What Are Scat Baits and Do They Work?

Scat-type baits, also known as heavy baits or gravity baits, are a new and innovative category of soft plastic baits that are quickly gaining popularity among bass anglers. 

These baits mimic the look and movement of natural forage, like crawfish or baitfish. Bass are drawn to this familiar appearance, increasing the chances of a successful strike. Scat-type baits are designed to be fished weightless, and they feature a heavy salt content that gives them a unique sinking action and profile. 

One of the most popular scat-type baits is the Deps Cover Scat. The Cover Scat is a 3.5-inch stick bait that is available in a variety of colors. It features a unique hook slot in the belly that allows it to be rigged on a wide-gap hook without weighing it down.

A growing number of companies are in the process of introducing their own scat baits renditions including:

• Missile Baits 3.5” Bomba

• Nories 3” Flip Dom

• Geecrack Imo Kemushi 95

• Yamamotto Yamatanuki 2.5 & 3.5

Scat-type baits can be fished in a variety of ways, but they are most commonly used for pitching and flipping in heavy cover. The heavy salt content allows them to sink quickly through the water column, and their unique profile makes them irresistible to bass that are feeding on crawfish and other bottom-dwelling creatures.

Here are a few tips for fishing scat-type baits:

• Use a heavy-duty rod and reel with a braided line. The braided line will give you the sensitivity you need to feel the bite and the power to pull bass out of heavy cover.

• Rig the bait on a wide-gap hook, such as a Gamakatsu Superline EWG hook in size 4/0. This type of hook will help to prevent the bait from tearing and will also give you a good chance of setting the hook on a bite.

• Cast the bait into cover and let it sink to the bottom. Once it hits the bottom, give it a few gentle twitches to simulate a crawfish moving around.

• If you don't get a bite, reel in the bait and cast it again to a different spot.

Scat-type baits can be a very effective way to catch bass in a variety of conditions. They are especially well-suited for fishing in heavy cover, such as weed beds, lily pads, and timber. If you are looking for a new bait to add to your arsenal, be sure to give scat-type baits a try.

Using Lipless Crankbaits for Shallow Fall Bass

As the weather cools down in fall, bass metabolism slows and they become less active. This makes it harder to trigger reaction strikes. Lipless crankbaits are an excellent lure choice during this time. Their erratic action and minnow-like profile helps trigger sluggish bass into striking. 

When fishing lipless cranks in the fall, focus on areas with baitfish. Shad and other forage will congregate around cover. Target areas like rock piles, submerged timber, boat docks, and creek channel ledges. Cast past the cover and crank the lure down to tick against it. The deflecting action imitates a wounded baitfish and draws vicious strikes. 

Vary your retrieve speed and cadence to determine the mood of the bass. Some days a super slow crawl will work better than a fast and steady retrieve. Try occasional pauses to let the lure flutter down. Use rod twitches to add an injured action. Pay close attention to where you get bites and replicate that retrieve. 

With their loud rattle and bold profile, lipless crankbaits are ideal for tempting neutral fall bass into biting. Focus on productive cover and be prepared to adjust your presentation until you trigger strikes.

Take a few minutes and watch as the folks from W2F provide some great on the water insight into fishing lipless crankbait for shallow fall bass...

Stroking a Football Jig for Bass

A football jig is a versatile and effective bass fishing lure, especially for deep water and hard bottoms. It can be fished in a variety of ways, but one of the most productive is to "stroke it." 

Stroking a football jig involves imparting short, sharp hops to lift the jig vertically as you work it across structure. This erratic action imitates a fleeing crawfish or baitfish, which triggers aggressive strikes from bass.

To stroke a football jig, follow these steps:

1. Cast the jig out and let it sink to the bottom.
2. Reel up but leave a semi-slack line as the jig rests on the bottom.
3. Give the rod a sharp upward snap to hop the jig off the bottom.
4. Reel up leaving a semi-slack line again and repeat steps 3 and 4 until the jig reaches the boat or contact with the structure is lost.

