Fall Transition

[RoLo]

As fall approaches, there is less daylight; less daylight means the water will start to cool on its own due to less heat for the sun and longer cooler nights which signals fall and winter are soon to follow.

We humans tend to watch clocks & calendarsthe bass don't

Catt, I agree with your photoperiod theory, but photoperiod moves lockstep with our Gregorian calendar.

August on these waters is different from those in the past (I know this lake 'very' well).

Roger

The bass calendar that Catt refers to and I totally agree with is within the bass's genetic base; the cosmic clock. PM me with email address and I will send you a copy.

Every year differs to some degree due to changes in weather patterns, atmospheric changes, recruitment of prey and bass, etc. The cycles however repeat with each bass calendar period; winter, pre-spawn, spawn, post spawn, summer and fall. The Georgian calendar; January to December may at time coincide with the bass's calendar from time to time.

We like to say; the bass are bedding when the mustard or dogwood blossoms. The old observations are based seasonal changes not calendar months and were fairly accurate

WRB

I'm sure that everyone in this thread realizes that the fall pattern does not begin and end like clockwork,

but varies from year-to-year. In fact, discrepancies in seasonal timing was the brainchild of the "cosmic clock.

The cosmic clock is based on a hodgepodge of local variables such as barometric pressure, wind velocities,

cloud cover, ad nauseam. The cosmic clock was qualified but never quantified, but it's used chiefly as a scapegoat,

for explaining away the discrepancies in seasonal timing. What's more, the cosmic clock exerts only a local influence,

and produces different effects in different regions. In fact, two adjacent lakes within the realm of the same cosmic clock,

may experience different seasonal timing. Their differences may be due to differences in water clarity, water depth,

dissolved oxygen content, et al. For this reason, I seen no compelling reason to introduce the cosmic clock,

but I did state that "photoperiod" (day length) and the Gregorian calendar move lockstep (which they do).

In the context of this thread, we're not discussing local patterns, but are pointing out a national phenomenon.

If you read the replies above, you'll find a nationwide cross-section of members from Missouri, Colorado, Florida,

Alabama, Wisconsin and Virginia who have all experienced an August anomaly.

Roger

[Catt]

This entire year has been unusually strange

A warm winter and yet it produced snow along the Gulf coast!

Water temperatures in the low 60s by early March but a late spawn

The transition into summer patterns was sporadic

All indications in nature pointed one direction but the bass said we aint doing it & you can make me.

It has left this Cajun scratching his head

[Matt Fly]

What changes in Fall?

Two things, the weather starts changing with the passing of fronts and lower air temperatures. But if Mother Nature is slow in signaling the start of fall through temperature changes and frontal conditions, the bass will still know fall is coming due to the amount of daylight.

As fall approaches, there is less daylight; less daylight means the water will start to cool on its own due to less heat for the sun and longer cooler nights which signals fall and winter are soon to follow.

We humans tend to watch clocks & calendarsthe bass don't

I was gonna post that as I always have Catt, but I figured someone would want to know what tournaments I won to be correct on this info.      ;D      

[RoLo]

This entire year has been unusually strange

A warm winter and yet it produced snow along the Gulf coast!

Water temperatures in the low 60s by early March but a late spawn

Wow, if you didn't mention snow, I'd have thought you were describing Florida

During a normal year in Florida, big bass are most prevalent from January through April.

In 2009 however, fishing for big bass peaked from April to mid-June with virtually no let up.

I remember when Catt & I both commented on the fact that many slob bass were blasting the lure

close to the boat (in my case, within a boat-length of the rod-tip).

Throwing a monkey wrench into our oddball spring was a paltry topwater bite.

In central Florida, the topwater bite typically peaks in April and May, which coincides with the post-spawn period.

I spent very little time on top this year, because the bass were not as cooperative.

This year, April and May provided mediocre to lame topwater action, and different from most other years,

the mediocre topwater bite persisted unchanged throughout the summer (no better, no worse). In search of

a common denominator, I keep coming back to the disproportionate rainfall this year, which was basically countrywide.

For good measure, we just had another 1.5 inches of rain last evening with more T-storms expected today.

Rainwater is a wildcard.

