One of the things about fishing that differs from other hobbies is that there are rarely two days alike! So far this entire season has been like no other with the high heat, high water combination.

There's an old saying that seems true more times than not. “Six weeks after the locust start to chirp we get our first frost”. Well by my count it's been 4 weeks; let's get started with the fall bite PLEASE!

I consider myself lucky that I get to spend alot of time fishing but everyone has bad days and this summer - for whatever reasons - has been tough on me. Sad story I know - but I will suffer through until the magic of fall begins.

The water has already begun to cool, ever so slightly, but it's a good start. Crappies, bluegills, walleyes and bass will follow and start to school up in the coming weeks. The dog days of summer are numbered. The water is still high right now but we have to assume it will be dropping soon.

So where do we look for this fall's feeding frenzy?   Points - whether you're fishing a lake or river points are always a great place to fish - especially in the fall. Fish are on the move and looking to eat in the fall. Regardless of the specie you are after points offer everything they need.

As fish migrate from their summertime haunts to their wintering areas they'll stop at different points along the way and feed. They may stay an hour or a week - it all depends on the weather and availability of food.

Points come in all shapes and sizes; they don't have to be big to attract fish. I've fished some great points that only stuck out from shore 4 feet. Keep in mind that what's visible of out of the water is most likely only a small part of that point. Watch the lay of the land. If you see a point that slopes gradually into the water then you can figure that's what it does under the surface as well. The same is true for steeper drop offs - you can visualize where the end of the point should be. The very end of a point is not where the fish will always be but is where you should start looking.

The specie you are fishing for will dictate your bait choice but your approach will be the same for all. Start out on the deep end and work your way to the shore making sure you work both sides of the point all the way to shore. As soon as you catch a fish pay attention to specifically where it was on the point.  Was it on the upwind or current side, shallow, deep or close to shore? When you stop catching fish on that point move to the next one and duplicate the same tactics on that point and often you will catch fish there.

We're going into fall and the fish will be on the move so you may have to do the same - jump from point to point and maybe even go back to the first point you caught fish on. Often other fish will have moved in and you can start all over again. The first glimpse of the great fall bite has started so grab you tackle and get to the point. Until next time keep your lure wet!