It was an early fall day and the small bay where my young daughter Jackie and I were fishing had attracted all kinds of panfish including rock bass, bluegills, perch, crappies and various sunfish. Although October and colder weather would be here soon, the sun was shining, and it was warm and pleasant in our secluded little spot.

Our tackle was simple: I was using a lightweight, St. Croix spinning rod, and Jackie was using her Zebco spincast outfit. We had been using live worms at first, but small bluegills wouldn’t leave us alone, and Jackie said that she wanted to try some artificial lures. I was quick to oblige. I removed her hook and bobber and tied on a white Beetle Spin with a bright red dot on it. That lure was one of my favorites when I was her age, too.

Jackie was already pretty skilled at casting, and it didn’t take her long to figure out the range and make accurate casts right to the edge of a weed bed that ran parallel to the shore, a short distance away. Two casts later, a keeper-sized crappie inhaled her spinner. “Got one!” she exclaimed, and quickly reeled it in. There was a big smile on her face when I told her to slow down and give me a chance to fish!

I was using a spinner, too, in an effort to catch some of the jumbo perch that I knew were in the lake. Small, inline Mepps spinners are great for yellow perch, and I love using a #0 or even a #00 Mepps Aglia with a silver blade. The perch were loving it, too! I had just caught a fat perch—golden yellow with dark bars along its sides, and bright orange fins that almost glowed in the morning sunlight. The Mepps spinner was also catching crappies and the occasional rock bass.

The perch and crappies were cruising the deeper edge of the weed line, picking off minnows and other stragglers at will. Rock bass and large bluegills were also present, trying to get in on the feast. We didn’t catch a lot of bluegills on our spinners, but the ones we did catch were big, hand-sized individuals.

Spinners are especially productive at this time of year because they do a good job of mimicking baitfish like minnows and a host of other young-of-the-year fish species. Baby bluegills and sunfish, juvenile perch, and other small fish are abundant at the end of summer and early fall, and larger fish key-in on them as easy targets if they get caught out in the open.

The silvery, metal spinner blades on these baits provide a great attraction factor as they move through the water, catching the sunlight and reflecting it in all directions. The spinner blades also produce sound and vibration that attracts nearby fish. The flashing blades resemble the silvery sides of shiners or other minnows, and make hungry predators move closer as they search for an easy meal. Once the bigger fish get close enough, the spinners often trigger a reaction strike.

Besides the Beetle Spin and Mepps Aglia that Jackie and I were using that day, a host of other productive spinners on the market will definitely help you catch more and bigger panfish. They come in a dizzying array of shapes and sizes, and are available in just about every color in the rainbow.

Here are a couple more good spinners: The Spin Bee from the Gapen Company is a great choice for hefty panfish. It features a small spinner at the back of the lure that entices following fish, and it comes in sizes from 1/32-ounce all the way up to 3/8-ounce. The Road Runner from TTI-Blakemore is also excellent, and has been catching big panfish for decades. The fact that its spinner is located underneath the jig head gives it a unique look. Pair it with your favorite soft plastic jig and it is deadly.

Panfishing in late summer and early fall can be fast and furious. The fish sense that the seasons are changing and that colder weather will be here soon, and they take advantage of the remaining food supply while they can. Shallow bays with good weed lines and easy access to deeper water come alive with panfish at this time of year.

For more insight and tips for fishing throughout the year, check out the articles in every issue of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.