# Fall river fishing



## kanu

Fished river Thursday and Friday. Smallmouth from 12" to 18" on HJ14 firetiger. Some aggressive some wanted a slow retrieve. Water clarity was good with lots of leaves. Varied retrieve every which way but steady. Half dozen small pike (up to 28" or so Thursday). None Friday. No photos. All released. No cell phone. Every fall ,somewhere under 60 degrees , smallmouth really turn on to minnow baits.


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## Karl Wolf

Now that's a perfect day


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## DeathFromAbove

What river are you fishing. I'm guessing somewhere out west, the St Joe maybe ?


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## kanu

I follow many posts for techniques and timeliness -especially for crappies . That is why this was posted.


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## kanu

Now is the time for winter pike- Big pike. Pike have moved upstream and many will be holding close to creek mouths and river splits, especially areas which will allow them to get out of the current at high water. Pike do NOT like to fight the current. Most Lake Erie tributaries will have pike. The fish are not as active as they were in October, but are feeding almost daily. Live or dead bait is probably best, but I don't have that much patience. Very slow retrieve with a minnow bait. I prefer HJ14 Rapala firetiger. Water is as clear as it will be all year so many strikes are visible. Ice in the guides can be a problem. Reel Magic helps. Good luck


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## kanu

Totally unexpected. Two days before Christmas


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## kanu

I'm not always this serious.


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## fisher person

damn, thats a nice fish, well done


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## bigbass201

That looks like muskie! Heck of a catch! Congrats. Great tip for rod tips freezing up using reel magic.


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## kanu

Muskie, with no logical explanation for being where it was, and still is. Forked tail, vertical stripes, not the usual pike in the river.


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## bigbass201

kanu said:


> Muskie, with no logical explanation for being where it was, and still is. Forked tail, vertical stripes, not the usual pike in the river.


Friend of mine shared this story with me below. They are finding out that muskie travel really far distances. One went from St. Clair all the way to New York on Lake Erie and then back to St. Clair again. I wonder if you caught one of those travelers or a rare resident fish.

Great Lakes Muskie Movement


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## kanu

Who knows from whence this fish originated. Fished today. Cold hands. Cold toes. Ice in the guides-out of reel magic. Fish biting. If you have an open river near you, now is the time to catch BIG pike!!!!! SLLOOWWW retrieve. Since pike are slashers, they will also pickup a swimbait or similar plastic on the bottom.


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## Bucket Mouth

That's a helluva fish, especially for NW Ohio. Congrats! You got it dialed in!


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## kanu

The lack of river ice has made for one of the best winter pike fishing years in memory. The combination of low precip. and mild temps has made for almost unbelievable fishing. Hopefully, we get some colder temps for the ice fishermen.


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## bigbass201

kanu said:


> The lack of river ice has made for one of the best winter pike fishing years in memory. The combination of low precip. and mild temps has made for almost unbelievable fishing. Hopefully, we get some colder temps for the ice fishermen.


I should have went and tried it today, but was a big sissy and stayed home. Good luck.


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## kanu

Worked today. fishing tomorrow, alone ,if the river is open. Maumee is @ 35degrees now, but a cold night could ice up everything. I have been known to say "cold weather keeps the riff-raff off of the river", but when it is this cold only us riff-raff are dumb enough to be ON the river.


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## kanu

Decided to bank fish at a spot I hadn't fished all season. since the inside of the bend is now posted, had to fish from the high bank side. Wasn't quite skunked. caught another, slightly larger. Didn't stay too long.


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## Bucket Mouth

Nice work, you got em dialed in! I too fished the river yesterday. Got skunked AND I slipped and fell in. Got a decent dose of water in my waders. Do NOT fish in cotton clothing...make sure you have fleece and wool type stuff on for this very reason if you're crazy enough to fish in water this cold.


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## kanu

River open yesterday. Fishing was a little tough at the start. Maybe it was the sun shining. Almost heresy for me, but I switched colors. Freeze-up likely tomorrow. Can't believe the river has been open so long.


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## kanu

This was not the big fish for the day. My fishing partner caught one about 3-4inches longer.


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## kanu

Fall is gone!! Winter is gone!!! Spring is here!! Fished today in slack water at a creek mouth. Partner caught one small(24") pike and had another one on. I was skunked( obviously not the first time). Most pike have followed the call of nature and moved into the smaler tributaries. Asap crappie fishing begins, after ice out , of course.


