by Dave Csanda

Autumn. Cooling temperatures and diminishing hours of daylight are triggered by the seasonal change in the angle of the sun striking the earth's surface. Change is in the air. Leaves turn brilliant colors, wither to brown, and eventually flutter earthward to form Mother Nature's blanket against the coming harshness, a clear signal that the environment is in transition from the hectic pace of summer toward the comparative slumber of winter.

Beneath the surface of the water a similar phase occurs, mostly unseen by anglers yet visualized in the mind's eye by those in tune with changes in the aquatic habitat. Weeds begin to lay over, turn brown, and eventually die-first in the extreme shallows where temperatures fluctuate most, progressing relentlessly toward the more stable habitat of deeper water. Peak color ashore generally follows the breakdown of the thermocline. The water cools and clears, indicating severe reductions in plankton bloom. Fish begin moving in response to their changing environment.

The smell of burning leaves and the sparse skeleton of bare trees signal mid-autumn. Squirrels crunch across the carpet of fallen leaves, betraying their presence in their attempt to stock their larder against the lean pickin's of winter. Beneath the surface of the water, walleyes and other gamefish go on a similar feeding binge in preparation for winter's relative lull. Deeper patterns begin to apply in earnest, typically on classic structures meeting the main basin, although walleyes may penetrate the shallows at night to prey upon forage gathered at current inlets, bay mouths, and other nocturnal magnets.

By late fall, the first snowfalls carpet the earth with a thin blanket of white, often dispelled by the afternoon sun. There's a definite chill in the air. Hunters are afield, and lakes often are not just uncrowded, but empty. Imagine being the lone boat afloat, with willing walleyes all to yourself. Wind-whipped cold fronts alternate with calm, bluebird Indian summer days. It's all prime fishing time-just not always comfortable. Pick your opportunities and have at 'em.

In the North Country, open water grudgingly gives way to early-ice, the official proclamation of winter's arrival. Allowing a few days for the thin crust to sufficiently harden, the first tentative footfalls of brave souls reach out to explore areas untouched by boaters during the limbo transition from open water to ice.

First-ice is great ice, at least for fishing. Lightweight, portable, mobile approaches, typically afoot, can get you on the early action before the crowds arrive with their cars, trucks, and permanent ice houses. Once the ice thickens sufficiently, the heavy armor joins the light infantry in midlake, where the game is not just afoot, but mechanized.

Throughout the transition from fall to winter, nature's signals ashore betray fish location, behavior, and patterns beneath the surface. Keep your eyes open to catch more and bigger 'eyes. Enjoy the quiet solitude and peak conditions for trophy catches. Most angling veterans would agree that this is prime time to catch the most big fish, especially walleyes, in most aquatic environments. Make the most of it.