Fall is a great time to be on the water. Gone are the days of the scorching sun and the damp air. The leaves are turning, the air is crisp and Waterways is filled with active wildlife that can easily sidetrack a fisherman. During a recent kayaking trip on Grand Lagoon, we observed numerous species of ducks and wading birds along the water's edge, wild turkeys feeding underneath our heavy tree canopy, and various other forms of native wildlife that roam this land. When you have the opportunity to become part of nature's daily "reality show", it's difficult to keep your eye on the water...

Anyway, back to fish. Fish have an internal instinct to be dormant in the winter, so fall is the time they prepare to ensure survival until spring. To this end, they begin gathering in schools to roam the waterways in search of large masses of food, so use spinnerbaits and crankbaits to catch them. Concentrate on fishing along the coves, where smaller fish might be feeding, and follow the shad to find the fish. In the fall, largemouth bass are looking to eat anything in preparation for winter, so any concentrations of baitfish will probably lead you to the promised land! This video should be great inspiration for any fisherman on fall techniques: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33zL1BI0oW8

When Bill Dance and his team were designing our miles of lagoons, they took special interests in the importance of "cover". Green weeds offer oxygen and a place for baitfish to hang out. Rocks hold heat better than other structures, so bass are often found along the rocks enjoying that slight up-tempo. Logs, laydowns, brush, stumps and standing timber are all obvious spots which can hold good populations of bass, and Dance created numerous locations in Grand Lagoon where both natural and man-made structures provide ideal collection areas for our largemouth bass populations.

Remember, they call it fishing, but the goal is catching. At WaterWays, you can do both, and live the good life too! To schedule a tour of our lagoons and the possibility to test your luck on our Bill Dance Signature Lake system, visit:Â www.waterwaystownship.com or call 912-445-0299.