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## 21579

kanu said:


> Fall is gone!! Winter is gone!!! Spring is here!! Fished today in slack water at a creek mouth. Partner caught one small(24") pike and had another one on. I was skunked( obviously not the first time). Most pike have followed the call of nature and moved into the smaler tributaries. Asap crappie fishing begins, after ice out , of course.


Awesome job! A fishery that is overlooked in the cold. That river never ceases to amaze me. Walked the dog from Waterville to Bendview today. Saw a lot of cuts in the islands that looked ver fishy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kanu

What a fall. Went to the river for the first time this fall Saturday. had no luck. water was too fast for pike in the main stream. I can't remember any fall in the last 40 years( yes I'm old) that I haven't fished the river for pike before November. I could have fished before, but I absolutely hate muddy and high water.


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## bigbass201

It wasn't a good fall for fishing the river.


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## kanu

Back to back record years. 2020 maybe the best ever for fall/winter river fishing and 2021 maybe the worst ever. I have not caught a fall pike. River levels have been high and terribly MUDDY. Both local rivers are above flood stage-again and again etc.!!!!!! Maybe my worst year in the last 45 or so.


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## FishOhioQuest

kanu said:


> Back to back record years. 2020 maybe the best ever for fall/winter river fishing and 2021 maybe the worst ever. I have not caught a fall pike. River levels have been high and terribly MUDDY. Both local rivers are above flood stage-again and again etc.!!!!!! Maybe my worst year in the last 45 or so.


Keep at it. I really enjoy seeing your posts.


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## Bucket Mouth

If it makes you feel any better, every year for me is a record low for local river pike - I've caught exactly zero total.


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## kanu

Now is the time for river pike. Broke through ice to launch the boat yesterday. Two of us caught 15 18"-28" pike and 1 carp..Fished from bridges today(posted land almost everywhere). Caught one dink and had the resident 28" pike on twice. Shook him off both times so I didn't have to work my way down the easement to release him. (hook barbs pinched off) This is the 4th time I have had him on. No big fish yet, but the recent rain should have them on the move. Husky jerk fished slow and erratic.


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## bigbass201

kanu said:


> Now is the time for river pike. Broke through ice to launch the boat yesterday. Two of us caught 15 18"-28" pike and 1 carp..Fished from bridges today(posted land almost everywhere). Caught one dink and had the resident 28" pike on twice. Shook him off both times so I didn't have to work my way down the easement to release him. (hook barbs pinched off) This is the 4th time I have had him on. No big fish yet, but the recent rain should have them on the move. Husky jerk fished slow and erratic.



You da man. I'm with Bucket Mouth and haven't caught a pike out of the river yet. I usually can't fish in November or December due to my work schedule. It certainly looks like you have them figured out.


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## kanu

Hit two spots yesterday fishing from my solo pirogue. Caught two 18" or so at the first. Second spot had some active fish. One about 30". The boat has length marks on the rail,but he was released while still in the water. He hit the husky jerk 4 times before he was hooked. This time of year, pike will almost always hit a lure more than once. They slash bait and then come back to eat it.
Light East /variable winds yesterday and a north east wind today might explain the afternoon activity. Changing hooks, split rings, and resting today.


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## RodsInTheMud

Like your toothy critter reports kanu, keep’em coming!


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## kanu

_When you can’t feel your fingers and toes, you can tell who really wants to fish! _


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## kanu

Launched two two person riverboat Monday. Lots of fish in the 20-28" range. Might have had to unhook 15 or so. Fast erratic retrieve seemed to be best, although one small fish tried to take the husky jerk while it was resting only half in the water. No big fish. Rain Wed. night upstream muddied the water dramatically. Might be done for a while since ice up usually occurs around Dec. 18th.


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## RodsInTheMud

kanu said:


> Launched two two person riverboat Monday. Lots of fish in the 20-28" range. Might have had to unhook 15 or so. Fast erratic retrieve seemed to be best, although one small fish tried to take the husky jerk while it was resting only half in the water. No big fish. Rain Wed. night upstream muddied the water dramatically. Might be done for a while since ice up usually occurs around Dec. 18th.


Love the posts kanu, and I agree 2020 & 2021 were banner years for me also. 2022 was pretty much a wash for me, between 15” of snow and freezing temps keeping the creeks and streams frozen. Then spring floods blew out all the waterways. Hoping for a fishable winter and spring this year. Addicted to that Adrenalin on both ends of the line! 😁


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## RevKillj0y

Curious the talk of pikes in this thread coincide with Marios post about river pikes last week. Personally never caught a pike in the river but find plenty out at the marshes.


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