Catching More Early Fall Bass

As the weather cools down in early fall, bass fishing can really heat up. The bass are actively feeding in preparation for winter.

Here are some tips to help you find and catch bass during the early fall months:

• Focus on shallow water - As water temperatures drop into the 60s, bass will move shallow to feed. Target areas like points, weed edges, docks, and flooded timber in 1-8 feet of water. Early morning and late evenings are prime times to fish the shallows.
• Windy days are best - Windy days in the fall strongly position the baitfish. Follow the wind to whichever bank or shoreline is being hit the hardest. Bass will be herding baitfish and actively feeding in these areas.
• Use lipless crankbaits - Lipless crankbaits like Ratt-L-Traps imitate struggling shad and other baitfish perfectly for fall bass. The vibration and flash triggers hard-hitting reaction strikes. Use shad as well as other baitfish patterns and work the banks for aggressive hits.
• Throw spinnerbaits and chatterbaits - Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits also mimic wounded baitfish. The flash and vibration of these bladed baits grabs the attention of early fall bass. Target any available shallow cover plus work these lures parallel to the shoreline for more strikes from early fall bass.
• Use your electronics - Use your fish finder to look for baitfish and bass stacked up on primary points, channel swings, and underwater humps. These are prime fall feeding areas. Drop a jig or texas-rig worm on them.

As mornings get cooler, make sure to fish later in the day. The midday bite can often be very productive. Pay close attention to water temperature changes and move shallow as it drops into the 60s.

Bass pro and two-time Classic winner Hank Cherry is no stranger to chasing early fall bass on lakes and reservoirs across the country. Take a couple of minutes and watch as Hank provides a little insight on locations and baits for catching more early fall bass...

With a little patience, early fall can offer some of the hottest bass action of the year.

Tips for Catching More Bass During the Early Fall

As the days get shorter and the temperatures start to drop, bass fishing enters one of its best seasons - the early fall. The cooling water triggers feeding activity, and bass start bulking up for winter. 

Use these early fall fishing tips to help you catch more and bigger bass during the summer to fall transition:

1. Target Wind Blown Banks

Fall winds pushes micro-organisms and therefore baitfish to wind-blown banks also drawing active bass to those areas as well. Position your boat (or you if fishing from the bank) upwind and work baits imitating local baitfish around available cover and structure to entice feeding bass into biting. 

2. Fish Shallows Early and Late

Bass will still be active in shallow areas early and late when the water is warmer. Focus on shallow structure like stumps, docks, and grass edges, especially on sunny days. Topwaters, walking baits, and buzzbaits can be productive when bass are chasing baitfish in the shallows.

3. Fish the Backs of Creeks 

Creeks often cool down faster than main lake areas. The baitfish and bass will move into the backs of creeks as the water temps drop. Target creek mouths, pockets, and anywhere creek channels swing close to shallow cover.

4. Follow the Bait

Cooling water temperatures trigger shad and other forage species to bunch up, making them easy targets for hungry bass. Look for balls of baitfish near structure on your electronics as well as signs of surface activity and keep moving to find the feeding bass. Match the hatch with shad or perch pattern crankbaits, blade baits, and swimbaits.

5. Fish Slow Tapering Points  

Points that gradually slope out to deeper water form structure that congregates both baitfish and bass. Drag Carolina rigs, deep diving cranks, jigs, or dropshot rigs along these transitional areas. Focus on the shallow end of the point and out toward deeper water.

6. Fish Isolated Cover

Bass will often hold tight to cover like stumps, brush piles, rocks, and docks in the fall. Thoroughly work around isolated pieces of hard cover with jigs, Texas rigs, bladed jigs, and jerkbaits. Making repeated casts to high percentage areas like shady areas or along current seams are often key to triggering strikes from cover-relating bass.

7. Use Reaction Baits Around Baitfish Schools

When you spot a group of bass stacked up on structure and chasing baitfish, use reaction baits to trigger reflex strikes. Lipless cranks, jerkbaits, bladed jigs, and swim jigs can all quickly draw strikes when retrieved around baitfish schools before they keep migrating. Have a follow-up bait (jigs or weighted soft plastics) ready to pitch back to stubborn when short striking your first offering. 

