Beginning of Summer-Fall Transition

[Trox]

Hey fellas,

 

It's that funny time of year again when summer starts to wind down and fall begins to peek around the corner (whoohoo!)... Looking for some general insight on when people start to throw less dropshots in offshore brush piles, and pick up more moving baits. I know it's different around the country due to the differences in climate and all that jazz, but I'm trying to dig and see what are they key changes in weather, water temp, etc, that tells you it's time to start focusing on the fall bite? I know that most of us will let the fish do the talking, but other than that, what are the key differences that you look for during this (very early) summer-fall transition to start switching up techniques?

[FordsnFishin]

Everywhere is different, but our lakes around here are around the 83-85 degree range. The bass have been in silly shallow water. Like 6-18 inches of water shallow. But they have keyed in on grass and timber.

 

Creature baits, and various other soft plastics have been doing well. Spinnerbaits are solid. Shallow cranks at times.

[Catt]

When the baitfish move!  ?

 

 

 

[Mobasser]

It's still very hot and dry in my area, but I'm looking forward to fall too. Like Catt says-  keep an eye on the baitfish, and fish accordingly.

[Black Hawk Basser]

I may be too early or late on the fall transition by using this method depending on water temp from year to year, but I just usually go by amount of daylight.

 

I feel like this may trigger their attitude and location changes just as much as temperature.  Obviously, knowing their forage location is paramount.

 

Closer to fall, local frogs give a good cue - when I see them frantically heading for their overwintering spots, that tells me fish are probably getting close to that as well.

 

Things happen fast here so this window you're speaking of may only be 3-4 weeks.

[StrikePrince]

Anyone have tips on following the baitfish for us northerner's who don't have schools of shad?

 

How do forage like yellow perch and bluegill react to fall weather patterns?  And in turn, the bass?

[NolanAker]

6 hours ago, StrikePrince said:

Anyone have tips on following the baitfish for us northerner's who don't have schools of shad?

 

How do forage like yellow perch and bluegill react to fall weather patterns?  And in turn, the bass?

"Emerald shiners, which have spent the entire summer suspended over deep water, head shallow. Spot-tailed shiners, a perennial favorite of smallies wherever they are found, head shallower, too. Smallmouth are close behind.

   “Shiners school on the flats and in the channels where they can find more stable water temperatures,” offered Balog. “A lot of times this is in the deeper basins of marinas. The shiners will stay in there until well after ice starts to form and smallmouth have left for deeper water.”

   Balog said the hot early fall bite can last well into October even in the most northern climes. “You want to cover water with spinnerbaits or lipless crankbaits then,”"

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/transition-smallmouth.html

 

Shiners. Almost all northern lakes have them.

[rejesterd]

During that time, I mostly start on deep structure spots that have been working in the summer, and head toward the shore (or the nearest major depth transition).  The same baits generally work, but I use a longer leader on dropshots and I don't worry about hitting the bottom with crankbaits so much.  Summer to fall isn't as significant and fall to winter in terms of how the fish act imo.

[A-Jay]

Very Timely Thread ~ 

 

 I fish for smallmouth a good majority of the time. My home waters of northern Michigan offer some very decent brown bass populations that I've become fairly addicted to.  Early and as we're discussing here, late season, are historically fantastic times for both numbers & especially bigger fish.  Over the years I've learned a thing or two regarding how, where & in particular When to get in on this most exciting fishing.

 

  The Single Most Important factor my time on the water has proven to me (and that's a fairly bold statement) is that "The Transition", to what I always believed is 'the fall bite', happens Much Much earlier than what is so often penned in articles as 'the best time to fish'.  

 

   The often talked about determining factors such as air & water temps, length of day, angle of the sun, shallow weeds dying off, bait moving shallow, and my personal favorite, when the ferns start to turn yellow, may all play a role here in determining when 'the fall bite' comes on.  However, I believe there's something else completely that moves the bait & the fish and I have no clue to what it is.  But I don't care - I just know that the fish are there with regularity starting in August and a "Fall like bite' will soon follow. 

 

  Several seasons ago, while struggling to get bit in the typical deeper 'late summer' haunts, I started looking shallow; purely out of frustration, mind you.  Not based on any of the factors mentioned above - I just wanted to catch bass.  And low & behold I did.  Despite the weather having not cooled off, air & water temps still pretty high, Weeds (and the ferns) still all kinds of green, there was clouds of bait and bass hunting them down in places I'd have never expected or believed, if I hadn't seen it myself.

 

    Shallow Flats were the deal, the bigger the better, usually very early morning.   Squarebills, swimbaits, Lipless baits, topwater, spinner baits,  Standard, swim & vibrating jigs are a few of the baits that have proved solid producers.  All the typical 'fall baits' I guess, just working several weeks in advance of where & particularly, when 'the experts' routinely indicated they should.  This as driven me to start my search for 'fall transition' bass & bait, well in advance of September.  Waiting until then will routinely have me completely missing out of at least two & sometimes 3 plus full weeks of big fish opportunities. 

 

While there is always a certain population of bass that stay deep and not all the fish do the same thing at the same time, the shallower bass are there to EAT, making them much more appealing for me to target.  Besides, I'm usually totally burnt out on dangling a drop shot in 30 feet or slow reeling a spybait by then. 

