Fall is officially on the calendar and the first cold front has settled over much of the country. That’ll start the bass moving in a hurry.
One thing to always keep in mind when the water temperatures start to fall is that the shad and other forage fish will move shallow, and the bass will never be far from them. From now until true winter arrives if you find the baitfish you’ll be pretty close to the bass.
I know that it’s popular to talk about fishing in the backs of creeks, cuts and inflows. I won’t quarrel with that thinking but I will respectfully remind you not to overlook grass at this time of the year. Remember it’s early. The water is cooling but it’s a ways away from killing cold. Until it gets colder and the days get a lot shorter it’ll stay green and healthy. And, it’ll hold baitfish and bass as they travel towards shallow water.
When I’m fishing grass in October I’m mostly throwing four lures.
Walking Stick
My first choice is a Zara Spook. It’s about the right size, comes in a wide variety of colors and walks fairly easy. Sometimes I snake it along, just making a slight ripple come off its sides. At other times I’ll jerk it around and actually make it splash a little.
We hear all the time that we should let the fish tell us what to do. That statement has never been more accurate than when you’re walking the dog in the fall.
Frog
My preference here is one of the Snag Proof models. If the grass is thick I use my Guntersville version. If it’s thin, or even sparse, I go with one of their other designs. They all bob, twitch, splash and walk with a minimum amount of effort.
Fish your frog the same way you do a Spook. Let the fish tell you what they want.
Square Bill Crankbait
This is not a bait that you hear a lot of guys talking about in the fall. I’m not sure why because it’s been effective for me over the years. My choice is a Luck “E” Strike model.
I fish mine right over the tops of submerged weeds But I fish it different than I do in the spring. Instead of jerking and changing direction my fall presentation consists of long, straight casts that I bring back to the boat with a steady retrieve.
Don’t worry if you snag weeds every so often. Just jerk it loose and keep it coming.
Jerkbait
My choice here is one made by Luck “E” Strike. Pick the model that most closely resembles the local forage — color and size — and the one that runs at the proper depth for where you’re fishing.
Jerk it around and let it work naturally. When you pull your rod down to move it forward make sure you raise the tip quickly so the bait can do its thing on a semi-slack line. And, just like with the square bill, don’t worry about occasionally hanging in the weeds.
Those are my thoughts on catching bass in the early fall. I hope they help you.
Chris Lane’s column appears weekly on www.twitter.com/ChrisLaneFishand www.facebook.com/chrislanefishingor visit his website, www.chrislanefishing.com.Chris Lane’s column appears weekly.
