All About Bass Fishing - Guide To The Cooling Time Of Fall - Autumn

As summer comes to an end, water temperatures begin to cool. Days are shorter, nights are longer so the cooling effect is significant. Surface temperatures drop faster than that of deeper water. This cooling water affects baitfish as well. Some baitfish, like shad, often cannot handle the rapid water-temperature change and literally die and fall from the school to the lake bed below.

3 Most Important Factors About Bass Activity in Fall

Bass are moving back into the shallows bulking up in preparation for winter.
Shad and other baitfish may die as water cools and become easy prey for bass.
Bass can be caught on top water in the shallows or over deeper structure.

3 Most Effective Fishing Methods & Lures

Crankbaits and spinnerbaits.
Jigging spoons, jigs, Carolina rig worms and drop-shot worms.
Top water when the bass are shallow.

A Day On The Lake In Fall.

As always, begin by accumulating local knowledge about the body of water you will be fishing. Contact local bait stores, bass boat dealers and bass club members to find out first hand what is happening at the lake. Check fishing reports and fishing blogs which cover the lake where you plan to fish. The local fish and game department often posts fishing reports.
Recommended gear and tackle

Rod Choices (in order of importance).

1. 6’ medium-heavy action, bait-casting rod for lures from 3/8 ounce up to 1 ounce. Fill reel with 40# to 65# braid or 14# to 17# monofilament or fluorocarbon. (To be used for jigs, spoons and worms).
2. 6’ medium-action spinning rod. Fill reel with 30# braid or 8 # to 10# monofilament or fluorocarbon. (To be used for drop-shot worms or shaky worms).
3. 6’ medium-action, bait-casting rod for lures from ¼ ounce up to 3/4 ounce. Fill reel with 40# to 65# braid or 12# to 14# monofilament or fluorocarbon. (To be used for smaller jigs, spoons, spinnerbaits, top water and worms).

Lure Choices (in order of importance).

An assortment of 4” to 6” worms for drop shot and Texas-style worm fishing.
An assortment of 6” to 10” worms for Carolina-rig worm fishing.
An assortment of medium to deep-running crankbaits.
An assortment of ½ ounce to ¾ ounce spinnerbaits.
An assortment of jigging spoons from ¼ ounce to 1 ounce.
An assortment of ½ ounce to ¾ ounce jigs in light and dark colors.
A buzzbait or two and other top water baits.

Locating Bass In Fall.

The bass may be in a very wide range of depths throughout the fall as summer turns into winter and the water temperature drops dramatically. Be prepared to search for bass from very shallow to very deep, and everything in between. This time of year the bass tend to run in large groups, driven by the baitfish. Once you locate them, concentrate on the area because the one you caught may be letting you know that there are many bass in the area. Always try to learn from the bass you catch. Ask yourself…why was it in the place where you caught it? Look to see if there are schools of bait in the area. Another indication that the bass came from a school is the aggressiveness of the bite. When bass are competing with other fish they will often bite with aggression and you feel a very sharp tap. These bass may even grab the bait and move some distance with it to get away from the competition.

Begin your day by searching main lake points starting in mid depths and working deeper. The better deep structure will be the points, humps and islands which have considerably deeper water close by. “Deep” is relative to the specific lake you are fishing. In canyon lakes with water depths of 100 feet or more, “deep” might be 40 to 60 feet. In shallow flatland lakes where the deepest might be 30 to 50 feet, “deep” might be 20 to 30 feet. If you have a fish finder, survey the area to locate schools of bait and begin fishing around these schools.

When the bass are on these type structures, they may feed close to the bottom. Start with a spoon as it allows you to cover a lot of water quickly. If the bass are biting the spoon, it may be all you need to throw for the entire day. Second throw jigs on the same structure, slowing down your presentation a bit. If you are convinced the bass are there but not aggressive, switch to a drop-shot presentation and slow down even more. Experiment with Carolina rigs and Texas-style worms if the cover and structure dictates a weedless approach. A major key to catching bass when the aggressive bite is turned off is to slow down and then slow down some more. Once you locate the school of bass, work the area thoroughly as they may move around a bit based on movements of the bait fish.

One thing you will notice this time of year is bass busting shad at the surface, especially later in the day as the sun warms the surface water. Use a popper or similar top-water bait to make long casts to these busting bass. They are quite aggressive, so be prepared for strikes often the instant the lure hits the water.

While most bass are deeper to avoid the colder surface water, some may move into very shallow water late in the day after the sun has warmed these areas. When they move into the shallows like this, they are there to feed and are most often aggressive. Use a buzzbait to fish this shallow water if it is relatively clear water. If the water is dirty, use a crankbait or spinnerbait.

As the end of fall starts giving way to the cold of winter, concentrate on the deeper structure and slow your presentation down as the metabolism of the bass is slowing down with the cooler water.