Do You Upsize or Downsize Your Baits For Fall?

[papajoe222]

So my buddy and I had an in depth discussion on this question that included our thought process when selecting baits for the fall. He insisted that, because presentations are slower in the fall, the baits should be smaller. His reasoning revolved around reducing the possibility that with bigger baits, imperfections are easier for the fish to spot and so they'll refuse the offering, or not commit to taking it.  My logic has always been that the forage has grown all summer and a bigger bait will best imitate that and, because the fish are looking to bulk up for the winter, a bigger bait will attract more interest, so that is what I start with.

That's not to say I won't throw smaller baits in the fall. A 1/8oz. hair jig with the tail section of a trick worm is my go to when I do.

What's your opinion and why?

[Bluebasser86]

Both options work at times unfortunately. It's a case by case, or lake by lase basis generally. Some lakes it seems will have huge schools of small shad the bass are feeding on and they ignore anything that doesn't imitate those shad. Others will have roaming packs of big gizzard shad or no shad at all and the bass are eating much larger baits. Even on the small shad lakes, I personally will often go larger though to try and target larger fish. Big fish don't typically mess with those balls of shad, opting instead to target the shad that made those huge balls of shad.

[jimmyjoe]

   Where I fish, Fall seems to be the time when it's most obvious: "Big lure, big fish. Bigger lure, bigger fish."  I agree that there are exceptions, but they are few and far between.   jj

[WRB]

Lure size depends on what the bass are willing to strike at the time you are fishing.

Fall to winter transition is different from summer to fall transition so fall is a season of transition movements. Early fall or summer to fall transition is the beginning of the eccosystem changing, the cover dieing off with the baitfish moving out and the water column cooling with lakes getting ready to turn over. Lots of shallower water activity with bass keying on the abundance of prey. Covering water with faster moving lures of all sizes and types that worked during the summer still work good.

After the lakes turn over everything changes, it's the late fall transition to winter. The water is colder and everything is moving deeper nd lure size is more selective. The baitfish are schooled for protection and bass are keying on school size bait and crawdads moving deeper. Lures should replicated the abundant prey size whatever it may be.

Where I fish the DFW started stocking hatchuary raised rainbow trout when the water cooled to around 60 degrees so trout size swimbaits worked good. Today trout are no longer planted for several years and swimbaits don't work well anymore at my lake. Threadfin Shad are the predominate baitfish and the bass target the schools wherever they maybe located and 3" to 4" smaller size Shad lures work good. Crawdads are moving deeper so jigs or worms worked downhill tend to work good where crawdads are located.

Bass anglers still use big trout swimbaits and occasionally catch a big bass if trout are being planted.

Anglers using A-rigs that replicate shad in the fall tend to have more success, a big lure made up of several small lures.

Tom

[scaleface]

I hardly ever finesse or go magnum so the baits I use remain the same , in that  medium sized category .

[long island basser]

10 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I hardly ever finesse or go magnum so the baits I use remain the same , in that  medium sized category .

What he said.

[Smokinal]

The argument for a larger bait when water is cold comes from the thought that a larger, lethargic bass, in the effort to conserve energy and be efficient, would rather eat one large slow moving meal than try to chase down many smaller meals.

Personally, I think that can change on a day to day basis. So, our old attige of "let the fish tell you" still applies.

[Harold Scoggins]

I start big and work down as the bites dictate.

[Koz]

I fish what I fish.

 

The bass tell me what's working.

[Catt]

Down here the Shad that were hatched back in the spring are about 2 1/2 to 4" long. 

 

As we start transitioning to fall those Shad move shallow into the back of creeks first. So we're throwing smaller lures "matching the prey".

 

As the conditions change to fall & late fall the large shad show up in the backs of those creeks. Again we up-size matching the prey.

[primetime]

I fish the same standard sizes for the most part, Although I do tend to downsize my plastics from summer, and size of topwater lures, but nothing dramatic unless I can't get anything going at all. 

[Mobasser]

For many years, I was always felt that I should be fishing with bigger baits in fall. We always heard that all the forage is bigger then, so the bass are feeding on larger shad, craws, gills and everything else. For the last 3 yrs my best fall bait was a Zoom finesse worm. So, I'm still not always sure about upsizing baits in fall....

[JediAmoeba]

I am going tomorrow to try and catch a state record pickerel - I am taking everything from little 2" jerkbaits up to 8" swimbaits.  The fish will hopefully tell me what's going on.  

[deadadrift89]

When I'm on main lake chasing schooling fish I like larger baits such as Super Spook or Mega Dawg. As fish push back into creek arms and move shallower I'll go with the smaller "JR" versions.

[Bankbeater]

I start off with a 1/2 ounce rat-l-trap.  If that doesn't get any bites I go up to the 3/4 ounce size.  If that doesn't work I try the 1/4 ounce size.  I do the same with other baits. Sooner or later I find the size the bass will go after.

[Boomstick]

To keep it short and simple: both. Early fall when the fish are still active and baitfish are larger, I learn towards larger baits and later on I tend to go with smaller baits, but there are some days where the opposite seems to work better.

[TnRiver46]

They were barfing up tiny shad on the deck today so we downsized . 

[GreenPig]

I throw big baits as long I see the big gizzards in the shallows.

[greentrout]

i'll checkout the barometer and weather forecast before i head out as i always do ... being aware it's the fall season ...

 

the usual water conditions and wind direction will be important depending on the time of day and will start with a worm or spinnerbait keeping a topwater already rigged and ready to go ...

 

as always ... finding where they are located is the biggest challenge ... from there, once found, will attempt to find a pattern ...

 

good fishing ...

[WRB]

How fast do you all think young of the year fish grow since the spawn? It's young of the year baitfish that bass prefer along with 1 to 2 year old fish, all are under 4" long most under 3" making up the predominate forage base. 

Tom

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Upsize ....most stuff was born in spring so now its somewhat bigger....but then again ive caught 6 lb bass with a small floating  rapala 

[Jermination]

if anything downsize. I honestly don't think size of bait matters as much as presentation in the fall. Throw a chrome/blueback bill lewis rattle trap if they are busting bait, if you can't get a bite or getting short struck REEL IT FASTER. Saturday i was out on Loudon throwing the exact same thing as the guy fishing out of the back of my boat. Fan casting across giant rock point, i outcaught him 14-3. presentation matters