Successful Fall Bass Fishing
By Richard Sims
The Shad Factor
This recurs in every single article I have read. Chase
the shad and you have found the bass. Well.. yes for the most part this
is very true. But unless
you're always fishing shallow, crystal clear water, or you can see shad
jumping and boiling and bass attacking them, this may be a tough task!
How can you
tell if the blips on your sonar are shad or perch? Well, basically it doesn't
matter. Here's a little secret: It doesn't have to be shad! Bass are
literally feeding on just about anything in anticipation for the upcoming
winter. Whatever
is most available to them is what they will feed on. If you're on a hump
on 15ft of water and there's good populations of perch there, then chances
are
you are going to find bass that are feeding on perch. Now, there will be
plenty of schools that will indeed follow the shad into the backs of feeder
creeks,
etc. and feed on them. This is a very successful technique. But the fact
is that some lakes (especially smaller ones) do not have any shad population
whatsoever.
On my "practice lake" the main forage in
the fall is creek chubs and sucker minnows. Therefore the bass follow
them instead. This brings them
to drop offs and the mouth of the river that feeds the lake for the most
part. There are also some bass that feed predominantly on bluegill in
the fall in
this lake, so that is yet another pattern we follow to catch them. You
see, don't just look for shad. Look for any concentrations of ANY baitfish,
and
chances are you will find at least some bass. The bigger the baitfish,
the bigger the bass more than likely. Big bass don't get big by eating
1" shiners.
This is indeed why shad is the most popular baitfish species for bass anglers
to chase in the fall months.
The Importance of Cover
Green weeds attract bass in the fall. No doubt about
that fact in my books. Most articles will tell you to look for this. They
offer oxygen and baitfish
which are two things the bass are looking for at this time. Okay, so weeds
are a definite fish holder. Now, what if your lake has no green weeds,
or at least you can't find any? Well you could drive around searching
all day or
ask a fellow angler where the green weeds are.. this might work and if
it does, more power to you. It doesn't work for me and I don't like
to waste time
driving around for weeds and I certainly don't like moving in to spots
that other anglers have been beating to death. It's time to find secondary
areas
other than green weeds.
First off there's rocks. Remember, in the fall the water
cools down and bass' metabolism experiences changes with it. Rocks hold
heat better than
other structure, so the bass will be holding to the rocks for a slightly
warmer temp. Also, baitfish like rocks for the same reason. Where I'm
from, we have
amazing populations of rock bass. Largemouth and smallmouth eat them! Where
are rock bass found? ROCKS! Rip-rap, boulders, rock walls, cement break
walls, piers... any of these areas can and usually will hold bass during
the fall.
In river situations, rock piles or boulders also can serve as current breaks
which make an even more obvious spot to catch bass from! If you see baitfish
boiling on the surface near a rip-rap bank, don't hesitate to throw topwater
baits! This can be some very exciting fall fishing!
Another good area to look for bass is wood. Logs, laydowns, brush, boat docks,
stumps, standing timber. All of the obvious spots can hold good populations
of bass. For me, fall means dock fishing. Find docks with a transition from
shallow to deep water, or with rip-rap at the bank and you have found a hotspot!!
A big mistake fishermen make in the fall (or any season) is catching one bass
off a piece of cover, then moving on to the next. Remember that bass school
up in the fall to hunt. Sometimes you can pull 5 or 6 bass, possible more,
off of one dock (or other wood structure). The reason I choose docks for the
most part in the fall is because although bass are generally not buried in
shade for temperature reasons, it still gets sunny in the fall and the bass
generally do not want the sun in their eyes. Wood structure can provide a perfect
place to hunt while the sun is blaring down on the water. I believe this is
why docks are particularly productive on sunny days in the fall.
Relation to Structure
As for structural areas in the fall, this can vary beyond
belief. This is where "looking for the baitfish" is particularly
important. Typically for myself, river mouths, creek channels, points
and canals have been productive
in fall times. Later in the season, they will concentrate even more in
these areas. A good quality depth finder can be a valuable asset at this
time.
Look for baitfish or even the bass themselves on potential fish holding
structure.
Even when fishing shallow water (8ft or less) it is a good idea to be looking
out on the depth finder for schools of baitfish. When you find these baitfish
schools, mark the area somehow. It's always important to have some marker
buoys with you on board. I also like to take notes on which structure,
cover, lure, etc. about the bass that have been caught throughout the
season and
refer to them next fall.
Lure Choices
Basically, try to use lures to match the baitfish in
the area you're fishing. If you aren't sure of the baitfish, then chrome
or white colored lures are
usually a good bet. If the water is stained or muddy, gold, chartreuse,
orange or red colored lures can be the bait of choice. In the fall, bass
are ready
to chase down baits under most situations, but it has too look like the
food they are feeding on. I like tandem Terminator T-1 spinnerbaits during
the fall
as they allow me to cover water effectively. Rat L Traps, jerkbaits, buzzbaits,
poppers and even in-line spinners are also good bets during the fall. For
fishing heavy cover or weedlines, I like to swim a Terminator Pro's Top
Secret Jig
around with a pork frog trailer. These are also good baits for fishing
docks. Be sure to use a lighter jig (1/4 oz. or less) so it has a slower
fall. Bass
aren't going to be in lockjaw mode too much during the fall. Another good
technique that produced this year was dropshotting Terminator Snapback
Super Plastics soft jerkbaits around dock structures for bass that missed
or short-struck
my spinnerbaits.
All in all, the fall is an excellent time to catch monster bass. I have
already had a small taste of what the fall has to offer, and I really can't
wait!
It could very well be the most exciting time of the year, and the best
chance at a trophy fish. Be sure to stay safe, warm and relatively dry
out there,
and take a kid with you! Good luck and tight lines!
- "Big Bass" Rich -
Articles By Richard Sims