Fall Fishing In Hamlin Lake
(Mid Sept. thru October)


Due to cooling water, consider fishing the shallow water
drop-offs and shallow water weed beds in both Upper and Lower Hamlin Lake.
(come see me at the tackle shop for hot spots)
The fish are usually stocking up on food at this time of year, a fact that many anglers tend to ignore.  When the lake is calm enough to fish, (we typically get high winds in Sept.) some very good fishing is in store for the tenacious angler.  Remember, the bait fish are larger this time of year after a summer of growing,  so typically the bigger fish will strike larger baits.  A general tip is to use larger everything then you would in spring and early summer.  Also, since the water has cooled down, fish shallow water instead of the deeper summer depths. Once the water really gets cool, switch from leeches and crawlers back to minnows.

Northern Pike:   Pike can be taken trolling medium to large spoons and large crank or spinner baits along or in the edge of the shallow water weed line.   Fishing pike minnows (shiners, suckers) either with a hook & bobber or on a small jig also works.

Recommended artificial baits:  Daredevils, Cleos, Mepps and June Bug spinners, Rapalas, lead head jigs, Swedish Pimples, Hopkins Spoons.

Recommended live bait: shiners, suckers.

Walleye:  Dressed Jigs worked on shallow drop-offs during the day and medium to large crank baits worked on the weedy flats at night seem to work the best.   I recommend tipping your jigs with leeches and crawlers until the water gets real cool then switch to tipping them with medium size minnows.

Recommended artificial baits:  medium to large size shallow running Shad Raps( size 7 to 9),  floating #9 to #13 Rapalas, Bombers at night and Hopkins Spoons or Jig-a-low, Mite-e-brite, Feather Flasher , Fuzz-e-grub type jigs during the day.

Recommended live bait: Shiners, creek minnows, daze minnows .

Large & Small Mouth Bass:   Since the water is generally cooler, during September and October, the bass can be found in the shallow water weed beds during the day and along the sea walls in the stumps during the early morning and late night hours.  The Bayous are also a good spot to find bass in the fall just like the spring time.

Recommended artificial baits:  Rattle Traps, Ratlin Raps, Slugos, Berkley Power worms, Kelly's Plow Jockeys, floating or Countdown Rapalas, Bombers, Pop-r's,  Rogues,  Devil's Horse, Torpedoes and all types of spinners..

Crappie:  Crappie can be taken using several techniques including :  Slow (very slow) trolling or drifting along weed beds with either a small jig or plain hook tipped with minnows or wax worms;  drifting or trolling a hook and minnow or jig and minnow beneath a bobber along weed beds, or anchored while casting small jigs tipped with minnows or plain hooks tipped with minnows or wax worms beneath bobbers into weed beds. 8 to 14 foot of water is normally best.  Remember crappie are normally suspended in the weeds not on the bottom and their eyes are on top of their heads so they see up better than down.

Recommended artificial baits:  small jigs, small jigs with spinners

Recommended live bait:  wax worms (bee moth),  minnows (shiners or fatheads)

Bluegill:  The most common methods used to catch bluegill in the fall are to anchor and cast or drift a small hook tipped with a wax worm / leech / red worm or small piece of crawler beneath a bobber in 6 to 15 ft. of water.     In the fall the gills are normally in transition from suspending in deeper water to being closer to the bottom in more shallow water.  Try fishing for both suspended and bottom feeding fish.
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Recommended artificial baits:  small jigs tipped with leeches or pieces of crawlers,  plain hook and leech or crawler beneath a bobber, small Mister Twister spinner jigs, and small Beetle Spins.

Recommended live bait:  wax worms (bee moth), red worms, leeches, leaf worms, chunks of crawlers, and minnows
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Perch:  During the fall, perch can usually be found where the crappies and bluegill are.   You can use the same techniques used for both crappie and bluegill to catch them.  They will also hit the same live baits  i.e. both minnows and grubs, leeches or worms. Believe it or not, they will also strike at small artificial baits like bluegill and crappie.