S8, Ep 68: The Fall Transition: Matt Reilly's Insights on Bass Behavior and Bug Fishing Strategies

Hey, folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of The Articulate Fly.We're back with another Southwest Virginia Fishing Report with the man himself, Matt Reilly.Matt, how are you doing?

I'm great, man.How are you?

Just trying to stay out of trouble.It's.We were talking before we started recording.It looks like you knew, you finally maybe got the consistent weather groove you were looking for the last time we spoke.

Yep, yep.We had, you know, summer thunderstorms lasted a little bit longer than.Into the summer, than.Than typical, I would say, but for the last three weeks to a month, it's been relatively stable.You know, had a couple.Couple little cold fronts come through.But, you know, right now we're looking at low water and, you know, like mid-80s to 90 degrees every day and sunny.So we're in a pretty good spot for this time of year.

Yeah.So I guess the inflection point before muskie season is when does the frost come and kill all the bugs?

Right.Yeah, yeah, that and you know, that you're.You're sort of roll the dice hurricane that potentially changes water levels pretty dramatically anytime between, you know, early September and, you know, sometime in October.But I, you know, last year we had a bunch of cold fronts real early in September.This year it's definitely, you know, gonna be warmer more consistently later into the month.So I foresee our bug fishing being pretty good for the next, you know, at least a couple weeks.But it's also been a little bit interesting on the.The cicada crop front.You know, I don't really know exactly how to explain it, but we had what I would call maybe a little bit weaker hatch of annual cicadas this year.They.The.The whole, you know, foraging event sort of hit a.Hit a climax maybe two or three, three weeks ago, what I would consider to be maybe a little bit early.Usually it's right around the end of August, 1st of September, where you start seeing them in the water, on the bank in fish's mouths quite a bit.The back half of August, usually in the first bit of September.You know, black bugs, green bugs are pretty stable, but this, this year just has not seemed to really culminate that way.For whatever reason, there was like a week period where they were real present, and that was back in August.And.And it's kind of.Kind of not been a thing since, so.But bug fishing's been good.It's just a little bit, A little bit different tone than usual.

Yeah.And is it, you know, do the, does the bass behavior Change kind of like one of the things we noticed, I think we're telling before recording, I was fishing with Ellis in East Tennessee last week or earlier?No.Yeah, last week.And we were already starting to see kind of the big browns kind of moving around a little bit.Or do you kind of see that kind of as the days keep getting shorter, it starts to cool off, that the bass start kind of moving kind of away from kind of their traditional bug lies.

Yeah, well, I would say there's a lot of elements there.So on a natural freestone river, or I mean the New is not a totally natural river, but river that behaves relatively naturally, there's, there's water temperature changes, there's, there's flow changes and then there's the length of day that really starts changing this time of year pretty quickly.And you know, you're talking about bug lies.I mean, I would say maybe that's a thing.If, if cicadas are really on the menu, those, those fish are going to be oriented to the bank a little bit more.Where that hasn't seemed to have been as, as big of a deal this year.I mean, you're always going to have mid river fish, particularly when the water's low.That's not a, it's not a thing or a movement that occurs like when they're on one bug versus another and very rarely do they get super specific on which bug they're on.But I would say one thing I've been, I've been noticing for the last week, maybe a little bit longer, is fish starting to pack up.And normally that's something that happens a little bit later in September where, you know, the days are just getting shorter.You'll, all of a sudden, you know, you have your fish that are in very consistent specific summer spots day to day, and then all of a sudden those spots are kind of vacant.And then you run over a pack of, you know, 5, 6, 8, 17 bass all in one spot.That's a very, that's very much a fall thing.Um, but it's also a very low water thing.And so what I've noticed over the last several years is, is I, I, I think maybe it's a combination of the two things that can put, can push those fish to pack up earlier.Where you have real low water and you're getting into that, you know, mid to late September timeframe, maybe they just pack up a little early.Um, but that's, that's been something I've really been saying on the water every day is, you know, Fish are definitely in packs, but it's a little bit earlier than, than I normally notice that.Um, so changes are definitely happening.I mean in the morning, it, it's, it takes longer every day for that sun to come up, it seems like.Um, and yeah, so I mean things are definitely changing, but those, that, that fall change I think really starts in like mid August.Usually we have a, we have a cold front every year in mid August where we get some like 45, 50, 55 degree overnights.And that's, that's kind of what kicks off that last really good portion of the season.And then you know, within a month, month and a half of that is when you know that that true fall movement starts to happen.

