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Posts: 63
| Thinking about heading up to Northern Wisconsin this fall to fish with some suckers and lures. In the past we’ve gone around October 20th for a few days. However, that weekend doesn’t look like it’ll work this year. Would it be better to go up earlier or later than that date in your opinions? Thanks for the advice in advance! |
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Posts: 77
| Northernfan - 8/24/2018 3:07 PM
Thinking about heading up to Northern Wisconsin this fall to fish with some suckers and lures. In the past we’ve gone around October 20th for a few days. However, that weekend doesn’t look like it’ll work this year. Would it be better to go up earlier or later than that date in your opinions? Thanks for the advice in advance!
Just a heads up, bait (suckers, minnows, etc) are getting thin already. April snowstorm did a number on the bait, per WON.
Kind of disappointing as I wanted to do some sucker fishing and crappie fishing late sept up in Vilas.
Oh well I guess.
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Posts: 416
Location: Madtown, WI | Really... April snowstorm is what they're going with? Suckers are "scarce" every year for some BS reason. |
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Location: oswego, il | I heard it was a fire at a refinery we have never heard of in a town in texas we never heard of.:-) |
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Location: Ashland WI | I would go later than the 20th. Seems to me after turn over, it only gets better until ice up. |
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Posts: 77
| stdevos - 8/24/2018 3:51 PM
Really... April snowstorm is what they're going with? Suckers are "scarce" every year for some BS reason.
Hey! Don't shoot the messenger! That's what a bait shop owner (Vilas) had written in the latest WI Outdoor news, just passing it along.
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Posts: 624
Location: S.W. WI | stdevos - 8/24/2018 3:51 PM
Really... April snowstorm is what they're going with? Suckers are "scarce" every year for some BS reason.
This is what they do. Make it known early they are gonna be tough to get, then miraculously come Oct, Nov- they are plentiful but price is jacked up. Seen it many years lately.
To answer the main ?, I would go a week later.
Edited by Rudedog 8/24/2018 9:05 PM
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Location: Vilas | no one has a crystal ball to say what week will be best....if you hit a few warm days, it will hurt your chances anytime after turn over... schedule your days when you can, and stay on the water as long as you can.... I would come up later if I had a choice.....
sucker prices are a joke, and I believe have been discussed many time here |
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Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | ToddM - 8/24/2018 3:55 PM
I heard it was a fire at a refinery we have never heard of in a town in texas we never heard of.:-)
It was the Fire at the Superior WI. refinery... Todd |
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Posts: 612
| I suspect the north east or northern Midwest have similar climates. In NYs Finger Lakes and Chautauqua. September and October seems to produce more fish. No specific depth, important to locate baitfish. This is true regardless of the time of year. Once mid July sets in many fish become pelagic and stay that way until spring. Following - finding bait anywhere from (15 to 40+) FOW is critical to our fishing. Although casting off deep points and weed-edges with deep drop-offs are always worth a few cast.
Note the lakes I fish are deep (60 to 70+) feet deep. Could be whole different story on the shallow lakes. |
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Location: Vilas | Id say come up later if you have a choice.......
as far as suckers go, yeah, always a reason why suckers are hard to get, as they fill your bucket full and charge $10 each
for the last 3 years, in my boat, when someone has been working a bondy bait, they catch the fish on that instead of the sucker.... so i probably will not be buying as many suckers as in the past
Edited by JGlass 8/25/2018 4:23 PM
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Location: NorthCentral WI | The weekend closest to Halloween has usually always been good for us. |
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Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | The sucker bite is better later, but overall action could be better earlier |
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Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | I have my last musky trip slated for the weekend on Nov 9th. We fished last year on High and Palmer the last weekend in October and still had water temps in the 40's. We're pushing it by trying 2 weeks later, but in my experience up there, the fishing is #*^@ good until ice up. Depending on where you're going, I'd say go later. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I've had great trips to Vilas the first 10 or so days in Oct.. can still get lots of casting action and suckers.. I'd opt for 1st weekend in Oct or last weekend in Oct if you had a choice. |
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Posts: 183
| I was wondering this exact question since I've also got a trip planned for Oct 20. Went last year at the same time and it was awful because it was right in the middle of turnover as far as I could tell. Early October had temps in the 70's and as soon as we left temps went down into the 30's. It went straight from summer to winter with no fall period. I really have no idea what to expect this year but I'm hoping for water temps around 50 by that time of year. Does that sound right to anyone familiar with the area? |
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Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Vilas15 - 8/27/2018 9:54 PM
I was wondering this exact question since I've also got a trip planned for Oct 20. Went last year at the same time and it was awful because it was right in the middle of turnover as far as I could tell. Early October had temps in the 70's and as soon as we left temps went down into the 30's. It went straight from summer to winter with no fall period. I really have no idea what to expect this year but I'm hoping for water temps around 50 by that time of year. Does that sound right to anyone familiar with the area?
We drove up and fished by me and it was 56° on a friday, by Saturday we got 3" of snow and it was a high of 36°. The good part of going late is knowing turnover is done, the bad part is the weather can turn on a dime up there. |
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| It changes from year to year, so it's hard to say. I wouldn't worry about turnover. If you find yourself in the middle of it there's another muskie lake 15 minutes away that is either done or hasn't even started yet. One thing I would do is watch your forecast and your wind. A steady NW wind over a few days and a nice slow cooldown can be golden. A warm front/SW wind can put things into a funk in a hurry. Worst weather changes we've ever seen were during a light NW wind. Went from a mild flat sunny day to freezing rain/snow in a matter of 30 min. Started the day in a wind shirt/jeans. Ended the day in my rain gear with all the clothes I could find in my truck and my rain gear. I get cold just thinking about that day.
Edited by esoxaddict 8/30/2018 4:24 PM
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Best Time in the Fall