FAll Smallmouth?

[chucker]

What are some of your better fall clear water smallmouth techniques? Last weekend I caught and released a couple of nice smallies fishing a jig and minnow in 27' on a mid lake hump fishing for walleyes. I spent most of the day casting spinner baits and cranks with little success? Is it common to find bass on deep structure this time of year?

Thanks for your help.

[TonkaBass]

It is really hard to pass up a suspending jerkbait in the cold water. This bait hard attention getting qualities and when paused it gets the fish inspecting it. A little twitch after the pause and the only thing the fish can do is attack it. This is one of my favorite techniques. I also really like rattle baits and spinnerbaits. Faster moving but still gets a good reaction bite from cold water smallies.

[fishuhalik]

I second tonkabass, rattlebaits and suspending cranks are my fall favorites

[Cecil]

Although you didn't have much luck with it, I love throwing big spinnerbaits with bright blades. They CRUSH them this time of year.

[luvtofish]

Crankbaits gotta love them!! Smallmouth this time of year can really pound them. also i really love a football head jig great bait this time of year

[chucker]

Thanks for the ideas! So... what type of structure are you keying in on? What are some of the more popular suspending jerk baits and do you swim a football jig and what type of plastic do you tip it with?

[luvtofish]

When I use a football head i just so crawl it. I look for a hard bottom i was catching fish the other day in 6ft. So where ever that is where your fishing. I usually tip it with some type of grub or jig trailer mostly whatever you prefer.

[TonkaBass]

Focus on the same areas where the fish spawned and you should do just fine.

[bassn1]

I was out on Saturday, water temp was 55 and we could not get a smallie to hit a moving bait at all. We started using tubes and small jigs in 10 FOW off of main lake sand/rock points and landed about 40 of them between 2-3 pounds. The bite was so light that it was hard to tell if you were on a weed, rock or if it was a fish. The fall bite is on and the smallies have started to school!!!

[TonkaBass]

I caught over 60 smallies in about 4 hours on a suspending jerkbait fished very slow. Most of the bigger fish were right next to the boat before they hit. They would stare the bait down while it was just sitting, then a small twitch and they would usually hit it.

[HeIsLegend]

sporadic retrieved X-raps, lipless baits or fat crank baits dt3's some wiggle warts. Red or brown craw color. If you don't catch any on these.........we'll stick to live bait.

[TonkaBass]

With the cooling water flat crankbaits get better. DT3 flat and bomer flat A are good starters.