Fall Bassing
The leaves are changing colors, and squirrels are burying nuts for the winter. Halloween candy is being overstocked at your local store, and Wal-Mart has started putting Christmas decorations for sale up already. Football is in full swing. The Rams are 4 and 0, the St. Louis Cardinals just won their division and gained home field advantage for the playoff. The outside temperature is dropping and the wife has turned off my air conditioner and opened all the windows. Yes, my friends, it is that time of year again -- it is "FALL"!!!
Fall means many things to many people, but to me it means that bass are now on the move -- swimming, hunting, eating and schooling hard. They are getting thick and gaining as much weight as they can to prepare for winter. This for me is the best time of year to go bass fishing. I know this is only my opinion and I will get a few arguments on this point.
There will be those of you who will say things like "anytime you can get out and fish is the best time". That is also true. Anytime is a good time, but if you want to have a really good time, try fall bass fishing. Let's just say I prefer, enjoy, or should I just come to the point and say I love fall bass fishing. I dream, eat, sleep, and plan for it. I can't wait for it. Just thinking about schools and schools of bass busting shade everywhere you look, schools of bass swimming the shore line, schools of bass everywhere, just sends a shiver up my spine.
But where to start? Just like at any other time of the year, you need to know where to look for these great green monsters we all hunt for. With the changing of seasons so comes the changing of behavior of the bass. The first place I look is at whatever is left of the old vegetation. Remember that the water is cooling down and there is a lot less sunlight getting to it. This causes the aquatic vegetation to die off. If you can find any vegetation that is still green, then start working the edges of it and work right into the middle of it. I usually start with a small crank bait or spinnerbaits to work the edges. Cast parallel to it, and try to just barely touch the weeds without getting hung up. This can draw any bass lying underneath the weedline ready to ambush a prey. If there are small opening or holes in the vegetation, try flipping or pitching a pegged worm into them. Your bites should be soft but the results can be huge. I caught some of my biggest fish pitching into these open holes like this.
Latest Articles