Fall Fishing

Fall is by far one of the best times to fish any smallmouth lake. This is a great time to catch your limit of big fish.

Smallies like to stock up ahead for winter, a time when they are not as likely to get a belly full of shad or whatever baitfish is available in that lake.

So, the key is to locate baitfish. That's where you will find the smallies.

Your focus in the fall will not be much different than in the spring. Set your sites on shallow shelves adjacent to deeper water (flats that drop sharply), also rocky humps and shoals with patches of grass mixed in.

Fish can be at any depth, but you will mostly want to look in 8 to 12 feet of water in the fall.

This is going to be a bit hit and miss because smallmouths gather in big schools of up to 50 fish. So if you don't find them quickly, move on.

The best baits for this method are spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and hard jerkbaits fished quickly. These allow you to cover a lot of water fast. Keep the lure just under the surface.

When you do nail one and suspect there are more to be had, but they have refused your original offer, try using a slower moving bait like a soft plastic tube.

Work the area slowly and completely. Follow-up is extremely important to catching the maximum amount of fish from an area.

Once you have found them, you don't want to leave any of them behind.

Topwater

The thrill of topwater bass fishing is addictive. There is a BIG difference between catching that elusive smallie off the bottom, from the middle or from the surface. Topwater bass fishing is a more visual experience than other types of fishing. There are specific types of rods and lures for topwater bass fishing.

Most anglers will tell you that a 6 to 6 ½ foot rod with a medium action will suffice. If the action of the rod is too stiff, you will yank your bait right out of the fish's mouth when you set the hook. A medium action rod is the best fit for topwater bass fishing.

These rods are available in a price range of about $20 to over $200. Do you need to spend a bunch of money on a rod? Regardless of the price tag, medium action is medium action. On the other hand, if you go with a $25 rod, you can expect $25 worth of performance. Find yourself a rod somewhere in the middle and you won't go wrong.

When it comes to lures, there are a great many to choose from. Here is a list of the top ten that I have had success with:

1. Heddon's Zara Spook
2. Custom Bait's Senko
3. Yum's Floating Worm (with a Texas style rig)
4. Zoom's Superfluke
5. Heddon's Torpedo
6. Lazer Eye's Buzzbait
7. Smithwick's Stick Bait aka Hard Jerk Bait
8. Rebel's Pop-R bait
9. Snag Proof's Tournament Frog
10. Any spinner bait. These are manufactured by numerous companies

All these lures have their own unique presentations. When presented properly, these baits are historically known to produce quality bass. This is true across regional boundaries, weather conditions and water temps.

Now you have the rod and the lures you need for topwater bass fishing, there is one more thing you should know. Here it is: Since topwater fishing is a visual type of fishing, most anglers will set the hook too soon and jerk the lure right out of the fish's mouth. To prevent this, do NOT set the hook immediately when you see the strike! Wait a second, reel in some slack and when you feel the pressure of the bass on the line, THEN set the hook. You will boat more lunkers that way and be a much happier fisherman to boot.

Catch bass with Crankbaits

Many amateur and professional fisherman alike use crankbaits to catch big bass. The secret is knowing how to use these correctly. Using crankbaits correctly will attract big bass and other fish. These artificial lures are one of the easier to use as you just cast them out and reel them in but there are some basic tips to using them.

When buying crankbaits look on the box to see how deep they dive. Different crankbaits dive to different depths when reeling them in. Make sure to use the right one for the depth you are fishing in to avoid snags but still getting down where the fish are.

Use a good light to medium pole about 6 foot in length. Make sure your reel has a decent gear ratio to allow for fast enough reeling when you work the crankbait back in. Crankbaits get their motion when your reeling them in. This swimming motion is what attracts the big bass.

Crankbaits will wobble back and forth in a swimming motion. They will either speed up or slow down depending on how fast you reel them in. How fast you reel also determines the depth they will dive. Learning the optimum speed is the key.

Crankbaits come in all different colors. Make sure and choose a color that resembles the bass's main food source in your area. Most prefer green, silver, chrome, black, and brown crankbaits.

Use crankbaits to fish flats, cliffs, drop offs, rocks, logs, and deeper areas. Their ability to dive down makes them a very versatile bait to use to catch big bass.

Crankbaits are one of the most dependable baits used to catch big bass and are used by fisherman everywhere. With amazing results. With a little practice and knowledge you will be landing big bass in no time.