On the one hand, rainwater carries no dissolved oxygen of its own. On the other hand, rainfall is one of the best

natural oxygenators in any lake. On the one hand, rainwater can quickly raise or lower water temperatures,

depending on the temperature of the troposphere from whence it came. Rainwater changes water temperatures

through direction injection, unlike air temperatures which must rely on slow-moving convection.

Add wind to the mix, and you'll likely find hot pockets and cold pockets in the same lake.

On the other hand, although rainfall changes water temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels,

over time it also increases the volume of the lake, which has a "dilutive" effect on change  

Roger

[Catt]

I've wondered of it could be related to El Niño

[RoLo]

I've wondered of it could be related to El Niño

Yeah, I keep going there too.

I'm sure that in some way, it all ties together

Roger

[Catt]

I've wondered of it could be related to El Niño

Yeah, I keep going there too.

I'm sure in some way, it all ties together

Roger

About the time I think I have the bass figured out they prove I don't

[RoLo]

I've wondered of it could be related to El Niño

Yeah, I keep going there too.

I'm sure in some way, it all ties together

Roger

About the time I think I have the bass figured out they prove I don't

Yep, and that's what keeps us coming back for more...we're gluttons for a challenge

Roger

[Crestliner2008]

Here in the northeast, the year has been a very cold one. Winter lasted well in March. April and May were very cold. June & July the highs were in the 60's with way above normal rainfall. A record actually in July.

By mid-August summer finally arrived with the first heat wave of 3 days @ 90+ degrees. That was last week. This week the night temps are back in the 40's with highs for the daytime hours only in 70's!

THAT is very unusual for summer here abouts. The smallmouths didn't set up their deep water patterns until the first week in August this year. Now I'm wondering how long it will last before they head back toward the shallows. Especially if these cool nights persist.

CRAZY year (up here at least!).

[Paul Roberts]

I may be sounding somewhat uppity here, and certainly don't have the Tournament or Trophy credentials to be trusted ;D :, but I think I know what's up.

I need to pull it all together into a cohesive package before I get ahead of myself and get to babblin'. This has been one darn interesting year.

[WRB]

The Cosmic Clock* is based on water temperature, sun position, moon phase and bass daily rhythm; basic bass behavior. Seasonal periods change at a different pace than mans monthly calendar.

There isn't any guaranteed method to predict the exact daily behavior of any living animal, including bass and especially man.

Forget trying to relate to calendar months; this August is different than past years. Bass simply relate to their specific environment; water temperature and available prey. Weather impacts the bass's environment on a daily or hourly basis, affecting the activity levels and location. Bass in New York in February are still in the winter cold water period, bass in Florida could be spawning as the water temperature approach the low 60's.

Relating to a 12 month calendar or a seasonal period calendar is just another factor to consider, when bass fishing.

WRB

* The Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar I'm referring to was created in 1974 by myself for SoCal seminars, later adopted by In-Fisherman.

Dated information, but still appropriate.

[RoLo]

The Cosmic Clock* is based on water temperature, sun position, moon phase and bass daily rhythm; basic bass behavior. Seasonal periods change at a different pace than mans monthly calendar.

There isn't any guaranteed method to predict the exact daily behavior of any living animal, including bass and especially man.

Forget trying to relate to calendar months; this August is different than past years. Bass simply relate to their specific environment; water temperature and available prey. Weather impacts the bass's environment on a daily or hourly basis, affecting the activity levels and location. Bass in New York in February are still in the winter cold water period, bass in Florida could be spawning as the water temperature approach the low 60's.

Relating to a 12 month calendar or a seasonal period calendar is just another factor to consider, when bass fishing.

WRB

* The Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar I'm referring to was created in 1974 by myself for SoCal seminars, later adopted by In-Fisherman.

Dated information, but still appropriate.

I salute you for your contribution to the "cosmic clock", I first read about it in 1975.

I find the term "cosmic" however a tad contradictory, as it's more of a "micro" clock based on local anomalies.

The Earth's celestial clock based on the cosmos is well known and well established.

It is only "local" anomalies that cause seasonal periods to deviate from the "macro" clock" (correct me if I'm wrong).

Even In-Fisherman regarded the cosmic clock as a scapegoat; this is a direct quote from them regarding the cosmic clock (1975):

"It's not important for the In-Fisherman to know why seasons are erratic...just to realize that they can be".

This is reminiscent of the military's "Don't ask, don't tell".

