Fall is not fall

[Sword of the Lord]

As I've said before (and since I don't know who does and doesn't know) this is my first year back to bass fishing in 3-4 years since I got sick. Healthy now and back at it.

 

The fall I remember and the fall being talked about, is not the fall I'm experiencing. I was catching tons of bass in the heat of the summer when it should have been harder. Theoretical better fall conditions have been miserable! I'm catching bass, but only about a third of what I was catching, with some big fat 0 days, which I didn't really experience at all in the summer. The Senko bite, both Texas and Wacky, is completely dead, as are worms. The Ned and weightless trick worms are dead. I get the occasional top water hit only on a Whopper Plopper, and a few fish on lipless cranks and spinnerbaits. Mostly it's just tough and miserable. I have no explanations. Do you all? I live in Illinois. We've mostly had 60-75 degree highs for a few weeks and 45-55 degree lows. I usually fish ponds, 2 small lakes, and a river. It's the same everywhere. I'm well aware that this happens sometimes. You just have rough days. But this is happening at the exact opposite time it theoretically should, and the supposed tough conditions were what was phenomenal for me. 

[Turtle135]

You are not alone!

 

I have not had a lot of time to fish so far this month but I have not figured them out either. The hydrilla is dying but the water temperatures are still 6-8 degrees warmer than normal here in Maryland for mid October.

 

I am heading out for a couple of hours before work tomorrow to see if there is an early morning bite.

[Angry John]

Are you changing with the conditions?  My fall pattern has not turned on and being my first fall in a new state i am not sure i will catch on.  I am going back to cranks traps and swim baits for the fall and seeing how it works out.  The leaves are falling the fronts are pushing threw but i have two kids in school this year so i dont have near the same amount of time on the water.  I have been waiting and waiting on the topwater action to take off and i sure hope it comes soooooon,,,,,,

[nighthawk25]

Same in Northern Indiana. Summer was WAY better than this fall has been. I mainly fish one lake that is connected to a river. In summer I could catch a few decent ones on senkos. So far this fall I have caught 1 or 2 keepers on a senko.

 

I have tried pretty much everything the last few weeks. There really didn't seem like a pattern developed so far but I might have one now. Tonight I caught a decent smallie and a dink largemouth on a jerkbait but it was getting dark so I had to leave. Now I know where I'm gonna go next time. The water is a little stained but I'm hoping it'll clear up so that bite lasts.

[BuzzHudson19c]

Fall is change time for the bass. Doing the same thing in the same places as the summer is a recipe for failure.

 

You said you're fishing ponds, so finding them isn't the hard part. They are there. A big change in the fall that guys tend to overlook, especially on ponds, is when fish feed. Dusk and dawn may be great in the summer and dead times in the fall.

[MichaelCopeland]

29 minutes ago, BuzzHudson19c said:

Fall is change time for the bass. Doing the same thing in the same places as the summer is a recipe for failure.

 

You said you're fishing ponds, so finding them isn't the hard part. They are there. A big change in the fall that guys tend to overlook, especially on ponds, is when fish feed. Dusk and dawn may be great in the summer and dead times in the fall.

I was just thinking that same thing about the early and late bite. I bet they are tearing it up in the afternoon hours while I'm at work. I do have the weekend to test my thoughts on that. No time in the mornings during the week, but the evening bite just ain't there right now for sure.

[Bluebasser86]

Fish often scatter in the fall and get into a funk. The whole "fall feedbag" thing rarely is a real thing for me. 

[68camaro]

8 hours ago, MichaelCopeland said:

 I bet they are tearing it up in the afternoon hours while I'm at work. I do have the weekend to test my thoughts on that. 

Afternoon wasn't any better:(, yesterday here in VA I went out from 12 - 6pm, temps mid 60's, water temp 69, beautiful sunny blue sky, rained day before but water clear, started very windy, ended calm. I thought with cooler water and wind fish would be on hunt.

 

I was trying out new trolling motor for kayak so fished lots of water and areas in reservoir never fished before. In the six hours only caught two 1 1/2 lbr's around 4-4:30pm in same area. The day started very windy and I began throwing 5/8 spinner with paddle tail swimbait, then used3-4' crankbait as my water is shallow, then went to jigs near banks, then skipped senkos t-rig style around docks, cover anything. I even trolled quite a bit.  Threw topwater in shade under bridge for few casts.

