Bedfordtimesregister.com - Buckeye Angler: Don't even think about giving up fishing yet, as fall hot spots loom

So many fishermen put their angling gear away too early in the open water season.

Savvy anglers know better.

The fact is, autumn is the time of the year when most species abandon much of their early season wariness and fall into more predictable patterns and frenzied feeding binges.

Here are my picks as Northeast Ohio's most outstanding autumn fishing holes, arranged by species:

Largemouth bass

5. Lake Milton -- This Trumbull County getaway has benefited from a 15-inch limit.

4. Cuyahoga River -- Deeper holes downriver to Gorge Park are the best spots. Break out those topwaters.

3. Portage Lakes -- This southern Akron hotspot is curiously de-emphasized later in the year.

2. Lake Hodgson -- The area's most misspelled fishery is also overlooked in fall.

1. Ladue Reservoir -- This Geauga County reservoir is at its best right up to the first snowfalls.

Smallmouth bass

5. Berlin Reservoir -- When the pleasure boating pressure ebbs, big smallies collect along breaklines and deeper points. Don't overlook blade baits.

4. Lake Milton -- The southside riprap always good for a few on tubes or Rebel crawdads.

3. West Branch -- It doesn't have fish the size of those in its aforementioned sister lakes, but there are good numbers here.

2. Cuyahoga River -- Fall stream angling at its aesthetic best, if not always for trophy size.

1. Lake Erie -- It's struggling to mount a comeback. The waters are best sampled during autumn evenings.

Bluegill

5. Walborn Reservoir -- This under-fished gem on Portage/Stark county border offers almost solitary tranquility.

4. Cuyahoga River -- The understandable predominance of this stream's pike and bass popularity leaves considerable panfish populations to die of old age.

3. LaDue -- The fishing tails off in fall, but so does the competition. It's always worth a look.

2. Lake Punderson -- Route 44 leads to more than just Ladue. Catching bonus trout is not a rare occurence.

1. Mogadore Reservoir -- It's not a unanimous choice any longer, but it's still the major panfish player.

Crappie

5. Cuyahoga River -- The Silver Lake/Front Street stretch is positively loaded.

4. Berlin -- Size trumps numbers.

3. West Branch -- It's been on a decade-long hot streak.

2. Mogadore -- A minor comeback last year was highlighted by North Dike catches.

1. Mosquito Reservoir -- Arguably the state's best crappie fishery and fall bite is often its best.

Yellow perch

5. LaDue -- There are lots of numbers here, if little size.

4. Cuyahoga River -- The depths off Gorge Pier and upriver in reservoir are prime spots.

3. Lake Milton -- There's a big size trend here that lasts well into winter.

2. Mogadore -- When you factor in gas costs, its a lot closer than many stuck with big Erie boats prefer to believe.

1. Lake Erie -- The perch fishing continues to be outstanding and fall months are the very best.

Walleye

5. Lake Milton -- The late fall blade bait bite experience is the highlight of the year for old friend and local expert John DeHaven and his band of cultists.

4. Mosquito -- Well, at least there are numbers ...

3. West Branch -- The popular spring jig and minnow bite always enjoys a fall resurgence.

2. Pymatuning Reservoir -- The state-straddling behemoth is on an overdue upswing.

1. Lake Erie -- I can't wait for those near-shore fall trolling trips.

Be smart and save a few of those hard-earned vacation days for what is almost always the year's best fishing time.

Editor's note: Readers can reach Jack Kiser through his Web site at www.buckeyeangler.com.

E-mail: stowsports@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3913