ExBassGuide
10-03-2008, 10:31 AM
Fall is upon us! This is one of the best times of the year to get that bass of a lifetime! My best fall bass is 7 pounds 11oz. I got that on November 11th a few years back. As fall moves in an the trees start to change and the night grow longer and colder the bass go on the move. The bass are very active this time of year and seam much easer to catch than the hot days of summer. In the fall the bass start there move out from open water haunts to more shallow water cover. This is one of the best times of the year for using search baits like spinner baits and crank baits. You can cover lots of water and that will help you develop THE FALL PATTERN! The nice thing about the fall pattern it will normally hold for several weeks and you can really put a hurt on the bass with this knowledge. Over all the many years I have fished in the fall I have found the bass do not do the same thing every year. I have also found the bass prefer different lures each year. Some years they love crank baits. Some years they will turn there nose up at everything but tube baits or grubs and some years they just loved hoola grubs. I have found some years when the edge of the pads were loaded with quality bass and I could go out for a few hours in the morning and really hammer them. Other years I found them on wood like the pilings and other years on docks thick. I plan my fall fishing trip very carefully in regards to time of the month and moon fazes. I like to focus on the last half of October and the first week or two of November . And I plan my trips on the new moon faze. This is BIG BASS time and you better gear up and make sure your gear is top notch condition. With the shorter days comes less hours to fish. Just because its cold as heck in the morning do not think the bass will not be active! First light is still king till the winter rains move in! The afternoons can be good But I still never miss first light in the fall. Even on days when my boat has over an inch of frost on the deck! Be like a boy scout and “be prepared”! I have even taken a propane heater with me in the late fall. And you will learn to pray for NO WIND on those mornings. Because that light breeze will suck the warmth out of you hands and stop you from fishing in seconds flat. But the reward is worth all you have to deal with! Every year I start to see people talk about winterizing there boat at the start of October and I smile, the lake will be all mine today! In the fall you have your pick of spots. Just remember a few people go out in the dark and set up on some spots you may have planed to fish. So be prepared for those darn duck hunters staking out your best spot. But remember first come first take. As the water cools the small bass with disappear and all the bass you catch will be quality bass. Silver lake is my #1 pick in the fall and 2nd place goes to the Columbia River for fall smallmouth bass. I catch smallies till Thanks giving some years. Just a few words on fall conditions and one more tip about being on the lake before first light! Fog plays a very big part of your fall fishing. If you are on the take before first light you can get to your favorite spot and not get lost in the fog (like I have many times). Most of the time the fog will be hovering above the lake in the dark as first light comes the fog slams down on the lake and you will not want to make long runs across the lake. So think about fishing a spot that will take you hours to fish, by then the fog may lift and allow you to run safely to other spots. So do not put you boat and gear up for the winter but now is the time to hit the water hard .If you do you could be rewarded by your personal best bass of all time!
So get out there and get after em!
Roger
So get out there and get after em!
Roger