 

The two that hit were caught in calm part of day on crankbait and 1/4 oz spinner, I downsized from 5/8.  I think I was throwing the right stuss, but next time out if like this I will also try the larger swimbaits I just picked up, S-168, Trashfish and Huddleston 8" trout. I didn't throw jerkbait as I never really saw fish on fishfinder, but I think with water temps dropping this will pickup soon.

[BigAngus752]

I also live in Illinois (central).  The calendar says fall, the morning air says fall, but it is NOT fall for fish yet.  All the water temps around here are still way too high (like 75 degrees last time I was out).  Night time air temps are getting to the 40's sometimes now.  Just wait a couple/few weeks and the water temps will get down where the fish like it and it will be on like Donkey Kong.  Find an overcast afternoon first week or two of November, throw some topwaters and spinners.  You should make a comeback.  

[A-Jay]

41 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

I also live in Illinois (central).  The calendar says fall, the morning air says fall, but it is NOT fall for fish yet.  All the water temps around here are still way too high (like 75 degrees last time I was out).  Night time air temps are getting to the 40's sometimes now.  Just wait a couple/few weeks and the water temps will get down where the fish like it and it will be on like Donkey Kong.  Find an overcast afternoon first week or two of November, throw some topwaters and spinners.  You should make a comeback.  

Solid advice ~ 

Fall here in northern MI has been nothing short of epic for me.

Although I've been guilty of it myself on more than one occasion, try not to fish the 'calendar' but instead fish the conditions.  Water temps and the amount of daylight have been driving my fall fishing for a while.

Also the day Before a good front has been a reliable trip maker.

As long as the water temps are above 50-ish, I sticking with a horizontal presentation.

Once it starts to dip below that, I usually working low and slow(er)  ~ on or near the bottom.

A-Jay

[DINK WHISPERER]

Not sure we actually have a Fall he in S FL but my summer was horrible this yr. I too was out of the game for almost 4 yrs. It really sucks cuz i just got my 8 yr old son into it and he's losing hope at one of those 60+ fish days i always told him stories about having. 

[Jar11591]

This fall the fishing has been on fire for me. The bite has definitely changed a little though. I’m catching zero bass off of laydowns, when that was a big producer all summer. The fish I have been catching have either been super shallow, like less than 2’ or deep in any green weeds that still exist. The topwater bite has been incredible, even as the water has cooled down a lot. I’ve caught bass in water so shallow this fall that I would have usually ignored it. Sometimes you have to make minor tweaks in location to stay on them. Top water super shallow or over any remaining submergent weeds has been the key for me. 

[JustJames]

Oh well it had been 90 degree during the day here in SoCal for the past week and will continue this week. The water temp still 70 fish scatter around the big one has not move back into the creek yet.

[BigAngus752]

1 hour ago, Jar11591 said:

This fall the fishing has been on fire for me. The bite has definitely changed a little though. I’m catching zero bass off of laydowns, when that was a big producer all summer. The fish I have been catching have either been super shallow, like less than 2’ or deep in any green weeds that still exist. The topwater bite has been incredible, even as the water has cooled down a lot. I’ve caught bass in water so shallow this fall that I would have usually ignored it. Sometimes you have to make minor tweaks in location to stay on them. Top water super shallow or over any remaining submergent weeds has been the key for me. 

Just out of curiosity since I have never been to your area, what is the water temp right now where you fish?

[Rick Howard]

I have no idea what part of the country you are in.  Maybe its not really "fall fishing time" where you are.

 

Fall is not a free for all bass catching frenzy.  It is easy to get that picture in your head by reading articles and watching videos.  In my experience the bass are not as spread out in the fall.  You really have to find them.  When you do find the bass you will catch more and the fish also tend to be fatter.   

 

Its not about shallow or deep, to me.  I look for Food + Healthy weeds or wood.  If I can find the 3 together that is even better.  Wood is normally easier for me to fish so I prefer that.  I find schools of bait fish then find the good cover (healthy weeds or wood) and fish that.  If the area is void of bait fish I keep on looking.  If your body of water does not have schooling bait fish than I would skip right to finding healthy weeds.  Food will be in those.              

