How to fish the bass in The Fall - What is the best baits -
- Key Features of Fall Bass Fishing
- Fall Bass Locations
- Tackling Turnover
1. Key Features of Fall Bass Fishing
Summer is a season of low bass activity due to excessively high-water temperatures, forcing them to take cover in areas with lower temperatures.
As the season progresses into fall, air and water temperatures gradually decrease. The cooler water holds more dissolved oxygen, allowing bass that were confined to specific locations with higher oxygen levels during the summer to become more active and disperse over a wider area. As a result, anglers often employ moving baits to cover larger areas.
To locate the scattered bass, the key is to find their baitfish. In other words, by identifying the whereabouts of the baitfish that bass prey upon, the chances of encountering bass increase. Targeting their current prey's location will likely lead to success, as bass will be waiting nearby for a bite or actively patrolling the area. It's crucial to understand the specific situation of each fishing field, as the bass' primary prey during this season may vary from shad to bluegill or crustaceans.
2. Fall Bass Locations
Let's consider how to catch the dispersed bass by dividing the fall into three periods: late summer to early fall, mid-fall, and late fall.
- 1. Late Summer to Early Fall
・Shallow Cover Edges：Swimbaits
・Surface：Buzzbaits,Poppers
・Mid-depth：Crankbaits, Lipless crankbaits,Spinnerbaits, Bladed Swim Jigs - 2. Mid-Fall
・Riprap：Crankbaits,Texas- rigs,Heavy Neko-rigs
・Other Areas Adjacent to Deep Water - 3. Late Fall
・Deep：Deep Crankbaits
(1) Fall Bass Locations - Late Summer to Early Fall
As the heat subsides, bass become more energetic. With increased oxygen levels in the water, they scatter, making it effective to attract them aggressively with moving baits.
- Shallow Cover Edges : Swimbaits
Even in the fall, some bass stay tight to cover, but unlike in summer, they begin paying more attention to the areas outside of it.Instead, run your lures along the edges of cover to draw the bass out.
The JACKALL Maekon 180SF is designed to draw bass out from cover. With its short, side-to-side walking action, it stays in the strike zone and teases fish into biting.
For thicker cover, the JACKALL Bounty Fish is a great choice. Known for its easy skipping and snagless design, it lets you target spots where bass hide without snagging.
Employ a dog-walk retrieve along the cover to mimic the movement of roaming baitfish and attract bass.
- Surface : Buzzbaits,Poppers
In areas without wind, small baitfish are more likely to rise near the surface, so work your lures in the top water column. Any spot where baitfish might congregate, such as bridge pilings, standing timber (vertical structures), and floating buoys, becomes a potential target.
The NEW Mad Waver from DEPS unleashes massive surface commotion with its oversized wings, pulling scattered bass from all around. For even greater presence and unmatched drawing power, step up to the HUGE model.
Working a popper is also highly effective. The MEGABASS POPMAX creates powerful splashes and a unique rattle sound that other poppers can’t match, pulling bass up to the surface even from slightly deeper spots.
- Mid-depth : Crankbaits, Lipless crankbaits,Spinnerbaits, Bladed Swim Jigs
If no baitfish are visible on the surface or bass aren't rising to topwater lures, they may have descended to the mid-depth or lower. In this case, use moving baits to trace different ranges.
The key is to work your bait along breaklines or around submerged structure, rather than casting aimlessly. If a steady retrieve doesn’t produce, chances are there aren’t any bass there—so keep up the pace and move on to the next spot.
Useful moving baits for this purpose include crankbaits, lipless-crankbaits, bladed-swim-jigs, and spinnerbaits.
Crankbaits
The crankbait is a fundamental moving bait. It allows anglers to maintain a consistent target depth, making it easy to visualize the underwater situation. The MEGABASS Deep-X series is a versatile option for basic tracing.
Lipless Crankbaits
Lipless crankbaits are indispensable in fall. Compared to crankbaits, lipless crankbaits can be retrieved faster, enabling a more rapid fishing approach and stimulating bass' interest with speed. Additionally, their reduced buoyancy upon contact with obstacles makes them suitable for thorough searches.
The JACKALL TN series offers a wide variety of sizes, colors, and material options, allowing anglers to adapt to different situations. The slightly forward-leaning posture of these baits also helps minimize the risk of snagging, a common concern with lipless crankbaits.
The MEGABASS Vibration-X series features a flat head design that produces a strong wobbling & rolling action to entice bass. These lures maintain excellent depth-keeping ability and can be used at various speeds, from slow to fast.
Spinnerbaits
By adjusting the weight, anglers can target depths ranging from shallow to deep, and the lures' snag-resistant design makes them beginner-friendly.
The MEGABASS SV-3 maintains a stable swimming posture even at high speeds, and its thicker wire arm can withstand aggressive contact with obstacles.
When bass start getting used to the action of a spinnerbait and you need a little more finesse to trigger bites, the IMAKATSU Zinx Mini is a smart choice.
Power or finesse—switch your spinnerbaits.
Bladed Swim Jigs
If the attracting power of spinnerbaits feels insufficient, bladed swim jigs can be effective. While not reaching the surface, they excel at triggering bites through their strong appeal. For a straight-swimming option, try the JACKALL Super Break Blade 3/8oz. Its ultra-thin blade creates a tight-pitched action, ensuring the lure traces the intended course precisely.
