Don McClory: It would be a mistake to give up on fall fishing

Fishing pressure and boat traffic will soon decrease on the larger lakes as most of the summer people close their vacation homes and put their pleasure boats away for the season.Because Labor Day weekend is considered by many to be end of the summer, many will hang up their rod and reels for the season and break out the hunting gear.If this is you, then you are making a crucial mistake. It’s OK to be thinking about the upcoming hunting season, but don’t be so quick to give up on fishing. If you are a dedicated angler then you know that some of the biggest fish of the year will be caught during the next few weeks.September is one of the best times to wet a line, both in the fresh and salt water. Bodies of fresh water will be turning over soon, as surface water changes with the season, bringing fish closer to the surface.As the day progresses look for active fish in the deeper water. Up north in the larger bodies of water like Sebago and Winnie, salmon fishing has turned on. Baitfish are staged at the inlets or river to do their upstream migration to spawn, and the salmon and lake trout are their meal. Streamer imitations like Joe Smelts and Meredith Specials should be on the menu.The trout stocking of local ponds will happen soon. Stripers are starting their southern migration all along the coast. Here is a quote from the Kittery report to substantiate what I have just mentioned. In the Sebago Region, Greg Cutting at Jordan’s Store in East Sebago is very enthusiastic about the average size and the amount of landlocked salmon that he’s been seeing. “It’s been a long time and we can’t remember when the salmon fishing this time of year has been so good! The average size is probably over twenty inches and fat-along with plenty of smaller ones.”uOccasionally I receive media advisories from MassWildlife that I will pass along. This is a recent notice. “Due to recent public inquiries about Sunday hunting in Massachusetts, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife advises all hunters that hunting on Sundays is still prohibited in Massachusetts. A bill to allow bowhunting on Sundays had been passed by the House in June, but did not get passed by the full legislature.” Consider sharing this information with hunting friends, clubs, and other sporting groups.uSince 1972, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has offered the opportunity for paraplegic sportsmen and sportswomen to hunt deer in several locations across the state during a special three-day season. This year’s hunt dates are Oct. 29-31. Locations include Devens (Harvard/Lancaster), Quabbin Reservation (Belchertown), two properties in northern and southern Berkshire County, and Otis/Edwards Military Reservation (Falmouth). Licensed paraplegic hunters who have an interest in participating in this hunt should contact Trina Moruzzi at (508) 389-6318 or by email at [email protected] for more details.uMassWildlife announces that the sale of Surplus Antlerless Deer Permits by Wildlife Management Zone will be staggered over the following days in October, Zone 11 permits will go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 8 a.m., Zone 10 permits will go on sale Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 8 a.m., Zone 13 and 14 permits will go on sale Thursday, Oct. 9 at 8 a.m.Once on sale, permits will remain available until sold out in each Wildlife Management Zone. Surplus permits may be purchased through MassFishHunt, at a license vendor location, or at a DFW office. Visit our website for step-by-step instructions for purchasing a Surplus Antlerless Deer Permit. While on the subject of antlerless permits if you applied for a Maine permit, the lottery winners have been chosen, check the maine.gov web site to see if you we drawn for a permit.uSeptember and October are the peak months of the breeding season for Massachusetts’ growing moose population, and motorists are reminded to be conscious of increased moose activity, especially during early morning and evening hours. Having no natural predators in Massachusetts and