I have actually been doing a fair amount of fishing since the last BFL tournament, but clearly I have not been doing much blogging here.  Although, I have been doing a little writing at the KrugerFarms.com blog and the From the Dock Blog at NBC Sports.

So this weekend, I finally stayed home, albeit reluctantly, so I though I may as well do quick blog update on my fun fall fishing happenings.

In late September to early October the shallow jig bite was rock solid, I was able to get out a few times and stick both quantity and quality largemouth putting my 3/8oz BassTEK Tungsten Flipping Jigs in and around any shallow visible cover I could find.  Check out the following video, I put together from one said outing.

Late October the shallow bite became very hit and miss and for me, the more dependable bite was fishing remaining weed clumps in the 8-10′ range on most of the lakes I visited.  A handful of baits produced good fish, including the new SoulJerk 115 from Evolve, but my best combo was threading a Pumpkin Oil Kompak Craw onto a 3/8oz Tungsten Finesse Flipping Jig.

Smallmouth fishing on Mille Lacs and the St. Croix River has been pretty decent as well, again for me the Kompak Craw has been the ticket.  On a recent trip, it out fished the ever faithful Tube Jig 13 smallies to 1 on the tube.  Basically in water less then 15 feet, I fish the Kompak Craw on a 1/8oz to 3/16oz EWG Shakey Football Head and in deeper water out to 30ft, I rig the craw on 1/2oz – 3/4oz BassTEK Tungsten Football jigs.  Unlike summer when I like a craw with a good flap or kick on my football jig, when the water gets below 50, the subtleness of the Kompak Craw is what the fish seem to prefer.
 

I hope to get the boat wet a time or two yet before the rivers freeze.  In past years, I have had luck plucking smallmouth down to about 35 degree water temperatures on football jigs.