Got it.And so when those fish are podded up, you know, any changes you make in kind of how you approach em, are you kind of picking like a fish in the back, you know, or, or does the pack tend to chase or you know, anything there to kind of people can use to up their game?

Yeah.So I mean where we're at right now, where we're, we're bug fishing most every day because things are low and sunny and it, it can be, it can be good, but it can also be frustrating because if there's you know, 17 fish sitting on one log and the in a deep, you know, portion of a, of a pool, that means there's, there's a lot of places, good habitat where there's not fish.And so you can, in that regard you have to be pretty methodical and pretty patient because you know, you're, you're floating through good habitat, you're casting, you're looking for fish, you're not seeing anything.And you know, round about the time you say all right, let's, let's move to the next spot, you know, then you, you push out this, this big pot of fish.So, so you kind of have to just keep, keep with it and know that that's, that's a thing that's occurring.And then, you know, the, the double edged sword there too is that, you know, lot to fish in one place does create competition.I mean, I can't tell you how many times we've been just in the last four or five days we've been moving through some water sight fishing and somebody throws a fly out and I'm like, oh, there's a fish over there.And then their fly gets eaten by another fish.And we hadn't seen a fish in 10 minutes before that, you know, so does create some competition in that sense where fish may be that much more likely to jump on a fly, but at the same time there's just that many more eyes.And so if you spook one, sometimes you spook them all and it's game over.And you know you've spooked all the fish in the pool cause they're all together and now you gotta move to the next spot.So it's sort of a double edged sword.But you just have to approach the river knowing that you're likely to run into that situation and, and make the most of it.

Got it.And we were talking before we started recording that, you know, your dance card is full for smallmouth, but that means spring stripers and muskie.You want to let folks kind of know, you know, what you have available and how to get in touch and all that kind of good stuff.

Yeah.So, so right now really just really just looking at muskie season, you know, starting, I'll really, really get after it probably about early to mid November.I'm, I'm booked full up through about the 9th of November right now.So yeah, that whole, you know, mid November through February time frame will be pretty much focused on muskies every day.I've already booked quite a few days.I haven't sent an email out.I don't know why, just been busy.But that's really the next big shift on our calendar.So if that's something you're interested in, definitely give me a shout because I like to certainly if you've never done it before or even if you have and you're just looking to learn something or see a new fishery or something, I really like to be able to plan as effectively as possible as far as at what point in the season we plan a trip.So if that's something you're interested in, definitely give me a shout and we'll, we'll get you hooked up.

Yeah, I imagine that newsletter hasn't come out cause you've been researching Louisiana Airbnbs to go chase the cicada bite, right?

Yeah, you know, it's been, it's been far from my mind actually, but, but it shouldn't be.I really should be on that.

Yeah.Have you got any fun fishing for yourself between smallmouth and muskie season?

Couple muskie days.You know, I always like to get out for several days just to kind of like get my feet under me for a little while.I've got a couple like doctor's appointment days where I'll probably drag a jet boat and get out somewhere for the afternoon.And, um, probably do some, probably do some bow hunting for a couple of weeks.And, you know, I, I, I like to, I like to figure some flex time in for myself kind of mid, mid to late October when things are, things are transitioning.Um, things can be good on both fronts, but they can also be kind of funky on both fronts.So it's, it's kind of a good time to chill out a little bit.And I've, I've just been burning, you know, 25, 28 days a month, you know, for a couple months.So it's, it's a good time to chill for a little bit.

Yeah.Maybe do a little bird or squirrel hunting too, right?

Yeah, no doubt.

Yeah.Well, as we always say, you know, everything you want to know about Matt is on his website at mattreillyflyfishing.com and also, as always, say, folks, yo, it's yourself to get out there and catch a few tight lines, everybody.Tight lines.Matt.

Hey, thanks, man.