A little advice.

[Swamp Girl]

The BR crew has taught me so much about lmbassin' and I'm grateful to all who've helped me. It's fall in Maine. See:

 

 

The lily pads are still green, but some of the underwater weeds have shut down. The mornings are in the high forties to low fifties and the daytime highs are the high sixties to low seventies. 

 

So, I'm going fishing tomorrow morning and because I know winter is coming, each trip now feels more and more precious. I'll be fishing a 400-acre pond that's eleven feet at its deepest. It's mostly rocky bottomed and the lmb/smb are about 50/50. It has a few points, some flats, and lots of shallow water. It has also many boulders below the surface. I don't have any electronics and I will be paddling a canoe. I prefer to catch lmb.

 

@Glenn taught me to be mobile in the fall, so I do fish on the move. When I went yesterday morning, I used a spinner bait, walking bait, and fluke to catch 20. When I fish this pond, most sessions, I typically manage to catch one or two four-or-five-pounders, but in May and June, I was catching 40 to 75 in a morning with two to four four-to-five pounders. I caught my biggest bass yesterday morning quite a ways off shore, but the trip prior to that, I caught my two biggest bass in six inches and one foot of water. That was about ten days ago. 

 

What might be key is that the last few days have been relatively cool. When I launch tomorrow, the wind will start to swing from the N and NW to the W and SW and the temperature will be rising. So, the bass might be primed to feed big time with winter coming. There will be a window of near calm as the wind shifts.

 

I'll launch around 5:30 a.m. and quit around 9:30 a.m. How would you fish it? I do know this pond as well as perhaps any person alive, so my focus is on the specifics of weather and season. In short, I know the pond, but I'm not deeply experienced when it comes to catching lmb in the fall.

[gim]

There's been some other threads recently about fall fishing conditions/weather.

 

I've posted my opinion in them, but I'll go ahead and do it here again.  If the overnight air temps are frosty/cold, you're better off waiting to start fishing until later on the next day.  I would probably go closer to lunch time than early in the morning.  If the overnight temps are mild, then you can start right away.

 

Clouds play a pivotal role here.  An overnight cloud deck keeps air temps higher, whereas a clear night drops them.

 

This is just my experience the last few falls and from what others have posted here.  I've found it to be true.

[Swamp Girl]

Thanks, @gimruis. The sky will be clear tonight, but the arriving warm air will only drop the temp to 53 and it will rise rapidly after that. 53 is relatively mild for this time of year at this latitude. So, I expect that bass might be ready to rock. Where would you fish? And what lures would you use? 

 

I'm thinking of staying deep and fan casting with a lipless, jerkbait, and spinnerbait. However, I'll also fish the flats and shallows with flukes, spinnerbaits, and surface lures. This is my plan, but I'm wondering if others would use a different plan. 

[gim]

2 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

53 is relatively mild for this time of year at this latitude

 

I agree, that's not the "frosty" over night low I was referring to above.  That's still very mild, I say stick to what you planned.

 

As for the presentations, hopefully someone else will chime in on that advice.  If it were me, I'd try what had previously worked before first.

[Mobasser]

I love fall bass fishing. My favourite days are cloudy, slight wind. In these conditions I like traps and spinnerbaits. A light misting rain can be good also. We're not quite with you on our weather here in Missouri, but we're slowly getting there.             Good luck on your trip ol Crickety, sounds like you've got a good game plan.

[Swamp Girl]

5 minutes ago, gimruis said:

If it were me, I'd try what had previously worked before first.

 

Yeah, I tend to do that. I'm just thinking that the timing might be just right for extraordinary fishing. This has been the recent weather:

 

Relatively cool

 

Relatively cool

 

Relatively cool

 

Wind and temp shifting while I'm fishing

 

Relatively way warmer

 

3 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

I love fall bass fishing. My favourite days are cloudy, slight wind. In these conditions I like traps and spinnerbaits. A light misting rain can be good also. We're not quite with you on our weather here in Missouri, but we're slowly getting there.             Good luck on your trip ol Crickety, sounds like you've got a good game plan.

 

I forgot to share that it will be bluebird skies and also that the last couple trips I've fished, I have NOT been catching bass while trolling from one prime spot to another. It makes me wonder if they're suspending in the deeper water. I did have luck fan casting about 50 years off-shore last night.

[Pumpkin Lizard]

If you're catching 20 a session with 1-2 four and five pounders each time maybe you should tell us!:) Looks like a great spot. I grew up fishing ponds like that in New England. I fish the way you do, staying mobile, covering water, using searching patterns to locate fish. But when I want to take a closer look I start throwing a texas rig or a jig.

 

I'd probably second the idea fishing later in the day versus early. But you never know unless you try. And that's how you learn.

[Functional]

Personally I'd start with what worked before and if it doesn't pan out I'd target hard cover very close to shore or very shallow that ideally have no weeds around(if your weeds are dying). Frogs, walking baits, torpedo, whopper ploppers,  poppers, weightless flukes/paddletails, square Bill, fast fished trig creature bait. 

 

I'd expect them to come in to the warmer water and feed but bass are like cats.... they will do as they please. 

