I can't think of any other time of year where the fish are so damn reliable and unreliable at the same time than fall.
Now that is officially fall – in case you have not noticed – animals start doing weird shit. You see a lot of activity this time of year as animals are out getting prepared for the unknown of winter. This is no different for the bass. They start doing everything they can to gorge themselves to prepare for winter.
Here are a few basic guidelines I start off with when fall fishing for bass, as well as a basic list of lure suggestions. Keep in mind this does not matter if you're in California or Massachusetts the same basics apply.
Finding the fall hangouts
Starting off the first thing I start looking for are creeks, coves and pockets, fish pin bait and try and keep it corralled this time of year. This can be a crazy thing to witness, but I have seen wolf packs of fish take out an entire ball of bait in as little as one afternoon. Also the sun and water temp start playing a huge roll this time of year. I believe that the warmer the bank in the fall, the more likely it is to be a productive spot. This continues throughout winter, but that is a different article all together. So look for banks, coves, and creek areas that get sun early, and have it constant throughout the day without loosing it to the shadow of trees, hills, etc.
Once you find a few likely areas to start, begin to search for bait fish. The easiest way to do this is look for birds. Although there are not always going to be birds where bait fish are present it still helps to be very aware of birds. Keep an eye out in particular for diving birds.
Bass are going top have a tendency to bunch up no matter what the species so you are going to catch largies, spots, as well as smallmouth in the same area a lot of times. I have a tendency to fish shallow this time of year, but fish love to get deep and hang suspended under large balls of bait, so keep your graph on at all times to see what is going on under your boat. Be very aware of your surroundings. Chances are if you see a bass bust in the surface this time of year, if you can react quickly enough that fish will be catchable.
Lure selection
As far as lures go, I like to fish big baits but I always try keep an open mind this time of year since fish become really keyed in on size and profile in the fall. You may be able to draw a fish up to the boat with a swimbait for example, but that same fish may be so keyed on shad it may not bite anything but a LV 500, rattletrap or spoon. Just don't get stuck in a rut of trying to force feed the fish. Believe me, I know this from experience.
Last but not least, don't forget to cover water once you figure out a pattern. This is a great time of year to run around and try and match a cove for example where you may have stuck 20 fish. Chances are you can find the same thing happening just up the lake a bit.
My favorite fall bass lures
Here are some specific lure choices I start off with in the fall.
Remember this is just a general guideline – don't get caught up on one bait in the fall. Use your imagination. This may be the only time of year you will find 6 rods thrown across the deck of my boat.
Starting with swimbaits, from the top
- Black Dog "Weed Slinger"
- 8" Osprey
- 6" Baitsmith
On the top
- Super Spook
- Lunker Lures buzz bait
- Terminator 1/8 oz buzz bait
- 6" Rattling Lunker Punker
Some more offerings (ignore the buzz baits already mentioned)
- Revenge Lures Viberator with a Lake Fork shad trailer
- Revenge spinnerbait in all white
- 1/8 oz Terminator spinner bait
Two Old Faithfulls
- 1/4 oz Speed Trap
- 3/4 oz LV 500
For when that water starts to get cold:
- Don't forget a selection of rip baits.
If your not one to fish in the freezing rain and cold like I am, this may be your last opportunity to get out and stick some fish until it warms up in the spring, so get out there while the getting's good.