8. Keep Moving Until You Find Fish

Don't be afraid to pick up and move to a different spot when the bite dies off in an area. Bass are usually on the move in the fall and you need to keep moving to stay ahead of them. Eliminate unproductive water, and keep hitting new spots until you dial in an area holding active fish. Once bass are located, slow down and work the area thoroughly before moving to a new location. 

9. Match Lure Selection to Weather Conditions

As fronts move through, cooling or warming water trends are common in the shallows, often causing bass locations and moods to change quickly. Reaction baits like crankbaits and spinnerbaits are better on warming trends, while jigs and soft plastics excel in cooling conditions. Pay attention to weather and make appropriate tackle adjustments.

10. Have Variety in Your Fall Tackle Arsenal

Because bass are in transition during early fall, having a wide variety of bait types and colors is essential. Make sure you have baits that cover all depths of the water column and structure/cover you may be fishing. When the bite is tough, switching to finesse-style baits and techniques is often the key to triggering more strikes.

As the weather cools during the early fall period, get out there and give these fall bass fishing tips a try. Adjust to the changing conditions, and you'll be reeling in the fall lunkers throughout this cooling water period.

Fishing Spinnerbaits in Creeks for Early Fall Bass

Early fall is a great time to fish spinnerbaits in creeks for bass. The water temperature is still relatively warm, and the bass are starting to move shallow in search of food. Spinnerbaits are a versatile lure that can be fished in a variety of ways, making them a great choice for creek fishing.

Here are a few tips for fishing spinnerbaits in creeks for early fall bass:

Use a spinnerbait with a painted white or chartreuse blade. These colors are very effective at imitating shad and herring, both being a major food source for bass in the fall. If other forage fish like perch or sunfish dominate your favorite creek, adjust colors accordingly. Always carry a variety of spinnerbaits in different sizes and colors. This will allow you to adjust your presentation to the conditions.

Fish the spinnerbait around cover. Bass will often hide in cover, such as rocks, logs, and weeds, so make sure to fish a spinnerbait around these areas.

Vary your retrieve. A spinnerbait can be fished with a variety of retrieves, so experiment until you find one that is working well. Some good retrieves include a slow, steady retrieve, a retrieve with pops and pauses, and a retrieve with jerks and retrieves.

Fish the spinnerbait in shallow water. Bass will often move shallow in the fall, so make sure to fish a spinnerbait in water that is 2 to 4 feet deep. That said, never be afraid to check deeper pools and cuts by slow rolling a spinnerbait through those holes.

Take a few moments and watch the following video from the folks at Lurenet describing why spinnerbaits can be highly effective bass slayers in the early fall…

Early Fall Bass Baits and Locations

With bass being scattered from shallow to deep water, early fall bass fishing can be one of the toughest times of the year to consistently catch fish.

There are a few things you can do to increase your cast to catch ratio as bass pro Luke Palmer explains in this short video from the folks at Falcon Rods...

So remember a few tips to increase your early fall bassin' success:

• Keep moving and cover water
• Have a variety of baits covering the water column ready to use thoughout the day
• Always be on the lookout for bait (or birds indicating bait is around)
• Work the shallow areas with deeper water access close by

Tight lines all!

Early Fall and the 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.

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 near 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. Structure 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 are a significant type of fish-holding cover 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 weed-infested 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 angler …

Bass in the Summer to Fall Transition

Anyone used to fishing ponds, lakes or reservoirs with fairly deep water should realize many summertime bass reside in main lake areas. While taking up residence in their main lake hide-outs, summertime bass often relate to main lake points, offshore bars/humps/rock piles, submerged cover on deep 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 deeper water for similar reasons. As environmental conditions change, the summer to fall transition kicks off and usually occurring between earl September in the north through late October on southern waters.

When the calendar passes the Autumnal Equinox, a combination of shortened days and cooler air masses work to lower water temperatures throughout all aquatic systems. 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.

Early Fall Bass Fishing

The summer is winding down and doldrums coming to an end…

When summer gives way to early fall, the bass become more active and start to move shallow…

Here are a few tips to help with the adjustment…