Questions about fall bass behavior

[ashlandjim]

I live in Massachusetts and I am relatively new to bass fishing. During the summer, most of the bass that I landed were caught either in the weeds located in the shallower portions of the lake where I fish or in the vicinity of the shoreline which typically had weed cover or rocky bottoms associated with it.
Over the last few weeks, the fish are much harder to come by in the weed beds and along the shoreline.
My questions to the Prostaff are these. How does bass behavior change with fall? And, where should I be focusing my efforts and what techniques and lures are most effective during this time of year?
The lake I normally fish, by canoe, is 160 acres, has a main channel area ranging in depth from 24 to 45 ft, and has some shallower, i.e. 5-15 ft depth, flats and coves radiating out from the deeper portion of the lake.
Thanks in advance for the help. This web site has been, and continues to be, very informative.
Tight lines -Jim

[JoeM]

Jim- Welcome aboard and thanks for the good comments about Bassin'USA.

By about this time tomorrow, I believe you will have a number of answers to your questions from our talented Pro Staff. Every year before, during and after Turnover we are all faced with trying to locate and catch Black Bass.

Our Pro Staff Team Members because of their
considerable experience in tournaments, have learned to find and catch bass quickly.

Thanks for posting. And let us know how this information has affected your fishing.
Thanks. JoeMo

[britchie]

They thing I look for the most in the fall is your biggest concentration of baitfish. Generally they will be in or around some sort of tributary. When the water first starts to cool the baitfish will begin migrating up these creeks, generally the deeper tributaries will be the ones to key on. And as the water gets colder the baitfish will seek their winter homes in deep water close to the mouths of the creeks or if the creek has some depth they will stay.

As far as selection of lures, the water temp and the position of the baitfish will dictate your lure choice. If there is some surface activity I would try some topwater plug like a spook or sammy.

Spinnerbaits and rattletraps work good. When you find an active school of baitfish on the surface, you can bet there are bass around.
Try burning a spinnerbait or rattletrap through the middle of the school, once the school scatters kill the bait and let it fall a few feet, the fish can't stand it.
A suspending jerkbait is a killer when the fish are busting but won't hit a topwater.

After the surface activity slows, go to the mouths of the creeks and try a jiggin spoon.

Just spoke with a close friend today and he caught 25 last Sat. on a jiggin spoon ranging 1 to 4 #'s. This is unheard of on this river. He was fishing a mouth of a power plant discharge where the water temp is in the 90's.
I guess the fish like the hot stuff or I should say the baitfish like the hot stuff. I'll be there this weekend to see if it was just a fluke or not, Hope not.

Maybe this will give you a starting point.

[johnnie crain outdoors]

Quote:Originally posted by Jim:
I live in Massachusetts and I am relatively new to bass fishing. During the summer, most of the bass that I landed were caught either in the weeds located in the shallower portions of the lake where I fish or in the vicinity of the shoreline which typically had weed cover or rocky bottoms associated with it.
Over the last few weeks, the fish are much harder to come by in the weed beds and along the shoreline.
My questions to the Prostaff are these. How does bass behavior change with fall? And, where should I be focusing my efforts and what techniques and lures are most effective during this time of year?
The lake I normally fish, by canoe, is 160 acres, has a main channel area ranging in depth from 24 to 45 ft, and has some shallower, i.e. 5-15 ft depth, flats and coves radiating out from the deeper portion of the lake.
Thanks in advance for the help. This web site has been, and continues to be, very informative.
Tight lines -Jim

[johnnie crain outdoors]

Hello Jim, Glad to see you on board. First, fall is my favorite time to fish, except the days are just too short!!
In the fall and early winter bass have only one thing on their mind, and that's garnering all the protein they can to sustain them through the winter months, especially in the North country. In fall I always look for rock shorelines or rock cover. My primary concern is finding rocks. Rocks hold crawfish and given a choice in the fall, bass prefer crawfish over shad, minnows or any other food, simply because ounce for ounce the crawfish has more protein. Those coves and rock points with rock bottoms you described should be ideal spots. Look for the bass to hang around the eight to fifteen foot depth range, they will migrate into the shore to grab a crawfish then back to these depths. Best lure choices include, brown/orange crankbaits, green/brown or even charteuese will even work. No advertisement here, but I use a Poe's 300 series crankbait in crawfish brown or a brown Model 7A Bomber. Clear water I use Poe's, it doesn't rattle, stained, the Bomber, it rattles. Dig these crankbaits right into the bottom structure and make most casts parallel to the bank. If the fish are sluggish I go with a 1/4 ounce brown and orange bass jig tipped with a number-1- brown Uncle Josh pork frog. I use Original Fish Formula Crawfish spray on everything in the fall. Simply fish this rig slowly along the bottom and swim it a few inches off the bottom part of the time, see which works best. In extreme conditions, I will use a Hopkin's Shorty Jigging Spoon fished vertical over rock bottom areas in at least fifteen feet of water. Let the spoon fall to the bottom and jig it upward about six inches and let fall back on a semi-tight line, all you'll feel is a faint tick on the line, set the hook. Don't give up on this technique to easily. It's a little boring, but when it works it's exciting and rewarding. I've taken bass in 43 feet of water doing this. Good luck, let us know how you do. Johnnie Crain-Iowa Pro Staff.

[JoeM]

Brian & Johnnie: Great advice. I'm taking notes on all of this stuff.

Jim: I guess you have some good tips to use out on the water. As I said earlier, keep us posted how you are doing.

Thanks for picking Bassin'USA. We talk Bass.