22344780-Fall-Bass-Fishing-Tips.pdf

A Bass Fishing Tips & Tactics Publication

Bass Fishing Tips & Tactics Goal:

Provide useful and actionable educational material to those wishing to enhance their knowledge and improve their fishing

skills

Fall Bass Fishing Secrets Revealed!

Jim HickeyBass Fishing Tips & Tactics

Maryville, Missouri

http://bassfishingtips-tactics.com

Copyright - Jim Hickey 2009All rights reserved.


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This report has been written to provide information that will help you learn some alternative Fall bass fishing strategies. Every effort has been made to make this report as useful and accurate as possible however there may be mistakes in text or content.

This report should be used as a guide not as the ultimate source of information.The purpose of this e-book report is to educate. The author and publisher do not warrant that the information contained in this report is fully complete and shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions. The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this e-book report.


Fall Bass Fishing Tips & Tactics

If youre like me, strong feelings with mixed emotions start to creep in when you first notice the earlier sunsets and cooler temperatures as Summer gives way to Fall. Just as the bright colors of autumn leaves yield to the dull hues of decay, so vacillates my spirit as I witness Fall bass fishing flow then ebb as Winter approaches.

Amongst all the turmoil of the seasons transitions, one fact rings loud and clear

Fall bass fishing provides the best opportunity for hopeful anglers to catch not only large numbers of bass but also the opportunity to hook that trophy fish of a lifetime we all dream about.

Setting the Stage the Summer to Fall Transition Period

Anyone used to fishing ponds, lakes or reservoirs with fairly deep water should realize many summertime bass reside in main lake areas. While residing in main lake areas, summertime bass typically relate to main lake points, offshore bars, submerged structure, deep weed beds and creek channels.


The reasons bass prefer these summertime locations are simple; the deeper water areas offer a combination of cooler temperatures (hence relief from summertime heat) and presence of forage since many baitfish such as shad or herring.

Just as bass prefer areas with cooler temperatures and plentiful food, baitfish also live out in the main lake for similar reasons. As environmental conditions change, the Summer to Fall transition kicks off and usually occurs between mid-September through mid-October depending on your latitude.

When the calendar passes autumns equinox, a combination of shortened days and cooler air masses work to lower water temperatures throughout the aquatic system. As temperatures fall, signals are sent out to the fish causing both bass and baitfish to slowly start the migration from their summertime, deepwater haunts into shallower creek arms and bays.

Though many bass start their movement toward the backwater areas, changing weather patterns can quickly alter water conditions and force the fish back towards deeper water. In turn, bass are

often very transient, scattered and difficult to pattern during the switch from summertime to fall habits and patterns. Accordingly, fishing during this transition time can be slow but persistence often yields decent fishing and great insight into the beginning of the true Fall migration.


Fortunately the summer to fall transition is relatively short (a few weeks at most) ultimately leading the way to multiple weeks of absolutely great fishing as the bass prepare for the winter slow-down and period of near dormancy.

Special Fall Bass Fishing Tip/Tactic - 1:

Actually this is a Late Summer to Early Fall bass fishing secret I employ in ponds and reservoirs with populations of schooling baitfish like shad (South & Western US) or herring (Eastern US). As the Summer starts to wind-down, schooling baitfish start to congregate in the main lake area and bass often do as well. The reason simply to take advantage of ambush situations where they can corral baitfish quickly and grab a fast meal (a healthier version of McDs I guess!).

I have had some great days on western reservoirs catching unsuspecting bass as they thrashed at shad on the surface. Some of the more memorable days, however, were catching bass herding herring on a number of fertile, vegetated lakes of the East. The diagram below depicts a common situation where this situation often occurs.


As the baitfish schools cruise the water searching out plankton, they would frequently encounter blooms in waters around and over submerged weedbeds like coontail and pondweed. Though the weedbeds may appear dense and impenetrable, a fairly open system exists within the internal structure creating perfect hiding places for bass to wait in ambush. When the school of herring swims around and over the weedbeds, the bass then start to herd the baitfish against the surface. Take the time to position yourself in the area of the weedbeds and have rods rigged with jig & worms, tubes, lipless/shallow running crankbaits and small Spinnerbaits and the action can be fast and furious in spurts of a few minutes at a time.

The Fall Trilogy Early Fall, Mid-Fall, and Late Fall Periods

The Early Fall Baitfish Factor

During the summer, baitfish such as shad and herring reside in deepwater, main lake areas just as many bass do. Once the water temperatures start to slowly decrease, baitfish start to migrate to the shallower bays and flats in the lower portions of creek arms in search of forage (plankton) as they prepare for the coming winter period just like the bass.

It should be of little surprise that the bass will be hot on their tails as the bass also start to strap on the proverbial feed-bag to prepare for the winter doldrums.

