Maumee River Report- 27 September 2020

Still Open for Kayaking trips. The water is still low and slow.

Even though we are approaching October this fall has been very warm as a result the water is still pretty warm and we are running kayak trips daily.  One of the great things about this summer was that we saw a lot of people who never considered going outdoors for entertainment come on out and have a great time discovering the beautiful Maumee River.  As we enter into fall the leaves on the trees along the River Bank are beginning to change…. It is quite a sight and as the colors start to pop it’s going to be even better.

We need rain… Since last May we have really only had 10 to 12 hours of rain which is not enough to affect the river level at all -for the last 4 months it has been very low and very slow and that has affected fishing of course.  As the daily temperature starts to drop the river will get cooler and we will have resident  walleye and steelhead begin to feed in order  to put on some winter weight.  Night fishing on the lake Erie piers is about to get good as well.

If you get a chance go to the archives of my river reports from last October and November and take a look some of the pictures and places where we were picking up steelhead saugeye and walleye. With the water being so low and the temperature still nice and warm this next week is a great time to get out and do a little research along the riverbank to pick that spot for some targeted fall fishing.  Lead heads with  jig  and natural minnow and shad crankbaits are killer in the fall.

WHAT SMALL MOUTH DO IN THE FALL-Smallmouth bass migrate in the fall. How far and how fast depends on water temperature  and habitat availability. When the water temperature hits the low 60’s, (right now we are in the high 60S)smallmouths begin to migrate from their summer haunts to areas in closer proximity to deep holes where they spend the winter. Smallmouths winter in slow, deep water where they do not have to fight current because they feed very little and do not have the energy. Their metabolism slows and they almost hibernate in the winter. In larger rivers these holes can be six to ten feet deep and in smaller rivers four to six feet deep. They often end up by dams. In early fall, while the water is still reasonably warm, use fast-moving, aggressive presentations like crankbaits, spinnerbaits and inline spinners. Once the water dips to 50 degrees and below, live bait presentations are necessary. A jig or hair jig with a minnow or half a night crawler crawled along the bottom is a winner.

Have fun be safe and good luck fishing