10/17/09 Mill Creek
Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:48 pm
According to a few anglers, the topwater bite is still hot and heavy. I seriously considered giving it a try. Doesn't matter where you go, but based on photographs, I knew where a couple of these spots were. I already planned on being at Les Arends Forest Preserve anyway, but my interest was more in Mill Creek. Three weeks earlier I fished it and had one of the best fish catching days ever out of that creek. Over 100 caught and easily another 200 missed.
I knew there was a fall run up the creek, but late September seemed a little early to tie into so many. That usually happened later in October. But this has been a strange year from a weather standpoint so I chalked it up to strange weather patterns.
Since mid October was when I usually tied into such quantities, I wanted to see if this being the 3rd coldest October on record so far had an effect on the fish. It certainly did. First thing I noticed was that the bait fish that had been there in large clouds a few weeks earlier, were now gone. I did not see any for the 3 hours I spent in the creek. With the bait gone I assumed the predators would be gone too. It was harder fishing, but I wound up catching 17 fish. The majority of them were smallies with a crappie and a few largemouth thrown in for variety. The largest was barely pushing 13 inches. This time I brought a little stiffer rod rather than a 5 foot ultralight and I gave up on the 6 pound test Trilene and went with the usual PowerPro. Made a big difference. Hardly missed any fish that decided to hit.
I had to fish much slower though. The fish seemed to be sitting near the bottom of the deepest part of each pool. When they did hit they were hitting hard and making strong runs, but it took some coaxing to get to that point.
I think the real reason I go back there this time of year has nothing to do with the fishing. It can be stunningly beautiful with the leaves changing. The creek is narrow enough that most of the time you're walking under a canopy of leaves. Almost like stained glass.
There was a certain point where I wished I had brought my gloves. Much colder than I thought it was going to be, but then down in this little creek valley quite a bit of the sun gets blocked and the tops of the trees are what gets most of the suns rays.
All 17 fish were caught right up to the small knee dam. I fished the first two pools above the dam and didn't get a single hit. Three weeks earlier it was above this little dam for another quarter mile that the majority of the fish were caught. Up here the fish were so thick you could watch them attack your lure in small schools with each fish taking a turn to whack at your lure.
Today, nothing. Just sights.
On the way out of the creek I debated on where to go next. The area of the river off the middle parking lot does well this time of year, but I didn't feel up for the effort it would take to do that. So I opted to hike up to the mouth of the creek and try that area. This too can be pretty good this time of year.
As I'm walking to the spot I want to fish I see two shore fisherman on the other side of the creek casting to where I had planned to cast. One of them hooks into and lands a pretty good smallie. A short conversation revealed that it was a 17 inch and that this was there first time ever fishing here.
Doesn't that figure.
I gave up on the idea of fishing around the mouth of the creek and packed it up for the day. My back was telling me that it was done.
I have a feeling my fishing for the year is just about done. Maybe a couple of more times. Maybe I'll just hit the stretch in the two minute walk from my house. Years ago I would be getting out as often as possible to take advantage of the fall bite. Now I don't care much anymore.
Maybe I'll just switch to going for walks along the river to see how the colors change for the next few weeks.
I knew there was a fall run up the creek, but late September seemed a little early to tie into so many. That usually happened later in October. But this has been a strange year from a weather standpoint so I chalked it up to strange weather patterns.
Since mid October was when I usually tied into such quantities, I wanted to see if this being the 3rd coldest October on record so far had an effect on the fish. It certainly did. First thing I noticed was that the bait fish that had been there in large clouds a few weeks earlier, were now gone. I did not see any for the 3 hours I spent in the creek. With the bait gone I assumed the predators would be gone too. It was harder fishing, but I wound up catching 17 fish. The majority of them were smallies with a crappie and a few largemouth thrown in for variety. The largest was barely pushing 13 inches. This time I brought a little stiffer rod rather than a 5 foot ultralight and I gave up on the 6 pound test Trilene and went with the usual PowerPro. Made a big difference. Hardly missed any fish that decided to hit.
I had to fish much slower though. The fish seemed to be sitting near the bottom of the deepest part of each pool. When they did hit they were hitting hard and making strong runs, but it took some coaxing to get to that point.
I think the real reason I go back there this time of year has nothing to do with the fishing. It can be stunningly beautiful with the leaves changing. The creek is narrow enough that most of the time you're walking under a canopy of leaves. Almost like stained glass.
There was a certain point where I wished I had brought my gloves. Much colder than I thought it was going to be, but then down in this little creek valley quite a bit of the sun gets blocked and the tops of the trees are what gets most of the suns rays.
All 17 fish were caught right up to the small knee dam. I fished the first two pools above the dam and didn't get a single hit. Three weeks earlier it was above this little dam for another quarter mile that the majority of the fish were caught. Up here the fish were so thick you could watch them attack your lure in small schools with each fish taking a turn to whack at your lure.
Today, nothing. Just sights.
On the way out of the creek I debated on where to go next. The area of the river off the middle parking lot does well this time of year, but I didn't feel up for the effort it would take to do that. So I opted to hike up to the mouth of the creek and try that area. This too can be pretty good this time of year.
As I'm walking to the spot I want to fish I see two shore fisherman on the other side of the creek casting to where I had planned to cast. One of them hooks into and lands a pretty good smallie. A short conversation revealed that it was a 17 inch and that this was there first time ever fishing here.
Doesn't that figure.
I gave up on the idea of fishing around the mouth of the creek and packed it up for the day. My back was telling me that it was done.
I have a feeling my fishing for the year is just about done. Maybe a couple of more times. Maybe I'll just hit the stretch in the two minute walk from my house. Years ago I would be getting out as often as possible to take advantage of the fall bite. Now I don't care much anymore.
Maybe I'll just switch to going for walks along the river to see how the colors change for the next few weeks.
