Late August/September bass fishing tips?

[Nepatizz]

Hello! 

 

I've never had any luck fishing from the bank around this time of year. I live in New England and the weather is still in the 80s almost every day, aside for the occasional cooler days in the high 70s. I normally fish soft plastics, but I'm finding the bite to be tough on them for some reason lately. Normally my approach is to cast in and around cover. 

 

What are bass doing at this time of year, and what do you recommend for an approach? What should it be for September? I normally fish a lot of rocky bottoms and rip-raff on reservoir coastlines. I think most of the fish are post-spawn by this point but it's tough to tell with small bass swimming around. 

 

Thanks! 

 

 

 

 

[Shimano_1]

Usually from the banks this time of year i like swimbaits i can fish a little deeper.  If it's still that hot I'd assume a lot of the bass are in a little deeper cooler water

[Falkus]

You arent the only one, I am having the same problem as I have covered every spot...I just cant find them in the shallow. they must be in the deep at this moment.

 

Once Sept, I am gotta fish hard for the next two months before my kid is born 

[PhishLI]

During the past few weeks, around here anyway, the bass have been keyed in on small baits. Every fish I've caught since Friday has been on the Hazedong shad, except for one on a chatterbait. I always throw big baits. But unlike soon after post spawn and mid summer, they don't seem interested. One of my wading partners has been whacking them with a fluke, and another with a Skinny Dipper. We just got back from a quick night session. There were tons of small fish in the water swimming around us. Big bass eat them too. 7 fish in an hour and a half. Not terrible. Last night my brother was throwing a Gantarel. Nothing. Tied on a Hazedong and nailed a 5.3 throwing it in the same spot. So for now anyway, I'm sold on small swimbaits. They're getting the most attention.

[papajoe222]

If you can find areas where the forage fish hold, you can target them.

If shad are the main forage of the lake, you are going to have a difficult time finding a spot within casting distance. 

I recommend using a presentation with a history of having the ability to draw fish to it from a distance. A Spook, Wiggle Wart, or a bottom presentation like a football jig, or C-rig that kicks up a lot of bottom silt.

[WRB]

Bass can't read calendars. In the basses world water temps rule and when the water temps change the bass behavior changes. 

Photo periods can and do affect aquatic plant growth and if you see green weeds turning brown the bait and bass are moving to greener pastures. Follow the bait in the fall transition back to pre spawn locations; secondary and major points should hold bass populations. It's rarely about lures, almost always about location.

Tom

[Jim Sutter]

I have been doing pretty well using a Storm Search Bait.