That’s right; it’s not just hunting season, but it’s also one of the best times of the year to chalk up some good fishing as well.

The fall days offer some great fishing opportunities for a variety of different fish species, and trout should be included in that list.

I know most of us think of trout fishing as a spring activity, and as the summer wears on and the water warms, trout fishing success slows down. In addition to that, a lot of the stocked fish have been removed, making catching even more difficult. The good news, however, is that the Fish and Boat Commission will be stocking a lot of streams and lakes again this fall, thus increasing chances for success.

In addition, water temperatures are starting to drop some, thus making trout more likely to be active, but low fall water levels in many streams could work against us.

Fly fishing is a good option for taking trout in the low, clear streams we are seeing right now. Any number of patterns that imitate a terrestrial can be effective. Cricket imitations, grasshoppers, and various ant patterns are all good surface patterns. A blue-winged olive or a caddis will still take fall trout, and I would not hesitate to try a streamer pattern or even a simple mop fly. The streamer mimics a fleeing minnow, and the mop fly looks a lot like a caterpillar that has fallen into the water.

If it’s not a trout stream you are interested in, then head to a lake or pond for some panfishing. Bluegills, crappies, and perch are all very catchable during the fall months, but you have to be looking in the right places. Don’t expect to catch a lot of perch or crappies by plopping down on the bank in a shallow cove because these fish are mostly found in deeper water this time of year.

You may pick up some bluegills in the shallower water, but you have to move out to deeper water for the crappies and perch.

Here’s where it pays to have a boat, canoe, or kayak to head out to deeper water.

Having sonar equipment to help locate schools is also a great plus. If you can locate a school and drop an offering to that depth and into the school, you will likely chalk up some numbers.

Another important factor is keeping your gear light; a seven or a-bit-longer ultralight spinning rod with a matching open-faced spinning reel and light line of about four-pound test would be a good choice. Small lead head jigs with one to two-inch grubs in various colors will likely produce.

If it’s bass you’re interested in catching, there are still some great fishing opportunities available. The cooler water temperatures as we move into the fall months have helped to move bass into a more frequent feeding mode, and as we move towards winter, bass begin to “bulk up.”

While some will still be in deeper water, it’s entirely possible to pick up some good bass working along weedy edges and around wood and rock structure. I wouldn’t hesitate to use some type of topwater presentation since bass are certainly used to nailing frogs on the surface. Other good fall lures would include a variety of lipped crankbaits fished at various depths. Soft plastics like the Wacky Worm and other soft plastics fished Texas style or Carolina rigged will also produce. You might also want to work some lead head jigs with tubes, grubs, and certainly a Ned-rig.

I prefer artificials for bass fishing since they are far less likely to take a lure deep enough to cause damage. I release all the bass as carefully as possible, so they are there when I return. Bass are nowhere near as prolific as panfish, so if I want something for the frying pan, some crappies or perch will do nicely.