are going at once. Fish in transition can be a pain at times, but more often you tend to get opportunities at big fish that may have gotten the traveling bone and show up as strangers in a new spot and tend to be eaters rather than lookers. My bucktail rotation(always one of these ready)is flame blade, black magnum bootail, a chartreuse on chartreuse funky chicken, a brass blade natural tail mepps #5 tandem, and a chartreuse blade, black tail mepps #5 tandem and others work I am sure, but they are usually susceptible to this group most every day, and sometimes pick one bucktail out of this group to bite especially hard.
My surface baits usually include a black tallywhacker or black with chartreuse tallywhacker, hawg wobbler, and I have grown fairly fond of the hi fin teaser tail in orange/black spots. Jerks would be secret bait, reef hawg and suick in some chartreuse flavor. During the big transition, very active fish tend to not be weather related and available on cold fronts warm fronts or any weather, pre transition is usually marked by a bite that is weather related and has a high proportion of follows and splash strikes mixed in. | |
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Late Summer Tactics on dark water