Fishing tip of the week

Fishing Tip of the Week

Monday, 05 August 2024 09:13

Keys to Fall Bass Fishing
by Mike Gerry

Over the many years I have fished for bass and guided , I have found that the fall bass fishing can be all about numbers and lots of action. Sure, there are ups and downs as there is every season but the fall with its cooling water temperatures offers some great fishing.
The first thing I tell my customers is to follow the bait fish, chase the schools of bait that show up in the shallow water, as the fall feeding is all about bait and a lot of it. It’s also a time when the right bait is critical to catching fish. The size of your bait, its ability to mimic the natural food is critical.
There are several baits that do this like crank baits, their ability to cover water and their size are just natural replicas for fall fishing.

Generally, in the fall we get many windy days making a spinner bait an ideal bait for fall fishing as its size and movement are very natural. I really like a jerk bait in the fall as its quick natural movement is just a killer for bass to attack as they feed up for the winter. Top water is always a natural bait for the early morning and late evening as the feeding frenzy is a big part of the fall bite and top water lures attract their aggressiveness.

Don’t overlook the need in the fall to fish the correct depth, as the water gradually cools the right depth is critical, start in the shallows at the mouths of the creeks early in the day and work toward the deeper water as the day progresses and the sun warms the day.
Structure can be key in the fall. Target the cover especially small pieces of cover in remote places that will get overlooked by many fishermen. A stick or small object off the beaten path can be a critical key to fishing the fall as the remote unfished pieces of structure always hold bass.

Lastly your retrieve can be everything, vary your movement, change it until you find a retrieve that works then repeat it for similar results. As always key in on what you do when you catch a fish as repeating it can be the ticket to the next bite
Captain Mike