Magical Opportunities in October

October always seems to be a magical time of year on the St. Lawrence River.  Fishing sessions are complimented by the stunning visual effects of the changing colors in foliage and the presence of the waterfowl migration from the far north in Canada to their winter feeding grounds in the southern regions of the United States.

Although the weather is generally very unpredictable as the air temperature begins to drop, this October was the exception to the rule.  Warm days and cool nights aided by overcast skies and rainy conditions made swim selections a breeze.  West winds were a daily event as were the smiles on the fades of our clients a they raced outside in the morning to check which way the flags in our front yard were blowing.  Most of the larger carp schools had made their way to the fall feeding beds where shoals of protein rich zebra mussels were bountiful.  The most productive carp fishing during this month was conducted on or around these zebra beds in water depths fewer than 25 feet.  As water temperatures dipped to below 60 degrees, the fishing action steadily increased, a sign that the pre-winter gorging session was well underway.  The bait of choice seemed to be maize, both natural and imitation versions worked well.  Two grains of sweet corn tipped with an artificial grain in white or orange, giving neutral buoyancy, standing profile, proved deadly.

In a single day one of our return clients managed to land 35 fish.  Included in his catch and release were 17- 20’s, 15-30’s (up to 39 lbs. 12 ozs.) and 3-40’s that weighed in at 41.8, 42.4, and 43.8.  Note that he had no fish under 20 lbs.

Opportunities to catch big fish abound on the St. Lawrence in the month of October.  The action is fast and furious with explosive runs and lengthy battles as can be attested to by Stevie Baxter and Derek (Del) Nevill of England.  They spent a lot of time chasing rods that flew off their bank sticks and into the river, one of which is now a permanent fixture in Davy Jones’ locker.  We have now (very affectionately) nicknamed them ‘The Bad Luck Boys’.  They were great sports and excellent entertainment, to say the least. 

With the onset of cold weather that looms as November rolls in, carp fishing season on the St. Lawrence comes to a close.  We would like to thank all the anglers and guests that visited our venue in 2006 for their patronage and most of all for the joy and laughter you shared with us.