Fall Bass Fishing

The most productive time of year for bass fishing besides pre and post spawning is without a doubt in the fall. Fall bass fishing has so much more potential for success than summer bass fishing yet so many fishermen do not take advantage of fall bass fishing. I suppose that means all the more for us.

When the ambient temperature begins to drop the shallow waters will be the first to cool down with it. In summer the bass are seeking refuge from the warm, oxygen low waters in the deeper areas and they are not feeding too much. This will change as soon as the fall weather hits. Cooler water means more oxygen, which in turn means a faster metabolism, more energy and a faster digestive speed in the bass. As the weather cools the shallow waters will be the first to cool down with it. This is when you will find your bass coming in from the deeper waters to the shallower areas, much like in spring. What makes fall bass fishing so great is the fact that at this time, the bass absolutely HAVE TO feed as much as they possibly can so that they can fatten themselves up for the cold months ahead. Fall bass fishing requires much less precision in your bait and color presentation because they are much less picky this time of year (although mimicking the native baitfish is still your best bet).

The key to successful fall bass fishing is knowing the water temperature. It is very important at this time of year because now more than ever it is going to determine where the bass will be. I suggest always having a thermometer of some kind with you when fall bass fishing, or if your depth finder measures water temperature than you are all set. What you want to look for is water temperatures below 80 degrees Fahrenheit but above 55. The mid 60’s range is best. You should be looking for this temperature range in shallow water starting in early fall.

When fall bass fishing, look for areas of cover, isolated weed beds, a change in structure (rocks to weeds for example), and drop offs. Drop-offs with plenty of cover are great for fall bass fishing because bass can easily move between deep and shallow water in the event of a warm or cold front moving in and making the temperature suddenly uncomfortable for them. They can do this all the while staying hidden in cover – a perfect spot for bass in the fall.

A quick tip for fall bass fishing: in the early fall when bass are just starting to move into the shallows, start your efforts on the northwest shore of whichever lake you are fishing (if any) and look for rocky areas. The northwest shore tends to warm up quicker because the sun hits it first and warms the rocks.

As the fall season progresses, bass will gradually be moving back into deeper waters because now the shallows are just getting too cold. They will do this very gradually and will stick along places of cover. Points extending into deeper water provide a great location for fall bass fishing because the bass and baitfish alike will be staying close to them as they move deeper. Remember to reel in slowly here because their energy will be slowly diminishing. You will have to be aware or what approximate depth the bass are at when fall bass fishing. If you are not having any strikes in shallow water with lots of cover then perhaps you are a little late to be fishing those waters and should try moving deeper.

There comes a point during fall bass fishing when the shallow water temperature and deep water temperature are roughly the same. It can be difficult to locate the bass at this time. If this is the case, be sure to focus your efforts on structure. If you can find structure running from shallow to deeper water, fish along the length of it covering a range of depths.

A common challenge with fall bass fishing comes toward the second half of the season as bass are moving deeper. It is harder to find cover when you are out in the open water, especially if you don’t have a depth finder. A trick I like to use in this case is to look for birds diving into the water. They are picking up baitfish being chased by schools of bass (yes I almost forgot to mention that bass form schools in the fall). If you can find birds diving in a particular area then you can be fairly sure that where there are baitfish, there are bass. If an unusually warm day comes along after the water has cooled significantly, try going back into the shallow waters, the bass will certainly not pass up this last opportunity to hunt in the shallow waters before winter.

As mentioned before, the particular form of bait you use in fall bass fishing is not as important as in the summer because they will be attacking just about anything that resembles prey. As long as you put yourself in the right area using the tips mentioned above, you will see why fall bass fishing is no doubt one of the best times of year to be fishing.