Tactics and Strategy For the Fall

[Bass_Akwards]

What State do you live in?

What will be the tactical and strategic changes you'll make in a few weeks when the bass make the transition from summer to fall behavior and why?

[Nibbles]

I can finally start to fish faster.  ;D

Those damned bass are always suspended or lazy during the summers here. Probably because it's usually 98+ degrees outside every day.

Come fall, I can finally count on those fish getting hungry and actually chasing my lures for a change.

[Gangley]

The Woodlands, Texas

Start fishing faster lures.  Cranks, Rattle Traps, Spinners, and lots of topwaters.

I generally transition from slower moving presentations to faster moving presentations and try to key in on the middle and upper water column locations.  If I can find a shallow flat in a cove close to deep water, I'll hit it hard with a shad colored crank or rattle trap because the bass start pushing the shad shallow in the waters that I fish.  I throw frogs along the banks and use the spinnerbaits along the inside and outside weed lines. 

Sometimes the bite will be slow all day and then for a 30 minute period I will knock the snot out of them.  These are generally schools of bass moving and feeding together, and when you get on a group of those, it can be a real blast.  It will teach you really quickly how to unhook a bass and get your line out again.

[Catt]

Southwest Louisiana/Southeast Texas

Just like spring I follow the fish shallow Rat-L-Traps & Spinner Baits but just like spring I still incorporate slow techniques once bass are located.

Because just like spring the bass are moving to the back of creeks where the bait fish are most abundant.

[Vinny Chase]

Minneapolis, MN

Clackin Raps, Jerkbaits, and Suspending crankbaits

[Matt Fly]

NE Tx, I like to watch the birds main lake, when they start moving into the creeks, I know the shad have migrated into the creeks.   

   Fall, most baits will get the job done.

[BassThumb]

Minnesota.

Come September, my favorite month to fish, I'll begin taking fewer rods and lures in the boat. I'll spend most of my time with the troller on 40-50, running and gunning spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and lipless cranks until the water hits 45 degrees or so. Then it's slow spinnerbaits, suspending jerkbaits, jigs, shake worms, and Senkos until winterizing the boat a few days before 11/06 firearm deer hunting opener.

Good times.  I love fall fishing.

[evrgladesbasser]

Florida

We won't see fall weather til November...

If we're lucky we get a week of winter in January.

So no changes for now!

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Florida

We won't see fall weather til November...

If we're lucky we get a week of winter in January.

So no changes for now!

Just pray that we don't have that cold stuff that happened earlier this year.  My southern lifestyle doesn't match well with those low 30's and high 20's.....

[backwater4]

New York

Start fishing faster moving baits (spinnerbaits, traps and cranks) in the shallower areas.

[pudmunk]

I'm just excited, never fished the fall

Started this May during Spawn

June,July have been soooo hot

as you can see the weather has been working against me and I've yet to break 3lbs

However, I keep going and loving it.

Looking for a 5+lber this fall

[A-Jay]

Northern MI - Love the Fall.

The weeds die off, the bait is exposed and I'll be waiting there for the bass to come in and feast.

The bait is bigger and so are my baits. Swimbaits, big spinnerbaits and plus size crank baits will be in my arsenal as the days get shorter and the nights get cooler. And night ops in the fall can be very rewarding . . . . . .

A-Jay

[NorcalBassin]

Just get moving a little faster again... good bye to dead sticking (until I get desperate).

[Missouribassman95]

I'm going to fish the same places I did in spring. And I'm going to start fishing more swimbaits.

[NateFollmer]

Central Pa

Already said but I fish faster and target the shallow weedlines vs. being IN the weeds in the summer. I can't wait until the end of fall when I can really start using suspending jerkbaits on the cold waters! Most people hate using jerkbaits slower than they do tubes, but I love it!

[bigtimfish]

South east Tx, I will fish the same baits in fall as I do in spring time. Lots of flipping (buck brush), lipless cranks, spinnerbaits, hollow swimbaits, cranks 4'-12' divers, and last but definatley not least the good ol x rap or rogue. The only change I will make is the color of my lipless crank. I use rayburn red or toledo gold in spring, for fall it will be ghost or chrome.