fall fishing locations

[mferris]

i'll try to keep this short.the lake i usually fish i've been catching bass pretty much all season along a weed edge in about6' that drops off into what might be a channel about 9' deep..well now the weed edge is dying off and i've moved out to some deeper weed clumps that grow to the surface then drop off into the main lake about 12' deep..i've caught a couple bass 3.5 and 4 lbs in the deeper clumps plus a couple big pike but nothing consistent..used senko's,jigs,tubes,worms,crankbaits,jerkbaits..only lure that works is a spinnerbait...i've read articles about bass moving shallow for shad but i'm in the northeast and i guess the forage would be perch and bluegill..i am moving deeper because thats where the weeds haven't died off yet..am i doing the right thing?  any suggestions.....thanks

[John J.]

i'll try to keep this short.the lake i usually fish i've been catching bass pretty much all season along a weed edge in about6' that drops off into what might be a channel about 9' deep..well now the weed edge is dying off and i've moved out to some deeper weed clumps that grow to the surface then drop off into the main lake about 12' deep..i've caught a couple bass 3.5 and 4 lbs in the deeper clumps plus a couple big pike but nothing consistent..used senko's,jigs,tubes,worms,crankbaits,jerkbaits..only lure that works is a spinnerbait...i've read articles about bass moving shallow for shad but i'm in the northeast and i guess the forage would be perch and bluegill..i am moving deeper because thats where the weeds haven't died off yet..am i doing the right thing? any suggestions.....thanks

It seems that the spinnerbait has been productive...I used one for my Potomac River Jr. Bass Tourney (see my post). Colors are now taking a toll around this time. Depending on the clarity of the water, natural colors such as shad, bluegill, herring, perch, minnow, fire tiger, crawdad or even basic colors such as chartruse, white and/or black. My spinner bait I used for my tourny (also posted in the post) was a 1/4 ounce willow leaf spinner bait with the Shad skirt. Right around this time bass would be moving into the mid depth - shallow waters, such as 10-. Some may be feeding around mid water structure, i.e. stumps, logs, trees, humps, brush, weeds, grass, etc. If the weeds are extending above the water level, that should be an attention grabber, if it is underwater weeds/grass I would run a spinner bait just above the grass/weed level in a pretty fast speed. Bass now in the fall are really aggressive, and they need to stock up for winter like bear (which I am sure you read in the articles).

So fish or crawdad imitations around this time are really productive...the baits I would try are:

-Spinnerbaits with fish colored skirts

-Crankbaits

-Jerkbaits

-Broken Back

-plastic crawdads, worms, shad, etc. (especially in weeds/grass)

-Buzzbaits (especially on a windy, choppy day or early in the morning)

-or any other fish imitating baits (rattle traps, etc.)

I will go back and mention the plastics. They are very productive around this time if you work them right. If you ever get in the situation where the weeds/grass extend above the water line, I would run a weightless plastic bait across the weeds. Cast back as far as you can or deep as you can in the weeds and keep the bait running on top. Or you can texas rig it or weedless rig it and run it through the weeds, etc.

Also, don't be afraid to use live baits, such as minnows, frogs, etc. Especially in weeds, plastic frogs or real frogs will work, or better in lily pads.

I wish you good luck!

God bless   8-)

[BassFishingMachine]

Ive been using the Yum Buzz Frogs lately, and I have had many hits with them. Try a buzz frog or some type of topwater. Also, I have heard bass move in close during the fall. And just yesterday I caught a nice 3lber, about 4 feet out under a weed pile. So yeah try a buzz frog within 4-8 feet off the shore. Its been working for me. I believe as long as the weather stays around 70+ degrees a topwater frog imitation will produce strikes.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Where are you at in the Northeast? While it may be bluegills or perch (which a bass will always eat), I would probably guess you have some shad or other type of smaller minnow in your home waters. What color spinnerbait were you using? That should indicate to you what type of baitfish the bass are keying on.

As for your last question, if you are doing the right thing by moving deeper? I think you may want to visit the shallower areas with heavy cover, but that is just my opinion. Move to areas that play to your strengths and stay focused on the fact that you KNOW there are bass in there.

[mferris]

i'm in western mass..the spinnerbait is chart/blue with a chart trailer usually.tandem willow blade..i have moved in shallow and caught some small bass on a windy day but the weeds are still  fairly thick..there really isn't an inside edge,they pretty much grow right up to shore...i have tried yum frog..propbait..zara spook on beautiful overcast calm days as well as a few breezy days..as far as knowing where the bass are,that's my problem..i think i know the bass are around the deep weed patchs and spend too much time fishing it!!!!!!!!  i do usually hit the shallows once or twice but perhaps i should spend more time shallow..thanks for your suggestions..hopefully i will try again this weekend!!!!!

[bassnleo]

Try pitching baits into the holes in the shallower weeds.