Fall Fishing Is Harder

[FishingMastah1]

   I'm not an experienced angler, I've probably got the equivalent of a year or two of experience. I can definitely say though, that fishing these colder weather months seems to be harder. Fish do not slam lures anymore, they aren't aggressive much of anything. Any fish I'm catching I'm having to finesse them out of reeds and shallow grassy areas with soft plastics.

   Hard lures with trebles aren't working too well because the fish aren't striking a moving target like the summer. Also treble lures are really hard to use because the lakes around here are down some and the grass is everywhere, there is barely any place I can throw a crankbait. There is grass on top that goes down all the way to the bottom, it's a mess. Inspite of doing things that you think would catch some in those conditions, like throwing a texposed horny toad topwater through the crud, nothing hits. 

   I've had luck with deadsticking a trick worm in 1 spot where theres a hole in the grass, and fishing a senko and a lizard. Nothing is consistent at all, and all in all I'm pulling 1-2 small fish per hour+. I'm not sure if I'm asking for advice or just venting but either way it helps me. Anyone know of something I can try?

[Preytorien]

I'm right there with ya. I'm not in the south, I'm in Indiana, and the past two fall seasons I've been fishing, I have yet to experience this "hot fall bite" people seem to be talking about. Like you, I've seen my WORST fishing this time of year. Even spawn was better for me. I've read every article I can, watched every one of Glenn's videos about fall, and still nothing seems to do the trick. I don't know what others are doing. Like you, my only very slight success has been 4lb flourocarbon with soft plastics, and using the word success is a bit much. I don't think several -1lb fish would be considered a banner day on the water.

 

Oh well, I guess there's always warmer weather ahead......

[Dave P]

Up until last week we were doing OK on traps and 4 inch swimbaits. Before that, squarebills were the ticket. But, like you, there was no real "fall bite". We just got lucky in finding the shad and figuring out something that would work. They spent about 5 minutes in the areas where they were "supposed to be" and then went where they wanted to go...a lot of guys never figured it out. 

[ww2farmer]

Keep at it, I never fall fished much until about 10 years ago, and I struggled for a few years after I started. But now it's one of my favorite times to fish, and every year some of my biggest fish and best days are in the fall.  Often the colder it gets and the shorter the day's are, the smaller the windows for success become. Spending an hour or more on a good spot before they bite, or painstakingly sticking with something, even though it's slow often yields big results if you have the patience. My best fall days are often grinds for most of the day with flurries of activity every couple hours. On some lakes, those "grinds" are a fish here, and a fish there, on others it's a whole lot of nothing. Late Fall/early spring cold water periods are the times of the season I can comfortably say that each and every body of water will amplify it's own "personality", where as in the late spring- early fall many different lakes will all fish reasonably similar to each other. Of coarse there's always exceptions to that too.

[Rovingmutt]

   I'm not an experienced angler, I've probably got the equivalent of a year or two of experience. I can definitely say though, that fishing these colder weather months seems to be harder. Fish do not slam lures anymore, they aren't aggressive much of anything. Any fish I'm catching I'm having to finesse them out of reeds and shallow grassy areas with soft plastics.

   Hard lures with trebles aren't working too well because the fish aren't striking a moving target like the summer. Also treble lures are really hard to use because the lakes around here are down some and the grass is everywhere, there is barely any place I can throw a crankbait. There is grass on top that goes down all the way to the bottom, it's a mess. Inspite of doing things that you think would catch some in those conditions, like throwing a texposed horny toad topwater through the crud, nothing hits. 

   I've had luck with deadsticking a trick worm in 1 spot where theres a hole in the grass, and fishing a senko and a lizard. Nothing is consistent at all, and all in all I'm pulling 1-2 small fish per hour+. I'm not sure if I'm asking for advice or just venting but either way it helps me. Anyone know of something I can try?

 

have you tryed fishing in lakeland, i live in st pete and travel with my little jon boat to lakeland almost every weekend,  i fish at tenoroc fish area, old mine pits, not alot of weeds and deep in some areas, on saturday my son(9 yo) and i got 34 fish, alot of big fish too, he got 26 to my 8, lol,  i love the lakes there, not alot of people, check it out

rovingmutt

[boostr]

Its different up North.  I think "my" lake is turning. The water has a grey tint to it, and in some parts its milky looking. 

[BassAssassin726]

The two quarry lakes I fish were on FIRE last fall. Alls I had to do was chuck a spinnerbait ou there and star winding and catch 3-5 pound fish one after the other. This fall. Pfft. This fall is terrible. Had my first two skunks of the year last Sunday and today. 

[martintheduck]

I had an AMAZING morning and afternoon bite a little over a week ago... hooking em' on shakey heads and drop shots. Then I took a break when a BUNCH of weather came through... water dropped from 68-70 down to 59-60 and theres a really defined temperature line in the water now.... tried fishing the past two days and both days went without a bite! There goes my streak :\

[MacP]

The only thing that gets harder fishing in the fall is getting out of bed and the house on cold days!

[BassnChris]

The only thing that gets harder fishing in the fall is getting out of bed and the house on cold days!

 

 

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZGuiltyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[WRB]

Recognizing the difference between natural lakes, man made lake and rivers is important. In-Fisherman during it's early years had several study reports that are fantastic regarding defining lake classifications and weed type related to lakes and seasonal periods.

In general Florida is a low land classification zone with rivers, natural lakes and man made impoundments, plus the Florida strain LMB. All these factors affect how bass relate to their habitate.

The factors that don't change are bass seeking a comfort zone and prey source.

Dying and decaying weed beds don't provide bass either comfort and food, the general bass population has relocated. Deeper water provides comfort and prey. Look for the healthy weed growth near or in deeper water and try to locate sources of spring water. The easiest way to spot a spring is during dawn when the water is clam; look for a patch of fog or a patch of no fog, depending on the surface water temps.

Faster moving lures appeal to more active bass and bass being cold blooded slow down in cold water. This doesn't mean all the bass are inactive in cold water, they still become active when feeding, they just don't feed as often.

Tom

[KyakR]

Up here in Maine my personal experience has been that the colder it gets the more important it is to think about the stuff Tom said above The fish slow down, are beginning to need less food and are seeking not only the warmer temperatures of deeper water (springs esp in a couple of my favorite lakes) but also well oxygenated water. I've believed that not all later fall bites are the same! I've also found that this is when real expertise and experience fishing shines, so don't feel bad! I'm not there yet for sure either     I've often watched the better fishermen pinpoint where they are, choose a presentation and have success while I'm pulling in nada. I think as fall progresses the window for success closes, just my .02

[papajoe222]

Don't forget, there is a BIG difference in the aggressiveness of northern strain bass over their southern siblings.  Water temps in the 50's down south call for a finness approach while up north spinnerbaits and cranks will still produce.  The water temp won't drop much lower in southern regions where as up north, it may still drop 20 degrees. 

This is one of the reasons you get different responses to posts about activity levels during different callendar periods.