Roger

[RoLo]

I may be sounding somewhat uppity here, and certainly don't have the Tournament or Trophy credentials to be trusted ;D :, but I think I know what's up.

I need to pull it all together into a cohesive package before I get ahead of myself and get to babblin'. This has been one darn interesting year.

Okay Paul, now you've got us all waiting with bated breath

Roger

[Catt]

Cosmic Clock is utter nonsense

[Paul Roberts]

I may be sounding somewhat uppity here, and certainly don't have the Tournament or Trophy credentials to be trusted ;D :, but I think I know what's up.

I need to pull it all together into a cohesive package before I get ahead of myself and get to babblin'. This has been one darn interesting year.

Okay Paul, now you've got us all waiting with bated breath

Roger

I've had that "bated breath" for a long time. I once told a fellow (but senior) researcher that I wanted to "see the face of God" -LOL. Does it get more optimistic than that? ;D

There is no single factor of course to answer all the nuances, but there are some basic parameters, limitations, that need to be clarified, and just haven't been. I've been collecting this stuff for years. I think I'm beginning to understand some pretty steep parameters.

[Blue Streak]

You can add Ohio to this list. This has been the strangest year I have ever spent on the water. I never really did figure out when the bass spawned, and right now the shallows are full of bass.

[Simp]

Coming up? I ran into a classic fall setup in Illinois a couple weeks ago.

I fished a tournament at Rend Lake in Illinois. Water temps mid 80's, air temps 90. The fish were in the very back ends of the coves that had feeder creeks hanging on laydowns or weedbeds in 1-2 feet of water waiting to ambush shad schools that were already moving back into that shallow of water. I, along with a whole lot of others had spent pre-fishing time trying to catch fish off more traditional late summer haunts like main lake points and larger secondary points within the larger coves.

I didn't find the pattern till it was too late.

Weird summer we're having this year.

I've got a T on another lake tomorrow. I'm more familiar with this lake than I was with Rend. No pre fishing time for this one but I'm going to keep an open mind. Look for the shad. They seem to be thinking more fall right now than the fishermen.

I live just down the road from Rend and it can be a great lake. With that said it's mostly a very shallow muddy lake that is great for buzzbait's (it was invented on this lake), Spinnerbaits, Bagley B's, and pitchin and flipping. This lake was made by damming up a lowland that the Big MUDDY River flowed into. It also has some MONSTER Catfish in it! So I'd tend to say they may have just been in there normal hang outs considering the water color and the average depth of the lake. With that said the weather has been crazy and I'm certainly seeing a Fall fishing pattern now with this crazy cold front weather and no doubt the days are alot shorter!

BTW Rend Lake also claimed a life of a angler a couple weeks ago. He was fishing a buddy tourney and they went to run back to the weigh in station. He was bending down and strapping in his rods when he had a heat stroke and fell off the boat unconscious. His co angler heard the splash and he jumped in to to get him. The problem was the guy who fell in didn't have a life jacket or a auto inflate one. The other guy did and when he jumped in his went off and he couldn't get to the other anger who sank right to the bottom.

[Muddy]

This was my single hardest year of fishing ever. Rain and constantly below average temps ( we recorded the coolest July on record) had the weed beds never fully setting up, as is usually so predictable during the summer season here, on all bodies of water.

I had to deprogram myself from past years and logs, as the fish were never where they were supposed to be. Rather than one dominant pattern, there were several ambiguous ones going on daily!

 Then finally last week temps in the 90's and at least a familiar top water night bite developed, only to have that radically changed by a record setting 42 degree night!!!!!! What a weird year :-/

[Paul Roberts]

This was my single hardest year of fishing ever. Rain and constantly below average temps ( we recorded the coolest July on record) had the weed beds never fully setting up, as is usually so predictable during the summer season here, on all bodies of water.

I had to deprogram myself from past years and logs, as the fish were never where they were supposed to be. Rather than one dominant pattern, there were several ambiguous ones going on daily!

Then finally last week temps in the 90's and at least a familiar top water night bite developed, only to have that radically changed by a record setting 42 degree night!!!!!! What a weird year :-/

The curves we can be thrown. There ARE rules out there. Been a really fascinating year for me, to see the "norms" toyed with.