The key to stroking a football jig is to keep it lifting and falling vertically to the bottom. If you reel up too much line, the jig will lose its action and become less attractive to bass. You also want to vary the speed and intensity of your strokes. Sometimes, a slow, deliberate stroke is best, while other times a faster, more aggressive stroke is needed. Experiment with different cadences until you find what's working best on that particular day.

Here are a few additional tips for stroking a football jig:

• Use a medium-heavy to heavy action baitcasting rod with 12-20 pound fluorocarbon line. This will give you the power to lift the jig off the bottom and the sensitivity to feel the slightest bite.
• Experiment with different trailer sizes and colors. A popular choice is a pork rind frog, but you can also use swimbaits, crawfish imitations, and other soft plastic trailers.
• Fish football jigs in areas where bass are likely to be feeding, such as rock piles, ledges, and drop-offs.
• Be patient. Stroking a football jig can be a slow process, but it's often worth it when you hook into a big bass.

Take a few minutes and watch as bass pro Matt Arey describes his approach to stroking jigs when fishing pressured bass on deep water structures…

Using Squarebill Crankbaits to Catch Fall Bass

Even though air and water temperatures cool quickly, bass fishing starts to heat up in the fall. These changes trigger bass to start aggressively feeding up for winter and will strike reaction baits worked around their prime fall haunts. 

One of the best lures to use during this transitional season is a squarebill crankbait. 

Here's how to use this effective lure to catch more fall bass:

Choose Your Squarebill: Squarebill crankbaits feature a square lip that gives them an erratic darting action ideal for triggering reaction bites. Pick a model that dives down to 2-8 feet to target bass relating to cover and structure. Standard squarebills are about 2 inches long, but going bigger with a 2.5-3 inch version can be even more effective on big fall bass. Opt for shad, perch or crawfish patterns in natural colors to match local forage.

Target Shallow Cover: Focus your squarebill retrieves around shallow cover that bass are using as ambush points to attack prey. Target areas with cover types like laydowns, rocks, stumps, dock pilings, and grass edges in depths from 2 to 8 feet. The squarebill's wobbling action will grab the attention of bass hiding around shallow cover.

Work the Crankbait Properly: It's essential that you work the squarebill crankbait at the right speed and retrieve cadence to trigger aggressive strikes. Use a medium-fast 6.3:1 reel and keep the rod tip down for maximum diving depth. Crank the lure as fast as you can while still bouncing off cover and keeping it near the bottom. Try using a stop and go retrieve to make the bait kick off to the side and dart erratically.

Experiment with Different Retrieves: One of the best things about a squarebill is you can vary your retrieve to appeal to how active the bass are. Burn it steadily back on a straight line for aggressive fish. Kill the lure and let it float up when the crankbait hits something for a deadstick pause. Pop your rod tip during the retrieve to make the bait slash and dance. Experiment until you find what triggers the bass that day.

Take a few minutes and watch as the folks from Lurenet demonstrate some of the finer points for catching fall bass around shallow cover with a squarebill...

Where to Find Fall Smallmouth vs. Largemouth Bass

As autumn arrives, the cooling water temperatures trigger bass to become more active as they bulk up for winter. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass can be found together in many lakes and reservoirs but they tend to frequent different locations and structure types during the fall season. 

Smallmouth bass become even more oriented to rocky and gravelly areas as the water cools. Focus your efforts on riprap banks, submerged boulders, rock piles, and gravel points near a drop off into deeper water. Smallies will hold tight to the rocks and ambush baitfish that swim by. Dragging jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and underspins along the bottom around rock structure is a dynamite way to target fall smallmouths.

Meanwhile, largemouth bass head towards wood cover and vegetation as the water temperatures decline. Target weedlines, laydowns, docks, brush piles, and submerged timber near drop-offs. Slow rolling spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged soft plastics through and around the cover is a prime tactic for fall largemouths. They'll be looking for one last big meal before winter arrives. 

Take a few minutes and watch as Al and James Lindner give there thoughts on the types of cover and structure preferred by largemouths and smallmouths during the fall period...