What temp. triggers them?

[Sluggo / NY]

I fish a local river here in upstate NY that is usually producing good numbers of nice eyes this time of year. I've spent about twenty of the past thirty days on the river and I've caught maybe ten keepers! I'll catch 40-50 small eyes almost every trip, but the big fish either aren't there or very tight-lipped! The water level is perfect, but with the warm weather we've had, I'm thinking that the water is still to warm? It's still almost 50. Anyone know what temp. turns them on? Would you guess that the bigger fish are there or don't they migrate upriver till the water cools? I'm so frustrated that I'm about to get the golf clubs back out! It was in the mid-sixties here yesterday! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

[Mark]

Don't get too discouraged Chris. I have had the same results here in Michigan. The river that I usually fish in the fall has been a bust. Any other year, I'm catching 20 fish in a few hours of fishing. For the last 3 trips I've got one. I can't answer your temp question, but I believe the higher than normal temps have a major role in our lack of success. See ya.

[waterfowler]

If you've had the unbelievable warm conditions we've had, it doesn't suprise me. The eyes in the Mississippi took off when the water hit 40-43, but then we had a warm stretch and they slowed down again. Right now the eyes and sauger are jumping in the boats. I'm no expert, but I think around 40 degrees you'll see a noticable difference in your catch rate. Of course there are a lot of other factors that will play into your catch rate also....

[Den]

Sluggo, here in the huron/vermilion area of lake erie , it usually starts to get real good when it gets below 42 degrees. it is now 47 degrees and we are getting some real good fish, but not in the numbers that we do when it gets colder. the water temperature has only dropped 3 degrees in the last 5 weeks. so i guess you could say that has a lot to do with the slower bite. last year at this date the temperature (water) was 38 degrees. good luck and good fishin.
Den

[FROGMAN]

Same thing here in Michigan Chris. Water temp has been bouncing back and forth between 42-46 degrees. Fish don't know what to do!
Tight lines

Keith Segar
NPAA#260

[CJHughes@Norstan.com]

I am having the same problem on the Ohio River the water temp is still 51 . Nobody is catching hardly any saugers .I have had the luck of finding a good night bite on a small local lake which is 47 degrees . So maybe we can drag this fall fishing season all the way through the winter won't that be nice .

[s.f.]

my meager opinion in answer to the question of the bigger fish being tight lipped or just not there, is that they simply are not there. seems to me, if you catch that many fish, of any size, they ARE biting, no matter the size. the temps most likely trigger a migration of the bigger fish to the area you are fishing and that evidently hasn't happened yet. go hunting elsewhere...different depth or section of the river...different pattern...

[redbone]

you might want to try a little deeper or shallower. also shallow at dusk.

just a thought.

bob piette
npaa #859

[bulletny]

Sluggo, I live in Owego on the susquehanna and have been experiencing the same thing. I think the water temp. has a little bit to do with it. The temperature had fallen to about 43- 44 deg. a couple of weeks ago and then climbed back to 49 deg. with all this warm weather we've had.This warmer water temp. tends to keep the walleye scattered and they don't seem to be schooling up in big numbers yet.
The real problem I think is right here in Owego with the earthen dam built all the way across the river under the Court St. bridge.Even though there are sluce pipes to let the water to flow through, the down stream side of the pipes are a foot above the water table just spilling the water and not allowing any fish to swim past this point. Unless we have some high water to bring the river level up, I think we are going to have a tough bite east of Owego. The Mouth of the Owego creek area has been a good bite compared to the Hiawatha island area, almost proving that the fish are being stalled and being schooled up below this obstruction. I hope this doesn't effect the spring spawning run. Without heavy snow fall and a good spring run off I think it will have a profound effect on the spawning.
Give me a shout any time and would be glad to compare notes on the bite. Bob Haskell

[Ray]

Sluggo, if the fish are there try another aproach. Forget all this high tech talk. Go back to the basics and think alittle. If you were a walleye, what would you like for dinner? I would want bait. Give it a try. Present the bait on the bottom. Im no river fisherman but bait out produces everything when the fishing is tough. One other thing you can try, find an area in the river that the water is not running to fast. Anchore there and fish at night with lights. I bet ya you wont find a guy out there today that fishes this way anymore. Ray

[Shellback]

BulletNY, I've been giving the Susquehanna a try at Owego this fall, probably a half dozen times or so. Haven't had a keeper yet and had my best luck above Hia. island, with the little ones. Where's Owego creek come in, below the old bridge? Just had my boat motor and trailer destroyed in Vestal the Sat after Thanksgiving on the way home from Owego. looks iffy if I'll have a replacement before freeze up. Is there any decent water for a boat at the launch by the new bridge in Apalachin? I'm new to this walleye fishing so I have a lot to learn. Thanks.

[bulletny]

Shellback, Sorry to hear about your rig. The launch at Apalachin is a good launch. If you head up river, you can go all the way to the tri city airport which is a good stretch of water with lots of structure.
I fished this stretch acouple of weeks ago from Grippen park launch down to the Apalachin launch. Caught a ton of under size walleye with only 1 legal size fish. I have been fishing mostly west of Owego, launching at either Bailey's Eddy or at the launch just below Tioga Park which has a concrete ramp now. Have been consistantly catching legal size fish which made me wonder if a lot of fish are being kept down stream from the bridge work in Owego. The Owego creek flows into the river about a mile down river from the bridge and can't be reached with a boat. Have been fishing from shore and doing quite well. Any time you want give me an email and I would be glad to take you out and show you some prime spots. Bob Haskell