 

  Often times the same places on a lake can & do produce season after season.  However in the early stages of my search, especially on new & or big water, I'll actually do something that I call 'fishing for bait'.  While cruising potential areas and visibly looking for signs of life,  I'll swim a small curly tail worm through what I believe to be likely 'bait holding areas'.  When I start to get that tell-tale tap-tap-tap type bite from the little perch, minnows, or little panfish, there's a decent chance that this spot/area has potential.  And I can do this during the middle of the day, meaning not during prime bass eating periods.  Then mark the spot and check it later.   

 

 The past several seasons, a quick look at my report posts for early & mid August (and this week in particular) indicate this has paid off enough to where by the 1st of August, there's always at least a small supply of 4 inch power worms in the boat.  

Don't miss out.

That's my story and I'm stick'in to it.  

 

A-Jay

 

[geo g]

Not yet here in south Florida.  The hottest month is yet to come.  We will not detect a change until late October.

[Glaucus]

7 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Very Timely Thread ~ 

 

 I fish for smallmouth a good majority of the time. My home waters of northern Michigan offer some very decent brown bass populations that I've become fairly addicted to.  Early and as we're discussing here, late season, are historically fantastic times for both numbers & especially bigger fish.  Over the years I've learned a thing or two regarding how, where & in particular When to get in on this most exciting fishing.

 

  The Single Most Important factor my time on the water has proven to me (and that's a fairly bold statement) is that "The Transition", to what I always believed is 'the fall bite', happens Much Much earlier than what is so often penned in articles as 'the best time to fish'.  

 

   The often talked about determining factors such as air & water temps, length of day, angle of the sun, shallow weeds dying off, bait moving shallow, and my personal favorite, when the ferns start to turn yellow, may all play a role here in determining when 'the fall bite' comes on.  However, I believe there's something else completely that moves the bait & the fish and I have no clue to what it its.  But I don't care - I just know that the fish are there with regularity starting in August and a "Fall like bite' will soon follow. 

 

  Several seasons ago, while struggling to get bit in the typical deeper 'late summer' haunts, I started looking shallow; purely out of frustration, mind you.  Not based on any of the factors mentioned above - I just wanted to catch bass.  And low & behold I did.  Despite the weather having not cooled off, air & water temps still pretty high, Weeds (and the ferns) still all kinds of green, there was clouds of bait and bass hunting them down in places I'd have never expected or believed, if I hadn't seen it myself.

 

    Shallow Flats were the deal, the bigger the better, usually very early morning.   Squarebills, swimbaits, Lipless baits, topwater, spinner baits,  Standard, swim & vibrating jigs are a few of the baits that have proved solid producers.  All the typical 'fall baits' I guess, just working several weeks in advance of where & particularly, when 'the experts' routinely indicated they should.  This as driven me to start my search for 'fall transition' bass & bait, well in advance of September.  Waiting until then will routinely have me completely missing out of at least two & sometimes 3 plus full weeks of big fish opportunities. 

 

While there is always a certain population of bass that stay deep and not all the fish do the same thing at the same time, the shallower bass are there to EAT, making them much more appealing for me to target.  Besides, I'm usually totally burnt out on dangling a drop shot in 30 feet or slow reeling a spybait by then. 

 

  Often times the same places on a lake can & do produce season after season.  However in the early stages of my search, especially on new & or big water, I'll actually do something that I call 'fishing for bait'.  While cruising potential areas and visibly looking for signs of life,  I'll swim a small curly tail worm through what I believe to be likely 'bait holding areas'.  When I start to get that tell-tale tap-tap-tap type bite from the little perch, minnows, or little panfish, there's a decent chance that this spot/area has potential.  And I can do this during the middle of the day, meaning not during prime bass eating periods.  Then mark the spot and check it later.   

 

 The past several seasons, a quick looks at my report posts for early & mid August (and this week in particular) indicate this has paid off enough to where by the 1st of August, there's always at least a small supply of 4 inch power worms in the boat.  

Don't miss out.

That's my story and I'm stick'in to it.  

 

A-Jay

 

Ditto. That infamous fall feed happens a month earlier than  what is talked about around these parts.

[scaleface]

Fall bass are unpredictable but so are the other seasons as well . Well up into September I   often find schools of bass deep .  I try deep and shallow until about the time   leaves start dropping in mass , then I'm usually concentrating shallow .

[Mobasser]

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

Fall bass are unpredictable but so are the other seasons as well . Well up into September I   often find schools of bass deep .  I try deep and shallow until about the time   leaves start dropping in mass , then I'm usually concentrating shallow .

It's much the same way for me here in Missouri scaleface. We never know exactly how are fall will be. One thing for sure- as you said, when the leaves start dropping quickly with 3 to 4 days of consistent temps it's shallow water time.We just never know exactly when that's gonna happen

[burrows]

On 8/15/2018 at 12:17 PM, geo g said:

Not yet here in south Florida.  The hottest month is yet to come.  We will not detect a change until late October.

Same here in California, maybe mid to late September that’s when things will start getting good but it’s going to be kick ass all October. 

[Hillbilly Bennett]

On 8/13/2018 at 9:22 AM, Catt said:

When the baitfish move!  ?

 

 

 

THIS! Follow the baitfish to catch the bass. When the bait migrates the bass follow. Also, the transition already appears to be happening here in eastern KY too. It’s still hot and the water is still in the low 80s but the bait is on the move.