Both the baitfish and bass tend to remain sections of major creek arms and bays closest to the main lake during this Early Fall period. As a result, bass are somewhat scattered and are sometimes hard to pinpoint while in a pseudo-transition state. Structures and weed beds located near the entrance to creek arms and bays as well as deep weed-laden flats are typical haunts used by Early Fall bass and baitfish.


If aquatic weeds comprise a significant structure fish relate to in the lakes, rivers or reservoirs you fish carefully monitor the pattern of dying vegetation. Remembering to key in on deeper, more vibrant weed beds and weed-lines as shallow vegetation dies off can often provide excellent dividends in both the quantity and quality of the bass caught in vegetated waters

Even though bass are still transient in nature and are typically scattered during the Early Fall period, they are already starting to feed heavily and can be readily caught when located. A definite plus for the Early Fall bass fishermen

Fishing Tactics for Early Fall

Since bass are scattered and roaming in Early Fall, a prime objective is to target fish associated with shallow structures. These shallow bass are actively feeding therefore it is usually easy to take advantage of their aggressive behavior and experience some truly exceptional days on the water.

Lure selection should focus on baits that can cover water and structure as quickly as possible since the goal is to pick off any aggressively feeding bass in the area.

Fish are typically keyed on larger forage to prepare for the slower conditions during the winter season. Not only do you want to select lures that can cover water quickly but you also want to use larger profile artificial baits.

Primary candidates for Early Fall artificial lure selections include:

Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits with big blades,


Larger shallow and deep running crankbaits in baitfish patterns,

Jump-baits and large topwaters,

Lipless crankbaits and

Light colored swimming jigs.

Theses lures can all be productive when presented to early fall bass under the right conditions.

After refining your lure selection there are a couple of key points to remember about Early Fall bass location. First, Early fall bass are often on the move and scattered so isolated structures are often more productive during this time than areas where structure is more densely packed. Additionally, remember to note the condition of aquatic vegetation you are planning to fish and shift to deeper weed beds as shallower vegetation shows signs of stress.

Also since the fish are targeting schools of baitfish, Early Fall bass will often suspend in the upper parts of submerged structure (tops of weed beds, bushes or suspended over rock piles. It is important to keep your lure presentations higher in the water column since the bass are usually NOT relating to bottom structures.

Early to Early-Mid Fall Bass & Weather

During most of the Early Fall and into the Mid Fall period, both windy and rainy weather can play a key role in increasing bass feeding activity. The effect of both conditions on surface results in lower levels of light penetration, adding increased levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) and slightly cooling temperatures. Even though these same conditions tend to shut-down bass fishing in the Late Fall, all three factors can significantly enhance bass feeding activity during these times.


Note - the timing of these facts and tactics will vary depending on your local climate and may not even apply to the far southern portions of Florida since it never really gets cold there!


Heres a little Early to Mid Fall bass fishing secret I first discovered while fishing reservoirs in the Western U.S. then subsequently verified on several natural pond systems in the Northeast. Most of us cringe when we hear the weather person on the evening news start talking of impending cold fronts and the brisk, windy weather that follows. I know I did until I encountered a situation where bass were herding baitfish (shad out west and herring in the east) in the rolling surf of wind-swept shores.

Normally the post-front winds blow from the northwest therefore the area where this condition exists is typically on the southeast side of the lake. When conditions are right, the bass are in an absolute feeding frenzy and I have personally caught numerous largemouth and smallmouth in excess of 16 inches with the largest being 23 and 21.5 inches, respectively. The fishing can be absolutely insane with lures such as jigs and lipless crankbaits leading the way!

The Heart of the Matter The Mid-Fall Period

When they refer to fall bass fishing the Mid-Fall period is the one they are talking about. By this time, water temperatures have fallen to the low sixties/upper fifties and the bass have really strapped on the old


feed bags. The techniques will be similar in nature to the early fall period but the location of your quest shifts further into the back of creek arms and bays.

The reason for this is the fact that the bass are following the schools of baitfish which are searching out their primary forage plankton. Plankton tend to thrive in the upper end of creek arms and backs of bays since those areas are usually receiving more concentrated levels of nutrients they feed on. One indication of a rich phytoplankton population is the presence of a greenish coloration to the water (the phytoplankton are green due to the presence of chlorophyll for photosynthesis).

As the creeks discharge water into the creek arms, the water is often laden with the requisite nutrients derived from fertilizer runoff thereby feeding the phytoplankton which in turn feeds the baitfish with the bass hot on their proverbial tails!

Which creek arms might be best?

Simply the creeks with an active in-flow of water since the influx carries both the nutrients required to feed the plankton and it provides a constant source of dissolved oxygen helping offset the oxygen depleting effect of dying plankton and other vegetation.