[Mobasser]

If you do think that the bass are suspended offshore, rig a four inch plastic worm, and count it down for depth. I like to use an open hook jig worm, but you can go with a t rig if there's too much cover. I've done best with a 1/8 oz weight, a little more if there's some wind.

[F14A-B]

I’m throwing a crank bait.. 

 

But at any rate I believe you’re thinking similarly to myself. Crank bait or spinner bait, you got it going. 
 

Enjoy your little slice of heaven. 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

When I went yesterday morning, I used a spinner bait, walking bait, and fluke to catch 20.

 

Repeat 😉

[Bankbeater]

I'd start off by fishing the grass.  I'd also keep using what you have been catching them on and throw some crankbaits and lipless crankbaits into the mix as well. 

You might try fishing with different sizes of the baits that are working.  Sometimes around here the bass will turn up their nose at a 1/4 ounce crankbait, but choke a 1/2 ounce version in the same color.

[casts_by_fly]

Stay with what’s been working. If it stops working, try something else. 
 

this time of year the bass are feeding up, often on the move, and often chasing. The where is usually the harder part. With only 11’ of water, it’s not as if they are following baitfish down to the thermocline and staying there. I’d start with a buzz bait early (or your favorite top water) and see if you can find them. When they slow down at sunup drop down in the water column with a spinnerbait, underspin, or a plastic depending on how active they are. 

[Bankc]

4 hours ago, Functional said:

Personally I'd start with what worked before and if it doesn't pan out I'd target hard cover very close to shore or very shallow that ideally have no weeds around(if your weeds are dying). Frogs, walking baits, torpedo, whopper ploppers,  poppers, weightless flukes/paddletails, square Bill, fast fished trig creature bait. 

 

I'd expect them to come in to the warmer water and feed but bass are like cats.... they will do as they please. 

Definitely. 

 

If you've fished that water recently and found something that worked, don't trade something that you know has worked in the past for something that you can only guess about.  Now, the weather change might effect the bass.  But it doesn't always.  And at the very least, repeating what worked in the past will tell you two important things.  It will tell you whether that particular technique is working or not, AND it will tell you if the weather change has affected the bass' behavior.  Going with any new technique will only tell you first thing, if that technique works today or not.  You're still left guessing the second, if the fish are being affected by the weather. 

[looking45]

I’d be fishing a weightless Texas rigged fluke

[AlabamaSpothunter]

A great place to always start in the Fall when the temps start really crashing is to fish the last green aquatic vegetation on the lake, if there is lots of stuff like this, focus on the healthiest looking stuff.   Pay special focus to any irregularities within those places.    

 

Good luck pal!  

[Swamp Girl]

5 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

A great place to always start in the Fall when the temps start really crashing is to fish the last green aquatic vegetation on the lake, if there is lots of stuff like this, focus on the healthiest looking stuff.   Pay special focus to any irregularities within those places.    

 

Good luck pal!  

 

Thanks, Alex, and thanks too to the rest of you. I ran out of reactions. Well, I'm off and fingers crossed I guess well and find a big bass or two. @Team9nine might not mean to do this, but lawdy, he's sure putting pressure on the rest of us to swing some big gals aboard!

 

#Mainemustrepresent!

[Swamp Girl]

Well, my hinge wind hope didn't deliver. I managed 22, but 16 were smallmouth, all about the same size:

 

 

My best lure was the Googan Revolver, but I also caught bass with an underspin, spinnerbait, and fluke.

 

This was my best one:

 

 

The others were like these:

 

 

Wait, this was my best one:

 

 

Did Maine represent? You decide. 

 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I've watched a fair amount of content from folks like Jon B on Youtube fishing in Maine.     Nobody 'represents' Maine better than you Katie! 

 

Beautiful fish and leaves, Fall fishing imho is the hardest time of the year.   So much junk fishing goes into it that it can feel random and unproductive at times.  

[Eric 26]

@ol'crickety I would gladly trade your worst fishing day for my best anytime. Between the quality of your fish and the drop dead gorgeous locations you fish I always look forward to your posts, it doesn’t hurt that you and several others on here also have a wonderful way with words.

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

Wait, this was my best one:

 

 

Did Maine represent? You decide. 

Yeah, I think you’ve got us in fall foliage brilliance at the moment 😉 Hard to believe you’re headed well into fall fishing already while we’re still waiting on a cool down and water temps under 80 degrees.

[F14A-B]

What’s a Googan revolver? 

[Glenn]

[Swamp Girl]

Thanks, Alex and Eric!

 

Alex, you're right about fall fishing being junk fishing. This summer, I'd find the pattern and pound them. This morning, I'd flit from lure to lure trying to determine what they wanted, which was everything and nothing. I caught them deep. I caught them shallow. I caught them on the surface. I caught them ticking the tops of submerged weeds. I caught them with big, noisy lures and small, quiet lures.

 

But I never caught one and said, "This is what they want."

 

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

Bravo @ol'crickety (Katie) what a splendid way to enjoy special moments out there. I (we) are envious the success and experiences. Here in the SW we have felt the slight chill in the morning air as we head towards fall. Our weather in the area should make more of a change this weekend. Hopefully as I get all the responsibilities sorted out I'll be able to have a go at taunting some fish too.

 

Till that time I'm grateful for the posting and adventures shared on BR. Be well and Cheers!