Fall

[Mainebass1984]

It has been feeling like fall outside the past couple weeks. The leaves are starting to change.  It was 43 degrees the other morning. The water temps are down to the low 70s. It seems like the fish have been thinking the same way. I have been seeing more and more shallow fish. I am excited for the fall bite. Late Sept through Oct the fall bite is red hot. November can be a magical time of year too. Big bass seem to bite really good in the fall.

 

How many of you guys fish the fall ?

How late in the year do you fish ?

 

 

[Mike2841]

This summer hasn't been that hot. Lately it's been 70s during the day and 50s at night, I actually called it quits last night because I got too cold.

Last year I was catching bass through October. I'm also curious how people fish in the fall here, spent the last 5 years in SoCal fall and winter aren't really a thing there.

[einscodek]

til Thanksgiving

[Jigfishn10]

I haven't been out for a couple of weeks now, but traditionally down here in my waters fishing is usually good from about the 3rd week of August thru September and will tail off in mid October.

 

Needless to say, I'm chomping at the bit to get out...

[A-Jay]

Feeling a little like Autumn over this way too - but I'm in denial 

 

 August can some times be tough sledding here.  But this year the first two weeks were very good and so far the last two have been just the opposite - dink fest.

 Seems like the fish are a in negative or neutral mood at best.  Once the days start to get noticeably shorter and the frost is on the pumpkin - these lakes often Explode.  Timing is everything.  I've had a few outrageous nights in September and even October here; but routinely the days are very good too.  Swimbaits, big spinner baits, jerk baits and jigs do a lot of damage for me in the fall. 

 

 I essentially fish the same places I fish in the spring.

 

A-Jay

[Mainebass1984]

I have got 30 days of vacation I am using this fall. It is my favorite time to fish. I will be taking time off in Sept, Oct, and Nov. The biggest bass I have ever caught at night was in Oct weighing in at an even 7 lbs 0 oz on a spinnerbait. The biggest bass I have ever caught was in Nov at 9 lbs 1 oz. I love fall fishing. The fishing is great day or night. I often have great luck on low wind days which are common in the fall with lots of cloud cover. Rainy days can be amazing too. The areas I target vary quite a bit from Sept to Nov. I try and target isolated off shore structure like sunken trees a mile or so off shore in 15 feet of water in Sept and Oct. In late Oct and Nov I fish pretty deep sometimes as much as 40 feet deep. My go to baits are a weightless worm, a 1/2 oz jig, a square bill crankbait and a spinnerbait. In Nov I do like fishing a blade bait.

 

I need to get some swimbaits.

 

A-Jay what are your top 3 swimbaits and why ?

 

I usually quit fishing when my boat cant break through the ice anymore. Usually around thanksgiving or so.

[salmotrutta]

I never stop.Some of my biggest smallies have come thru a 10 inch hole in the ice.If you locate them in the late fall they will be there through winter.Blade baits or large shiners.

[A-Jay]

 

 

I need to get some swimbaits.

 

A-Jay what are your top 3 swimbaits and why ?

 

 

 

When I fish swim baits in the fall - it's almost always a Berkley hollow belly or a Flat Back Swim Shad on a 1/2 or 3/4 ounce Owner Saltwater Bullet jig head. Covers water well. 

I'll use the 1/2 ounce down to 15 feet or so on big flats and over / around mid-lake humps. 

Love working the 3/4 ounce off moderate to steep drops.

Working up the drop is almost always better than working down. 

A slow constant retrieve with an occasion stop to re-contact the bottom is the deal. 

I'll position the boat up shallow, often times right on the bank, make a long cast into deep water well over the edge of the drop and work it back.  

If it's windy, as fall often is, I use medium heavy spinning gear and braid on this technique - long bomb casts are nice.

 

 Besides Fat Green & Brown Bass, I'll often get big pike & walleye doing this as well.

 

I wrote about it in another thread, but the Freedom Hydra head is also a great option here. 

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/143394-ever-use-swim-jigs-without-skirts/?p=1596651

 

A-Jay