Been a cool year here too, with some record low nights. Weed beds were different this year (I talk about it some in my thread, Some More Fishing -Crankin' and Finessin'

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1248500205 )

I read an interesting research paper a while back about herbicide treatments and bass response. And the researcher (Dr Scott Samson an angler too) recently did a follow up article for the In-Fisherman 2009 Bass Guide. The gist was that the bass DID NOT MOVE out, but anglers did! This says something about both bass', and anglers, relationship with an area. The bass moved more (to hunt effectively is my thought), and shifted use to somewhat deeper water and some existing wood (for protection).

The story gets better: There were some anglers who weren't intimidated; two in particular placed high in tournaments from that very location. One was a Japanese angler who didn't have prior experience there thus he could not fish history'. They fished finesse stuff (DS) and placed high (both at #2). This is a common thing (but not fool proof of course), that more open water tends to require smaller stuff. It's the stupid looking lure thing, I believe.

Similarly, I have certain areas in the ponds I fish that I can take a certain lure, or two, and catch em really well GoTo's for that area. There are other areas of each pond where I do not catch fish. Is it bc they are not there? Sometimes, some places yes. Other times and places, they are there but the layout coupled with conditions makes these areas not conducive to the same GoTo presentation that kills em on the other side of the pond. My response tends to be to shy away from the what I know to do the GoTo thing (Again, I'm not in it for numbers, but to learn something). So I challenge myself to catch em where I can't and when it pans out, it's usually a different presentation method entirely that turns the tide.

We all know that certain basic pres. methods shine in different places. It helps to recognize them when they appear even on small scale like one small area of a pond, or an area that has undergone change. This has truly been a year where the GoTo / fishing history path has fallen apart in many places.

Muddy, I'm not saying this fits your particular spot, but it's something to think about this winter or this weekend. If I remember right you've had an outer weed line with rocks that held fish. Likely there is some basic structure there maybe the fish are still in the area. I'm thinking finesse-sized jigs (see tyrius' post http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1251991140),

shaky, or DS on what's left or nearby those rocks, and further out on the drop. Hey, you'd found fish, a chunk of the work is done. Now adapt.

[Muddy]

Tried downsizing, line changes, even the way I face the area to be fished, with little or no results. I am sure there is a puzzle piece I have missed. I had fun anyway 8-)

[Paul Roberts]

Tried downsizing, line changes, even the way I face the area to be fished, with little or no results. I am sure there is a puzzle piece I have missed. I had fun anyway 8-)

That's the bottom line -the fun. If the expectation were to fish against others (real or perceived), to catch at all costs, then you're being pretty rough on yourself. If fun can be had in stretching horizons, then this has been the year for that. 8-)

As to the problem at hand: My GUESS is, that that puzzle piece is close by.

[Muddy]

Stretched horizons and wallets; last week saw my cell phone sleeping with the fishes in 6 ft of water :-/

[Paul Roberts]

Stretched horizons and wallets; last week saw my cell phone sleeping with the fishes in 6 ft of water :-/

Ouch! I'm in a float tube to boot; I know that "sploop!" sound too well. Everything is now tethered -I know how spiders feel. I leave my phone in the car. I'm not available when I'm fishing.

[Big Tom]

I have been seriously bass fishing real hard for three years now.  All I know is that this year was a lot different than the last two years.  Last year I was constantly hoping for those cloudy, rainy, cooler days.  This year, those days are very common and the fishing has been better but a lot more unpredictable overall.  Its disheartening to not catch them the way you think you will when everything you have learned is telling you the conditions are perfect for a big day on the lake.

The main reason I enjoy summer fishing at all is because its at least more predictable than the other seasons.  The early morning topwater bite is a lot different this year too.  Its almost non-existant.

[Muddy]

Hey Big Tom: Top water for us was no where near as good as previous years, and when it came it was great but sporadic

Things I have noticed: This year>>> HOW ABOUT YOU FELLAS??

The weeds did not get as "full bodied" and the weed beds did not set up as usual

water temps were mostly low, with wild fluctuations in water temp

Rain raised water levels drastically

Bass never seemed to set up in usual summer patterns

now Fall does not seem like a real transition period

Less or no bugs

very few turtles

less frogs... greatly diminished frog bite

A general lack of natural activity

blue herons showed up late and in fewer numbers

geese not so plentiful around the lake this year

Loons are back here early