Fall Fishing Advice

[Bpett2552]

Hey guys just a quick question,

I've been looking through the forums and the internet looking for some advice on fishing in the fall. I was wondering what some of you guys like to do. A lot of what I've been reading has been focused on finding shad to find fall bass but the problem is that I fish a lot of small lakes without shad or even major creek arms. In this situation what would you guys do? The most major forage fish on my lakes is bluegill/sunnies and even sometimes stocked trout.

I haven't been on the forums in a long while so I'm excited to be back and to hear some great advice!

Thank you

[scaleface]

Small lakes , i mostly  just go fishing up the arms . Crankbaits are my number 1 autumn lure . Bomber model A ,  Rapala Fat Rap and others that dive around 5 to 6 feet work well for me .

[Jake the Cake]

I have a lot of luck with poppers in the morning and evening.  That's once they start coming in a little more shallow.  Here in Missouri it's still a little too warm to be fishing a popper all day.  Still sticking with the deep water fishing for now. 

 

I saw that Scott Martin video on here where he was talking about square bill cranks and fishing them where the birds are (because they're looking for shad). 

 

Insect lures like the Rebel Bumble Bug have done well for me too once it gets cooler.

 

I agree with Kicker on the 5-6 foot depth, that's where the sweet spot is if they're not hitting the top of the water.

[Ozark_Basser]

Just fish shallow and be persistent. There will be days when the big ones will come up shallow, and you better be there. Most of my PB's were caught in late fall from the bank on small lakes.

Bait choice to me depends mostly on the cover available.

On lake Willastein in Maumelle, AR, the main cover is sparse grass with some areas being pretty thick. I usually would just cover water with a swimjig, chatterbait, etc. while running the bait into as many grass patches as possible. In areas where the cover was thick I would cast or pitch a jig. My PB was caught there in December of last year.

[Jake the Cake]

Side note on the Bumble Bug, I prefer the Horsefly and June Bug colors.

[Senko lover]

I didn't figure out much last fall, but this fall, I'm hoping I can can stop fishing all these finesse techniques (fish aren't biting much else right now) and start catching them on chatterbaits, liplesses, topwater, ect. Buzzbait bite should get good.

[MIbassyaker]

I didn't figure out much last fall, but this fall, I'm hoping I can can stop fishing all these finesse techniques (fish aren't biting much else right now) and start catching them on chatterbaits, liplesses, topwater, ect. Buzzbait bite should get good.

 

Crankbait bite here has been totally nonexistent since early June. I love finesse fishing, but dang it, I bought all those shallow cranks for a reason, and I want to use them again!

[lo n slo]

Find the bait, find the fish. But you're saying there is no shad, no creek arms, just bluegill, etc.

Jigs, swim baits, or top water....any other bluegill imitaition lure would be somewhere to begin. Dont forget crawfish while yer scratching yer head.

Best I got

[MasonV]

I plan on keeping a crankbait and jig wet in the shallows.

[roadwarrior]

Here ya go!

 

http://www.bassresource.com/seasonal-fishing-articles/

 

 

 

 

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[Scott F]

I fish rivers from mid summer through fall. The later the date gets, the better the chance for bigger smallmouth. My favorite thing is that they are always shallow.

[fish devil]

Once the water cools down to the 50's, a lipless crank can be your best friend.  I use the Strike King redeye 1/2oz. size. The smaller the water the easier it should be to locate aggressive bass. Key factor is to cover a lot of water. Submerged wood and grass are productive areas. Rip the bait.  

 

Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits are also very productive during this time.

[WRB]

Small lake without a population of pelagic baitfish like Shad rely on dermersel prey for bass forage, prey that live in and around shore/ shallow cover.

Fall occurs in lakes when the days are shorter, less sun light to keep the photothynsis process going, and the core water temperatures start dropping. Dermersel baitfish live in cover/weeds/grass or whatever you call aquatic plant growth. When the growth starts to lose dissolved oxygen (DO) because the photothinsis is reduced by loss of green growth combined with cooler whar, it's time for the prey to move. Frogs, lizards, insects are less active, crawdads go deeper into clay banks or rocks, bluegill and other small fish join crappie in deeper water. It's called the summer to fall transition period.

