Tis the season....

[jkeepes2000]

A lot of people ask 'what do I use this time of year?' questions and don't give locations. I am in Southern Illinois it has been warmer than normal this fall. We have reached down into the 20's once or twice. Thanksgiving day I will be at my sister's to cook the turkey. I want to tie up errr..(sorry swapmeister!) dress some hooks to fish after lunch. They have a nice lake that I can fill up a bucket of bluegill and bass just about any spring or summer day. I started dressing hooks recently and am itching to fish. Let me know what your choices would be.....

[Uncle Jesse]

I would think wooly bugger, leech patterns maybe some streamer, black ghost, mickey finn, some of those epoxy minnows Dave tyed up in Iowa.

[hungNtree]

i don't know about southern Illinois, but down here in north middle TN, no matter what time of year, I have never went wrong with a simple scud pattern. That is for the creeks around here, I don't do much pond or lake fishing, though that might change this winter some. I tie up alot of different patterns and flies, but I always take a few scud patterns and always catch fish. Sometimes I catch them with a dead drift and sometimes i give the line a little tug. I hope that helps.

hNt

[cycler68]

You might try some micro jigs. Last year they produced bluegills for me until just before ice up.

[FishnDave]

I'll second the microjigs... 1/80th or 1/100 oz jigheads tied with marabou tail and a body of chenille. Best chenille colors for me have been metallic gold, chartreuse, or metallic silver, or black...in that order. Each body of water seems to show a distinct color preference ,but the gold works almost everywhere.
You can fish them just about any depth you wish under an indicator. Its a perfect technique for cold water.

[quivira kid]

I would say microjigs would be a great place to start, along with some small beadheads. Small and heavy under an indicator. Get to where the fish are, then fish it slow.

[jkeepes2000]

Thanks guys.

Don't have the jigs, but should be able to 'imitate' them with bead heads, lead wire, maribou, and chenille. I guess the indicator gives me the ability to vertical jig?

Just can't watch football anymore. There's a flag on every play. Too boring. Will report on fishing next week.