5 must-know tricks for landing lunker walleye, brook trout, bass, perch & pike in fall

#5  BRAWNY BROOKIES

Here’s one final end-of-season power play, although it doesn’t involve ciscoes. Rather, this astounding brook trout pattern relies on the aggressive nature of the fish themselves. It’s a unique tactic, too, because the brookie season is typically closed in the fall in waters with naturally occurring populations. In many of the stocked lakes scattered across the country, however, the season is open year-round. If that’s the case where you fish, read on.

Even though these stocked brook trout never spawn successfully, that doesn’t stop them from trying. With eons of evolution embedded in their genes, they still look for where the party is taking place, and that’s typically wherever there’s a spring or an upwelling close to shore. If you’ve fished the same lake during winter, you’ll know where these areas are located because they tend to be the last spots to freeze. They also often remain wet and slushy throughout the winter.

If you haven’t fished the lake before, however, you can still find these prime spots by launching your canoe, kayak or small boat and casting parallel to shore. The key here is not to position your boat in deeper water, then cast up shallow. Brook trout will build their redds within 40 feet of shore in very shallow water, usually less than three feet deep. So, when you stay close to shore and cast parallel to it, you keep your lure in the strike zone throughout the entire retrieve. If you cast from deep water into the shallows, however, you waste 90 per cent of your presentation.

Since brook trout are protective when they’re building redds, they’ll attack most small lures and streamer-type flies that intrude into their domain. They also have a penchant for snacking on their neighbour’s eggs, so my favourite late-fall brookie lure is a gaudy gold-and-orange Williams Ridge Back spoon (above). Brookies crush it with wild abandon. My second choice is a #1 Mepps Black Fury with a fluorescent red bead and siwash hook. If you prefer to fly fish, on the other hand, pack plenty of black Egg-Sucking Leeches. Since the standout orange head imitates a brook trout egg, it will also quickly get gobbled up.