[Turtle135]

Well, I got out on the lake before work today and I was able to successfully "eliminate more water". 

[WRB]

Fall to the bass isn't a human calendar period, it's all about changes in their environment. Bass being a cold blooded animal water temperature, not air temperature controls thier activity along with light and dark time periods that combine to change the water temperature.

If you go to the store to get some food and the shelves are empty you go to a different store. Bass go to where the food was and it moved, they follow to where it is now located. Fall to bass is a change in water temps that affect their body temperature in most regions of the country that is a change from 68 to 58 degrees, colder water is the basses winter.

Tom

[ohboyitsrobby]

Follow the shad. I live in Arkansas and it's picked up tons since a cold front passed this past weekend. The topwater bite isn't great yet though. But we've been smashing em on a trap, 6xd and a Carolina rig. Don't really even matter what's on the c-rig. Just drive over a school of baitfish mark em and let it rip. 

[Gundog]

1 hour ago, Turtle135 said:

Well, I got out on the lake before work today and I was able to successfully "eliminate more water". 

Don't give up till you eliminate the whole lake. 

[Jar11591]

5 hours ago, BigAngus752 said:

Just out of curiosity since I have never been to your area, what is the water temp right now where you fish?

The last couple times I’ve been out the water temps have been in the low 50s in the morning and mid to upper 50s by midday.  

[lo n slo]

4 hours ago, Rick Howard said:

I have no idea what part of the country you are in.  Maybe its not really "fall fishing time" where you are.

 

Fall is not a free for all bass catching frenzy.  It is easy to get that picture in your head by reading articles and watching videos.  In my experience the bass are not as spread out in the fall.  You really have to find them.  When you do find the bass you will catch more and the fish also tend to be fatter.   

 

Its not about shallow or deep, to me.  I look for Food + Healthy weeds or wood.  If I can find the 3 together that is even better.  Wood is normally easier for me to fish so I prefer that.  I find schools of bait fish then find the good cover (healthy weeds or wood) and fish that.  If the area is void of bait fish I keep on looking.  If your body of water does not have schooling bait fish than I would skip right to finding healthy weeds.  Food will be in those.              

well said

[Paul Roberts]

I still haven't figured out "Fall" to my satisfaction. Currently, I'm in a frustrating situation with a particular water body. I've been catching fish -and good ones- until about 1pm, then nada. I mean dead for the remaining 5 hrs! I haven't exhausted all possibilities yet. There are just too many variables to put my finger on the culprit. I'm going to change gears there, and see what I can come up with. Then I'm switching waters. Would love to figure that one out, but 5hrs is a long time to go biteless, esp every day.

[DogBone_384]

Fall up here’s been almost a fail.  I’ve tossed the kitchen sink at a smallmouth pond I’ve frequented the last couple weeks with only a few small SMB to show (shallow).  My Lowrance marks plenty of fish around 15’ deep, but they just don’t like my offerings.

 

A month ago 2-3 pound fish were easy picking, but not right now.  Water temps were 66.x the other afternoon when I left for work.

 

 

[Fish n Things]

Fall here in Eastern NC has been a little weird this week.  We had a pretty decent cold front come in, yesterday's high of about 75, around 5 a.m. it got down to 38 degress.  With that much temp change in such a short amount of time the fish are stressed.  The oxygen levels are moving quite a bit to.  Today it got around 80+ so I am sure this weekend wont be much different.  Either way though I will be out on the water.  Hopefully soon the water temps balance back out so we can get to the real Fall time bass fishing.

 

That being said the Fall time doesn't produce as much in quantity, but in my area so far quality gets way better.  Fish group up more in this time of year and I often have great luck fishing mouths of rivers that feed into lakes/ponds.  Bait fish seem to collect near those entrances/exits from river to lake, and we all know if there's baitfish, somewhere close there is Bass.

 

Tight Lines!

[everythingthatswims]

On ‎10‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 4:25 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Fish often scatter in the fall and get into a funk. The whole "fall feedbag" thing rarely is a real thing for me. 

That's because they wait for winter to go hang at those discharges