fall patterns

[kt]

With summer coming to an end, i was just wondering what some of the favorite fall bass patterns are. I really don't have a favorite since i haven't fished the fall very much (been too busy). Hoping to do some fall fishing this year though.

[Yaeger Guide]

My favorite time to bass fish, both largemouths and smallmouths, is the fall. The bass start to gorge themselves in preparation for the winter slow down. It almost seems that any pattern works for both species.

For largemouths, regardless of the lake, they work their way back into the shallows (with some that have never left the shallows). My favorite targets are docks, stumps, pads, reeds and flats / points. Working all of these with a topwater is priority number one. The bass are usually aggressive, and nothing is like the topwater explosion. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are also nice fall patterns.

With smallmouths, working the rocks and rip rap with topwaters, jigs and plastics seem to work the best. You can bring an aggressive smallie from 20 feet below to the surface with a topwater. Crankbaits, jerkbaits, worms and jigs can also produce.

Regardless of what you are after, work the topwaters. Soon, or now at sundown is the time to work the zara spooks, buzzbaits, spitters, etc.

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God bless,
Judd Yaeger
Yaeger Guides (Twin Cities Guides) www.totalbusinessware.com/guide.html

[Cyberfish]

When the shallow grass dies off, then move deeper looking for the remaining green grass in the deeper water not affected by the cold, then look for baitfish/ bluegills. The bass should not be far away.

I like Crankbaits, both lipless and divers, also jigs.

Michael.

[Flick]

I like using sucker minnows, med. to large ones. I know this isn't classic bass bait, but it produces big bass and a lot of em on heavily pressured lakes, they work when nothing else will. Gut hooking usually is not a problem since I use a very large hook on either a drop shot or under a bobber and set the hook almost immediately. Try it-you might be amazed with your results!

[Guest]

I agree with Flick. I fish Steiger Lake in Victoria alot, mainly from the dock. Using suckers under a slip bobber, or right off the bottom has been producing big numbers of decent size bass.

[RandyFish]

This is all good advice on fall patterns, but when do they start?

Does water temp trigger the change into fall, or is it light? Please speculate....Also, try to pin it down datewise. Late Sept., etc...

Since I am devoting this bass season to learning plastics, I would love to hear of any techniques/conditions where plastics work well for autumn bass.

Thanks,
Randy

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Fish 'On

[Smallie]

Bass addicts, what else is there other than jig. Theres alot a ways to catch bass but day after day it keeps putting the numbers out with the size to go right with it.

I go after both smallmouth and large mouths .
Smallies I throw a variety of stuff for. I go fish smallies where ever theres gravel or rock ledges humps, bars ect, and it doest matter when there up if its 6 inches or 25 ft.

Theres plenty of largemouth up shallow but if the lake has a good deep weed line thats where I spend my time in the fall. I like heavy jigs 1/2oz and bigger and fish it very agressive. The best fishing is yet to come .

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[Guest]

The nights are getting longer and colder, the water temps are slowly dropping, and the bass are getting fatter and stronger. Now is the time to start hitting the lakes. As soon as the water temps start to drop, the bass sense the oncoming winter and start their feeding rampage. Fish fast, cover a lot of water and hold on!

Randy,
Carolina rigging around deep weedlines with lizards or big tubes will catch a lot of bass. Also, I have been catching a lot of bass drop-shotting Zoom finesse worms. If you fish shallow, try Texas rigged worms or tubes fished around heavy cover. Good luck and tight lines!

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Adam Johnson
www.adamjohnsonfishing.com

[rascalP]

Adam,
Is drop-shoting another form of carolina rigging? - rascalP

[GullGuide]

Everyone is talking deep water here so I'll throw my all time favorite fall pattern into the mix.
Go shallow and go with a BUZZBAIT!!
Fall is the time when the big bass just go nutso on a buzzer. Late evening just before sundown is the best time. Fish in areas close to shore adjacent to deeper water and around cover such as wood and dying weeds. This has been the ticket all the way into November for me. Give it a try.

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Gull Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/gullguide
Brainerd-Mille Lacs-Willmar
Bemidji-Ottertail

[Capt'nJosh]

I've found that scumfrogs flipped in 1-2 ft from shore have been the ticket for me. Right at dusk has really been fun if you can keep the West Nile Killers away!

Capt'n

[Guest]

rascalP,
Drop-shotting is somewhat similar to a Carolina rig. You place the sinker beneath the hook on a leader instead of in front of the hook. Tie a hook with a palomar knot leaving a long (about a foot or so to start) tag end. At the end of the tag end is where you place your weight. Attatch a plastic bait to the hook and you're ready!
Make a short cast, or even fish vertically, let the weight sit on the bottom, shake your rod tip to make the bait bounce and twitch like crazy. Bites will be really light, almost like a sunfish.

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Adam Johnson
www.adamjohnsonfishing.com