Swift Creek Reservoir Fishing Report- September
By Charlie Machek
Owner of Swift Creek Reservoir Guide Service
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The Bass Fishing with the Swift Creek Reservoir Guide Service continues to be amazing. One of the biggest reasons why is the healthy amount of aquatic vegetation in the lake. The grass is not only protecting the next generation of fish, and filtering the water, but it also provides perfect habitat for the apex predators (largemouth bass and chain pickerel) to hide, and ambush their prey. For those not used to fishing around aquatic vegetation, there can be somewhat of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, hold on tight, because the fishing is awesome. We have been catching good numbers of fish in the 1.5lb to 3 lb range, and regularly catching bass from 4lbs all the way up to 7lbs.
With the nights starting to cool off just a bit, the days getting shorter, and the kids going back to school, the fish know that fall is right around the corner. I like to call this time of year “the fall feed bag.” This is when the water temps start to drop, the baitfish start to school up, and the bass start to feed heavily to bulk up for winter. The problem is that it’s hard to know exactly when that will happen. As of writing this article on Aug, 31st, the fish are still in their typical summer patterns of hiding in the grass eating the easy meal, and hanging out deep on points, or creek channels. So, for the beginning of the month, reference the July, and August reports for the best patterns and baits to try (www.machekfishing.com/fishingreport).
When the fish do change into their fall patterns, as a general rule of thumb, is when the water surface temperatures drop down into the 70’s. Currently the lake level is continuing to drop, and this temperature drop will likely be a result of colder rains flowing into the lake. The rain will not only cool the water temps, but also pump all kinds of nutrients into the lake (which is why it’s important to carefully select and apply lawn fertilizers). The baitfish, shad, and brim will be drawn to these areas, and the bass will not be far behind. If we happen to receive enough rain to bring the water levels back up, the many docks and stop-a-whiles around the lake will have enough depth to start producing again. Almost any type of bait that imitates a shad will work: Spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and crankbaits. The depth, and retrieve speed should match the depth of the baitfish. The most important thing to note is that all of these tips are dependent on the weather. If the weather doesn’t change much, then neither will the fishing.
The many grass beds around the lake should start to thin out this month, before they actually die off over the winter. Continue to work texas rigs, and other weedless/semiweedless lures around the edges. I expect the topwater fishing to get better throughout this month, and if you see a grass bed matted on the surface, try throwing a floating frog over the top. This will not always produce, but when it does, it is my favorite type of fishing. The thicker the vegetation, the heavier your rod, and fishing line needs to be. The next few months are an important time to keep your eye out, and be aware of your surroundings. You will often be able to spot baitfish on the surface, see bass actively feeding, and you might even find a few new fishing spots because of it. Good luck, take a kid fishing, and I’ll see you on the water! If you have questions please contact me at machekfishing@gmail.com or on social media, and continue to submit your fish catch photos to be included in next month’s article.