Try to locate some green aquatic growth, it attracts baitfish until it's gone. Next try to find rocks or deep wood, both provide a sanctuary or place to hide from hungry predators like bass. Use lures that the bass are looking for; the prey trying to hide from them.

Tom

[papajoe222]

Tom is right on the money when he talks about green weeds and fall bass on lakes without shad. The farther into the season, the more important green weeds are. Come winter time, the deep weeds that haven't died off will be the home of the forage and the bass and other gamefish will be close by.  Generally, this is a shallow to deep transition, but don't give up on shallow weeds as long as they're holding baitfish. Shad, minnows or bluegill, the bass will only abandon shallow water if there is no forage there.

[Jon S]

In the fall/spring I'll throw lipless cranks and a lot of jerkbaits. Definitely one of my favorites. I hate to wish the summer away, but bring on fall fishing!

[brgbassmaster]

Im from northern michigan. I know the no shad struggle lol. All fall articles talk about how shad move to bavks of creeks well us northern folks on natural lakes or even our resevoirs have inly blue gills, percj, shiners. Things like that. I throw power lures. Jigs, topwater, spinnerbaits , jerkbaits and cranks, i fish shllow flats, points, docks rip rap stuff like that. Bass will school up in those areas and you will see them busting bluegills same as i have seen living down south. This is my absolute favorite time to fish. Alot of big feeding bass.

[MrBigFishSC]

Squarebills are my go to in fall. Bass are far more aggressive than in late summer. I start at the entrance to coves or creeks then work towards the backs. Shallow flats with cover near creek channels or deeper water are great.

[Neil McCauley]

I also am sick of the shad fixation by lure companies and fishing articles. Everything marketed for shad, shad, shad. No shad on my lake. And it's not THAT common of a baitfish.

[A-Jay]

Best Fall Fishing advice is ~ Just Go, Now !

 

The fish are there & they are Hungry.

 

A-Jay

[BassThumb]

Heavy spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, frogs, lipless crank baits, 10" worms, and large jigs are my go-to fall lures.

I generally fish large and fast, and try to take advantage of the sun's warming effect on the water, e.g., calm spots and wind-blown banks, which can be a degree or two warmer.

As the water cools into the mid-50's, I fish a lot of shakyheads, tubes, darter head grubs, flukes, Senkos, in addition to slow-rolled lipless cranks and smaller spinnerbaits. Slower retrieves work best, and 5-20 second pauses in the retrieve can nab some extra fish at this time.

[bassguytom]

In the fall/spring I'll throw lipless cranks and a lot of jerkbaits. Definitely one of my favorites. I hate to wish the summer away, but bring on fall fishing!

This. Especially the Lucky Craft pointer 78.

[Ginosocalbass]

find the local forage fish... Not just bluegills but look for roaches, golden shiner, chubs. Fat heads.... There is much more than bluegills for them to feed on.

Use e jerkbaits to locate fish... match the color and size to the local bait fish. Once you find the fish throw a swim jig that imitates a bluegill or other bigger forage species to trigger a bigger bite.

If that doesn't work you can work a jig around the banks. And can always get one or 2 hitting the wood.

[Mainebass1984]

Fall fishing is my favorite. I catch more bass over 7 lbs in the fall then any other time.

 

Once the perch move out of the weeds and start roaming open water for feed then I know its time for fall fishing. Early fall fishing is much different then late fall fishing.

 

Typically I target isolated offshore structure/cover.

 

I usually start each spot with either a jig a crankbait or a weightless worm. If its late fall then a silver buddy is my go to bait.

 

I can not emphasize it enough. If you find isolated offshore structure/cover it will produce and most of the time, the biggest bass of the lake will be relating to that isolated cover/structure.