Targeting Fall Bass | How To Catch More Fish
As the weather gets cooler and the leaves start to change color, bass fishing changes as well. The fish become more sluggish and less active, so anglers need to change their tactics in order to be successful. Here are a few tips on how to target largemouth bass in fall.
Look for Baitfish to find Fall Bass
Largemouth bass will often be found near schools of baitfish in fall. The baitfish are looking for areas with lots of food, and the bass are following them there in order to get an easy meal. Look for surface activity or use a fish finder to locate schools of baitfish, and then cast your lure into the school.
If you see top water action, don’t be afraid to throw a top water bait like a Zara Spook by Hedden Lures. These are a walk-the-dog style bait that you will work properly as you twitch your rod on the retrieve getting the bait to have a side-to-side, “walk-the-dog” action.
Another great top water bait are wake baits. A bait like the FishLab Bio-Shad Wake Bait has a subtle side to side action and can be worked very slowly on the surface bringing in big strikes.
Don’t be afraid to throw baits that make huge commotion as well like the Whopper Plopper. These things throw a lot of water and make a tremendous amount of splash and commotion. Here is a full breakdown of the River2Sea Whopper Plopper.
Use Slow-Moving Lures
Since the fish are less active in fall, they won’t chase after fast-moving lures as they would in other seasons. Stick with slow-moving lures such as plastic worms, or jigs. These lures will give the fish time to strike.
Worms rigged Texas, Carolina and even the popular Ned Rig style work well for wary, lethargic bass. You can even throw the wacky rigged worm and have great success around shallow water structure. Just give your baits a nice and slow presentation.
For most of your worm applications, a nice stick style worm will work great and is probably something you should always have in your tackle box. A bait like the classic Gary Yamamoto Senko Baits work great for most of these applications.
As far as colors go, you can never go wrong with the tried and true Green Pumpkin, PB&J, Watermelon and something dark like a Black and Blue
Fish Deeper Water for Fall Bass
As the water temperature cools, bass will move into deeper water where it’s warmer. They’ll often be found around sunken logs, rocks, or other structure in deep water. Use a heavier weight on your line so that you can get your lure down to where the fish are hiding.
For deep water applications, I like to start off casting a deep diving crank bait like an 10XD crankbait by Strike King. Obviously, depending on your depth, you will want to adjust your diving depth up or down. I like to make a long cast with the deep diving bait and crank fast to get it down to the structure where the fish will be hunkered down, and slowly work it back to the boat or shore. Make sure you speed up and slow down as you feel the bottom and structure. Some times a subtle bounce along a rock or stump will trigger that bite. Colors like Sexy Shad, Black/Silver and most crawfish patterns work well.
For deep water action, you can also fish the shallow water applications. I usually add a bit more weight and work my bait slowly. Carolina Rig, Texas Rig and Ned Rig work well here as well.
Be Patient
It can take patience to catch bass in fall, but it’s worth it when you finally get a bite. Stay focused and keep casting your lure into likely spots until you find where the fish are hiding. Then you can sit back and enjoy the rest of the autumn day with a nice catch!
Conclusion:
Fall is a great time to go bass fishing, but anglers need to adjust their tactics from other seasons in order to be successful. Look for baitfish, use slow-moving lures, fish deeper water, and be patient when targeting largemouth bass during this time of year. With a little bit of effort, you’re sure to have a great day out on the water!
Thank you for stopping by Fishing Tackle Insider! See you on the water.
