By Mike Peluso

So the calendar is saying fall. The temperatures lately are saying otherwise. Unfortunately, this is slowing the start of the fall river bite somewhat.

The fish are biting at times and other times they are not. The one thing I’ve noticed is the fish are feeding in short spurts with right before dark being the best. I feel there is plenty of fish around, but they are not in fall feed bag mode yet.

I think with this rain we are getting and cooler temperatures we will start to see the water temperatures drop. All week on the river near and just south of Bismarck we were still seeing 60-62 degree water temps. To me for October this is way too warm. Once those water temps hit the mid to low 50’s that’s the dinner bell.

We also need a good hard frost to help things along. It seems each fall that is a trigger point to get the walleyes really fired up.

So what am I seeing on the river? If you haven’t ventured out there yet be prepared to see water levels that are super low. It’s a river all the way down to Fort Yates. Lots of current and lots of sandbars. Fish are around and like I said earlier, some days they bite and others they are tough. A lot of it right now is timing and position. If you are in the right area at the right time you can do well!

I’m sticking with jigs and minnows behind sandbars and shoreline pockets. I do have some buddies that are pulling cranks and doing well. For me it’s not about just putting numbers in the boat so I go with jigs and minnows so I can feel that “thump” on a JT custom rod!

Mike Peluso is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a licensed ND fishing guide specializing in walleyes on the state’s major waters.

Featured Photo: The author with a pair of quality eater-sized walleyes from the Missouri River. DEO Photo by Mike Peluso.