For an erratic presentation, opt for the IMAKATSU MOGULLA MOTH Chatter Monster 3/8oz. With a simple straight retrieve, this lure exhibits a fluttering, off-track motion that can elicit reaction strikes from bass.
(2) Fall Bass Locations - Mid-Fall
As the water temperature drops, bass disappear from shallow areas, and increased water clarity makes it harder to catch them by simply retrieving bait that has strong drawing power at a distance.
Focus on areas adjacent to deep water or submerged rocks where bass are likely to be found. Retrieve your lure while occasionally imparting rod technique when the lip contacts hard bottom to trigger a reaction.
- Riprap
Rocky areas, such as riprap extending below the break, often serve as bass feeding points. Targeting bass suspended over rocky areas with a crankbait—and then switching to a Texas rig to pull fish out of the rocks—is an efficient approach.
(1) Crankbaits
Crankbait choice is key. When a reaction bite is key, go with the MEGABASS Griffon—its bounce off cover creates sudden jumps that trigger strikes. On the other hand, when bass are hugging the rocks, the SUPER-Z is your best bet, thanks to its straight-tracking design that crawls smoothly along structure.
(2) Texas-rig
If you suspect bass have nestled into the crevices of the rocks, try dragging a Texas rig to probe the contours at a quick pace. These areas often harbor crustaceans, so the NORIES Escape Twin, which can imitate both crustaceans and small fish, is a suitable choice.
(3)Heavy Neko-Rig
As the water cools, bass move into the cracks of rocky areas, and some may even get used to the Texas-rig.
In such situations, try directly dropping a heavy neko-rig into the holes and entice the bass by letting it hover. Use a heavier weight to ensure the rig falls smoothly into the hole, and manipulate the rod to suspend the lure in the middle layer. The JACKALL Yammy4.5, a soft-plastic designed specifically for neko-rigs, is recommended.
- Other Areas Adjacent to Deep Water
As fall deepens, the water becomes clearer. Since the risk of bass seeing through your presentation increases, it’s best to use bait-like lures such as jerkbaits or small crankbaits.
Since it's a season when bass are eager to feed, begin with a simple straight retrieve to locate bass that are willing to chase. Only resort to adding rod action if the straight retrieve fails to generate interest.
The MEGABASS Oneten series is a classic choice for jerkbaits. 1: Start with the Oneten-R, which excels at straight retrieves. 2: If unresponsive, switch to the original Oneten and incorporate sharp darting actions for tricky. 3: With LBO model, drop down +1 range and achieve longer casts. By systematically utilizing the various models within the Oneten series, anglers can adapt to a wide range of situations.
If the baitfish size has increased and the Oneten feels too small, consider using the JACKALL Rerange 130SP, a larger jerkbaits.
(3) Fall Bass Locations - Late Fall
(1)Deep Crankbaits
As winter approaches and the water temperature drop below 68°F (20°C), bass may have already descended to deeper areas. Although not as finicky as in the dead of winter, a delicate approach is not yet necessary.
Employ techniques like trolling to ensure your crankbaits reach the desired depths.
The IMAKATSU IK-800 R2 deep-diving crankbait can reach depths of up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) when cast and 26 feet (8 meters) when trolled.When trolling, the choice of fishing line is crucial.
3. Tackling Turnover
While the previous sections discussed fishing under general conditions, "turnover" is a phenomenon that cannot be ignored in fall fishing. Turnover can lead to extremely challenging fishing conditions, so the following paragraphs will explain its characteristics.
What is Turnover?
Turnover refers to the phenomenon where the cooled surface water sinks, spreading the poor-quality bottom water containing dead plankton and other debris throughout the entire area. It commonly occurs in fall when the temperature difference between air and water is most pronounced, especially during cold mornings and evenings.
Characteristic signs of turnover include persistent bubbles on the water surface, fine debris floating on the surface, increased turbidity, or a foul, sewage-like odor. If you encounter such conditions, it's likely that turnover is occurring, and bass may have vacated the area. In this case, the quickest solution is to move to a different spot.
[Areas Less Affected by Turnover]
・Zones with active water movement
・Shallow water where bottom water doesn’t easily mix in
・Areas protected by vegetation or weed growth
Another key indicator is whether baitfish are gathering in the area.
For more detailed information on how to successfully fish during turnover, please refer to the following article.
4. Summary
Here’s the wrap-up of our fall bass fishing guide.
- [1] Late Summer to Early Fall
・Pull bass out from shallow cover with a swimbait.
・For surface-feeding patterns, use buzzbaits or poppers to bring fish up.
・In mid-depths, cover each range with moving baits such as crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, bladed jigs, or spinnerbaits. - [2] Mid-Fall
・Target riprap structures with crankbaits, Texas rigs, or heavy neko rigs, working more precisely as conditions change.
・When the water clears, switch to bait-like jerkbaits for a natural presentation. - [3] Late Fall
・For bass that have moved deep, use trolling techniques to reach them. - [4]Other Tips
Read more about late fall bass fishing here.