Late Fall River Whackfest (pics)

[Cade Laufenberg]

Well the bass fishing season is winding down in my neck of the woods, unfortunately. Its been a great year, but I'm just not ready to let go of it yet. I can't believe just how fast it goes..and once you hit september it REALLY goes... :'(

A little over a week ago, i had an epiphany in the area I was fishing. I stopped fishing what I already knew and started fishing what made a heck of a lot more sense. The area I've been fishing is generally large, with a lot of deep wood and ledges that hold decent largemouth this time of year. I was mainly using jigs fished slow to probe brushpiles, weed clumps, and just dragging dropoffs. I would average between 5 and 10 keepers a day with a limit ranging from 10-12 lbs. Last weekend I used my graph and graphed some huge suspending schools of shad over deep structure- primarily this one large underwater point that most people fish with crankbaits, jigs and carolina rigs. I attacked the point with a suspending jerkbait, a fairly well kept secret in my area for largemouth. The largemouth absolutely went nuts and the first day i caught 14 keepers in 2 hours with a 13-1/2 lb limit. From there things got better and better as i began to pick apart the patterns and holding points of these fish. 52 keeper fish came to the boat in 3 short days on the water with most of them in the 2-1/2 lb range up to 3-1/2 lbs. Sunday I began experimenting a little more with a very heavy spinnerbait and the results were awesome. I used the jerkbait to bang a good limit, upgraded with a jig on wood, and caught a kicker as well as some 2-1/2 lbers on a spinnerbait fished from 10-20 ft down. Most people fish spinnerbaits close to shore but fishing offshore and extremely slow payed off for the 4-1/2 lb beauty below that helped towards a 15 lb limit. Fishing was not easy that day, with ice in the guides and worm gear constantly, as the high made it up to a wonderful 29 degrees, but the action made up for it. Today was no nicer, with ice pellets falling from the sky mixed with rain, but the fish were still going. I didn't have much luck with the suspending fish but they were all over a heavy football jig dragged down the ledges. I caught 13 lbs in 2 hours. Overall its been an awesome end to the year, and I couldn't ask for a better way to cap it off but with great fishing. The forecast is looking pretty horrid the next weke or so, with high 30's this weekend, but its hard to say how long the fish will remain on the bite. The water temperature is low 40's and falling as we speak. Smallies may soon become the only option as the largemouth typically get real tough below 40 degrees.

here are 2 pics, i'm hoping to add a couple more soon.

A solid 3-1/2 lber from last week on a jig..

a 4-1/2 lber from Sunday afternoon on a big spinnerbait.

-Cade

[Tokyo Tony]

Nice fish and great report  

From the picture, the second fish looks bigger than 4.5.

[Paul Roberts]

Excellent post. Thank you!

Staying on 'em right to ice-up. 8-)

[senko_77]

Way to catch em Cade.  That fish looks WAY bigger than 4 1/2  

Glad the year is ending good.  Your success will just make you come out hungrier when ice out hits next spring.  Then it's time to get some redemption on that Jr. trail.

[Cade Laufenberg]

Thanks guys, and Ryan I already can't wait for spring to get here...just thinking of winter is making me sick of it already :-/

Hopefully next year when I turn 18 I'll be able to make a roadtrip somewhere warm 8-)

[firefightn15]

Your quite the bird dog. Good job nailin' em.  I'm north of you, and was looking to get out this weekend yet for one last pitch, but after watching the weather for the next few days, I garaged the boat for the winter last nite. :'(