Mid-Fall Fishing Techniques

Lure selection and presentation methods are similar to early fall but the location has shifted to the back of creeks. Once the bait and bass move into the upper portions of the creek arms and backs of bays, you still want to focus your lure presentations on isolated structures


scattered across the flats, especially those near some sort of break-line.


An even better situation occurs when you locate scattered structures in creek arms with well-defined creek channels and migration pathways between the structures and the creek channel. The more well developed creek arms contain both the channel (a major break-line) and adjacent flats. The best flats are usually those with scattered structures opposed to those with extensive structural elements.

Narrow creek arms tend to have limited flats adjacent to the channel. In this situation, bass often use the confined area of the narrow creek environment to corral the baitfish into tight pods thereby making them easier prey. When this condition exists, it is very common to see bass busting schools of baitfish in these confined settings.


When you encounter bass busting schools of baitfish on top throw a variety of lures (jigs, tubes, topwaters, crankbaits) into the action and strikes are often fast and furious. Many times the bass working the surface are the smaller (12 14); nice but bigger fish would be a nice addition. The larger fish are often sitting below the surface feeding activity waiting to slurp-up any stunned or injured bait falling beneath the main school. Though it can be difficult to get a bait through the smaller bass feeding on top, switching to heavier lures and targeting the edge of the surface activity will often get the baits to the deeper (and larger) opportunistic fish!

Lure selection during the mid fall period should be the same as in Early Fall. Larger profile baits that can be worked quickly around shallow, isolated structures are often best.


Prime examples include:

Spinnerbaits with large blades in baitfish patterns;

Buzzbaits in baitfish or bright patterns (my personal favorite);

Thick bodied, weightless worm or stickbait as a follow-up to misses on buzzbaits;

Lipless crankbaits in baitfish patterns;

Shallow, square-billed crankbaits; &

Large-profile, light-colored swim jigs.

When starting your search in the creek arms for bass in the Mid Fall period, one approach to maximize your time on the water is to motor up into the backs of the creek arms and then slowly work your way out toward the mouth. Once youve located the main concentration of migrating bass and baitfish, you can then focus your efforts in that part of the creek to optimize your results.

One other thing to keep in mind, during this period, though the bass still relate to isolated structure (i.e., scattered tree pods over the flat rather than flats covered with standing trees), the fish tend to be more concentrated on the structure theyre relating too. After locating the section of the creek holding the greatest numbers of fish, keep working each structure since multiple fish are likely holding on or near it.

As the mid fall period starts to wind down and make the transition into the Late Fall, the appeal of the larger, faster moving baits wanes. This means it is time to re-define both your approach and tactics when seeking Late Fall bass.


The Beginning of the End The Late Fall Period

When the late fall period starts, the migration patterns of the early and mid fall periods are reversed as both baitfish and bass move back out from the creek arms and bays into the main lake area.

Bass will still be actively feeding; they are more prone to be feeding later in the day when surface water temperatures are warmest. This response is related to the actions of the baitfish whose activity is closely tied to the activity of phytoplankton in the open water environment.During the latter mid to late parts of the day when the Sun is highest, phytoplankton activity increases in the upper portion of the water column drawing the baitfish up as well.

The concentration of baitfish near the surface again creates a situation the bass can capitalize on since the water surface becomes a barrier the bass can use to corral the baitfish making feeding more effective. During the late fall, it is quite common to see pods of baitfish suddenly busting on the surface in the main lake area as the bass are basically herding them against the surface.

Tactics to catch schooling bass include the use of topwaters and stickbaits as long as the water temperature is over 50o F, lipless crankbaits, or weighted jigs and grubs.

Once the surface schooling action dies and bass drop back to deep creek channels or weed beds,


the best approach for late fall bass turns to slow, subtle presentation techniques involving hair jigs and spoons.

When fishing hair jigs, adding small profile pork trailers and using a slow, steady and very subtle retrieve is a key factor when effectively presenting these baits. Another approach can be to use a spoon and a slow vertical jigging presentation around deep structure.

The late fall period is often the slowest and most tedious part of the fall season though bass are usually tightly schooled and some days can be truly exceptional. This is especially true when you come across those concentrations of larger bass. Even though their cold-blooded metabolisms are extremely sluggish, well executed, slow presentations of lures such as hair jigs and pork eel combinations can yield excellent results.

Late Fall Bass & Weather

Unlike the attraction of bass to foul weather conditions in the Early to Mid Fall periods (when water temperatures are still above the mid fifties), Late Fall bass are generally turned off during the same conditions. Optimum weather for enhancing Late Fall bass activity is associated with calm winds and afternoon sunshine which warms surface waters often triggering baitfish activity and bass activity is close behind


Added Bonus Figure: Lower half of a Midwestern reservoir with indications of bass and baitfish locations for each of the Fall seasons discussed in this special report


22344780-Fall-Bass-Fishing-Tips.pdf

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