By Ed Diem

That's right, although many anglers see the end of summer as the time of year when the season is winding down, it's really just the beginning, at least as far as I'm concerned. Cooler air temperatures bring cooler water temperatures and increased fish activity.

Fall is the first part of the season.
Many species start to put on the feed bag in preperation for the winter. Smallmouth can be seen chasing minnows on top and walleyes again begin to feed in earnest. Warm days and cool evenings spur on pike activity. The dog days of summer are gone and it's time to be filled with anticipation of the great fishing to come.

Winter brings on the hard water season.
Ice fishing! One of my favorites. Ice fishing can be a fantastic experience. When dressed properly an entire day on the frozen water can be incredibly productive. If you haven't tried it, make this winter the time to do so! With the lakes and rivers in our area the season never misses a beat. As the lakes start building ice and no longer are accessible, the rivers are still open. By the time the rivers lock up with ice there is a lake somewhere nearby that has sufficient ice to be out on. The same scenario holds true in spring. By the time the ice is unsafe on the lakes, the rivers are open and the spring fishing season begins.

Spring brings higher water and great fishing.
On our rivers, and when the lakes are finally free from ice the various species await their favorite water temperature for spawning. The high water in the rivers makes locating fish a simple task. Heavy current limits the places that the fish and forage can be. On our lakes fish move to the shallows to seek out appropriate spawning areas.

Alas, all good things come to an end and the summer returns. Not that summer brings a halt to fishing, not at all, but compared to the other seasons it may be the least productive of all.

It's time to get excited, truly great fishing is just around the corner!