Are there better baits for the fall weather?

[Bass_Akwards]

For those of you who live in states where you have "fall weather" are you fishing the same baits as you do in the summer?  

I always thought LMB metabolism(sp) slowed down when fall came, therefore mellowing the bite and slowing good fishing down to a crawl.  But someone just told me that in October, the bite actually picks up BIGTIME, because the LMB are stocking their tummies up for the winter.  Which is true in general?

Todd

[5bass]

#1 crankbait

#2 spinnerbait

#3 pop-r

[Bass_Akwards]

Fivebass, can you elaborate a little?  Are these your all year round favorites, or your fall favorites?  I assume fall favorites because thats the title of my thread, so I'll ask.....  Why are crankbaits better in fall than summer or spring?  

todd

[Gatorbassman]

The truth of it is that the water has to be very cold for the bass to slow down. In the fall the bass will be feeding heavy. Check out these articles about fall fishing.

http://bassresource.com/fishing/seasonal.html#fall

As for lures I throw everything I got at them. My favorite ones are Lipless Crankbaits, Flukes, and trickworms.

[Jeff H]

It's true. They go on a binge but where I'm from it usually happens in mid to late Sept depending on how the weather has been. When we get "indian summer" I find the fishing to be pretty hot at that time.

The fish have been feeding at will and gorging themselves since the last week of July on the lakes I've been fishing. Thats what the "dog days" are all about. The food chain peaks and the water has warmed, increasing their metabolism and for them it's like being in a buffet house. That means tough fishing, and I find it even tougher around the full moon because they must feed all night under that moon. Some people love that moon stuff, it ticks me off though ;D

It's not so easy for them in the fall and the action can get really hot. I'll spend more time on the deeper edges of flats during this time and more shoreline connected stuctures instead of the main lake stuff I fish all summer. I will also visit the shallow, heavy cover more often, especially any wood,reeds or similar cover. I do a lot of pitching in the fall period. I especially like to find and visit beaver houses in the fall because they are stocking up on leafy branches etc and the bass LOVE that cover. Beaver houses have produced some of my biggest fish. Another favorite is undercut banks or floating bog. I'll check any of the shallow swampy looking areas for this kind of situation.

So, what do I use??

Jigs

traps

hard jerk baits

5 3/4" Fin S Fish

big bulky worms

5" mega tubes

spinnerbaits

[5bass]

Once the fall transition takes place, try to find the shad. Typically in large lakes the shad will start migrating into the bigger creeks and the bass follow right behind 'em. As the water cools the shad will be getting shallower and shallower. Fall is really a good time to catch some fat bags of bass. They feed heavily as the temps drop.

The most dependable fall pattern for me is a crankbait. I will locate some large shad pods and pull the crank right through them and also will fish just under the pods. Usually the bass will hang around or under the shad just waiting on something to trigger their strike. When you pull the crank thru the shad, the shad will scatter and become very erratic and "jumpy".....a sure trigger for the bass.

At some times during the days in fall you can find the bass in typical hiding spots like laydowns and docks, especially in channel bends. I like a spinnerbait around the laydowns and light colored jigs around the docks.

Other times in fall you will see the bass schooling up and bustin' shad on top.....thats where the Pop-R comes into play. I like a white or silver feathered treble on the back. A super fluke works well when they are schooling also.

Another bait that I should've added is a blade bait such as a Lil George. These can be killer when the bass are under the shad. Just cast it and let it fall thru the shad, then just yo yo it back to the boat (in the strike zone of course). If you feel anything strange, set the hook.

Whatever you do, remember that the bass are keying on shad in the fall and try to "match the hatch" with whatever bait you throw.

[Jig Man]

As the water starts cooling the fish stay shallow longer.  Sometimes they are shallow all day long and will hit my favorite  baits in the fall (spinnerbait and buzzbait).  Once in a while I will have to go back to the jig but mostly it is the spinnerbait for me.

[grimlin]

I think i'm gonna be bringing a crankbait with me tommorrow....i usually stick to jigging,but if the fish are gonna be aggressive i might as well bring a few topwater baits as well.

[5bass]

I think i'm gonna be bringing a crankbait with me tommorrow....i usually stick to jigging,but if the fish are gonna be aggressive i might as well bring a few topwater baits as well.

I'm not sure about Michigan but where I am the bass are still deep. The fall transition doesnt usually start until mid-late September and thats only if the weather cools off for a couple of weeks in a row and fall is actually here, not just a false alarm.

[T-rig]

Spinnerbaits and topwaters will work. These baits also should get you some fish:

LC Fat CB SR

LC Pointer 100SP

[Bass_Akwards]

Guys, seriously, the info is so freaking great, and this forum is a god send.  

What do I do if I'm a "loser" and have no boat, and no shad?  I fish from shore and never get to have the fun you guys get to have investigating all the beautiful topography of the ponds I fish.  I catch a lot of nice fish and can't imagine how many and how big the fish would be if I actually had good electronics and a trolling motor, not to mention all the other goodies that come with a nice bass boat.

In any case, what should I be looking for when fishing from shore?  I always look for nice points, or suculant cover to fish, but is there anything else I should be lokoing out for to catch tons of fish?  Also, the ponds I fish have lots of little bluegill and croppy and frogs and catfish and snakes, but no shad.  Do other bait fish start congregating in the shallows in the fall?  What signs from other fish besides bass should I be looking for, in the ponds I fish? (if there even are any)

Again fellas, awesome info.  Keep it coming, I'm like a sponge.

Todd

[senko_77]

So far you've got some great info!  

If I were on the bank, I would continue to hit those points and the cover you said you have already found.  Although the shad are migrating, there are still a majority that will stay on your spots.  I would also just cover water.  Although the surface is calm, WW3 could being going on underwater.  The more water you hit, the better chance you have of hitting the awesome fall feeding frenzies.

Also, keep an eye out on the surface.  Sometimes you can see bubbles rising together.  And while sometimes it's just the bottom, if the group of bubbles start moving, it usually indicates that a school of shad are below.  Also, shad will come up to the surface and sorta "nip" at the top.  You will see little swirls.  These are shad feeding on the plankton on the surface.  Anywhere you see these schools of shad, there will be bass close by.  

And lastly, use the wind to your advantage.  I've caught so many fish on the bank by fishing the windy side of a point or hump, or paralleling a wind-blown bank.  

My favorite bait in fall is a lipless crankbait.  I would suggest a Bill Lewis Lures Rat-L-Trap in 1/2oz in the Diamond Dust color, or the Yo-Zuri Rattl N' Vibe in Baby Bass.  I throw these to baits almost exclusively in fall

Hope this helps and good luck  

[Nick]

The wind spiiner bait approach should help. In all my pond fishing years, most of the big bass haunts are the shorelines with cover especially those with deeper water nearby.  Rip Rap on pond dams are hard to beat. If the wind is blowing in that's a plus.  Use those lipless cranks and spinnerbaits as suggested. Since most ponds around here are just bowl shaped with nothing to hold bass away from shore, it's easy pickings, but don't know about your situation. Now, if you do have a good pop. of frogs, use those plastic frog baits while they are active. If you can twich a plastic frog across grass bead or mats or near brush, you might catch some big bass. Use a cheapie water temp guage to judge how fast you can fish.  When the water temps are above 55, I wouldn't worry about speeds of retrioeve, but below 50 esp.  slow down every presentation.